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Electrical and Computer Engineering

Michigan Technological University

Recycling

Articles 1 - 7 of 7

Full-Text Articles in Engineering

Finding Ideal Parameters For Recycled Material Fused Particle Fabrication-Based 3d Printing Using An Open Source Software Implementation Of Particle Swarm Optimization, Shane Oberloier, Nicholas G. Whisman, Joshua M. Pearce Dec 2023

Finding Ideal Parameters For Recycled Material Fused Particle Fabrication-Based 3d Printing Using An Open Source Software Implementation Of Particle Swarm Optimization, Shane Oberloier, Nicholas G. Whisman, Joshua M. Pearce

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 2

As additive manufacturing rapidly expands the number of materials including waste plastics and composites, there is an urgent need to reduce the experimental time needed to identify optimized printing parameters for novel materials. Computational intelligence (CI) in general and particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithms in particular have been shown to accelerate finding optimal printing parameters. Unfortunately, the implementation of CI has been prohibitively complex for noncomputer scientists. To overcome these limitations, this article develops, tests, and validates PSO Experimenter, an easy-to-use open-source platform based around the PSO algorithm and applies it to optimizing recycled materials. Specifically, PSO Experimenter is used …


Finding Ideal Parameters For Recycled Material Fused Particle Fabrication-Based 3d Printing Using An Open Source Software Implementation Of Particle Swarm Optimization, Shane Oberloier, Nicholas G. Whisman, Joshua M. Pearce Dec 2023

Finding Ideal Parameters For Recycled Material Fused Particle Fabrication-Based 3d Printing Using An Open Source Software Implementation Of Particle Swarm Optimization, Shane Oberloier, Nicholas G. Whisman, Joshua M. Pearce

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 2

As additive manufacturing rapidly expands the number of materials including waste plastics and composites, there is an urgent need to reduce the experimental time needed to identify optimized printing parameters for novel materials. Computational intelligence (CI) in general and particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithms in particular have been shown to accelerate finding optimal printing parameters. Unfortunately, the implementation of CI has been prohibitively complex for noncomputer scientists. To overcome these limitations, this article develops, tests, and validates PSO Experimenter, an easy-to-use open-source platform based around the PSO algorithm and applies it to optimizing recycled materials. Specifically, PSO Experimenter is used …


Mechanical Properties Of Direct Waste Printing Of Polylactic Acid With Universal Pellets Extruder: Comparison To Fused Filament Fabrication On Open-Source Desktop Three-Dimensional Printers, Arthur Alexandre, Fabio A. Cruz Sanchez, Hakim Boudaoud, Mauricio Camargo, Joshua M. Pearce Oct 2020

Mechanical Properties Of Direct Waste Printing Of Polylactic Acid With Universal Pellets Extruder: Comparison To Fused Filament Fabrication On Open-Source Desktop Three-Dimensional Printers, Arthur Alexandre, Fabio A. Cruz Sanchez, Hakim Boudaoud, Mauricio Camargo, Joshua M. Pearce

Michigan Tech Publications

Fused filament fabrication (FFF) is the most common and widespread additive manufacturing (AM) technique, but it requires the formation of filament. Fused granular fabrication (FGF), where plastic granules are directly three-dimensional (3D) printed, has become a promising technique for the AM technology. FGF could be a key driver to promote further greening of distributed recycling thanks to the reduced melt solidification steps and elimination of the filament extruder system. However, only large-scale FGF systems have been tested for technical and economic viability of recycling plastic materials. The objective of this work is to evaluate the performance of the FFF and …


Towards Distributed Recycling With Additive Manufacturing Of Pet Flake Feedstocks, Helen A. Little, Nagendra Gautam Tanikella, Matthew J. Reich, Matthew J. Fiedler, Samantha L. Snabes, Joshua M. Pearce Sep 2020

Towards Distributed Recycling With Additive Manufacturing Of Pet Flake Feedstocks, Helen A. Little, Nagendra Gautam Tanikella, Matthew J. Reich, Matthew J. Fiedler, Samantha L. Snabes, Joshua M. Pearce

Michigan Tech Publications

This study explores the potential to reach a circular economy for post-consumer Recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate (rPET) packaging and bottles by using it as a Distributed Recycling for Additive Manufacturing (DRAM) feedstock. Specifically, for the first time, rPET water bottle flake is processed using only an open source toolchain with Fused Particle Fabrication (FPF) or Fused Granular Fabrication (FGF) processing rather than first converting it to filament. In this study, first the impact of granulation, sifting, and heating (and their sequential combination) is quantified on the shape and size distribution of the rPET flakes. Then 3D printing tests were performed on …


Open-Source Grinding Machine For Compression Screw Manufacturing, Jacob Franz, Joshua M. Pearce Sep 2020

Open-Source Grinding Machine For Compression Screw Manufacturing, Jacob Franz, Joshua M. Pearce

Michigan Tech Publications

Some of the most promising distributed recycling and additive manufacturing (DRAM) technical systems use fused particle fabrication (FPF) or fused granular fabrication (FGF), where compression screws force post-consumer waste plastic through a heated nozzle for direct 3D printing. To assist the technical evolution of these systems, this study provided the details of an invention for a low-cost, easily replicable open-source grinding machine for compression screw manufacturing. The system itself can be largely fabricated using FPF/FGF following the self-replicating rapid prototyper (RepRap) methodology. This grinding machine can be made from a cordless cut-off grinder and < $155 in parts. The new invention is demonstrated to be able to cut custom screws with variable (i) channel depths, (ii) screw diameters, (iii) screw lengths, (iv) pitches, (v) abrasive disk thicknesses, (vi) handedness of the screws, (vii) and materials (three types of steel tested: 1045 steel, 1144 steel, and 416 stainless steel). The results show that the device is more than capable of replicating commercial screws as well as providing makers with a much greater flexibility to make custom screws. This invention enables the DRAM toolchain to become even more self-sufficient, which assists the goals of the circular economy.


Open Source Waste Plastic Granulator, Arvind Ravindran, Sean Scsavnicki, Walker Nelson, Peter Gorecki, Jacob Franz, Shane Oberloier, Theresa K. Meyer, Andrew Barnard, Joshua M. Pearce Oct 2019

Open Source Waste Plastic Granulator, Arvind Ravindran, Sean Scsavnicki, Walker Nelson, Peter Gorecki, Jacob Franz, Shane Oberloier, Theresa K. Meyer, Andrew Barnard, Joshua M. Pearce

Michigan Tech Publications

In order to accelerate deployment of distributed recycling by providing low-cost feed stocks of granulated post-consumer waste plastic, this study analyzes an open source waste plastic granulator system. It is designed, built, and tested for its ability to convert post-consumer waste, 3D printed products and waste into polymer feedstock for recyclebots of fused particle/granule printers. The technical specifications of the device are quantified in terms of power consumption (380 to 404 W for PET and PLA, respectively) and particle size distribution. The open source device can be fabricated for less than $2000 USD in materials. The experimentally measured power use …


Mechanical Properties And Applications Of Recycled Polycarbonate Particle Material Extrusion-Based Additive Manufacturing, Matthew J. Reich, Aubrey Woern, Nagendra Gautam Tanikella, Joshua M. Pearce May 2019

Mechanical Properties And Applications Of Recycled Polycarbonate Particle Material Extrusion-Based Additive Manufacturing, Matthew J. Reich, Aubrey Woern, Nagendra Gautam Tanikella, Joshua M. Pearce

Michigan Tech Publications

Past work has shown that particle material extrusion (fused particle fabrication (FPF)/fused granular fabrication (FGF)) has the potential for increasing the use of recycled polymers in 3D printing. This study extends this potential to high-performance (high-mechanical-strength and heat-resistant) polymers using polycarbonate (PC). Recycled PC regrind of approximately 25 mm2 was 3D printed with an open-source Gigabot X and analyzed. A temperature and nozzle velocity matrix was used to find useful printing parameters, and a print test was used to maximize the output for a two-temperature stage extruder for PC. ASTM type 4 tensile test geometries as well as ASTM-approved …