Manufacturing Process Lab

Project Report
Title:
Plastic Shredding Machine

Submitted To:
Engr. Hammad Khalid
Submitted By:
Group (A-2)

Class:
BS-MEEN (5A)

Institute of Mechanical & Manufacturing

Engineering
Problem Statement:

At the moment, the lab uses a PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) shredding machine. Due to
higher reliance on HDPE and LDPE plastics across more industrial and recycling methods, the
shredding machine has to be modified to accommodate these materials. This means that you
will also have to design and create an enhanced shredder assembly, which will need to cope
with the specific mechanical properties of HDPE and LDPE, with the end product shredded
down to a maximum of 5mm.

Figure 1: Plastic Shredding Machine (PET)

Proposed Solution:
They also run a plastics shredding machine capable of shredding plastics for PET (Polyethylene
Terephthalate). However, as the use of HDPE and LDPE Plastics is growing in various
industrial and recycling processes, the current blade mechanism of the machine is not suitable
for shredding of the same. To solve this issue, we must remove the shredding mechanism and
build a cutter mechanism made of HSS (High-Speed Steel). We want to cut as accurately as
possible with an output material of less than 5 mm.
1. Replace Crusher Blades to Shredder Blades Mechanism:

• Use a shredder blades mechanism that makes use of high-precision cutters to replace
the existing crusher blades.
• To guarantee a constant output size, design the cutter with a tooth gap and clearance of
precisely 5 mm.
2. Material Selection for Shredder Blades Mechanism:
Because of its remarkable hardness, resistance to wear, and capacity to maintain
sharpness even at high working speeds, High-Speed Steel (HSS) has been chosen for
the cutters.
3. Shredder Blades Design:
• Because HDPE and LDPE plastics are flexible and durable, cutters will be made with
a sharp edge and a serrated profile.
• To guarantee that the shredded material satisfies the size requirement, the cutter will be
precisely machined with a tooth spacing of 5 mm.
4. Machine Integration:
• The manufactured HSS cutters should be used in place of the current shredder blades.
• Adjust the mounting system to fit the new cutters and make sure they are aligned
correctly for efficient operation.
5. Reduce Motor RPM for Shrader Blades Mechanism:
The current blades shred polymers efficiently at high RPMs (1490). To guarantee
accurate and consistent cutting without overheating, excessive vibration, or material
distortion, the new cutter mechanism needs a lower RPM (210).
A useful and effective way to modify the shredder machine to fit the cutter mechanism
is to lower the motor RPM from 1490 to 210 using a helical gear arrangement. The
helical gears meet the torque and speed requirements required for accurate cutting of
HDPE and LDPE plastics while operating smoothly, quietly, and dependably. This
change guarantees longevity and operating safety while improving the machine's
performance. The motor shaft (1490 RPM) is connected to the driving gear. The speed
is decreased to 210 RPM by connecting the driving gear to the cutting assembly.
Supporting Theory for Plastic Shredding Machine:

1. Introduction to the Plastic Shredding Machine

An indispensable tool for industrial and recycling applications is a plastic shredding

machine. Its main purpose is to break up big plastic particles into uniformly sized bits so
that other processing techniques like melting, molding, or extrusion can be used. In order
to recycle HDPE and LDPE plastics, the machine must be modified to account for their
various mechanical characteristics while preserving accuracy and efficiency. Transmission
system consist of two elements, one is motor and other is reduction gearbox. The motor
used to provide power is a three-phase motor which rotate at 1490 rpm. The reduction
gearbox used to minimize the rotation of the output shaft connected to the machine. To
transmit the power from motor to blade shaft assembly at low rpm reduction gearbox placed
in the middle of motor and machine. Output shaft of the motor linked with small shaft of
gearbox and the shaft of the machine is kinked with large diameter. (Chetan Nagpurkar,
https://journals.pen2print.org/index.php/ijr/issue/view/197)

Figure 2: Plastic Shredder Machine

 2. Machine Components:
A. Shredder Blades System (Cutter Mechanism)
• Plastics are to be sliced into uniformly small pieces (less than 5 mm) by the
cutter mechanism.
• For strength, resistance to wear, and the capacity to keep its edge under heavy
loads, it is made of High-Speed Steel (HSS).
• A 5 mm gap between the cutting teeth ensures a consistent output size.
• Enables a controlled cutting operation by rotating at a low RPM, avoiding
material distortion or overheating.

Figure 3:Shredder Blades

B. 3-Phase Motor

• The machine runs on the mechanical power supplied by a three-phase motor.

• Suitable for high-speed shredding operations, it runs at a standard speed of
1500 RPM.
• Offers enough torque using a speed reduction mechanism to drive the
cutting unit.
 Figure 4: 3 phase Motor

C. Gear Mechanism (Helical Gear System)

Reduce the motor's speed from 1490 RPM to 210 RPM, which is the necessary
cutting speed.
The smooth transmission, high torque handling capacity, and noise reduction
qualities of helical gears make them popular.
The cutter runs at the intended speed when the reduction ratio is 7.081.

Figure 5: Helical Gear

Applications of plastic Shredding Machine:

• Recycling Industry:

To facilitate easier processing and recycling into new products, plastic waste is broken up
into tiny pieces using shredding machines.

• Handling plastic waste:

They help reduce the quantity of plastic waste, making it easier to manage and more
suited for disposal, recycling, or reuse.
• Creation of Plastic Pellets:

Plastic that has been shredded can be formed into pellets that can be utilized once more in
injection molding and extrusion processes.

• Recycling of E-trash:

By breaking down the plastic components of electronic trash, shredders aid in the
recovery of precious metals and minerals.

• Uses in Composting and Agriculture:

Some plastic shredders are designed to break down biodegradable polymers for
composting or agricultural applications.

Advantages of Shredded machine:

Enhanced Security:

• Document Shredding: Shredding machines help people and organizations prevent

identity theft, fraud, and illegal access by ensuring that sensitive information including
bank records, personal information, and legal documents is destroyed.
• Material Security: Shredded materials help prevent the theft or leakage of blueprints,
prototypes, or sensitive production data in sectors like manufacturing.

Waste Reduction and Recycling:

• Effective garbage Management: By reducing the amount of garbage, shredding

machines facilitate recycling, storage, and transportation. This is particularly useful for
sectors that handle a lot of materials, such as metal, plastic, or paper.
 • Recycling Process: By encouraging the reuse of raw materials, shredded materials may
be processed for recycling in an effective manner, hence reducing the environmental
impact.

Fabrication Work:

• Planning and Design:

Create detailed CAD drawings of the machine's helical gearing, rotary cutting
mechanism, and general architecture. Indicate the size, motor specifications, and
material requirements (such as HSS for cutters).

Figure 6. Isometric 3D CAD design

Figure 7: Front View 3D CAD design

 Figure 8: Top View 3D CAD design

Figure 9: Side View 3D CAD design

• Material Selection:

Choose the appropriate materials for the cutting blades, rotor, frame, bearings, and
helical gears. High-Speed Steel (HSS) is good for the cutters, and strong steel or an
alloy can be used to build the frame.
• Frame Construction:

The machine frame is made of steel plates that have been cut, welded, and assembled.
Verify that the frame can hold the rotary cutting mechanism, gear system, and engine.
• Fabrication of the Shredded Cutter Mechanism:

Use HSS to manufacture the rotary cutters, making that they have the necessary cutting
size (about 5mm). Mount them firmly to the rotor with pins or mounting holes.
 • Blade Assembly:

The precisely spaced connection of the produced rotary cutters will allow the blades to
contact the material as the rotor revolves.
• Motor Mounting:
Ensure that a high-torque motor is positioned in relation to the helical gear system and
securely attached to the frame. The motor should have sufficient power to shred
plastics.
• Design and Manufacturing of Helical Gears:
To enable the motor and rotor to move in tandem, make the helical gears. Make sure
your teeth are positioned and aligned properly to guarantee seamless operation and
minimize noise.
• Gearbox Assembly:

Attach the helical gears to the motor and rotor by installing them into a gearbox
housing. For effective power transmission, make sure all clearances and lubricants are
adequate.
• Electrical Wiring and Controls:

If required, attach the motor to a control panel with safety features including motor
overload protection and speed control.
• Testing & Calibration:

Conduct initial tests to assess the cutting efficiency, motor performance, and gear
operation. By varying the motor speed and cutter spacing, you may get shreds smaller
than 5 mm.

Detail of modification:

1. Convert Crusher Blades to Shredded Blades

• Objective:

Modify the system to efficiently handle PET, LDPE, and HDPE plastics.
• Modifications:

➢ Swap out the crusher blades for shredded blades designed to cut and shear stiff (PET)
and flexible (LDPE, HDPE) plastics.
➢ To guarantee alignment and conformity with the new shredding standards, adjust the
blade installation.
➢ To withstand the increased torque needed for shredding, strengthen the blade shafts and
bearings.
• Key Features for Shredding:

➢ Enhanced cooling system to decrease heat from friction.

➢ Self-cleaning grooves to minimize plastic accumulation.
➢ And an interlocking blade design for effective shearing.
2. Design Shredded Blades

• Specifications:

➢ Blade Sets:

Total: 2 sets.

Length per set: 150 mm.

➢ Blade Dimensions:

Blade width: 5 mm.

Blade diameter: 85 mm.

Groove diameter: 70 mm.

Pitch between teeth: 5 mm (on both sides).

• Number of Blades and Grooves:

➢ 16 blades and 14 grooves per set.

• Design Considerations:

➢ For PET: Make sure the blade is sharp for precise cuts.
➢ For LDPE and HDPE: To stop materials from slipping, use serrated edges.
➢ In order to obtain consistent 5mm pieces, maximize the blade clearance.
➢ To guarantee durability under operating loads, apply FEM analysis.
 Figure 10: Shredded Blades

3. Material Selection: High-Speed Steel (HSS)

➢ Durability: Outstanding resistance to wear while working with potentially

contaminated abrasive materials, such as plastics.
➢ Thermal Resistance: Keeps cutting effectiveness and hardness even when heated by
high-speed action.
➢ Strength: High toughness to resist impact stresses from rigid plastics like PET.
➢ Edge Retention: Maintains blade sharpness over time without the need for frequent
honing.
➢ Corrosion Resistance: Ideal for settings that may contain dampness or residues.
4. Tempering Shredded Blades (HSS)

• Process:

➢ Heat the blades to a temperature between 540°C and 650°C, which is lower than
their melting point.
➢ To ensure even heat penetration, maintain at the desired temperature.
➢ To reduce tension, cool in a controlled environment (such as air or oil quenching).
➢ Steer clear of "red-hot" heating as it might deteriorate the qualities of the material.

• Outcome:
➢ Toughness: Reduces brittleness for high-impact shredding.
➢ Wear Resistance: Ensures blades last longer under continuous operation.
➢ Strength: Improves the ability to handle varying plastic types.
5. Design of Oil Gearbox for Speed Reduction:

• Objective:
Use a helical gear system to change the motor speed from 1490 RPM to the ideal shredding
speed of 210 RPM.
• First Pair of Helical Gears:
➢ Driver teeth: 33.
➢ Driven teeth: 57.
➢ Ratio: 57/33≈1.72757.

• Second Pair of Helical Gears:

➢ Driver teeth: 19.
➢ Driven teeth: 78.
➢ Ratio: 78/19 ≈ 4.10578.
• Total Reduction Ratio:

➢ 1.727×4.105=7.081.
• Final Output Speed:
➢ 1490 RPM/7.081 ≈ 210 RPM
• Gearbox Design Features:

➢ Helical Gears:
❖ Smoother functioning with less vibration and noise.
❖ Strong load-bearing ability to manage shredding torque.
➢ Lubrication System:
❖ Oil-based system using high-viscosity synthetic oil.
❖ It includes cooling fins, a breather valve, and an oil sump.
➢ Housing Material:
❖ For heat conductivity and structural stability, use aluminum or cast iron.
➢ Validation:
❖ To confirm the distribution of stress on gears, use Finite Element Analysis
(FEA).
❖ To make sure heat dissipation is efficient, perform thermal analysis.
6. Additional Design Enhancements
 • Thermal Management:

➢ Include cooling ducts close to the blades to stop polymers from softening while in
use.
➢ For high-performance applications, use liquid cooling systems or forced air.

• Maintenance Features:

➢ Modular blade components make maintenance and replacement simple.

➢ Include inspection apertures and an oil gearbox quick-drain system.

• Safety Considerations:

➢ Incorporate overload protection to avoid mechanical malfunctions.

➢ Incorporate materials that reduce noise surrounding the housing.

Financial Impact:

1. Total Cost Breakdown

a. Shredded Blade Material
• Quantity: 2 shredded blades.
• Cost per Blade: 10,000 PKR.
• Total Cost: 2×10,000=20,000 PKR
b. Laboure for Shredded Blades
• Labour charges for the manufacturing, installation, and alignment of the shredded
blades.
• Cost: 10,000 PKR.
c. Gear Sets
• Quantity: 2 gear sets for the oil gearbox.
• Cost per Gear Set: 3,500 PKR.
• Total Cost: 2×3,500=7,000 PKR
d. Gearbox Maintenance and Laboure
• Includes complete maintenance of the gearbox, replacement of components, and
labour charges for reassembly and testing.
• Cost: 12,000 PKR.
 e. Painting
• Painting the modified machine for corrosion protection and aesthetic purposes.
• Cost: 1,500 PKR.

Total Project Cost:

50,500 PKR

Result:

At the machine speed of 210 rpm the shredding performance for HDPE and LDPE is 70.56%
and for PET is 40.70% Shredding achievement while the average shredded HDPE, LDPE and
PET particle size is 5 mm. Throughout capacity of machine at 210 rpm is 85 kg approx. and
average particle size is 5 mm.

Figure 11: Shredded Machine

Conclusion:

By changing the conventional crusher blade mechanism to a shredded blade system, the plastic
shredding machine's capacity to handle a range of polymers, including PET, HDPE, and LDPE,
has been greatly enhanced. The High-Speed Steel (HSS) used to make the revised blades offers
remarkable endurance and wear resistance, guaranteeing effective cutting and preserving
sharpness even with constant usage. With a 5 mm spacing between each tooth, the new blade
design is particularly made to generate uniform 5 mm-sized bits that are perfect for industrial
recycling procedures. More regulated cutting is ensured by the slower cutting speed, which is
accomplished by integrating a helical gear system that lowers the motor RPM from 1490 to
210. This keeps the machine from clogging or experiencing undue stress.

In addition to increasing the shredding efficiency, this improvement has made the machine
more versatile for a variety of plastic materials. The machine can handle stronger plastics like
PET and HDPE without sacrificing performance on more flexible materials like LDPE because
to its low RPM and refined blade design. Furthermore, the gearbox's oil-based lubrication
system minimizes wear on components and ensures smoother operation by reducing friction.
These improvements have produced a more dependable, long-lasting, and effective machine
that is ideal for contemporary recycling operations. It provides constant performance for a
variety of plastic materials with low maintenance needs.

The plastic shredding machine is widely used industries for the plastic waste management. By
using this plastic shredding machine, the overall costing of recycling process get reduced. It
requires less labor work and there is no requirement of skilled labor in industry. In recycling
process of plastic waste. It reduces the process time in industry.

References
Chetan Nagpurkar, B. N. (https://journals.pen2print.org/index.php/ijr/issue/view/197).
Fabrication of Paper And Plastic Shredder Machine.
https://journals.pen2print.org/index.php/ijr/issue/view/197. Retrieved from
https://www.google.com/search?q=shredder+machine+research+paper+for+hdpe&o
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