Shredder setup
Figure 1:
In order to connect the motor to the shredder, the team selected a combination of sprockets and a roller chain to power the shredder. The following image is the setup before tension was added to the chain.
Description:
On either shaft of the shredder, there are spacers alternating with shredding teeth which shred the plastic load. This motion is driven by a 12V DC motor that includes gear reducer to slow down speed to 31 rpm and increase torque to 225 in-lb. The system is driven by a combination of sprockets and a roller chain. Two paired spur gears rotate the shafts inward. These were selected based on the length between the shafts and contain a 2.2 inch pitch shaft diameter. The shafts are powered by a combination of sprockets. A larger sprocket was selected to go on the shredder shaft, and a smaller option was selected for the motor shaft. This was chosen to maximize the torque of the system. The sprockets and driving chain are all 40 teeth options. The gears are held on with a key system, and snap rings have been added to ensure no shifts or slips occur on the shaft. There is also a dart controller attached to the motor to control the speed, (see DART Controller page for more information on this).