Design Brief

Problem Statement: Our company has received a notice from Sweigart and Co. that a
company that disposes of cans would like to hire us to design an efficient crusher. The company
said that if they don't reduce the size of their cans by 70% then they will be charged an extra
$0.05 dollars per can. As a result, they have contacted us to solve the problem.

Research: The research collected was a combination of all the research papers. It included:
operation and application,history/current events,impacts, and individual/organization
contribution content.
Waste reduction:a way of minimizing waste by limiting the amount produced from the source.
Recycling:when waste is converted into a reusable resource
Sketches:
Explanation of process and reasons for choosing final design: We chose the design that
we thought was best and the most efficient. We all decided unanimously the design for our final
product to be what it is.

Explanation of design: A feeder drops the can into the slot, where a robot takes the can into
the pneumatic systems. Then, the can gets crushed by the pneumatic cylinder which then
reduces the thickness of the can to a size that is 70% of the original.
Problems encountered during design: Finding a place to put the limit switches and relays.
We fixed the problem by finding an efficient, working place for the relays and limit switches

BOM: 2 12-pack of soda cans

Description of prototype construction: It was built out of wood and includes reinforcement to
prevent malfunction of the pneumatic cylinders. The can is placed into the crusher which
triggers a limit switch which activates a pneumatic cylinder which triggers another limit switch
that will then activate the little pneumatic cylinder, and the big on retracts, telling the switch to
crush.

Testing and evaluation: The testing process consists of two parts. The first set of tests was to
ensure the feeder was working correctly and the second set was for the actual can-crusher, with
it’s ejection system. The feeder initially worked, but cans were highly susceptible to
displacement due to the previously open design. We added more structure to the feeder, but
that in turn caused it to be dysfunctional. After yet another adjustment, we finally got the feeder
to work efficiently.
The can crusher on the other hand took a few more tries. Air was put into the big pneumatic
cylinder interchangeably and vise versa for the smaller.
Areas of improvement would probably include pre-designing the holes for the limit switches and
other small details like that.