[3D Printing Applications] Printing hope amidst the hurricane: the plastic crisis is an opportunity!

[3D Printing Applications] Printing hope amidst the hurricane: the plastic crisis is an opportunity!


As a hurricane ravaged the Solomon Islands, a man held a 3D printer to his chest to prevent it from being blown away by the fierce winds; the 3D printer continued to print parts for vital infrastructure while his colleagues installed solar panels to power it.

This passionate man is Dr. Masha Muhammad, a postgraduate student at Deakin University's Faculty of Engineering, and the 3D printer is the LulzBot Mini.

"We believe that if we can test everything in the worst and most undesirable environments, except for underwater, then we've succeeded. That's great because these are the environmental conditions under which printers ultimately operate, and if we can do it in whirlwinds, high humidity, and torrential rain, it means we can do printing almost anywhere," Dr. Massa said.



Environmental innovation
The struggles with sourcing resources and managing waste are not uncommon for island communities; residents of Honiara, the capital of the Solomon Islands, are also grappling with massive amounts of plastic waste, clogged waterways, and dying marine life. Furthermore, their access to clean drinking water is hampered by infrastructure and the natural environment, with no spare parts available for repair.

However, in Dr. Marshall's view, two very different problems created a glimmer of hope.

He and his colleagues, in collaboration with Prepared Childhood International and volunteers, tackled two problems: turning waste plastic into repair parts for infrastructure. Their project involved grinding waste plastic into rice-grain-sized granules, then using a portable filament forming machine to transform it back into raw material usable by a 3D printer . Fittings, pipes, gaskets, and sealing strips were then fabricated as needed and printed on a LulzBot Mini 3D printer. "This 3D printing technology can be used to quickly replace damaged sealing strips, pipes, and other equipment critical to water supply or sanitation facilities," Dr. Massa said.



Go with the flow – open-plan devices create endless possibilities.
"The ultimate goal of this effort is to provide 3D printing technology to people in disaster-stricken areas and developing countries, especially those without a stable power supply. A key part of this project is its sustainability, as the 3D printer can not only use nearby plastic waste but also solar cells," said Dr. Massa. The openness of the LulzBot 3D printer allowed the team to modify their LulzBot Mini to operate directly on a 24-volt operating system and connect directly to solar cells.



Dr. Massa listed his favorite aspects of the LulzBot Mini: its durability and ease of use. "I've done 3D printing using recycled plastic filaments in a stormy environment, and not a single print failed. I believe the LulzBot Mini is an exceptional 3D printer that can work in the harshest conditions! We're ready to use it right out of the box!" he said, adding that he looks forward to LulzBot continuing to develop outstanding 3D printers.

Indeed, LulzBot recently launched the second-generation LulzBot Mini 2 , which is quieter, prints larger volumes, and supports more open-source materials than its predecessor. Best of all, you can buy it now on our website ! We'll also continue to share new applications and technologies related to 3D printing , so please stay tuned.

Original link: https://www.lulzbot.com/learn/case-studies/3d-printing-turns-plastic-problems-life-saving-solutions