TARS - tiny automatic recycling system

Was es macht

TARS is a low-cost desktop injection molding machine designed to automatically recycle plastic waste. It fits on a tabletop and quickly transforms plastic waste into useful new items. It uses shredded plastic as input and directly creates new products from it.

Deine Inspiration

Plastic waste entering the environment is a growing issue. Most people recognize the severity of this problem but lack the means to address it on a small, decentralized scale. Industrial recycling plants are stationary and expensive machines that small companies or recycling collectives can't afford. This project aims to enable a broader range of people to recycle plastic waste with an automatic desktop machine. By lowering the threshold for local plastic recycling, we can significantly increase the amount of plastic that gets recycled. Additionally, the new products generated through this process can be readily distributed to consumers.

So funktioniert es

The recycling process using this machine begins with loading shredded plastic, such as post-consumer polypropylene waste, into the machine. These plastic flakes are then dispensed into the extruder, where they are heated and melted. As the extrusion screw rotates, it pushes the melted material through a nozzle into a mold. The mold shapes the liquid plastic and cools it down. Once the material has solidified, the mold opens, and the finished part is ejected. The cycle then starts over, continually recycling plastic waste into new, usable parts until interrupted. A complete cycle takes about one to two minutes, depending on the part size. With multiple parts per mold, the machine can produce over 150 parts per hour. This way the machine can recycle up to 2kg of polypropylene waste per hour, while only using an average power of 600 Watts. All operations can be monitored and controlled via a touch screen on top of the machine, ensuring ease of use.

Designprozess

TARS became my graduation project as a mechatronics engineer. The idea originated when I produced recycled phone covers using a hand-cranked plastic injector, which required a lot of manual labor. This led me to seek automatic recycling solutions. During an internship at an industrial recycling plant, I learned about plastic recycling and noticed a significant market gap: there were no commercially available, low-cost injection molding machines designed specifically for recycling plastic waste into new products. Existing options were large, stationary, expensive and not designed to recycle waste directly. I decided to create such a machine myself. I built the first prototype in my parents shed using aluminum construction profiles and hand-drawn sketches. I welded all steel parts myself and milled them at my uncles workshop. Although the initial versions had many issues, I improved what worked and changed what didn’t. To better understand the assembly process, I modeled later versions entirely from 3D-printed parts before manufacturing them in aluminum and steel. To make adaptations faster, I still 3D print most of the unloaded components. In parallel to machine development, I designed various molds to showcase the potential products that could be made with this machine.

Warum es anders ist

The technology used in this machine is unconventional compared to existing recycling methods. Unlike traditional systems that only produce plastic granules, this molder directly uses shredded plastic flakes to create new products. The machine requires only a power socket and a mold to operate. This compact, user-friendly, and affordable machine stands in stark contrast to industrial recycling solutions. It is easy to ship and can be set up as a plug-and-play device, much like a 3D printer. With its ability to directly recycle shredded plastic into new products, it offers a convenient and efficient solution for recycling, even in remote locations. The best part is that the waste put into the machine is molded into a new shape, resulting in a new product. This process allows for the direct distribution of the machine's output to end consumers, increasing profitability for the user while reintegrating products into a long-lasting lifecycle.

Pläne für die Zukunft

Developing TARS was just the first step. In the future, I plan to create a set of prototypes for pilot projects in industry, universities, and private institutions. Simultaneously, I am working on several new molds to demonstrate the machine's diverse capabilities. Ultimately, the goal is to establish numerous small recycling lines worldwide, with TARS at the center of the process. This can lower the barrier to plastic recycling, enabling many new institutions to participate that otherwise could not afford to recycle plastic waste. In many situations, these small but capable machines can make a greater impact than the conventional ones.

Auszeichnungen

Yooweedoo Idea Contest 2019