Making a desktop injection molding machine for plastic recycling - TARS

[@manutechlab]

A big thank you to everyone for the feedback :) I am pretty much blown away by the positive response! It really keeps me motivated to push this project! Big big thank you!

[@williammorris1763]

I like you.

[@Donotreplytothis]

I own a CNC shop that produces a lot of plastic waste. I might be very interested in this as an option for our customers. Would love to learn more.

[@AllenLeland]

You're welcome, keep doing amazing things dude!

[@SmashingBricksAU]

What a fantastic project! it is both aesthetically good to look at and functions really well! The price point could be a sticking point as well as getting the molds. Have you thought about the mold supply chain? You need to make the design process and manufacturing process easy for the general public. Perhaps a partnership with Makera that makes the Carvera desktop CNC. That machine would be able to make the molds/dies for your machine. Alos think about targeting universities and technical collage's as buyers of your product. They could actually teach the whole process from designing the mold/die's through to the finished product.

[@protennis365]

You need to make one for a 3d printer.

[@CNCKitchen]

Awesome work!

[@tnh_group]

I would be very interested to see you chiming in or giving advice, if wanted, on this. I want this in my farm to recycle the waste

[@manutechlab]

Thank you so much :) that means a lot to me! :D If you would ever want to see the machine in person, I would love to show it to you :)

[@andreas.grundler]

You should contact Stefan from CNC Kitchen. He is a big advocate of plastic recycling and is well known in the 3D printing community. Maybe you can make a video together.

[@CNCKitchen]

Me?! That's a great idea!

[@7d4ng]

@@CNCKitchen bro spawned in

[@TheJacklwilliams]

@@CNCKitchenYour work speaks for itself quite well Stefan! Bravo!

[@woolfoma]

@@CNCKitchen It's a wonderful idea, do it!

[@manutechlab]

Dang, I would love to :) Your video was pretty much the reason I went with a Prusa MK4 instead of a Bambu Lab printer ^^

[@BrokenBuildings]

You're design looks so damn good I thought it was a commercial product at first

[@StrangeParts]

This is super cool! Precious Plastics has been on my radar for a while now, but one of their weaknesses has always been the injection molding side of things, IMO. This really ups the game!

[@damncat2793]

Hi

[@th3rtyseven]

Hell yeah mate. Use-case aside, building a machine / tool to address a purpose because you couldn't fine one on the market is awesome. Toolmaking is such a cool practice and way less common than it should be.

[@manutechlab]

Thank you! That is right.. only took me about 6 years :D but hey at least I got it mostly done. That is very true

[@th3rtyseven]

@@manutechlab Time well spent 😂

[@AllenLeland]

I agree with this for sure. Find a need, fill a need right?

[@FuIImatiK]

damn that looks clean. finally a desktop injection molding machine that doesn't look like it'll some how kill you..

[@Z-add]

Their are lot of commercial desktop injection molding machines that won't kill you.

[@FuIImatiK]

@@Z-add i didnt say it'll kill you. i said look like. i know theres many desktop machines out there, i own one. but majority of them look very diy or industrial even for a small machine. this design bears a resemblance to the machine micromolder, which i really like the look of.

[@ShopBotix]

@APxKP thanks for the shout-out! The esthetics of his enclosure design are noteworthy, but he failed to duplicate our engineering, and the parts that are demonstrated in the video are parts that would be re-ground and processed again due to quality issues.

[@Z-add]

@@ShopBotix is shopbotix micromolder still being developed

[@ShopBotix]

@@Z-add development is done and has been for years. Google micro-molder or Kickstarter Micro-molder.

[@nanovoidalt]

The algorithm needs to boost this, more people need to know about this. You have a real chance in changing our ability to recycle plastic.

[@Gounesh]

Hope this project comes to life. I can’t imagine how this will lower the production costs.

[@AllenLeland]

This was really awesome to see someone work on a great counterpart to the shredders I am seeing pop up here and there.

[@EvilSpyBoy]

That, is pretty awesome. Small scale recycling options definitely need all the help they can get as there are not enough options.

[@cinobro6393]

Would love these to be available as a kit or digital download!

[@animaser5582]

Awesome work! I appreciate the time and reworking, trying sub assemblies having built many things myself. Thanks for sharing

[@kattkushol]

This is great. A 3D printer and a desktop injection molding machine will make a setup way cooler than having a 3D printer alone.

[@the_str4ng3r]

If this was on kickstarter I would have definitely backed!

[@manutechlab]

Thank you, sounds like something I should definitely look into..

[@th3rtyseven]

@@manutechlab for what it's worth, I think it's great that you're not crowdfunding it just yet. I bet you'll learn a tonne shipping the next ~10-20 units out for testing; having the time to get the machine working well in support of new use-cases, without the pressure of shipping an unfinished product to backers before you're 100% happy with it. Definitely support selling a bunch of "tester" machines to local companies and pricing in "support services" to adapt functionality of the machine as needed though! Love the project.

[@Aryoncreative]

Very interested how the final product turns out

[@marcrad418]

the amount of work u put into it, is stunning

[@Derpalerpa]

Keep us updated. Absolutely love your work.

[@manutechlab]

Thank you, I will :)

[@jambekcomsolutions]

Hello Maeder. I am developing a similar machine to yours using pnematic cylinders and tailored to the Nigerian environment. Good job to your project and good luck in winning the James Dyson Award.

[@manutechlab]

thank you very much and good luck with your machine too :)

[@cxsey8587]

Seems like a precious plastic project

[@Spectre4490]

Very cool technology, hope you will find sponsors, it can partially change plastic problems

[@SergeyRyabenko]

Amazing! Desktop plastic waste recycling machine can be a game changer!

[@BrianBrocken]

That machine looks amazing! Looks to be very well engineered as well. 👍

[@jasonstraurss6974]

What a beautiful looking machine, I would love to own something like that

[@bocacristian9105]

This is awesome, is there a change to buy or to download the latest version of the project?

[@darkshadowsx5949]

I been wanting to build one for years. thanks a ton for the documentation.

[@alexismazuera2216]

Excelente trabajo, le deseo el mejor de los éxitos

[@PaintMinisLive]

I would absolutely love to buy one of these! I have a dream of producing my own miniature models for RPG games to sell on my website and this machine would make that a reality. The bonus that it helps keep waste plastic out of landfills is extremely exciting. This would be a true game changer for tiny businesses like mine! Happen to have any information to share about how to get on a wait list or procure your machine?

[@boembajee]

This machine looks very finished!

[@therecycledpirate]

That looks amazing! I'm following you to see how this will progress.

[@CHILLBOY-hr8zr]

So awesome! I hope these are available to buy someday! I would definitely get one! Feels like form factor wise my instinct would be to orient it vertically that way it could maybe stand on its own and take up less floor space? have to rework expelling mechanism though.

[@53Aries]

Very cool. And the mold plates are small enough that it wouldn't cost a fortune to have new plates milled

[@arbjful]

Great work. The design is so beautiful….🎉🎉

[@SkydivingKiwi]

Nicely done!

[@weldingempire]

What a fantastic idea. Hats off to ya mate.

[@rustysena2638]

Amazing idea! May I ask - how are the molds made and how would a consumer get them?

[@manutechlab]

This far I ordered them from Xometry and designed them myself :)

[@immanojakob]

wow! A truly inspiring project, and an amazing example for small, decentralized solutions.

[@elrompeodres7888]

*Saludos.. Excelente trabajo* *¿Ya está en venta esta maquina inyectora?* *Bendiciones*

[@WojciechSzyiński]

Great idea ...Real Eco solution ...All The Best for YOU

[@Arek_R.]

There appears to be some surface deformation on the parts. I'm no expert but I would guess the mold is cold or the pressure is insufficient.

[@ShopBotix]

Its both.

[@manutechlab]

It is still a work in progress that is for sure :) I have only few experiences with injection molding. But it gets better :)

[@L98fiero]

​@ShopBotix I understand this could be competition, but constructive criticism doesn't make you look as petty.

[@dowhilegeek]

Very cool! I want to believe, but the output quality looks a bit spotty. I assume its all limitations on how much extrusion pressure can be applied?

[@manutechlab]

I still have to work on that, thats true. The product is very much usable but the optics I still have to get right. Someone with some experience in injection molding could definitely help, that would be very much appreciated :)

[@rodrigob]

What are the plans regarding the injection molds? How can that be done "low cost"?

[@mikechu01]

wait a sec that looks like it works well and its very well designed

[@paxtondidit6391]

If you could extrude the recycled plastic into 3D printer filament, it would be incredibly easy to turn household plastic waste into parts for any application you could think of. It won't have the same strength as the molded parts, but the versatility would be great for home and garage projects. Great job with the incredible recycling concept!

[@headhunter_4209]

this is absolutely bonkers I love it I absolutely love it

[@valeriyproklov2868]

Yes! This is the future.

[@nicolasisla6550]

wow! really amazing work, thanks for sharing

[@allround-vlog4576]

Molding machine practical kzbin.info/www/bejne/o3etnmCPiNCeadk

[@calebgrefe8922]

I think the answer to "why not change that" is that its much cheaper and more efficient to do it on a large scale. Sort of the reason factories exist. This is super cool though!

[@Pixelcrafter_exe]

Whats the range of perticulate sizes and shapes the thing copes with? Du you need a industrial granulator or does a simple shredder suffice? How does it hold up with impurities?

[@bokunochannel84207]

this is awesome and i would love to see more of this machine in action

[@Clem.E]

Great idea for TARS name ^^ definitely looks like him !

[@williamayotte5788]

This would be pretty awesome for the Product Design Course I teach. Keep it up and I hope to see this in person at some events.

[@BookedDolphin80]

That looks CLEAN. I need one lol

[@jamieclarke321]

awesome machine, please open source the design or sell plans

[@thewatersavior]

Awesome, was hoping to do something about plastic bags and bottles. does it work for those?

[@HomoSapiensMember]

I'd like to contribute but can't find a repo link... :(

[@nunofelicio]

Beautiful machine man, now if we could 3d print the molds ........

[@anoirbentanfous]

The quality of this machine is outstanding... I would love to see one of the trustworthy youtubers test it in order to give some serious feedbacks... I also hope that you open-source it!

[@canadiangemstones7636]

Extremely cool project!

[@NicksStuff]

That looks great for a prototype! What's your plan, though? Selling machins, selling plans, open-sourcing it, ...?

[@ARAVISMedia]

DAMN, yes, and yes and yes ! You could touch such a huge market

[@fixifaxhd772]

I love the idea. The only issue I see with it is similar to those with traditional injection molding: you need highly specialized molds that are usually quite expensive. Have you ever considered creating a simpler application of this technology, like a 3D filament maker or something along those lines? If so, what made you choose an injection molder? Congrats on this machine. It looks extremely clean and well-thought-out.

[@sirgabrielbrito]

You had changed the game that for a long time we´ve observed

[@CraftySven]

well done, this looks amazing. fantastically well made 🙂

[@shinobudev]

How is this a plastic recycler if it requires me to first recycle the plastic?

[@SarahKchannel]

Very beautiful and elegant design ! Well done, you really need to reach out to the maker community.

[@LucasSteele-v4r]

Man I'm grateful for my algo serving this up! Dude this tech is amazing, well done. Imagine this being implemented into kitchen cabinetry one day, even including the plastic shredder. Rather than putting my plastic bottle into the recycling, I clean it up and put it straight into your machine. So cool, well done again.

[@Vale01-b1x]

Keep up with the great work

[@francisthechange]

This is amazing work !

[@Techne89]

Great tool for all

[@martincerny9866]

Looks awesome man! It would be great if there could be some kind of shredder on top. Shredding the plastic to small pieces can be quite difficult without a proper machine. Is this only for a specific type of plastic like PET or ABS? Or are you able to combine the plastic pieces and create something from a mixture of plastics?

[@manutechlab]

Hi :) thank you very much.. that would be cool indeed. For now I mainly used PP because mixing is not a good idea. PP worked really well so far and is very common in German post-consumer waste

[@DavidMavid94]

Great, I love it! Keep up the good work!

[@oborzecze3410]

There is not a word in the film about the basic parameters of the injection process. How do you control the charge back pressure, dosing speed and stroke, injection speed and pressure, switching point to pressure hold, mold clamping force, cooling time and mold temperature? Building an injection machine is less than half the way to achieving a repeatable process. The cost of building an injection mold often exceeds the cost of purchasing an injection machine with peripherals.

[@Excalibur32]

So awesome, good luck!!

[@imthedentist]

I love the idea and i cant wait for a recycling machine that doesnt require me to sell my firstborne to a witch in the woods to be able to afford it!

[@Optasia3D]

Hi Manuel is amazing what you did. I am working on an other machine will produce mushrooms on low scale. For big scale there are many on market. Can i ask you how you heat up the interior of the flakes? This problem still not have solved as need heat up also an cylinder with water in it. Will be so happy if you can give me a link or idea how made. Thanks so much

[@sherifhakem4306]

need one of this machine

[@frozenwalkway]

can your machine be adapted into the 3d printing filament creation world? there needs to be more activity in that field for personal recycling of failed prints and color change waste. amazing work

[@keshanranasinghe]

Are the kitchen items food-safe?

[@goodi2k7]

Very impressive machine, looks like a finished product. What makes it a recycling machine? How is it different from a normal injection molding machine? Can it be used with plastic pellets?

[@erdemcanaz6394]

Looks perfect,

[@kurtnelle]

How are you shredding the plastic waste?

[@cancelthesquad]

conveniently skipped over anything relating to recycling 😂

[@manutechlab]

They had a shredder at my university :D that was the easiest part but true I did not mention that. The video was limited to 3 minutes for the application :)

[@SunilKumar-yu2gg]

Great job...bro May I know the expected price of this machine?

[@jonhanable]

Great work! Kickstarter campaign please!

[@andyspoo2]

You really need a group of people to work with to do that. One man on his own will not be able to do all the production, shipping, organising, designing, replying to emails etc, without dying of a heat attack. Maybe he just likes designing and working by himself.

[@dongi]

is this going to be open score ?

[@DavidNightjet]

Not sure if you’ve heard of it but there’s also something similar called the Micromolder. Looks like you have some competition.

[@klebermartins349]

project now available for download?

[@kkrobertson1]

How often does it needs maintenance? Does any of the parts need replacing after so many hours of use?

[@ElectroBlep]

Fantastic! I don't think I've hit subscribe this fast before. I've wanted something like this for over 10 years. It should work with high temp safe resin printed molds, correct?

[@manutechlab]

Thank you :) yes it does. I have worked with several of these resins the last year. You can have a look on my instagram if you want. @manutechlab I made a starship mold from TR300 Resin and also tried a phonecover mold from a different one (I dont remember the name of that material right now^^)

[@ChristopherManning-u8p]

Cool project, you should look into making a pelletizer Injection molds are insanely expensive currently and I only need so many egg cups. having plastic pellets means you can use that new pellet extruder by that greenboy guy.

[@benjaminmichael5719]

Just adding a comment to help boost your algorythm visibility. If it comes to market, it'll probably be out of my price range, but I still wish I had the capability to turn my trash into something useful.

[@philip_fletcher]

This is a brilliant idea! Is it open source to allow anyone to build and help develop it further?

[@loudboomboom]

So rad!

[@platin2148]

Looks like pressure is a bit of a problem, as the plastics is not one uni layer. Or is that your forms that have these?

[@Toby...]

Insanely cool!

[@bausHuck]

Amazing project. Could you give more information about what the end moldings could be? The size limits, the process of making a mold, how much pressure the machine makes when pressing the mold? What about some tests vs 3d printing? Is is tougher than 3d printing? Why use this over 3d printing? Wear and tear compared to a 3d printed object? Can you machine somehow make material for 3d printers to use? If this molding process could make something the size of a brick, it would be amazing. People could use it as a building material. I have subscribed. I am very curious to how this project works out for you. I am studying Computer Science and learning a lot about Internet of Things. This molding machine seems like it could be a powerful tool for DIY smart home stuff.

[@frikkied2638]

Very cool Manuel!

[@manutechlab]

Thank you :)!

[@kaleaht]

Could you make a frisbee golf disc with this?

[@hein_mcleod]

Now all we need is a way to manufacture moulds that is cost effective! The only thing holding injection moulding back is the mould cost😢

[@ВасяВасин-ю7й]

The most expensive part is a mold, which is produced using high-class processes (grinding, polishing, elecric erosion etc). One mold per one product in this case. Other parts are neither expensive nor complicated.