World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology
International Journal of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering
Vol:10, No:11, 2016
Design Consideration of a Plastic Shredder in
Recycling Processes
Tolulope A. Olukunle
 environmental friendly as compared to the other ways of
Abstract—Plastic waste management has emerged as one of the
greatest challenges facing developing countries. This paper describes
the design of various components of a plastic shredder. This machine
is widely used in industries and recycling plants. The introduction of
plastic shredder machine will promote reduction of post-consumer
International Science Index, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering Vol:10, No:11, 2016 waset.org/Publication/10005699
plastic waste accumulation and serves as a system for wealth creation
and empowerment through conversion of waste into economically
viable products. In this design research, a 10 kW electric motor with
a rotational speed of 500 rpm was chosen to drive the shredder. A
pulley size of 400 mm is mounted on the electric motor at a distance
of 1000 mm away from the shredder pulley. The shredder rotational
speed is 300 rpm.
Keywords—Design, machine, plastic waste, recycling.
I. INTRODUCTION
P LASTICS have been one of man’s means of bearing items
or contents, widely used by majority in the world. This
material is readily used with ease because of its characteristics
which include resilience, lightness, resistance to corrosion,
and ease of processing [6].
One of many problems facing the world and Nigeria today
is the environmental waste control. Likewise, Nigeria also is
not excluded from the problem of solid waste. For more than
two decades, the amount of plastic waste littering the streets of
Nigeria has been of crucial environmental problem. The
proper system of plastic waste collection is missing, and the
people are not educated as to the problems of plastic waste.
Every home in Nigeria generates waste from plastic, ranging
from used nylon’s, plastic bottles down to big plastic
containers like buckets, jerry cans, kegs, and so on. However,
the non-biodegradable nature of plastic waste poses a big
problem since these wastes can stay longer in our environment
causing all sorts of problems.
Biodegradable waste accounts for over 50% of waste
generated with other component estimated at different
composition in different states. A study by the Basel
Convention Coordinating Centre for Africa in 2009 reveals
that 70% of all imports were used electronic electrical
equipment of which about 30% could be described as e-Waste
[4].
Due to the non-biodegradable nature of plastic waste, the
way forward for plastic waste disposal is through recycling.
Recycling of waste plastic will bring numerous benefits to
Nigeria and the world. Recycling of plastic waste is
T. A. Olukunle is a Post-Graduate Student at the Department of
Mechanical Engineering, University of Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria (e-mail:
tolu_olukunle@yahoo.com).
International Scholarly and Scientific Research & Innovation 10(11) 2016
disposing it.
Plastics are materials consisting of a wide range of synthetic
or semi-synthetic organic solids that are moldable. Plastics are
typically organic polymers of high molecular mass and the
vast majority of these polymers are based on chains of carbon
atoms alone or other substances such as oxygen, sulphur, or
nitrogen as well. Plastics are produced by a process called
polymerization. This is the process of joining one or more
monomers such as ethylene, styrene vinyl chloride together
[1].
II. SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY
The areas of research focus on providing the required
information in the construction of a plastic shredder. These
areas are: (1) to identify and study the operations of existing
outfits; (2) recognize the parts of the machine; and (3) to
design and assemble the critical parts of the machine.
Although series of research work have been carried out on
similar machine in various countries of the world, this paper
focuses on improving on the already existing machine
III. PLASTICS AND PLASTIC WASTES RECYCLING PROCESSES
A. What are Plastics
Plastics are materials consisting of a wide range of synthetic
or semi-synthetic organic solids that are moldable. Plastics are
typically organic polymers of high molecular mass and the
vast majority of these polymers are based on chains of carbon
atoms alone or other substances such as oxygen, sulphur, or
nitrogen as well. Plastics are produced by a process of joining
one or more monomers such as ethylene, styrene vinyl
chloride together, and this is referred to as polymerization [1].
Polymers are the substances whose molecules have high
molar mass and are composed of large number of repeating
units called monomers [8]. Polymers occur both in natural and
synthetic form. Synthetic polymers commonly called plastics
are reproduced commercially on a large scale and have a wide
range of properties and uses. The distinguishing characteristics
of some plastics occur when the carbon backbone of polymer
molecules often bond with smaller side chains consisting of
other elements such as chloride, fluorine, nitrogen, and silicon.
For example, when chloride atoms substitute hydrogen atoms
along the carbon chain, the result is polyvinyl chloride. This is
one of the most versatile and widely used plastics in the world
[2].
Based on chemical and physical properties, plastics can be
divided into two groups; namely thermosetting and
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 World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology
International Journal of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering
Vol:10, No:11, 2016

thermoplastics. Thermosettinngs are plasticcs that are harrdened
byy chemical cross-linking reeaction involvving polymer (i.e. it
haardens permannently after bbeing heated oonce). On thee other
haand, thermoplaastics do not undergo chem mical change in the
m
molding operatiion. They mayy be softened by reheating to the
temmperature at which they originally beecame plasticss, and
heence, they are easily recyclaable [2].
B. Types of P
Plastics
Plastic is onne of the esssential compoonents of num merous
prroducts includding water boottle and prodduct containerss. The
neeed to classifyy plastics wass born becausee not every kkind of
plastic is the same. In 1988, the society off the plastic inndustry
SPI) established a classificcation system
(S m with the aaim of
International Science Index, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering Vol:10, No:11, 2016 waset.org/Publication/10005699
casssette cases andd many more.
T
The plastic reccycling processses are referrred as the proocess
of ccollecting plaastic waste maaterials and tthen separatinng or
sortting and proceessing them innto usable maaterials again. The
metthods employeed by materiall recovery sysstems tend to vary
accoording to the type of plasttic being proccessed, and sttages
suchh a plastic ccollection, sorrting, shreddinng, washing, and
pellletizing are perrformed.
IV
V. DESCRIPTIION AND OPER
RATION OF PLA
ASTIC SHREDD
DER
T
The sorted plaastic waste is fed into the shredder
s hopper to
reduuce the size innto small plasstic flakes. In the case of biigger
sizee plastics, it iss important too cut the plastiic into small sizes
befoore feeding them into the hoopper. This is known as thee size

heelping consum mers and reccyclers to prooperly recyclle and

reduuction. The sshredder is iincorporated with the rotaating
dispose of eachh type basedd on its chem mical makeup. This
cuttting blade. Froom the shreddder drawing inn Fig. 1, the pllastic
claassification bby the societyy will help tto properly recycle
r
wasstes are introduuced into the machine
m throuugh the hopperr and
plastics. Manuffacturers are tto follow this coding system m and
the rotary blade innside the shreedder, then thee plastic is cutt into
place a number or SPI code oon each plasticc product. Thiis code
the required flakees size, and thhese goes throough a screen with
is usually moldeed into the botttom of the prooduct.
smaall holes. The screen holes determine thee flakes sizes. The
The seven tyypes of plasticcs as classified by the Sociiety of
flakkes are then coollected in a coollection bin.
the Plastic Industry (SPI) are described in tthe Table I [1]:

TA
ABLE I
PLASTIC REECYCLING CODE
Plasttic Code Name of Plastic
Pollyethylene Terep
phthalate
(PET)

Higgh-Density Polyeethylene
(HDPE)

Poolyvinyl Chloridee (PVC)

Fig. 1 Isometric
I View of the Plastic Shredder
S
Loow-Density Polyeethylene
(LDPE) T
The rotary blaade is powerred by an eleectric motor. The
rotaary blade is cconnected to the electric m motor by a vv-belt
pullley with the puulley of both the rotary bladde and the eleectric
Polypropylene (PP) mottor. Through tthe transmittedd power betw ween the bladee and
ecleectic motor, thhe cutting proocess is initiatted on the plaastics
by tthe blade, theen it takes the sizes of the screen hole inn the
PS)
Polystyrene (P shreedder.

V. DESIGN PROCEDURE
Otther Plastics (thiss include
polyycarbonate and poolyactide) Inn this researchh work, each ccritical parts oof the machinee will
be cconceptually set
s up, and thiss choice will be b based on ceertain
desiign criteria whhich will be ussed to producee a detailed deesign
C. Plastic Waaste Recyclingg Processes of thhe machine.
Plastic recycling is the meethod of recovvering waste pplastic T
The quality thhat makes a good design is based onn the
annd reprocessinng these materrials into usabble products. These development of a good philossophy of desiggn. The follow wing
prroducts could totally vary inn form from thhe original maaterial. considerations w was adopted in this desiggn: (1) minim mum
Reecycling it is one of the addopted methodds used in redducing vibrration level, (22) lower overaall cost, (3) m
machine longerr and
plastic in thee waste strream, since plastics aree not exteended productt life, (4) Goood and attracttive appearancce of
biodegradable [3]. the machine asseembly- color aand styling, (55) design for easy
There is a w wide range oof products made
m from reccycled mannufacturing, (66) design for easy
e maintenaance and assem mbly
plastics; i.e., poolyethylene biin liners and ccarrier bags, pplastic (7) design for higgh efficiency.
boottles, flooringg and windoww frames, videeo and compacct disc

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 World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology
International Journal of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering
Vol:10, No:11, 2016

18
80° 2∝ (4)

E mining the belt speed V;

Equation (5) iss used in determ

(5)

The service facctor Ks is the product of vaarious factors such

T
as tthe load factoor for variablee load with heavy
h shock lloads
K1==1.5, the lubriication factor for drop lubrrication K2=1,, and
  the rating factor ffor 8 hours perr day K3=1.
F
Fig. 2 Shredder Pulley Arrangeement
= ∗ ∗ (6)
P
Power transmiitted by belt and the num mber of belt (N)
requuired can be gotten using (77);
International Science Index, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering Vol:10, No:11, 2016 waset.org/Publication/10005699

                                      (7) 

(8)

B
B. Hopper Design
W
We assume higgh density polyethylene (H HDPE) with a bulk
density of 954 kgg/m3 as the plaastic material [[5].
Fig. 3 Frustum of a Pyramid for the Hopper T
The shape of tthe hopper, ass shown in Figg. 3, describes the
voluume of the plaastic material that
t can be maachined in a siingle
A. Design of Pulley
P and Traansmission Beelt
operation. The voolume of the hhopper Vh can be calculated as;
The choice of o a drive is dependent onn some param meters,
suuch as the drivver power ratting, number oof belts, the ssize of
(9)
the pulley. For this aspect of the researchh design, an eelectric
motor with a required pow
m wer rating off 10 kW, whhich is
exxpected to runn at a rotationaal speed of 5000 rpm was chosen. wheere Vh= voluume of the hhopper, A1=A Area of the uupper
Thhe electric mootor bears a puulley size of 4000 mm at a diistance pyraamid base, A2= Area of the lower pyramiid base, h = heeight
appart (x) of 10000 mm from tthe shredder ppulley. The shhredder of thhe frustum pyyramid.
is expected to rrun at a rotatiional speed off 300 rpm. Thhe belt
(10)
crross-sectional area (A) and tthe allowable tensile stress ((σ) for
the system are 4400 mm2 and 2 MPa, respecctively.
T
The weight off the plastic m material requiired to fill upp the
The relationsship (1) is usedd to determinee the diameter of the
hoppper can be callculated as [9];
larrger pulley [7]];
(11)
                                                 (1) 
wheere Wp= weigght of the plasstic, Vh= volume of the hoppper,
whhere: N1 = Speeed of rotationn of the electriic motor, N2= Speed = bulk densityy of the plasstic which is 954 kg/m3, g =
ρp=
off rotation of thhe shredder, d1= Diameter oof the electric motor t gravity (9.881 m/s2).
acceeleration due to
puulley, d2 = Diaameter of the sshredder pulleyy. T
The mass of the plastic m material to ffill the hoppeer is
Foor an open belt drive [7], calcculated as;

sin ∝ (2) (12)

C
C. Shaft Designn
The tension aacting on the tight side T1 and
a slack sidee T2 of T
The shafts aree cylindrical with
w circular ccross sectionss and
the belt were deetermined by uusing the relatiionship (3) [7]]; withh pulleys and bearings mouunted on them.. The shaft wiill be
subjjected to the functionality torque and bbending mom ments
2.3 (3) andd therefore com mbined shockk and fatigue factors are ttaken
intoo accounts.
whhere β is the groove angle of the pulley, 2β= 40°, and Ө is Since the feedding of the plastic materiall will be sudddenly
S
the angle of lap. applied load witth minor shoccks only. Thhus, the combbined
Angle of lap on the smallerr pulley or drivving pulley, θ shocck and fatiguue factor for bbending Km=22.0; the combbined
shocck and fatiguee factor for torrsion Kt=2.0.

International Scholarly and Scientific Research & Innovation 10(11) 2016 1840 scholar.waset.org/1307-6892/10005699
 World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology
International Journal of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering
Vol:10, No:11, 2016

The shaft annd belt tensionns are subjectted to both beending ∗∗ ∗

                                 (20) 
m
moment and shhear force as a result of thhe applied loaads as
shhown in Fig. 4.
VI. RESULLT SUMMARY
A theoretical evaluation off expected maachine capacitty is
deteermined by comparing similar valuess of an existing
macchine with the calculated vaalue in this dessign.
A VR60 macchine of Unttha shreddingg technology was
com
mpared with the plastic shredder, and a 5090.900 kg
prodduction capaciity was estimaated for a periood of 8 hours.
T
This result shoows the functtionality of thhe plastic shreedder
withh its applicatioon in small-scaale productionn industries.

VII. CON
NCLUSION
International Science Index, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering Vol:10, No:11, 2016 waset.org/Publication/10005699

A
An improvedd and efficieent design of the macchine
speccifically for reecycling plasttic waste was carried out inn this
Fig. 4 Free Body Diaagram of the Shhaft Design reseearch.
T
The modificatiions introduceed in the design and operatioon of
The estimatedd distribution load WL, [9];; the machine, iif implementted, will bee beneficial and
advantageous in tthe following:
(13) 1. Amount of plastic wastee in our envvironment willl be
reduced throuugh recycling processing.
whhere; Wp = the calculated w
weight of the pplastic materiaal, L = 2. The processiing of waste materials willl be enhanceed to
lenngth of the shaaft. achieve the production of high quaality productss on
relatively largge scale for doomestic and inndustrial uses.
Force at poiint C=Wk + Fc + Fs 3. The nationall economy will be boosted since adoptioon of
such machinnes will help in reducing tthe importatioon of
Force acting on screw= Wp + Ws similar machhine, maximizze the use oof local materrials,
thereby save cost.
Taking momeent about B; ∑
∑MB=0 4. Promotion oof technology transfer and adoption forr the
production oof recycling m machine from small to meddium
∗ ∗1 2 (14) scale level.
5. Recycled plaastic waste can serve as raw materialss for
Taking resulttant forces along the vertical direction; ∑ffy =0 other machinne processes ssuch as kitcheenware, trash bag,
carpet, roof ttiles, and so onn.
(15)
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m
maximum allow wable shear sttress, τ with kkey way are 844 MPa ARCADA, Ghanna.
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                             (19)

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