Open source Layer Batching For Waste Reduction In Multi-Material 3D Printing

The most popular type of 3D printing globally uses plastic filament. Historically, this has been done with only one plastic at a time. 3D printers can now use multiple materials and/or colors to be part of a single print. Unfortunately, today multi-material 3D printing results in a lost of waste plastic and the associated environmental problems. Each time a material change happens, waste is produced through nozzle priming and/or purging to get rid of the last material. 3D printing software typically changes the material on each layer meaning that every layer, a lot of plastic is wasted. The goal of this project is to develop solutions to radically reduce this waste and to apply it into open source software so that all multi-material 3D printers can reduce their waste. This will allow for material changes to be done less frequently than on each layer using a strategy called “layer batching.

Faculty Supervisor:

Joshua Pearce

Student:

Partner:

Mosaic Mfg.

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

The University of Western Ontario

Program: