Introduction

Appropriate disposal of waste is an essential part of every household and workplace. Several
waste disposal programmes have been implemented worldwide over the years to help control
the high rate of pollution and its effects on the climate. A need to separating waste was noted
as the demand for recycling grew globally. For this project a waste separating machine is to
be designed. It is intended to separate plastic from paper. It is a small scale invention and it
targets universities, malls, sports stadiums and areas with large amounts of people. The
machine is of simple design and some of the preliminary specifications are:

A plug and play feature

Conveyor belt made of synthetic material yet to be specified

Low speed, high torque motor

Has to be low maintenance and eco-friendly

Has to be user friendly and semi-portable

Have a light weight structure and has to be produced at a reasonable price

Can handle individual waste products at maximum weight of 5 kg

Current Patents include: Apparatus for sorting waste - US 6313422

Objectives
The main objective of this design is to separate plastic and paper waste and to dispose of it
efficiently for further processing. Features include: near infrared sensors (NIR), conveyor
belt, blow out nozzles; bins, rollers and bearings, guides along the side of the conveyer belt, a
braking system, a feed system and a motor. Critical design parameters include back up action
and quick response to sensor failure; non-plastic and paper waste getting onto the belt, seals
and clearance, strategic placement of sensors, air jets and the height of the machine has to be
taken into consideration. If the above mentioned parameters are adhered to, they should allow
for a successful waste separation machine.

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Design Strategy

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Input of waste
Mixed waste on
conveyer belt
Sensor detection
Separation of waste
Waste goes into
allocated bins

A sensor will detect the input of waste

This turns the machine on

The waste will be transported by the conveyer belt

The sensor will detect the type of waste

The waste will be catogorized as plastic or paper

After the sensor has detected the type of waste, the blowers will blow
the waste off of the conveyer belt
Different blowers will turn on depending on the type of waste

At the end of the process, the waste is collected into bins

There are different bins for different types of waste

Plan of Action

Research on other similar designs for ideas and improvements

Clarify all the components of the design

Decide on the positioning of all components

Consider the best methods for the wiring and electrical layout

Calculate the necessary specifications

Finalise all of the components and materials

Specify all of the components, wiring, andother materials, based on calculated values.

Costing of the finalisedcomponents.

Illustrate the final design on CAD drawings.

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Verification

Verification testing would have to be done on a regular basis to establish the effectiveness of
the separation function. Numerous methods could be implemented beforehand to ensure that
the machine works correctly, such as a computer simulation of the machine.
The simulation would test the motor, the sensor speed, the air pressure of the blowers
required for various sized objects and so on.
Once the machine is built and installed, physical testing/verification would need to be done
on the above mentioned components. Checking each individual bin for the incorrect materials
and comparing it to the amounts of the correct materials would give a percentage error of the
overall process.

Costing
Quantity

Description

Unit Price

Total Price

Motor and gearbox

R 5,000.00

R 5,000.00

Conveyer Belt Structure

R 6,000.00

R 6,000.00

10

Idlers

R 220.00

R 2,200.00

Pulleys with extended shaft (C/w bearings)

R 4,150.00

R 8,300.00

7,5m Endless PVC Belt

R 3,900.00

R 3,900.00

Infrared Sensor

R 400.00

R 400.00

Waste Bins

TBA

TBA

Air Jets

TBA

TBA

R 5,000.00

R 5,000.00

TBA
1

Other unaccounted for items

ESTIMATED TOTAL

R 30,800.00

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DESIGN III - Semester 1, 2014

Project Gantt Chart
Waste Separation Machine
February
Week Week Week
2
3
4
X

Week
1

March
Week Week
2
3

Week
4

Week
1

April
Week Week
2
3

Week
4

Proposal

Design considerations

Materials and parts

Manufacturing
procedures
Maintenance

Calculations

CAD - Detailed drgs.

CAD - Assembly drg.

References

10

Appendix

11

Report - draft copy

12

Report - Final Copy

13

Presentation

Week
1

May
Week Week
2
3

Week
4

X
X

X
X
X
X

X
X

X
X

X
X
X

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References

Building a Flood Coolant System for a CNC Milling Machine. 2014. Building a Flood
Coolant System for a CNC Milling Machine. [ONLINE] Available
at:http://www.cnccookbook.com/CCMillFloodCoolant.html. [Accessed 10 February 2014].
Building a Flood Coolant System for a CNC Milling Machine. 2014. Building a Flood
Coolant System for a CNC Milling Machine. [ONLINE] Available
at:http://www.cnccookbook.com/CCMillFloodCoolant.html. [Accessed 10 February 2014].
Self Contained Flood System. 2014. Self Contained Flood System. [ONLINE] Available
at: http://www.cnczone.com/forums/benchtop_machines/93199self_contained_flood_system.html. [Accessed 10 February 2014].
E-Waste Recycling | Environmentally-Responsible Computer Recyclers. 2014.E-Waste
Recycling | Environmentally-Responsible Computer Recyclers. [ONLINE] Available
at: http://www.liquidtechnology.net/e-waste-recycling.php. [Accessed 10 February 2014].
Hospital Waste & Medical Waste Treatment - ECOSTERYL 250 - YouTube. 2014. Hospital
Waste & Medical Waste Treatment - ECOSTERYL 250 - YouTube. [ONLINE] Available
at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ckHP-U-mZQ. [Accessed 12 February 2014].
Welcome to Interflex. 2014. Welcome to Interflex. [ONLINE] Available
at:http://www.conveyorbelting.co.za/. [Accessed 12 February 2014].
Patent US6313422 - Apparatus for sorting waste materials - Google Patenten. 2014. Patent
US6313422 - Apparatus for sorting waste materials - Google Patenten. [ONLINE] Available
at: http://www.google.nl/patents/US6313422. [Accessed 13 February 2014].

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Declaration
We the undersigned declare that the project proposal on a Waste Separation Machine is a
current project and we will meet all the objectives stated and deadlines prescribed.

Surname

Student number

Jugmohan S

21104755

Le Roux C

21241070

Jafta T

21448805

Mabaso P

21238980

Signature

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