Project number
25508
Organization
Engineering Design Center
Offering
ENGR498-S2025-F2025
3D printing continues to grow in use for prototyping and design as the environmental and operational impacts of unmanaged plastic waste have become increasingly concerning. The University of Arizona’s academic makerspaces generate significant plastic waste from 3D printing.
This project aims to provide an accessible, safe, and replicable solution for plastic waste management in any makerspace. This system uses shredder blades as the point of contact for the PLA to be shredded. A dual hex shaft system is used to orient the blades and connect them to the gearmotor. The system includes a 3-toggle switch that will allow an operator to easily set the motor into forward, reverse, or standby. The shredder utilizes a variable frequency drive (VFD) to convert from a standard 120 V line voltage into a 3 phase 240 V supply. Our shredder also incorporates necessary safety features, such as an emergency stop button. The shredder will have the ability to shred automatically and will output the shredded plastic into a removable bin. The shredder will contribute to a campus wide goal of reducing the volume of 3D printing waste by at least 50%, supporting more sustainable innovation.
This project aims to provide an accessible, safe, and replicable solution for plastic waste management in any makerspace. This system uses shredder blades as the point of contact for the PLA to be shredded. A dual hex shaft system is used to orient the blades and connect them to the gearmotor. The system includes a 3-toggle switch that will allow an operator to easily set the motor into forward, reverse, or standby. The shredder utilizes a variable frequency drive (VFD) to convert from a standard 120 V line voltage into a 3 phase 240 V supply. Our shredder also incorporates necessary safety features, such as an emergency stop button. The shredder will have the ability to shred automatically and will output the shredded plastic into a removable bin. The shredder will contribute to a campus wide goal of reducing the volume of 3D printing waste by at least 50%, supporting more sustainable innovation.