hydraulic and frame mechanism for 1220x2400 sheetpress
sheetpress
More Information
1
Revisiting our design
Published 1yPublished almost 2 years ago
Before going into buidling the machine, we need a good plan and drawings. We've had our design for a few years now, this month, we are going to refine our existing design that previously were made to be heated with gas. We will change it to electric



2
Design Modification decision and changes
Published 1yPublished over 1 year ago
Here are some changes in design that we have decided on
Change in Hydraulic system:
Our previous design is using a scissor lift system, however we found out that this system would be challenging to manufacture for the open source community because it is less accessible than normal oil hydraulic and it requires more precision in assembly. We have decided to use 6 points of 4 tonnes Hydraulic for each hot press and cool press
Change in heating type
We are converting our previously powered by gas design into electric. Our team are still researching the best heater option between strip or cartridge heater. We would like to have the machine to be as efficient as possible therefore requires the least amount of energy
Change in layout
We have rotated the layout of the entire assembly so the structure is on the long side of the sheetpress and to allow better access for the operator to reach and troubleshoot
Change Shipping layout
We are targeting the entire sheetpress system to be able to fit into a 20ft container that has an internal Dimension (in meters): 5.898m long x 2.352m wide x 2.393m high. The hot and cool press will be shipped as a whole and the two prep tables disassembled to fit on the side.
Next step:
Drafting in new 3d Model
Simulating hydraulic system
Determining sheetpress heating system
Determining bed structure




3
3D Model update 1: main frame
Published 1y. Edited 1yPublished over 1 year ago. Last edit over 1 year ago
we have completed the 3d model of main frame and hydraulic positioning of the concept that we mentioned in the last update.
the dimension is suitable to fit all the sets of machine from the 2 prep tables, hot press and cold press into a 20ft container
We have decided to use Channel U 140 steel for the main frame. for 3 reasons:
- it is ubiquitous worldwide so it is more accessible for the open source community
- Thick and strong but lighter than I-beam
hydraulic
we have decided to use 6 pcs of 250mm stroke hydraulic @4tonnes. this is different from our previous scisor jack design because we want the machine to be replicable by the community and using scissor jack system is harder to built and to align. This tube hydraulic system is more accessible worldwide. having 6 points with power pack will ensure even distribution of pressure throughout the surface.
heating
we are testing different design for the sheetpress bed and heating. we will run the simulation this month and will give everyone the update for next month





4
3D Model Update 2: mechanism
Published 1y. Edited 1yPublished over 1 year ago. Last edit over 1 year ago
We have figured out the mechanism for the sheetpress.
The latest 3D drawing can be downloaded here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Ga_w0-k1RifuAq-Tod9vL7T-_tth00nY/view?usp=drivesdk






5
Completed! Hydraulic and frame system for 1x2m sheetpress
Published 1yPublished over 1 year ago
This is our final design update of the result of the research we have conducted for the Hydraulic and frame system for 1220x2440m sheetpress. This frame and hydraulic sheet press system is part of the larger sets of machinery that consists of an input prep table with roller, hot press, cool press, and output prep table. The entire system is designed to fit a 20ft shipping container to allow easier distribution of machines, especially to remote areas where this system is needed to turn plastic waste into construction materials, locally.
Video explanation can be found here\
https://www.loom.com/share/08dbf467997a43658cdddcb9b60bdfe7?sid=82a63ea8-15c5-443c-a30c-bf670a6777f9
Attached in this updates are:
-VIdeo explanation of the design
-3D model of the latest design (.step)
-Bill of materials (BOM)
-2D construction drawing package(.pdf)
Primary design research features and findings:
Frame materials: we choose steel with a spec of UNP 140 (140 Channel) because it provides great strength and is also widely available across the world as it is a common steel used in construction. This allows our design to be implemented by open source precious plastic community worldwide and allow for the machine to be built, repaired, and maintained locally
Springs above the top bed helps with pressure feedback distribution while preventing sheetpress frame from collapsing because of overpressing. This addresses 2 common problems for precious plastic sheet press: uneven distribution of pressure, and frame collapsing due to overprocessing
6 hydraulic systems ensure an even distribution of pressure throughout the sheet. The sheetpress bed can be moved simultaneously and automatically with a press of the button thanks to the manifold hydraulic system. The hydraulic system is equipped with a pressure limit switch that senses current pressure and automatically push the sheetpress bed up when the plastic inside are melted while preventing overpressing
We have decided to put the control panel, oil tank and motor in a separate unit to allow flexibility in placement of the system and to prevent oil , electrical panel, and motor overheating from the heaters of the hot press. This also makes machine maintenance and machine operation a lot easier and safer.
Future research and prototyping
1. Design of Heating system
2. Design of Cooling system
3. Design of Prep table system
4. Design for Disassembly,shipping and maintenance matter
5. Manufacturing/prototyping the machine
6. Test the machine
7. Open sourcing the machine to the Precious Plastic Community and sell it to Precious Plastic Bazar
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