3D Printing Army Supplies Directly From Discarded Plastic Waste

The US military has recognized additive manufacturing (AM) as a critical technology to promote design innovation, mission resilience and warfighter readiness.Ā AM systems and processes which utilize local waste as material input provide added value in austere or contested environments where supply chains may be compromised.Ā Recycling and material recovery also provide long-term value to the DoD by supporting waste mitigation and sustainability initiatives.Ā During a US Army SBIR Direct-to-Phase II effort (Contract W51701-22-C-0122), re:3D Inc developed a containerized mobile recycling facility which utilizes the GigabotX 2, a fused granular fabrication (FGF) 3D printer designed, commercialized and manufactured by the company.Ā These ōGigalabsö contain the equipment required to process thermoplastic waste into feedstock and, via additive manufacturing, fabricate articles of use at the point of need. The progression of this technology into widespread acceptance and adoption by the DoD, other federal agencies and commercial interests requires advancements in print speed, print volume and mixed-waste processing.Ā This proposal for SBIR Phase II Sequential funding lays a path to develop improved AM extrusion hardware, provide for printing with mixed plastics, and allow the recovery of non-polymer waste by incorporating biomaterials into the feedstock to improve part performance.Ā re:3D will leverage its expertise in manufacturing, hardware development and the use of recyclates in additive manufacturing processes with contributions from polymer science and additive manufacturing experts at the University of Massachusetts Lowell and the University of Maine. This collaboration will result in printing bigger and faster, using a wider range of recycled waste materials.