Converting Bottles to Filament

Filament for 3d printing is really expensive and plastic bottles are really cheap. So these are simple instructions to create a machine that converts plastic bottles to 3d printer filament

Components needed:

1. Disposable plastic water bottle
2. 20*20cm hardboard
3. 350mah powerbank
4. arduino uno
5. 130 dc motor
6. 24v heating element
7. custom PCB
8. m3*5mm screws
9. m4*10mm screws
10. connecter bale
11. male to male jumper wires
12. 3D prints
13. Ender 3 heat block with 1.75 mm nozzle
14. Straight bracket
15. Insulator double sided tape

Tools needed:

12v drill

Marker

First would be to print out all the 3d printed parts required for the project. There are total of two parts as shown in the image the STL file for both the parts is given.

The text below is the slicing settings to 3d print the STL file

20 percent gyroid infill

Wall count - 3

layer height - 0.28

Rest of the settings can be default

Place the arduino uno, motor, heatblock+nozzle and the 3d print in the order show in in the image. On top of the 20*20cm hardboard

Place the m4*10mm screws in the straight bracket as showin in the image

Place the bracket with screws on top of the heat block and sandwich the heating element between the heat block and the bracket as shown in the image

drill the screws in using the 12volt drill.

Take the PCB and attach it into the box as shown in the image using insulator double sided.

as showin in the images the moter should be screwed in using the m3 * 5 mm screws using the 12volt drill

Attach the right terminal of the moter to the pin13 of the arduino and the left terminal of the moter to the gnd of the arduino using the male to male jumperwires as shown in the image

As shown the image insert the blade into the front end of the 3d print this machine can be used to strip plastic bottles

Turn connect the Arduino to the powerbank using the 5v powerbank and plug in the PCB. And place the stripped plastic bottle in one end and insert the plastic strips through the hot end and wait if the filament is coming out if not turn the potentiometer slightly to the right and retry keep performing this action until the filament is coming out, and now you have completed the product.