Lili Miko

Can’t Afford Accuracy? A Three-Dimensional Printer for Sustainable Scavengers

London Central Secondary School

The stench of chemicals filled the air as the melted plastic slid out the nozzle and on to the platform supported by neon-orange springs. It’s ready. A three dimensional printer can turn ideas into reality by melting plastic filament (Hull, 1984), and I decided to build one. A 3D printer is similar to the laser and inkjet printer, as it prints in layers (Bynum, 1992), except now these layers are building up with plastic. This project aims to build a 3D printer and highlight the intricate sub-machines that can be taken by scavenging from other machines. This project required mechanical work, electronics and a bit of coding knowledge. It is important because it uses recycled materials to develop a more affordable way to build a 3D printer, while also acknowledging that some aspects will be lost. Accuracy, ease-of-use and straightforward build-ability is sacrificed for sustainability, affordability and availability of parts.

ProjectBoard Link

Excellence Award – Senior Bronze Medal
Sponsor: Youth Science Canada
Western University Entrance Scholarship $1000
University of Ottawa Entrance Scholarship $1000