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Researcher First Name: Philip
Researcher Last Name: Robbins
Department: Makerspace
Other Department:
Department Head's Email: ksveinso@langara.ca

Project Title: THingery - Plastics Press
Start semester: 9/1/2024
End Semester: 11/29/2024
Introduction - Please introduce yourself and include
pertinent background information as it relates to your
project's research area. Philip Robbins - Langaras
Makerspace coordinator and faculty within Fine Arts
(Design)
Please discuss your educational background and your
work experience as it relates to this project. If possible,
include a quote that helps define your interest in the
project. I have a masters degree in Fine Arts and an
extensive making practice ranging from Public Art and
restaurant interiors to props production for film and
television.
Please summarize your project in plain language that
others not in your field could understand. The Thingery
(lending library of things) was interested in developing a
process to take waste plastic on reprocess it into sheet
material. This sheet material would become the basis of
custom designed storage cabinetry able to securely
house a Thingery lending library in outdoor and publicly
accessible locations. This first stage of our research
collaboration was to reconfigure and custom build a large
electrical/hydraulic press for processing waste plastic into
sheets.
Identify the project goals and objectives. Explain how the
results may be used to solve a problem or inform further
research in the field. Our task was to reconfigure an
existing plastics press, redesigning it to fit the specific
needs of the Thingery and to custom build that bespoke
press.
Briefly explain the steps taken (methods used) to conduct
the research, and describe the key findings. The plastics
press is to be pick up and commissioned by the Thingery.
Retirement!
Who was involved in this project (eg. faculty, students,
community partners)? How did their involvement
contribute to the project’s success? Were there any
challenges to overcome? Students from a broad rage of
disciplines (Data Analytics, Web & Mobile, Biology,
Engineering) were involved with Fine Art faculty and the
community partner. As always with working with a range
of students time management and availability is a fluid

dynamic. It is important on these projects to have a
student team larger than initially anticipated as students
have academic demands places on them that can restrict
there availability at random times. a larger team smooths
out these inconsistencies.
Please share any personal stories that made this
research experience memorable/valuable.
It is a great pleasure working with students (both
domestic and international) from a range of different
disciplines as this provides us with a unique opportunity
to learn from each other, share different perspectives,
and build new skills. It is very satisfying to enable a team
of students to explore new terrain and extend
themselves, working with materials and processes they
many not initially be completely familiar with but building
confidence and rising to the challenge. From the
research projects I have been involved with some of the
greatest achievements - besides successfully achieving
the project goals- is seeing the students grow in
knowledge and confidence in what they are able to
achieve.
What are the next steps for this project and for you as a
researcher?
Market research (existing presses and their
characteristics), Materials research (plastics recycleability
and thermal fomability characteristics), Design Research
(Form factor [size, transportability, repairability, structural
integrity], Ergonomics (User interface, ideal operating
height, ideal process workflow)
Please upload any images that will help to showcase
your project.
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report to the Langara Institutional Repository (The
LaIR). True
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