IC3D Circular Polymer System

The IC3D Circular Polymer System is a grand experiment that seeks to reduce the amount of thermoplastic waste that enters the global waste stream.

3D printed prototypes, support material and excess scrap, when combined with large plastic filament spools and reels, make up a significant percentage of additive manufacturing waste. The IC3D Circular Polymer System is a platform for recycling this scrap into parts by grinding legacy 3D printed products and prototypes and blending them with post-industrial recycled resin.

Reclaim,  Grind, Extrude, & Print

Reclaim

STEP ONE: Legacy prototypes, discarded support material, and scrap is collected from high-volume customers, stored, and organized by material type. 

Grind

STEP TWO: The clean post-consumer & post-industrial material is ground in a heavy duty grinder to produce regrind.

Extrude

STEP THREE: A low but significant amount of regrind is added to post-industrial resin to produce black recycled 3D printing filament lowering production costs, enabling a lower price point for all. This filament is reeled onto cleaned and reused IC3D filament spools.

Print

STEP FOUR: Recycled filament is used for prototyping and features a high flow rate perfect for large format 3D printing.

We are able to tune the printing experience and print characteristics by balancing the ratios of post-industrial recycled materials, virgin resin, and post-consumer regrind. This ensures a consistent product with reliable, repeatable performance. IC3D is researching additional materials, including recycled PLA, recycled ABS, and recycled PET co-poly blends. 

Matt Organiscak, IC3D Printers COO

Recycled 3D printing filament should be the default material for most additive manufacturing purposes. Single use products need to be turned back into usable materials. It matters on a moral, environmental, and forward-looking scale to me. As an engineer, I feel like I have a personal responsibility to ensure that the products I am creating are sustainable and environmentally responsible.

Luke DeBruin, IC3D Printers Filament Production Engineer

As the Circular Polymer System grows, IC3D will be looking for high-volume users that are dedicated to reducing their environmental footprint by collecting and keeping their scrap IC3D PETG clean. Follow IC3D on your favorite social media platform and subscribe to the monthly newsletter to learn when additional participants can join this revolutionary platform.

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