“SUONO POSITIVO" can be defined as the result of a research project (that will turn into an industrial project) capable of transforming PLA plastic waste into a functioning and completely organic music record, in a single process. An absolute innovation worldwide.

The final record is 100% made of PLA, a material that unlike vinyl is non-toxic at every stage of its production. This is also because the machine created has synthesized an industrial process of hundreds of meters in just 2.5 meters.

Starting from the needs related to the communication strategy (recycling of plastic, safeguarding the environment and the Italian beaches), several players were involved, each specialized in a field of recycling but above all in new technologies and 3D printing. This collaboration has allowed us to reach a highly innovative result, with an initial investment of approximately 50K for the study of the machine, the process and the final implementation of the project.

Nowadays the problems caused by disposable plastic are known by everyone. That’s why the ice cream brand Sammontana at the Jova Beach Party, the summer tour organized by the popstar Jovanotti on the Italian beaches, has decided to reduce the environmental impact through the recycling of plastic. And it did it with a revolutionary idea: transform used plastic into a music record.

We have projected and developed the first machine capable of shred, melt and turn plastic into a filament for 3D printing through a single production process. So we created a limited edition of 1000 recycled plastic records with an exclusive version of the latest single "Nuova Era", recorded live at the Jova Beach Party.

The records were numbered and individually packaged in a special sleeve, made of recycled plastic and they were sold exclusively online.

From 11th April 2019 to 25th April 2019.

FEASIBILITY STUDY.

The activity involved the design of the production flow of the machine, the analysis to obtain a music record using a 3D printer with FFF (Fused Filament Fabrication) technology and the compatibility of the recycled material with the production systems.

From 25th April 2019 to 25th May 2019.

MACHINE PRODUCTION.

Once the feasibility study was defined and approved, the construction of the machine began. The production flow of the machine includes the supplying of the plastic cups used and recovered during the concerts, the mincing of the same, the melting of the chopped material and the creation of a filament by extrusion and finally a 3D printer with FFF technology.

The result of this process is a blank PLA record, which will be hot pressed to engrave the track. During this month of production, tests were carried out on the machine, to have a continuous production flow, managing to obtain a consistent production.

The Fiberforce company, specialized in the production of filaments, has supported us to be able to obtain a filament suitable for the production of records. As far as the recording of the track is concerned, many tests have been carried out to get a relationship between time and temperature that allowed to have a high quality sound.

From 6th April 2019 to 30th August 2019.

PRODUCTION 1000 DISCS.

This phase involved the production of the thousand records obtained from the recovery of the plastic cups used during the concerts.

September 2019

PATENT.

Filing of the industrial patent, linked to the production process and related recycled material.

The machine created has the purpose of showing the possible transformation cycle of the PLA plastic (used in music festivals, for example) into a completely organic and “PLA made” audio record.

Indicatively, the process/machine includes a unit where the used plastic is collected and chopped, a unit where the chopped plastic is melted and extruded into filament for FFF 3d printing, followed by a customized FFF 3D printer for the audio record printing application using to the “Kleemotion” method (invented and designed ad hoc for this project).

This experimental research project has demonstrated for the first time that PLA (a material used for the production of various objects at an industrial level) can be recycled and used for the production of functioning music record.

This process can be applied to a larger (and industrial) scale, for the serial production of organic plastic audio records.

The patents related to this technology are being approved but at this stage several potential investors are already evaluating the industrialization of this process.