The idea for this project came from the need to quickly manufacture plastic
prototypes and products. While 3D printing has become highly accessible for
single pieces and rapid prototyping, the speed and quality of these prints is
often not satisfactory.
Injection molding has always been relegated to large scale industrial
machines which can cost thousands of dollars. Even entry level benchtop
machines can cost thousands of dollars and do not come with the fit and finish
of a prosumer level machine.
It is my hope that this development process will produce an injection
molding machine that anyone can use to produce prototypes, figurines, small
plastic parts, and more at a home-use price point and with a top-class user
experience.
For now, the prototype is just some lumber and aluminum parts that don’t yet
fit together. The first step is to melt plastic and inject it through a nozzle.
Further iterations will be highly optimized (on the level of a professional
machine).
I must also note that microplastics are becoming one of the largest threats
to our planet. I want to use this project to push for the use of compostable
plastic and bioplastics. Because of this, I will be designing this machine
around the use of these plastics and will follow the cutting edge of the
industry to ensure that parts which are injected using this machine are not
only compostable (many of these plastics can only be composted under strict
laboratory settings) but are also sustainable to the point where
composting/recycling is the preferred method of disposal.
I hope you follow along on this journey and please feel free to reach out
with any questions or input you might have!
