HAFB - Automated Aerosol Can Puncturer 4.0
Team: Nguyen Phung, Braden Erickson, Avery Billings, Wyatt Harris, and Ethan Lawhead
Sponsor: Hill Air Force Base
Project Description
Hill Air Force Base (HAFB) produces 40,000 waste aerosol cans per year. These cans must be punctured and drained before the cans can be recycled. We were tasked with improving a previously developed unit to meet the following goals.
Machine Goals:
- Efficient can puncturing/draining
- Jam-free loading and unloading
- User safety and guarding
- Adjustable digital control panel
- Testing verification done in an Industrial environment
Design Description
A: HMI- Digital control panel added to adjust puncturing speeds.
B: Safety- Safety barriers added to protect operators from pinch points.
C: Modified Loader- extenders added to increase machine efficiency.
D: Modified Cradle- Magnets added for jam free loading and unloading.
E: New Puncture Needles- Industry standard aerosol puncturing needles added for efficient puncturing/draining.
Performance Review
| Requirement | Target | Threshold | Performance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Puncture efficiency | 1 un-punctured can in 500 cans | 1 un-punctured can in 100 cans | 0 un-punctured in 500 cans |
| Machine efficiency | 1 jam in 500 cans | 1 jam in 100 cans | 0 jam in 500 cans |
| Processing time | 30 cans per minute | 20 cans per minute | 20.4 cans per minute |
| Additional weight | 30 lbs or less added | 80 lbs or less added | 20 lbs added |
| Digital control panel | HMI to adjust cycle time | Housing and proper cable routing with HMI | HMI to adjust cycle time |
| Improved Safety | Include safety guarding for all pinch points | Safety guarding on main pinch points | Safety guarding on main pinch points |
Machine testing: Testing procedures that focus on efficiency, processing time, and cycle time completed.
Inspection: Visual inspection of safety guarding and digital control panel.
Weight analysis: SolidWorks weight calculations of added components.
Conclusion
The updates to the unit meet all six customer requirements. However, the processing time could be further improved with further testing.
Lessons Learned:
- Time required for planned tasks
- Prioritizing manufacturability in design
- Difficulty of manufacturing in-house
- Challenges with legacy design implementations
Future Work:
- Improve draining capacity
- Add additional safety guards
- Minimize fume dispersion
- Implement a can feeding system
Special Thanks:
- HAFB Environmental Waste Dept.
- Professor Larry Gardner
