Fishing communities all around the world can turn recycled plastic into fishing nets and ropes.

Project requirements

The rope making machine design will represent a method for village-scale rope making of standard polypropylene (PP) rope from waste PP pellets/shreds, 16mm in diameter as long lines (at least 150-200m) and 7mm in diameter as short-lines (5 meter each). The design will represent an easily replicable device, built with stock components and minimal use of custom parts (unless they can be digitally fabricated with a RepRap class 3-D printer or CNC mill –e.g. limit to what is found in most fab labs and avoid high energy processes and a skilled machinist). The designers should seek to minimize cost and complexity while keeping throughput high (continuous if possible). The base design for the extruder -first stage - can use the Pearce group recyclebot designs.

Deliverable

Source code (CAD in native format and STL), full BOM (component, number, cost, and source), build instructions with pictures, operation/maintenance instructions, video of operation and prototype sent to the Project Sponsor.

Other conditions

The Project Sponsor would retain first academic publication rights (with Sensorica co-authors if wanted). At the time of academic paper submission full open source documentation released to the world.