PLA waste from failed 3D prints and excess filament has outpaced current disposal and recycling capabilities in academic, laboratory, and small-scale manufacturing environments. Existing recycling solutions are either designed for industrial scale or are prohibitively expensive and inefficient for desktop applications, limiting accessibility for small users.
Our goal was to design a compact, cost-effective, all-in-one PLA recycling system integrating shredding, drying, melting, extrusion, and spooling into a single machine. We evaluated existing desktop recycling technologies—including Filabot, Felfil, and ReDeTec systems—assessing cost, functionality, footprint, and filament quality to inform design decisions targeting improved affordability, safety, and ease of use.
To quantify material degradation across recycling cycles, we 3D printed virgin PLA dog-bone specimens and subjected them to ASTM tensile testing to establish baseline mechanical properties. We then shredded, reprocessed, and reprinted the specimens, repeating tensile testing across multiple cycles to identify practical reuse limits while preserving printability. We systematically varied extrusion temperature, airflow, and spooler speed to determine operating conditions yielding consistent filament diameter and acceptable mechanical performance.
Our project demonstrates the feasibility of small-scale, closed-loop PLA recycling and establishes a foundational framework for fabrication, testing, and optimization of an accessible desktop recycling solution.