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Project # 163
Automated Dual Feeder for Polymer Processing Systems
| Team Lead: | Jasmin Lopez |
| Other Team Members: | Aramis Dominguez | Isaiah Escalona | Alondra Gonzalez | Vi Nguyen | Christine Krupa |
| Faculty Advisor(s): | Chris Rodriguez and Dr. Michael Bozlar |
| Department: | MAE |
| Project Type: | Senior Design |
| Title: | Automated Dual Feeder for Polymer Processing Systems |
| Abstract: | Our senior design team, Polymelt Solutions, is collaborating with the Bozlar Nanoscience lab at UTA to develop a dual feeder system that is programmed to transfer liquid solutions and polymer pellets into a micro compounder while keeping both materials separate. The micro compounder itself mixes different materials, such as recycled water bottles and graphene, and extrudes them as a plastic filament. Previously, liquid was manually fed into the micro compounder using a syringe needle, leading to damage to components that operate within the mixing chamber and inconsistent experimental results. Furthermore, the pellets were fed through a small hopper manually, which led to longer waiting times during experimental setup procedures. The team has designed a dual feeder prototype that is attached to two subsystems that will release material at a flow rate specified by the user without causing further damage to the mixing chamber’s screws. Using the programming language of C++, the team is working to automate the dual feeder system, allowing for singular and dual transfer of materials to the compounder as well as continuous or intermittent feeding. |
| Poster: | View Poster #163 (PDF) |
| Judges Scoring: | Submit Evaluation (judges only) |