Help Ben Create an Automatic Can Crusher -- Episode 3

I have seen hydraulic rams used to crush can, I was watch one of your show where you use AND, OR, NOT gate to make a small toy. Try the same idea using gate to process a can through the crashing steps. Step 1 insert can which start the crusher hopper. Step 2 one can falls into a round cage that is for safety, Two rams start out the crush the can. Limit switch mange the rams and centre the can in the cage, a hole in the centre of the cage would allow the can to drop through. Step 3 collection, a shoot or guide would put the can into bin, switchs or optos would track the can to the bin and allowing away to show the can has made it to the bin. step 4 bin status, this step would tell you the bin is full and needs to be changed. I think you can get air ram that move very fast. Keep up the great work Ben.

Hi Ben, Stick with the electronics theme and use an Linear Actuator. Nice big one.

Nice idea for quick disposal but try combining gravity of the earth with the magnetic field force in the solenoid that way it might do the job in possibly 3 hits.

I'll work on this on my own and find a result on my own and post maybe a video to it , til then you do the math stuff and principle testing on it and let me know.

(Poor in Math) lol

Place the solenoid magnet above and the can below.

The more the height the more potential it has right.

And when thrown by the solenoid onto the can the greater the force due to gravity.

And maybe TADA the can gets CRUSHED!!! (MUAHAAHAHAHAHAHA)

Try this principle maybe it might work.

I dont know about this stuff much in details but you do.

So Enjoy!!!

Take care guys

P. KISHORE KUMAR

although you would need a 3 or 4 way valve to relif the air from the oposite stroke

Use a pnumatic cylnder with a solinoid operated valve so you get a blast of air that can wont stand a chance

Says you can get Ben's design spec's for the xbox 360 case on the site.  Where are they located?

Thx.

I built a can crusher a few years ago to demonstrate proper vs. improper lockout/tagout using a small tank for air storage, a pneumatic cylinder, pneumatic solenoid valve, and a switch.  I demonstrated that although you can lockout the power, by activating the manual override on the solenoid valve, there was still a potential for injury.  Nothing drives the point home like a little destruction!

Wow, I came into this late so I'm guessing the can crusher project was scrapped. But, just to throw in my 2 cents, I would suggest a windshield wiper motor and an Hbridge high power servo board to actuate and control the can crusher. Car windshield wiper motors are pre built with a worm gear, can operate at 5-12 Vcc, and have (usually) 2 or more connectors to operate at different speeds, plus they have MONSTER torque! This can be made into a hi power servo by linking the motor to an Hbridge circuit from Parallax.com which is around 15 bucks. A wiper motor is about the same price (15 bucks) new, but pulled from grandmas car (she refuses to drive in the rain anyways, right?) you can get it for free. The challenge would be mounting a 5V POT to the rotation shaft of the motor for position feedback to whatever servo controller board you choose. You could even use a remote control model airplane controller to make the servo work, or you could ditch the whole servo idea altogether and take advantage of the parking feature that SOME windshield wiper motors already come with. This means that the wiper motor shaft will return to the original position after one rotation of the shaft and would allow the motor to be actuated with a simple relay. Just a thought.

Teasip Engineer?

insta-fail

Get an Aggie next time!

Why does everyone want their can to be crushed into a pretty puck? Why not have a roller mechanism that just flattens the can like it would be if ran over by a car? And, if flattened consistently they can could drop (via gravity) into the original 12-pack Fridge Pack if attached vertically to the bottom of the machine.DOUBLE RECYCLE!

So, you have a bin that funnels-down into an open hole where two flat/ wide belts grab the can on either side and pulls it into a roller mechanism that smushes the can flat and spits it out the bottom into a waiting Fridge Pack for storage until full and time for recycling.