Innovative orange juicer 3D prints bioplastic cups out of leftover orange peels

International design firm Carlo Ratti Associati has developed an experimental circular juice bar that uses orange peels to make deliciously fresh-squeezed juice but that’s not all. Using filament made from the leftover orange peels, the “Feel the Peel” machine then 3D prints disposable cups to drink the refreshing juice on the spot.

The prototype juicer, which was designed in collaboration with global energy company Eni, is a 10-foot tall orange squeezer machine topped with a massive dome. The dome is comprised of several round racks that hold up to 1,500 oranges. The machine’s base is installed with a 3D printer.

orange juice machine with large dome

orange juice machine

 

Once the order is placed for freshly squeezed juice, the innovative machine begins to work its magic. The oranges slide down to a machine that squeezes the juice out of the two halves. The leftover peels fall through a tube where they accumulate at the bottom of the machine.

woman drinking orange juice at machine

orange juice machine

There, the peels are dried, milled and mixed with Polylactic Acid (PLA), converting them into a bioplastic material. The bioplastic is then heated and melted into a filament that is used by the machine’s built-in 3D printer to create recyclable 3D printed cups on the spot that are filled with freshly-squeezed juice.

orange juice machine with dome of oranges

woman standing in front of orange juice machine

The innovative prototype is a study of how the even the most simple, everyday treats in our lives can be part of a circular, zero-waste economy. “The principle of circularity is a must for today’s objects,” says Carlo Ratti, “Working with Eni, we tried to show circularity in a very tangible way, by developing a machine that helps us to understand how oranges can be used well beyond their juice. The next iterations of Feel the Peel might include new functions, such as printing fabric for clothing from orange peels”.

halves of oranges

arms of 3d printing machine

The Feel the Peel juice bar made its debut at an event in Rimini, Italy this summer, but will be installed at the Singularity University Summit in Milan on October 8 and 9, 2019.

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