Practical Experiment on Filament Making Setup for FDM 3D Printer Material from Waste Plastic Bottle

Abstract

The increasing concern over plastic waste management and the growing demand for sustainable manufacturing have driven innovative solutions such as recycling plastic waste into 3D printing filament. This practical experiment focuses on the design, development, and performance analysis of a filament making setup that converts waste plastic bottles (primarily PET - Polyethylene Terephthalate) into usable filament for Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) 3D printers. In the experimental setup, waste plastic bottles were collected, cleaned, dried, and shredded into fine flakes using a plastic shredder. These flakes were then fed into a filament extruder where controlled heating, melting, and extrusion processes converted the plastic into continuous filament strands. Key parameters such as extrusion temperature, nozzle diameter, cooling rate, and pulling speed were carefully optimized to produce filament of consistent diameter (typically 1.75 mm ± 0.05 mm), ensuring compatibility with standard FDM 3D printers. The produced filament was subsequently tested in an FDM 3D printer to evaluate printability, mechanical properties, surface finish, and dimensional accuracy of printed parts. The results demonstrated that recycled PET filament showed satisfactory performance for prototyping applications, with good adhesion, minimal warping, and acceptable mechanical strength for non-critical components. However, certain limitations such as moisture sensitivity, color variation, and minor inconsistencies in diameter were observed. This experiment not only highlights the technical feasibility of converting waste plastic into 3D printing filament but also contributes towards environmental sustainability by promoting circular economy practices in additive manufacturing. The study suggests that with further refinement and quality control, recycled filament production can serve as a cost-effective and eco-friendly alternative to virgin 3D printing materials.

Introduction

3D printing with FDM technology has increased plastic use, exacerbating environmental problems, while PET plastic bottle waste continues to accumulate globally. This experiment aims to recycle waste PET bottles into usable 3D printer filament by shredding, melting, and extruding the plastic. The recycled filament is tested for print quality and performance to promote sustainability and reduce printing costs.

Literature Review Highlights:

• Several studies have explored converting PET bottles into filament, focusing on mechanical design, filament properties, and reducing dependence on commercial filaments.

• Research covers filament production methods, printing parameters, and sustainability benefits.

• Common challenges include achieving consistent filament quality, mechanical strength, and optimizing printing parameters.

Methodology and Setup:

• The system involves cutting PET bottles into strips, heating and melting the strips, extruding filament through a controlled nozzle, and cooling it with fans.

• Components include cutters, heaters, temperature sensors, motor controllers, gear motors, and cooling fans.

• The setup supports low-cost, sustainable filament production for FDM printers.

Results:

• Filament was successfully produced and used to print various test objects.

• Prints demonstrated functional feasibility but showed issues like poor surface finish, inconsistent layer adhesion, nozzle clogging, and irregular filament diameter.

• Color uniformity was limited; most prints were translucent without additives.

• Overall, the project proved the concept but highlighted the need for further optimization to improve print quality and mechanical properties.

Conclusion

1) The proposed filament-making setup demonstrates a practical and sustainable solution to two significant modern challenges: plastic waste management and the high cost of 3D printing materials. 2) By repurposing PET bottles into functional 3D printing filament, this project aligns with circular economy principles and promotes eco-friendly additive manufacturing. The system’s modular design—incorporating bottle cutting, extrusion, heating, cooling, and spooling—ensures consistent filament quality while maintaining affordability and ease of use. 3) Supported by relevant literature and CAD modelling, this setup holds strong potential for adoption by educational institutions, maker communities, and small-scale industries. 4) Thus, moving forward with this project is a step toward innovation-driven sustainability, and it deserves continued development, prototyping, and optimization.

References

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Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Sandeep Raut, Sujal Bandre, Shubham Sapkal. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.