Date of Graduation

5-2020

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science in Human Environmental Sciences

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

Apparel Merchandising and Product Development

Advisor/Mentor

Wood, Lisa

Committee Member/Reader

Hubert, Stephanie

Committee Member/Second Reader

Cho, Eunjoo

Abstract

The 3D printing market has been used in a wide variety of manufacturing industries including textile and apparel. Many consumers can now own a personal 3D printer at home for recreational printing. There are even websites dedicated to 3D printing patterns made by consumers. However, the materials used in the 3D printing process pose a problem for the environment due to their plastic-based nature. 3D printing is a layered process with each layer being printed depending on the layer below it for strength and stability. During the 3D printing process, great amounts of waste are produced as a result of printing errors that, having occurred, cannot be reused. This waste is plastic based and therefore does not readily biodegrade. Using 3D printing filament created from recycled materials (i.e. plastic bottles) could transform the waste into new re-useable materials which ultimately could reduce the harmful effect of plastic products on the environment over time. One such plastic product is plastic instrument mouthpieces. The current plastic mouthpieces on the market are not created using recycled plastics, so when they break they only contribute to the plastic waste in landfills. Therefore, the study focused on creating functional 3D printed mouthpieces from rPETG filament (Recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol-modified filament) for the University of Arkansas Hogwild Band brass players to be used during performances. A total of 29 mouthpieces were created for trumpet, trombone, and tuba players in the band and were utilized for the 2020 Hogwild season. Participants were then asked to share their feedback about the performance of the mouthpieces for the final part of the study.

Keywords

3D Printing; Brass Mouthpieces; Sustainability; rPETG Filament; 3D Printed Mouthpieces; Recycled 3D Printing Filament

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