This New Software Uses 3D Printing To Turn Plastic Bottles Into Sturdy Structures
Who says plastic bottles can ’ t be used to build strong and stable structures you can sit and stand on ?
Plastic bottles are everywhere we go . They ’ re in supermarkets , refrigerators , and you ’ ve probably used one today . After all , they ’ re our go-to packaging option for almost any form of liquid that needs to be contained . However , they also end up in places they shouldn ’ t be in , like in landfills , oceans , and the streets . Thankfully , recycling these bottles are a common practice and these bottles can usually be melted to form new things , like 3D printing filament .
However , you don ’ t have melt plastic bottles into a shapeless form for them to be useful .
Researchers from Germany ’ s Hasso Plattner Institute have taken the recycling game one step further : by creating a program that turns plastic bottles into large , interconnected structures .
The software , called TrussFab , can automatically generate bottle based-structures from simple 3D designs using a bunch of algorithms , and the possibilities of what you can do with it seem almost limitless . Need to make a new chair ? Sketch out a diagram in TrussFab and it ’ ll show you how to build one out of plastic bottles . How about something more daring , like a bridge that can carry a human ’ s weight ? Well , it ’ s the same process , and the software is up for the task .
Described as “ an integrated end-to-end system that allows users to fabricate large-scale structures that are sturdy enough to carry human weight ,” TrussFab is more than just a sketching tool , it ’ s also a 3D printing tool that ’ ll model the things needed to connect the bottles together .
42 Construction Leaders • May 2017