The ethos of circularity in manufacturing drives all our decisions and is why we introduced our closed-loop 3D manufacturing process at the beginning of 2019. Circularity is achieved by recycling residue polyamide in our production process and by ensuring waste we are unable to use can be used in other applications.
During every printing process, a rectangular box is completely filled with powder. Not all of the powder is melted during the 3D printing process and is defined as “used” powder. This can be mixed with new powder and reused to produce a new batch of components. The mixture cannot contain more than 50% used powder.
Once the old powder is no longer usable, it is collected by a specialist plastics processing company which ensures that the old powder is properly recycled within environmental management guidelines. As long as the material is free of any traces of oxidation and contamination, it can be recycled in any production process that does not specifically require 100% virgin products. The manufacturer of our 3D printer covers the transport costs and acts as an intermediary between us and the recycling company. The money is used to fund social initiatives as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility program.