SHREDDER ASSEMBLY

A hexagonal shaft, 1.5 in. in diameter, made of mild stainless steel will be used as the
shaft for the shredder. Both ends of the shaft will be machined to circular cross
section, whose diameter specified in the calculations section, will be accommodated
for the mounting of the flywheel and the gear. A key seat will also be machined at both
ends to lock those two elements. The mounting of both the elements will have an offset
distance of 2 in. from both ends. Relative to this point another offset is set, with a
distance of 0.5 in., the diameter here increases as specified in the calculations section.
This is where the bearings are to be fitted and a key hole is machined to fix both
bearings. Beyond this offset is where the shredder blades and spacers are mounted.
Eight shredder blades and spacers will be mounted alternatingly on the shaft. The
shredder in this design has a twin shaft configuration, wherein the other shaft would
also have the same dimensions as the one previously stated, and also have the same
number of shredding blades and spacers and made of the same material.
Both of the shaft will be fixed on a casing made of aluminum plate, having the
same width as the shredder blades. Both the bearings will be fitted in this casing.
Both the shafts are mounted here parallel to each other and at level plane. On one of
the shafts is where a flywheel is fixed with a keyway on one of its ends. This is where
power will be transmitted from the motor. On the other end of the shaft, fixed to it is a
gear, power here is also transmitted via keyway. This power is transmitted to a mating
gear of the same size which is fixed to the other shaft. Both of the gears used here is a
spur gear, they are of the same size so as to allow them to rotate relative to each other
with the same speed but of opposing direction. Thus power transition is complete and
the desired shredding action will be achieved. Finally, a hopper and an exit hole will be
screwed at the top and the bottom of the casing respectively.
The flow of power from this machine will start from the prime mover, which is
chosen to be a motor, and is transmitted to the flywheel, mounted on one of the
shafts, via synchronous/timing belt, now the shaft receives the power and transmits it
to the other shaft by means of meshing spur gears, now both the shafts will rotate at
the same speed but in opposite direction. Both the shafts now will consume this power
for the shredding of plastics as it’s through the hopper.