Close

RPSD Extruder

A project log for RPSD: Recycled Plastic Skateboard Deck

Tackling plastic waste, democratizing access to skateboarding and proving to people what products made from waste can really do.

jason-knightJason Knight 08/24/2022 at 20:290 Comments

To make recycled plastic skateboard decks, you need an extrusion machine. It melts the plastic into a liquid and fills the mould by pushing the molten plastic out of a barrel using a motorized screw.


There are many variations of the extrusion machine out there but none were perfect for our needs, so we set out to design one that fits, as a set, with out mould, to complete the production system. What differentiates ours is that it has an adjustable height, wheels, and lean profile (700mm wide) making it practical for events, demonstrations or simply moving around the workshop. The adjustable height allows it to be used for a broader range of applications that require a low or high profile, or for interactions that involve children and shorter people.


Like all our work, this machine is fully open source and online now, you can find the download kit  📦 HERE 📦


This kit includes all the information you need to build your own extruder.


The extruder features an extrusion barrel designed by Ateliers des recycleurs fous. It is from their model “C4-PO”. More information, such as how to build it, can be found here:

atelierdesrecycleursfous.fr/extrudeuse

Special kitos (Thanks) to Caracara Collective for the many kinds of support given during this phase of the build.


Electronics Schematic





RPSD-EXT Technical Data


General

Model

RPSD-EXT

Version

1.0

Type

Extrusion

Year

2022

Dimensions (length x width x height)

1400 x 700 x 500 min 1400 max

Mass

200 kg 

Total Power

5 kw

Total Amps

12 A

Heating

Power supply

Three-phase electric - 380V

Heating element type

Band Heater / Collar

Number of heating elements

6

Heating power

2 kW

Operating temperature

0 to 250 °C

Motor

KW

3.3 kw

Amps

137 Nm

RPM

187

User Process

Materials processed

Soft plastic, Hard plastic

Filling Method

Extrusion

Construction

Construction materials

Steel Frame

Material Cost (EU)

7500 Euro

Manufacturing time 

± 5 Days

Workforce

1 Person

Difficulty

★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Connections

Electrical

Three phase plug socket 16 A

Pneumatic

Compressed air for cleaning 

Discussions