• Home
• Services
• SERVICES FOR Companies

Waste Plastic Recycling – Printing With Robots

A program designed for Seoul Innovation Fab Lab to train trainers in advanced robotic techniques.

Seoul Innovation Fab Lab

The “Waste Plastic Recycling. Printing with Robots” program was designed and delivered to Seoul Innovation Fab Lab (SIL) by Fab Lab Barcelona, the Advanced Architecture Group (AAG) of Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia and Fab Lab Network.

This project was a remote program designed to train trainers. It aimed to give Seoul Innovation Lab an immersive education experience in the world of robotic arms and how to repurpose plastic to produce furniture parts. The total estimated duration of program was 70 hours. This program focused on 3D printing recycled plastic and fabricating using robotic arm machinery with FDM tooling. 

About the Project

Recent adaptation of industrial robots to architectural/design production has given rise to a new language of design which is informed through computation. In a world where nearly everything built around us could be 3D printed, the focus in the future will be on the design and performance of the by-product.

The use of digital and robotic fabrication equipment aims to investigate new possibilities for expanding the geometric vocabulary, functional integration and a smart assembly logic in a way which develops new design methodologies that benefit from those new technologies. 

Main Objectives

Our primary objectives were to provide the necessary knowledge so that SIL workers understand how to operate robotic arms and plastic recycling procedures, to help SIL develop and produce research in line with their residency programs, to strengthen the maker community, and to synthesise the projects which are developed within the context of SIL’s innovation stream.

These objectives were explored in a two week workshop with students of SIL. The students were able to explore methodologies and advanced fabrications techniques with the aid of SIL and Fab Lab Barcelona staff.

Our Deliverables

1. Provided SIL with the necessary consulting to synthesise the work of Fab Lab SIL with the research objectives of their Innovation and Knowledge Department.
2. Introduced SIL workers and residency users the theoretical and practical framework of robotic arms, 3D printing and plastics recycling procedures and usage.
3. Provided SIL workers and residency users with the necessary knowledge to use their new robotic arm and how to produce content for workshops and research projects with it. 
4. Configuration and adjustment of the robotic arm setup and plastics recycling machines of SIL facilities together with Seoul Innovation Staff.
5. Hosted an open workshop on 3d printing recycling plastics with robotic arms that allowed the maker community of Seoul to print small pieces of furniture utilizing plastics they collected.

Project Team