Design and construction of a mass brick making machine.

Abstract

This is a report on the design and construction of a prototype of a mass brick making machine. It is divided into 5 chapters and in the first chapter, it introduces the project, the background, the problem statement, objectives, justification, scope and constraints within which it will be undertaken. The background gives a detailed overview of the topic under discussion, its history, successes and challenges in the brick laying industry, the present and anticipated future technological revolutions. The problem statement highlights the challenges facing the current brick making industry; this spans all categories from those laying bricks by hand to the industrialised fully automated processes. They all have challenges and these have been discussed in detail under this chapter. The objectives section steers the project in the intended direction. Scope defines boundaries of the project, to ensure it is within the fairly manageable range. Significance is about the reasons for selecting this particular project. and the justification discusses the potential outcomes if the objectives are not achieved and properly highlighting the limitation that will come along. The literature review explains relevant theories , explanations and principles put forth by authors in the past and present to have an in-depth understanding of the crucial aspects of the project being undertaken before starting on it. This includes a lot of subjects that are relevant to successfully completing the project. In methodology, the methods, techniques and tools have been discussed used to gather data, converting it into customer needs, and then target specifications. The hierarchical process of design is under this same chapter where concepts were generated , screened and finally chosen. A functional diagram was generated and after which, an embodiment design was made . Here an architectural design showing the layout of different components of machines and how they interact is generated. A parametric design then follows where using empirical and experimental data, components are appropriated sizes crucial for their proper functioning and performance. Materials were then selected, a Computer Aided Design model generated and finite element analysis and stress analysis performed for optimisation purposes and early prediction of hidden failures. A physical prototype was then constructed, tested and the results were discussed and interpreted and conclusions drawn.