An upcycled bottle chip melter is a device that melts high-density polyethylene (HDPE) chips from recycled bottles and converts the chips into a new shape. The current melter has several undesired attributes including inconsistent distribution of heat, and issues with mold alignment and quality.

The goal is to modify the current prototype to produce 6” x 6” plastic sheets from the chips for new products, while being ergonomically safe and small scale. The resulting design and prototype must be able to be run by a small business with low startup costs. With the success of this project will come a user friendly, cost effective, and eco-friendly device that will create a cleaner environment and stimulation of the local economy in El Sauce, Nicaragua.

An updated project description is available here: Project Readiness Package

Project Sponsors:

Project Name

Upcycled Plastic Bottle Chip Melter

Project Number

P19433

Project Family

Sustainable Technologies for the Global Marketplace

Start Term

2181

End Term

2185

Faculty Guide

Harold Paschal, hapddm@rit.edu

Primary Customer

Enlace Project, Four Walls Project Rochester

Sponsor (financial support)

MSD

Planning & Execution

Project Photos and Videos

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Gate Reviews

Problem Definition

Systems Design

Preliminary Detailed Design

Detailed Design

Build & Test Prep

Subsystem Build & Test

Integrated System Build & Test

Customer Handoff & Final Project Documentation (Verification & Validation)

PRP

Customer Requirements

Engineering Requirements

Schedule

Budget

Risk Management

Communication & Minutes

Use Case 1

Use Case 2

Benchmarking

Functional Decomposition

Morphological Chart

Pugh Concept Selection

BOM

Mechanical Model

Drawing Package

Electrical Schematic

Operation Manual

Operation Video

Manufacturing and Assembly Instructions

Safety Precautions

Recommendation

Requirements vs. Performance

Project Photos and Videos

Test Plans

Test Results

Technical Paper

Poster

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