Composite Recycling
Feed control & Powertrain
Sponsored by
Introduction to JCATI Delaminator Project
During construction of Boeing’s aircrafts, carbon fiber reinforced composites are used to make the wings for the aircraft. Excess material during the manufacturing process is trimmed and discarded as waste. These trimmings contain valuable carbon fibers that can be reclaimed and processed again into product. There is no method that has been proven effective and reliable to recycle the trimmings thus far. The engineering approach to this concern is to develop a process in which recycling of the scrap trimmings can result in a reusable material.
Preliminary Sketch
Description
The left-over trimmed pieces of the carbon fiber shell for Boeing’s aircrafts is treated as waste product. A recycling method for these scrap pieces will help keep non degradable waste out of landfills. Being able to reuse the carbon fibers will also result in a more efficient and cost-effective manufacturing process.
Abstract
Although there is no viable process thus far, these trimmings have the potential to be recycled and reclaimed to be used in various other manufactured products. The trimmings of carbon fiber composite are approximately 10-12 layers of material bonded together. This project focuses on delaminating the trimmings into individual layers so that the carbon can be pyrolyzed from the bonding resin. In order to separate the layers of material the trimmings must be mechanically separated through a machine that uses extreme force. The machine constructed utilizes two gear reducers, powered by an electric motor to deliver the force necessary to feed the trimmings through a set of crushers. The crushers are two custom made gears that the trimmings have to pass through, resulting in transverse shear of the material. Past trials for delaminating the composite material were able to achieve a delamination of 80 percent. This benchmark had some success; however, the process was not a viable method because the machine had zero feed rate. This project is expected to result in a feed rate of 1 foot per minute while having a 100 percent delamination.
Keywords: Recycle, Carbon fiber, Delamination, Machine
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Outreach
The current design has been ineffective in processing the composite trimmings. This projects task is to complete a functioning machine capable of delaminating the carbon fiber composite. Expertise and recommendations are always welcomed. A few items that still need to be addressed about the design include:
Effective gear ratios to optimize feed and power
Benefits of a hydraulic system used to power the machine
Cost and acquisition of materials
Hydraulic pump
Miscellaneous fasteners and hoses
Gears and pulleys