Project number
25009
Organization
Engineering Design Center
Offering
ENGR498-F2024-S2025
Project Scope: Academic Makerspaces like the Engineering Design Center and the CATalyst Studios generate a large amount of plastic waste from 3D printing. This waste is often generated from novice users learning the 3D printing process. A crucial step in this process is using the correct material settings for the material supplied to the machine. Using incorrect setting typically results in failed prints and plastic waste. This project aims to resolve this issue by creating a plastic filament verification system for the most common 3D printer plastic filaments: PLA, ASA, PETG.
Scope: (1) Work with Professors Briggs, Budinoff, and Sawyer to understand the current plastics verification methods used and the open-source information available. (2) Evaluate existing information and projects to draw inspiration and resources. (3) Design a plastic verification sensor using discrete near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy to detect PLA, ASA, and PETG plastic filament. (4). Build a prototype plastic filament verification sensor that can be integrated with a Prusa Mini 3D printer, complete with optical, mechanical, electrical diagrams and source code. (5) Develop Prusa Mini firmware that will automatically change or notify the user to change the print settings based on the plastic detected. (6) Test system with supplied material and iterate on previous steps until issues are resolved. (7) Document project and resources to be distributed to an open-source community. (8) Present results in a video documentation and website for the UArizona community and the general public.
Scope: (1) Work with Professors Briggs, Budinoff, and Sawyer to understand the current plastics verification methods used and the open-source information available. (2) Evaluate existing information and projects to draw inspiration and resources. (3) Design a plastic verification sensor using discrete near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy to detect PLA, ASA, and PETG plastic filament. (4). Build a prototype plastic filament verification sensor that can be integrated with a Prusa Mini 3D printer, complete with optical, mechanical, electrical diagrams and source code. (5) Develop Prusa Mini firmware that will automatically change or notify the user to change the print settings based on the plastic detected. (6) Test system with supplied material and iterate on previous steps until issues are resolved. (7) Document project and resources to be distributed to an open-source community. (8) Present results in a video documentation and website for the UArizona community and the general public.