Closed-loop polymer flows in additive manufacturing (FilamentLoop)

Developing new ways to recycle 3D printing materials

Project Duration

1.9.2026 – 30.4.2028

Source of Funding

European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)

Total Funding

€145,758

FilamentLoop addresses the need to reduce material waste generated in 3D printing. The project investigates how nylon powder (PA12) used in powder bed fusion processes can be processed into filament and how waste materials generated in 3D printing can be reused as raw materials. We are also developing methods for tracking the quality and origin of recycled materials to support their reliable reuse. In this way, waste materials can be returned to circulation while reducing the need for virgin raw materials.

Research, Development, and Practical Applications

In this project, we focus on thematic areas that combine research, development, and practical applications in close collaboration with companies in the field:

1. From Powder to Filament: The primary microplastic raw material—specifically, the nylon powder byproduct from powder bed printing—is processed into a new raw material for filament-printed products.
2. From Printed Parts to SLS Powder: Failed 3D prints and support materials are collected from companies, sorted to ensure material purity, and mechanically processed into powder feedstock for SLS printing.
   

The project is also developing an AI-powered tool to support the assessment of the suitability of recycled materials.
The goal is to establish practical methods that will allow materials generated by 3D printing to remain in circulation for longer than they do today. At the same time, this will reduce material waste and the need to use virgin plastic raw materials.