Artisan keycaps are a trendy way to customize your keyboard, especially the Escape key. However, keycap maker tellybelly of jankycaps has taken it a step further by creating keycaps made entirely from 100% recycled plastic. The development and production process of these eco-friendly keycaps is detailed in a post on their website.
When faced with budget constraints that ruled out traditional injection molding tooling and silicone molds, tellybelly turned to 3D printing to create the necessary molds. They identified a resin that could withstand high temperatures, allowing for the successful creation of the keycaps.
Despite initial flaws in the first two versions, tellybelly persevered and finally achieved success on the third attempt. The next step involved shredding the plastic and heating it to 200 °C before injection. However, the process was not without challenges, as mixing different plastics required precise temperature control to ensure the plastic wasn’t degraded.
Experimentation with pressure on the mold, cooling methods, and timing were crucial in achieving the desired results. According to tellybelly, as much time was spent refining the injection process as was spent designing the molds initially.
The innovative approach to creating keycaps from recycled plastic highlights a commitment to sustainability in the keyboard customization community. Source: reddit
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