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

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 noncritical 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 ecofriendly alternative to virgin 3D printing materials