{ "files": [], "title": "Extrude big parts with help of the sun", "description": "Here we'll show you how we made massive beams with a Precious Plastic extruder and solar heated moulds, as part of the research & development process to make the big parts for a recycled plastic sailing boat ⛵️ \n\nIt's not perfect, but includes a lot of learnings which we wanted to share! In case you want to copy it, make sure to have a proper look at all the documents and videos, and feel free to get in touch :)", "_deleted": false, "_id": "CscAdvuLjUZOQZNMnsYb", "creatorCountry": "ke", "time": "3-4 weeks", "_created": "2021-08-05T06:43:12.830Z", "id": "CscAdvuLjUZOQZNMnsYb", "moderation": "draft", "_createdBy": "the-flipflopi", "comments": [], "total_views": 1, "steps": [ { "title": "INTRO", "text": "The Flipflopi is a project in Kenya which uses a colourful recycled plastic sailboat to inspire and push solutions for plastic pollution.\n\nAfter we proofed the concept with our 9m prototype (here the how-to: https://community.preciousplastic.com/how-to/build-a-flipflopi-boat), we're now in the research & development process of manufacturing the massive parts for a 24m long recycled plastic dhow.\n\nThese parts will require massive moulds which will take a long time to be filled up. To keep the plastic hot during that process and achieve evenly melted parts, we are working on ways to HEAT THE MOULDS.\n\nAnd as there is a lot of sun in Kenya, we are trying to do it with the sun. 🌞 ", "images": [ { "name": "FLIPFLOPI NDOGO-full.png", "type": "image/jpeg", "downloadUrl": "https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/onearmyworld.appspot.com/o/uploads%2Fhowtos%2FCscAdvuLjUZOQZNMnsYb%2FFLIPFLOPI%20NDOGO-full.png?alt=media&token=e7c34d1c-b608-404d-af17-0ae1e28baef0", "timeCreated": "2021-08-05T06:42:50.489Z", "fullPath": "uploads/howtos/CscAdvuLjUZOQZNMnsYb/FLIPFLOPI NDOGO-full.png", "contentType": "image/jpeg", "updated": "2021-08-05T06:42:50.489Z", "size": 188327 } ], "_animationKey": "unique1" }, { "images": [ { "size": 310328, "fullPath": "uploads/howtos/CscAdvuLjUZOQZNMnsYb/Group 128.png", "downloadUrl": "https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/onearmyworld.appspot.com/o/uploads%2Fhowtos%2FCscAdvuLjUZOQZNMnsYb%2FGroup%20128.png?alt=media&token=486b6e09-7657-4e9a-9e2d-bfcd406af193", "type": "image/png", "contentType": "image/png", "updated": "2021-12-30T21:01:05.644Z", "timeCreated": "2021-12-30T21:01:05.644Z", "name": "Group 128.png" } ], "title": "OVERVIEW", "text": "Here is an overview of the setup and requirements.\n\nThis is what we worked with:\n\n- Precious Plastic Extrusion Pro (you can build it yourself or get it from the bazar)\n- Solar module (designed and built in-house, see next step)\n- Mould for a 15x20x120cm beam\n- Connection piece to connect Extruder to the mould\n- Big home made wrench\n- Shredded plastic (we used HDPE/PP)\n- Colza oil\n\nAnd, as this is a solar powered setup, we also need a space with good sun exposure, but ideally protected from wind.", "_animationKey": "unique2" }, { "images": [], "videoUrl": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWibyEu_z0I", "text": "Alright, so for the solar module: We customised it for this shape and process, so it's a bit specific, but we thought either way it's good to learn :)\n\nMATERIALS USED\n- 30x30x3mm steel square tube \n- wheels\n- 120x240x0.6cm steel sheet\n- 120x240x0.1cm steel sheet\n- mirror foil (budget version) / Alanod reflective material\n- nuts & bolts\n\nPROCESS\n1. Frame: Cut, drill and weld the square tube and attach wheels so it's more mobile.\n2. Parabolic mirror: Lasercut and assemble the parts out of the 0.6cm steel, fit everything together well and apply your reflective material. \n\nIf you want to try out exactly this version, you can find the 3D-model and the cutting files in the download package at the beginning.\nAlso watch the Video (especially from 3:00 onwards) to get a better idea of how it looks and is assembled!", "title": "THE SOLAR MODULE", "_animationKey": "unique3" }, { "images": [ { "updated": "2021-08-05T06:43:01.776Z", "name": "1.jpg", "contentType": "image/jpeg", "type": "image/jpeg", "timeCreated": "2021-08-05T06:43:01.776Z", "downloadUrl": "https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/onearmyworld.appspot.com/o/uploads%2Fhowtos%2FCscAdvuLjUZOQZNMnsYb%2F1.jpg?alt=media&token=ba9d5e00-76a8-4365-af8e-d76b2aa5fb16", "size": 231778, "fullPath": "uploads/howtos/CscAdvuLjUZOQZNMnsYb/1.jpg" } ], "title": "THE MOULD", "_animationKey": "unique04eklh", "text": "We extruded a 15x20x120cm beam, but made the solar module so you can exchange moulds of different sizes.\n \nYou can find the lasercut files of this exact mould in the download package.\n\nTo connect it to the extruder, you will also need a connection piece, which you can screw onto your extruder as well as on your mould.\nSee photo 2 how it should look like.\n\nIn case you don't have a big enough wrench (like us) to turn that connection piece: We just quickly made one out of a thick steel sheet :)\n\nP.S.: We chose to lasercut the moulds because more precise, but if you're good at metal work you can obviously do it manually as well.\n\n\n--> image of mould, of connection piece and of wrench" }, { "title": "THE EXTRUDER", "images": [ { "name": "1.jpg", "size": 231778, "updated": "2021-08-05T06:43:05.636Z", "fullPath": "uploads/howtos/CscAdvuLjUZOQZNMnsYb/1.jpg", "downloadUrl": "https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/onearmyworld.appspot.com/o/uploads%2Fhowtos%2FCscAdvuLjUZOQZNMnsYb%2F1.jpg?alt=media&token=bd8b15c7-ca30-4c40-8bba-4f1171eb96b1", "timeCreated": "2021-08-05T06:43:05.636Z", "contentType": "image/jpeg", "type": "image/jpeg" } ], "_animationKey": "uniquevv1eo", "text": "As the parts are big, the plan eventually is to do this with an industrial extruder.\nBut as we had to work with limited resources, we decided to run first tests with the Precious Plastic Extruder Pro (made from Plastiki Rafiki in Nairobi).\n\nIt's possible to use it, but not ideal as it simply comes with the limitation of speed and production volume, which just means that it takes longer to fill the mould. (The speed we could use here was 50 RPM)\n\nBut we still wanted to show that it's possible because it's pretty cool actually :)\n\n" }, { "text": "What we needed for one beam with this setup:\n- a full sunny day\n- space to change directions\n- a lot of time\n- about 35kg shredded plastic\n- colza oil (or whatever you use to avoid the plastic from sticking to the mould)\n- probably a sun hat\n\nProcess:\n- Oil the mould and attach it to the solar unit\n- Connect the solar unit to the Extruder\n- Position your setup so that the sunlight gets directed directly onto the mould\n- Start extruding\n- Change the position every hour or so, if you want to use the full potential of the sunlight \n\nWith the rather small scale Extruder it took us 7h to fill the mould - so the process had to be planned well between sunrise and sunset.", "videoUrl": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-1-YhQwKqY&t=54s", "title": "MELT WITH THE SUN", "_animationKey": "unique0y8e2q", "images": [] }, { "text": "Now, this was the very beginning of this R&D, here some thoughts.\n\n- Solar heating works!\n- It's not perfect (yet).\n- You need a lot of sun.\n- It saves energy and is fun.\n- You can use the solar module for many more things: We made potatoes, pizza, chocolate cakes!\n\n\nIf you explore more plastic melting with solar, please get in touch, we would love to learn from your tests - and maybe you can even help us to make those big boat parts in Kenya :)", "_animationKey": "uniquefma99c", "images": [ { "updated": "2021-08-05T06:43:12.756Z", "contentType": "image/jpeg", "fullPath": "uploads/howtos/CscAdvuLjUZOQZNMnsYb/1.jpg", "name": "1.jpg", "downloadUrl": "https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/onearmyworld.appspot.com/o/uploads%2Fhowtos%2FCscAdvuLjUZOQZNMnsYb%2F1.jpg?alt=media&token=305a8845-80b3-4fbc-b3f8-f2779061decf", "timeCreated": "2021-08-05T06:43:12.756Z", "type": "image/jpeg", "size": 231778 } ], "title": "EXPLORE, IMPROVE & SHARE" } ], "_modified": "2024-02-01T16:07:07.935Z", "tags": [ "PP", "other machine", "HDPE", "melting", "extrusion" ], "_contentModifiedTimestamp": "2021-12-31T07:56:07.149Z", "cover_image": { "name": "1.jpg", "size": 231778, "contentType": "image/jpeg", "downloadUrl": "https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/onearmyworld.appspot.com/o/uploads%2Fhowtos%2FCscAdvuLjUZOQZNMnsYb%2F1.jpg?alt=media&token=cb674efc-bf52-40f6-adde-52f78c4bd935", "timeCreated": "2021-08-05T06:42:46.313Z", "fullPath": "uploads/howtos/CscAdvuLjUZOQZNMnsYb/1.jpg", "type": "image/jpeg", "updated": "2021-08-05T06:42:46.313Z" }, "difficulty_level": "Hard", "slug": "extrude-big-parts-with-help-of-the-sun", "user": { "_modified": "2024-02-01T18:35:18.186Z", "verified": false, "_id": "the-flipflopi", "type": "workspace", "subType": "mix", "_created": "2024-02-01T18:35:18.186Z", "moderation": "accepted", "_deleted": false, "location": { "lat": -2.2532850440531753, "lng": 40.89369893074036 }, "geo": { "latitude": -2.252017730894899, "lookupSource": "coordinates", "longitude": 40.89154243469238, "localityLanguageRequested": "en", "continent": "Africa", "continentCode": "AF", "countryName": "Kenya", "countryCode": "KE", "principalSubdivision": "Lamu", "principalSubdivisionCode": "KE-21", "city": "Lamu", "locality": "Mkomami ward", "postcode": "", "plusCode": "6H92PVXR+5J", "localityInfo": { "administrative": [ { "name": "Kenya", "description": "republic in East Africa", "isoName": "Kenya", "order": 4, "adminLevel": 2, "isoCode": "KE", "wikidataId": "Q114", "geonameId": 192950 }, { "name": "Coast Province", "description": "province of Kenya", "order": 5, "adminLevel": 3, "wikidataId": "Q185371", "geonameId": 199247 }, { "name": "Lamu", "description": "town on Lamu Island, Kenya", "order": 6, "adminLevel": 4, "wikidataId": "Q272799", "geonameId": 189741 }, { "name": "Lamu", "description": "county in Kenya", "isoName": "Lamu", "order": 7, "adminLevel": 4, "isoCode": "KE-21", "wikidataId": "Q1951652", "geonameId": 189739 }, { "name": "Lamu West", "order": 8, "adminLevel": 6 }, { "name": "Mkomami ward", "order": 9, "adminLevel": 8 } ], "informative": [ { "name": "Africa", "description": "continent", "isoName": "Africa", "order": 1, "isoCode": "AF", "wikidataId": "Q15", "geonameId": 6255146 }, { "name": "Horn of Africa", "description": "peninsula in East Africa including Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia", "order": 2, "wikidataId": "Q40556" }, { "name": "Africa/Nairobi", "description": "time zone", "order": 3 } ] } }, "data": { "jsError": true, "images": [], "urls": [] }, "detail": { "services": [], "urls": [] } }, "images": [] }