Raurkela: Researchers at the National Institute of Technology Raurkela (NIT Raurkela) have patented a low-cost, portable extruder system that can produce filaments for 3D printing using recycled plastic waste.
Developed at a cost of around Rs 45,000, the system is designed to reduce dependence on virgin plastic while addressing the high cost and material wastage associated with conventional filament production.
The patented system consists of an extruder, a controlled cooling system and PID temperature controllers, among other components, enabling precise control over the filament manufacturing process.
3D printing has witnessed growing adoption in India across biomedical, engineering, manufacturing and consumer applications. Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM), one of the most widely used 3D printing technologies, uses thermoplastic filament as the raw material, depositing the melted material layer by layer to create a final product.
However, commercially available high-quality thermoplastic and polymer filaments can be expensive. Filaments of poor quality can also result in inadequate strength, poor print quality and reduced dimensional accuracy.
The NIT Raurkela researchers said recycled filaments could offer a cost-effective and environmentally sustainable alternative, although their wider adoption has been limited by processing costs, material wastage, inadequate mechanical strength and durability.
The newly developed extrusion system is capable of producing different types of filaments by combining plastic particles with reinforcement materials to improve their strength and durability. Laboratory-scale tests conducted by the research team showed satisfactory mechanical properties and dimensional accuracy in the developed filaments.
Prof. Sandhyarani Biswas, Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, NIT Raurkela, said the system offers technical and commercial benefits for the 3D printing industry.
“The developed filament extrusion system represents an advancement in filament production technology, offering compelling technical and commercial benefits for the 3D printing industry,” she said.
According to her, composite filaments produced using the system can be used to manufacture 3D-printed parts with improved mechanical properties. The use of recycled plastic could also provide significant environmental benefits.
Prof. Sujit Sen, Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, NIT Raurkela, said the system could help establish a sustainable closed-loop process for plastic waste.
“The developed extruder system is highly useful for converting various types of plastics into useful 3D printer filament, thereby forming a sustainable closed-loop system,” he said.
The system has potential applications in the automotive, aerospace, consumer goods and electronics sectors. It can also be used by educational and research institutions for experiments and material studies.
In the medical sector, the filaments could be used to produce components such as dental models, scaffolds, patient-specific prosthetics and orthotics.
The research team comprises Prof. Sandhyarani Biswas, Prof. Sujit Sen, Jagdish Uday Khatu, Himanshu Singh and Kiran Suna. The team has secured a patent for the extrusion system under Application No. 202431068691, dated July 30, 2026.
The researchers said the technology could contribute to a circular economy by enabling the recycling, reuse and remanufacturing of waste plastics into value-added products, paving the way for more sustainable additive manufacturing.
