02

AMARA RECYCLED PAPER FIGURES

Project Brief: Create a household item based on using a manufacturing process in an innovative and sustainable way.

PRODUCT RENDERS

MOODBOARD & CONCEPT

RESEARCH - CURRENT PAPER PULP MANUFACTURING METHODS

Recycled paper is shredded and mixed with hot water to form the pulp.

Once the pulp has been shaped on the mold, it is allowed to dry. This can be done using air or heat (being placed in a drying oven or heated chamber to dry). When it's dry, it becomes sturdy and retains the shape of the mold.

A custom mold is made and the wet pulp is spread over the mold to cover it completely. This can be done by pouring the pulp onto the mold or placing it on top.

After the pulp has dried, the molded product can be taken out of the mold. It may be further dried to ensure it's completely solid.

A vacuum suction is used to pull the pulp down into the mold. This suction helps the pulp take on the exact shape of the mold and also removes some excess water.

INITIAL MATERIAL EXPLORATION

EXPLORATION PLAN: Get familiar with the paper making process & experiment with different techniques

make regular paper with screen set up

pros

  • turned out well

  • helped me understand the paper making process overall

  • pretty color from construction paper I had

cons

  • not thick enough for how I am planning on using it

  • could not get the flowers to stick

experiment with paper pulp and glue

pros

  • held together very nicely

cons

  • I tried a different technique- hand mashing the cut up paper with water and glue and slowly adding more paper into it to thicken it, that process was very laborious

  • it dried with multiple cracks

  • it took a long time to dry so had somewhat of a mildew scent to it

FURTHER MATERIAL EXPLORATION - MOLDS & BINDERS

EXPLORATION PLAN: Experiment with different binders and additives to see which makes the strongest paper binder and dry thoroughly

experiment with paper pulp and 3D printed mold (no added binder)

pros

  • worked very well

  • managed to get an even thickness overall

  • was pretty sturdy

cons

  • took a long time to dry

  • more holes might be needed in the mold

experiment by using starch

pros

  • held together well

  • was really strong

  • dried quickly in mold with more holes

cons

  • did not measure exact ratio of cornstarch to paper/water = recreating might be difficult

  • seemed to have to mix in only a little corn starch at a time to get it to blend properly

experiment by using okra water as a binder

pros

  • was sturdy

  • boiling process of okra smelled a little weird

  • did bind the pulp together

cons

  • dyed the paper a bit yellowish

  • smelled bad in the end

CONCEPT IDEATION

I eventually decided on creating bookends/paperweights using the feminine form as my inspiration.

Initially, I was unsure of what product I was going to create, and liked the idea of creating a tabletop game of sorts. I also liked the idea of ironically using paper to hold more paper in some fashion.

TECHNICAL DRAWING AND 3D PRINTED MODEL

Technical drawing of final mold shape

With the molds, I made sure to include many holes, as I learned that is necessary for the drying process. I also made the mold three-parts to account for the weight I needed to put at the bottom to make them stable.

CAD 3-part mold

Units: Inches

The original concept of this design was to be a about 4 inches larger, but due to time constraints and 3D printing resources, I had to scale the model down slightly. It did not impact the design, however, and the technical drawing is to scale with the 3D printed model.

Printed 3-part mold

PHYSICAL PROCESS

What I did to make the product, outlined, so you can make it too! (I am using old construction paper I had lying around rather than buying new paper)

1. cut up a bunch of (recycled or old) paper and put it into a container

4. blend paper into pulp and strain

2. boil water and pour into container with cut up paper

5. mix corn starch with paper pulp

3. let paper soak in water for (at least) an hour

6. put paper pulp mixture into mold with holes and let dry (this could take days)

REFLECTION

This project was a valuable exploration of working with new materials and mastering the intricate process of mold-making. Through extensive research and a process of trial and error, I identified the precise material and binder needed to achieve success. The journey also involved refining measurements for the 3D print and creating an optimized environment for proper drying.

A key takeaway was learning how to pivot when challenges arose. Adapting to the printer constraints meant adjusting 3D print dimensions, revising measured drawings, and discovering alternative applications for the final product. This experience deepened my understanding of material experimentation, problem-solving, and creative flexibility.