Projeto de um triturador de pequeno porte para reciclagem de polímeros empregados em manufatura aditiva

Abstract

Studies indicate that about twice as much plastic waste was produced in the year 2019 as 20 years ago. It is estimated that 460 million tons of plastic were produced that year. However, the recycling rate is not keeping up with this unchecked growth, leading to excessive accumulation and improper disposal of polymers. Among the solutions available for plastic recycling is mechanical recycling, which makes use of shredding and subsequent reprocessing, extending the plastic life cycle. Therefore, the present work aims to design a polymer shredding machine. To do so, the macro phase of Design was performed, which includes the phases: (i) Informational Design: establishing the system design specifications; (ii) Conceptual Design: establishing the product concept; (iii) Embodiment Design: performing the economic feasibility analysis, and; (iv) Detailed Design: performing quality tests and product operation verification. As a result, the Design phase of a polymer grinding machine was developed, containing market research, list of technical specifications, selection of the most appropriate design, detailing and sizing of the components, and finally, construction and testing of a prototype. As the main specifications of the product, it is worth mentioning the production capacity of 15 kg/h, power of 1.5 hp and weight of 53.2 kg. The prototype had a total cost of R$4,384.67 to be completed. The experimental tests defined the product specifications, which meet the expectations for this type of machine. The prototype is capable of grinding plastics to a particle size of 1 cm. The cost of the project proved to be more viable than the machines available on the market, but exceeded the target cost defined for the acceptance of the target audience, which was between R$600.00 and R$1,000.00. Finally, the project development was only accomplished with such thoroughness thanks to the methodology applied, which served as support during all phases of the process.