Professional Documents
Culture Documents
UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI
DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL AND MANUFACTURING ENGINEERING
PROJECT NO. JMO/01/2012
This project report is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the award of the
degree of Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering.
Submitted by:
FELIX ARINGO OLALA
F18/1873/2007
F18/1860/2007
Project supervisor:
DR. J. M. OGOLA
May 2012
DECLARATION
The content of this document is the original work based on our own research and to the best
of our knowledge it has not been presented elsewhere for academic purposes.
F18/1873/2007
Signed.
Date:
F18/1860/2007
Signed...
Date:
This project is submitted as part of the Examiners Board requirement for the award of the
degree of Bachelor of Science in Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering from the
University of Nairobi.
Project supervisor:
DR. J. M. OGOLA
Signed .
Date: .
DEDICATION
This project is dedicated to our parents for their love and support during our studies.
ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We wish to express our sincere gratitude to our project supervisor, Dr. J. M. Ogola for his
insight and guidance throughout the undertaking of this project.
Our gratitude also goes to Eng. Michael Thubi of Numerical Machining Complex for his
constant support while developing the Autodesk Inventor drawings and simulations.
We are further grateful to Prof. Oduori, for the support he gave us and the Department of
Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering for providing the working environment and the
Autodesk Inventor software at the laboratory for our use.
Finally, we thank God Almighty for giving us the strength, good health and the opportunity
to undertake this project.
iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
DECLARATION ......................................................................................................................... i
DEDICATION ............................................................................................................................ ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ....................................................................................................... iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................................................................................................... iv
LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................................... vii
LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................................. viii
ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................... ix
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................ 1
1.1.
1.1.1.
Nails .......................................................................................................................... 1
1.1.2.
1.1.3.
Definition ......................................................................................................................... 4
2.2
Background ...................................................................................................................... 4
3.1.2.
3.1.3.
3.1.4.
4.1.1.
4.1.2.
4.1.3.
4.1.4.
4.1.5.
4.1.6.
4.1.7.
4.1.8.
4.2.
4.3.
4.3.1.
4.3.2.
4.3.3.
4.3.4.
4.3.5.
4.3.6.
4.4.
Performance ............................................................................................................ 43
5.1.2.
Environment ............................................................................................................ 43
5.1.3.
Maintenance ............................................................................................................ 44
5.1.4.
Aesthetics ................................................................................................................ 44
5.1.5.
Safety ...................................................................................................................... 44
CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................. 48
6.2.
RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................................................... 49
REFERENCES .......................................................................................................................... 50
APPENDICES ........................................................................................................................... 51
vi
LIST OF TABLES
Table 4.1: Mechanical Properties of carbon steel grade ............................................................... 17
Table 4.2: Bearing materials and their properties ......................................................................... 18
Table 4.3: Dimensions of standard V-belts according to IS: 2494 - 1974 .................................... 24
Table 4.4: Standard pitch lengths of V-belts according to IS: 2494 - 1974.................................. 24
Table 5.1: Total Initial investment ................................................................................................ 46
Table 5.2: Operation costs ............................................................................................................ 46
Table 5.3: Cash flow per month .................................................................................................... 47
vii
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 2.1: Classification of nails ................................................................................................... 5
Figure 3.1: Model of Nail making machine from Punjab, India ................................................... 11
Figure 3.2: Nail making machine from USA ................................................................................ 12
Figure 3.3:N6-E Nail Making Machine ........................................................................................ 13
Figure 4.1: Flywheel ..................................................................................................................... 21
Figure 4.2: Belt-Pulley free body diagram ................................................................................... 26
Figure 4.3: Crankshaft .................................................................................................................. 27
Figure 4.4: Bearing ....................................................................................................................... 27
Figure 4.5: Connecting rod ........................................................................................................... 28
Figure 4.6: Roller .......................................................................................................................... 29
Figure 4.7: Cam ............................................................................................................................ 30
Figure 4.8: Cam and roller system ................................................................................................ 30
Figure 4.9: Nail head punch .......................................................................................................... 31
Figure 4.10: Cutting die lever ....................................................................................................... 34
Figure 4.11: Cutting die lever analysis ......................................................................................... 35
Figure 4.12: Cutting die free body diagram .................................................................................. 35
Figure 4.13: Cutting dies............................................................................................................... 36
Figure 4.14: Graph of displacement, x verses time ...................................................................... 38
Figure 4.15: Nail exit plate ........................................................................................................... 39
viii
ABSTRACT
The objective of the research was to design a nail making machine that is cost effective for
the cottage industry, to prepare a computer simulation model of the designed nail making
machine and to determine the technical and economic viability of the new innovation.
A survey of nail making machines currently used in the local cottage industry was carried
out to establish how much they cost and their source. This was to give an overview on the
need to have a cheaper design which is simple and cost effective. This involved collection of
resources from different sources, visits to various industries to obtain important data for the
project and having a guideline on the steps involved in the design. Among the sources of
information looked at is the internet, reference books from the library and consultant
engineers in the industry.
From the survey, it was found out that the nail making machines currently in use in the
country are very few and were imported from USA, China or India and they came at a cost
of between Kshs. 600,000 and Kshs. 5,000,000. For this reason, they are only purchased by
well established companies.
A design of nail making machine innovation was then made using the Autodesk Inventor
design software. A technical and economic evaluation of the design were carried out in
terms of performance, environmental factors, maintenance, aesthetics/ergonomics, size and
weight, safety and cost. The designed nail making machine costs about Kshs.95,324 to
produce.
From this project, it was shown that it is economical to manufacture the new design of nail
making machine locally since the Kshs. 95,324 is much lower than the imported machines
that cost more than Kshs. 600,000.
ix
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1. NAILS, NAIL MAKING AND NAIL MAKING MACHINE
1.1.1. Nails
Nails are pin-shaped, sharp objects of hard metal or alloy used as fasteners. They are
typically made of steel, often dipped or coated to prevent corrosion in harsh conditions or
improve adhesion. This also helps to add to its aesthetics (decorative appearance) in addition
to improving the gripping strength. Ordinary nails for wood are usually of soft, low carbon
or mild steel while those for concrete are harder.
Nails are driven into the work piece by a hammer, nail gun or an explosive charge and they
hold materials together by friction in the axial direction and shear strength. Nails are used
for various purposes and industries ranging from building and construction to carpentry. It is
for this reason that the types of nails are many and varied.
1.1.2. Nail Making
Wire is drawn through a series of dies to reduce it to the required diameter. The end of the
wire is gripped and punched in a die with the shape of the nail head. It forms a head which is
knurled for easy hitting while driving it into the work piece to be fastened.
After this, depending on the length of the nail required, the wire is severed with a die that is
formed in the shape of the sharp point. The complete nail at this stage goes through a
collecting tray ready to be passed to the next stage which involves coating.
1.1.3. Nail Making Machine
The major operations performed by a nail making machine include head forming, wire
cutting and wire feeding.
In head forming, there is the use of the nail head punch which is knurled at the tip. It derives
its motion from the crankshaft which is driven by the motor. In the design of the head punch,
strength should be considered, i.e. it should be able to hit the wire without surface abrasions
1
and should withstand high impact loads. It should also be hard enough to avoid chipping of
the hitting surface.
In wire cutting, the cutting dies are shaped in a way as to achieve the pointed ends of the
nails. They should be strong and harder than the nail wire. During cutting, there are shearing
forces which lead to the formation of the pointed end. The cutting dies, are timed so as to
give way to the nail head punch.
Wire feeding involves pushing the wire into the die block by a cam. The motion of the cam
is tapped from the nail head punch support or from the crankshaft itself. The main
consideration for this operation is on the timing in order to get the right length of the nail at
the right time.
ii.
iii.
With the design and development of a nail making machine which can be manufactured
locally, the above problems will be eliminated. This will also lead to the achievement of
industrialization as stipulated in the vision 2030.
To carry out a survey of nail making machines currently used in the local cottage
industry.
ii)
To design a nail making machine that is cost effective for the cottage industry.
iii)
iv)
There is a tremendous variety of nails, since they are used for so many different purposes. The
ordinary all-purpose nails used are called common nails. Finishing nails, used in furniture and
cabinetwork, have very small heads that do not show on the finished work. Nails are available in
different lengths and gauges, or diameters.
Most nails have notches, or grooves, near the head so that they will hold better. Some have
screw-like threads for extra holding power. Specially hardened nails, designed to be driven into
concrete or masonry, have longitudinally grooved shanks for a tight grip. There are also special
double-headed nails for nailing temporary structures.
Though not well defined, nails are categorized into three on the basis of their length. In general
nails that are less than 1 inch (2.54 cm) in length are called tacks or brads. Nails 1-4 inches
(2.54-10.16 cm) in length are called nails, while those over 4 inches (10.16 cm) are some-times
called spikes.
Box nails are wire nails similar to common nails except that they have thinner shanks and are not
to be used for dimensional lumber framing construction requiring common nails. This is because
box nails do not have as thick a shank as a common nail for a given penny size and as such have
less holding power. Box nails are typically used on thinner wood material (like wood boxes) to
reduce splitting.
Upholstery nails are used to decorate furniture and are used to give the final touch in many
different types of furniture.
2.5 Design
The shank of a nail is usually designed to be round and smooth. Shanks with serrations, annular
grooves, spiral flutes, or helical threads are used when a stronger, more permanent grip is
required. Thermoplastic coatings may also be added to the shaft. These coatings heat up through
friction while the nail is being driven, then quickly cool and set to lock the nail in place. The
diameter of the shank is determined by the type of nail. The most typical nail point is a foursided tapered cut called a diamond point. Other nails may have a blunter point to prevent
splitting certain woods. Chisel points, barbed points, needle points, and many others are
sometimes used on specialty nails.
There are special nails for tile roofing, hardwood flooring, shingles, rain gutters, wall board,
sheet metal, and concrete. Some nails are designed to be driven by air-powered nail guns rather
than by a hammer. There have even been new nails designed for specific applications in the
aerospace industry.
Wire
Rod
Wire
Drawing
Inspection
Descaling
Acid picking
Nail Making
Packaging
Polishing
Delivery
Wire is drawn from a coil and fed into the nail-making machine where it is gripped by a pair
of gripper dies. The shape of the head of the nail has been machined into the end of the dies.
While the dies clamp the wire in place, the free end of the wire is struck by a mechanical
hammer. This deforms the end of the wire into the die cavity to form the head of the nail.
With the wire still clamped in the dies, a set of shaped cutters strike the opposite end of the
nail, forming the point and cutting the nail free from the rest of the wire coming off the coil.
The dies open and an expelling mechanism knocks the nail into a collection pan below the
machine. The free end of the wire is drawn from the coil and fed into the machine. The cycle
then begins again.
7
Smooth operation
ii.
iii.
iv.
High durability
v.
High efficiency
CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY
The mission of this project was to design a cheap and affordable nail making machine for
the cottage industry in Kenya. With the completion of this project we hope that our nail
making machine design will be used widely throughout the cottage industry in Kenya. We
also hope that by domestically manufacturing the nail making machine, the price of the
machine will be drastically reduced and this will allow creation of job opportunities within
the sector in addition to contributing towards the realization of the vision 2030.
Initially, we made a factory visit to some nail industries in Kenya e.g. Wire Products in Athi
River and Devki Steels in Ruiru where we found that the existing machines had been
imported mainly from India. We also gathered literature from a number of resources
regarding existing machine designs from other countries that manufacture them like China,
USA and India.
With this knowledge, we then developed design matrices to determine what made a reliable
nail making machine and which features and mechanisms we would modify in order to
come up with an affordable nail making machine. We thereafter developed CAD drawings
using Autodesk Inventor of the same.
The objective of this project will be achieved through the subsequent completion of the
goals including analyzing all existing nail making design products and determining which
one can easily be fabricated using the locally available materials and machines, producing a
computer simulation using Autodesk Inventor and then determining the overall quality of
the nail making machine e.g. in terms of cost of production.
3.1. A Survey of Nail Making Machines Currently Being Used In the Cottage Industry
Todays technology offers many different nail making machine designs available for purchase by
the manufacturing and the building industry. These machines are produced overseas by a wide
variety of companies in countries like India, China and USA. The different available machines
are designed for production of different nail designs. E.g. there are different machines for
producing box nails, screw nails, finishing nails, cut flooring etc. and different machines for
different inches of nails.
Our main focus on the same was on the nail making machines that are small and efficient. Our
secondary task was to decide on a machine design that most closely fit the needs of the Kenyan
building and manufacturing sectors at a reasonable expenditure.
3.1.1. Current Nail Making Machine Designs
The first step to evaluating nail making machine design was to find out what products were
currently available in the industry. We asked around and realized that the nail manufacturers
were very few. We found out that Devki Steels in Ruiru and Wire Products in Athi River were
the only manufacturers of nails around. We started our research by visiting Devki Steels Ltd to
view the machines they had. We met the maintenance engineer who gave us a history of how the
company started making nails, imported mainly from India. He demonstrated the nail making
process to us and the range of nails that they handle. We discovered that the company does not
manufacture roof nails. He said they were some of the most expensive machines approximating
at about US $ 8,000 and together with the shipping costs and taxes it would come to over US $
10,000.
He said that it was due to this that only a few companies could afford the machine but still with
the very high cost it would only follow that the nails are manufactured and sold at a high cost.
This, he said, was the reason for the unfair competition from nails imported as they came cheaper
which led to them not being able to work on a full capacity as the demand was lower for locally
manufactured nails. We then did an online research for nail making machines that are currently
being imported mainly from India, China and USA. Our search led us to the following designs.
10
It is simple and sturdy in design and is made from high grade casting & steel. There is a range of
them which can produce flat head nails, pop nails, round head nails, lost head nails, counter sunk
head nails, from copper, aluminium & brass Wires.
Its main crank is directly driven by motor and side-shafts are driven by four bevel gears to ensure
correct and permanent adjustment of the cutting tool. The length and thickness of the nails is
adjustable. All tools are easily accessible and can be quickly changed. Its main and side shafts
are fitted with bushes to ensure long life. All cams, gears, rollers, roller pins are made from highquality steel properly heat-treated and grounded for long lasting.
The wire end from coil passes through straightening rollers and fed intermittently in the gripping
dies, which close firmly allowing heading punch to press the head of the nails, then grip loosened
and required length of the nail is fed constantly, where it is cut by cutting tools leaving ample
stock for the head of the next nail. Thus ready nail is ejected by the ejector. The operations are
repeated in each revolution. This goes at Kshs. 166,000 before adding the shipping costs. This
would therefore get to over Kshs. 300,000.
11
Just like the upper one, it also involves the application of a main shaft and side cams. These
act as the main power transmission system to the dies. It however differs from the above in
several respects which enable to operate at a higher speed.
12
The features of this machine resides in driving the reciprocating heading ram by means of a
balanced flywheel and crank construction which enables the crankshaft to be driven at a
higher speed in complete balance, in spite of the rapidity with which the ram forms the nail
heads. The machine also provides a continuously rotating ejector for positively clearing the
cut nails from the machine with the ejector operating in perfect timed relation with the
heading ram.
Other features of the machine include a mechanism for operating the wire grippers by means
of preloaded torsion members which cause the grippers to firmly hold the wire during the
heading operation, with provision for unloading the gripping members only when the wire is
being fed after the heading operation.
These are the main differences between this machine and the one from Punjab, India.
This nail making machine is also manufactured in USA. In this case, the wire form wire
coil passes through straightening rolls and fed intermittently into the gripping dies
which close firmly head of the nail. The grip is loosened now and the required length of
wire is fed forward. Then the cutting tools cut the point a little forward of the grip
13
leaving sufficient wire projecting to form the head of the next nail. This sequence of
operations is repeated at each revolution of the machines and the nails are produced
constantly.
The frame of the machine is rigid; all moving parts are of ample dimensions and
precisely made from quality material which ensures the smooth running of machine in
spite of high rate of output. The wire feed is actuated by means of gears mounted on one
side shaft which moves the feed slide through connecting rod. The bush bearings are
made from special metals and provided with continuous approach of oil which ensures
the smooth running and long life.
This comes at a cost of Kshs. 400,000.
14
In mild steel composition, other than maximum limit of 0.02 carbon in the
manufacture of carbon steel, the proportions of manganese, copper and silicon are
fixed, while the proportions of cobalt, chromium, niobium, molybdenum, titanium,
nickel, tungsten, vanadium and zirconium are not.
15
ii)
A high amount of carbon makes mild steel different from other types of steel. Carbon
makes mild steel stronger and stiffer. However, the hardness comes at the price of a
decrease in the ductility of this alloy.
iii)
Carbon atoms get affixed in the interstitial sites of the iron lattice and make it stronger.
iv)
v)
vi)
It has ferromagnetic properties, which make it ideal for manufacture of and motors
vii)
The high amount of carbon also makes mild steel vulnerable to rust.
These factors make steel be suitable as the main material of the nail making machine.
High strength
ii)
Good machinability
iii)
iv)
v)
16
For ordinary shafts, the material used is carbon steel of grades 40C 8, 45C 8, 50C 4 and 50C
12. The mechanical properties of these grades of carbon steel are given in the table below:Indian standard
Ultimate tensile
designation
strength, MPa
40 C 8
560 670
320
45 C 8
610 700
350
50 C 4
640 760
370
50 C 12
700 Min.
390
17
Bearing
material
Fatigue
strength
Tin base
babbit
Poor
Lead base
babbit
Comformability
Embedability
Antiscoring
Good
Excellent
Excellent
Excellent
Poor
Poor to fair
Good
Good
Good to
excellent
Fair to
good
Poor
Lead
bronze
Fair
Poor
Poor
Poor
Good
Fair
Copper lead
Fair
Poor
Poor to fair
Poor to fair
Poor to fair
Fair to
good
Aluminium
Good
Poor to fair
Poor
Good
Excellent
Fair
Silver
Excellent
Almost
none
Poor
Poor
Excellent
Excellent
Silver lead
deposited
Excellent
Excellent
Poor
Fair to good
Excellent
Excellent
18
Corrosion
resistance
Thermal
conductivity
From the above table and the design considerations of the nail making machine, the best
choice is aluminium. This is due to its availability and good fatigue strength, corrosion
resistance and thermal conductivity.
4.1.6. Die block Material
The die block can be made of cast iron or cast steel. Cast iron is eliminated in this case due
to its brittleness hence its inability to take repeated impact loads during head formation of
the nail.
4.1.7. Flywheel Material
Flywheels rotate at speeds of up to 60,000 rpm and this is the main consideration when
choosing a material for the same.
The force on a flywheel increases with speed and the energy a wheel can store is limited by
the strength of the material from which it is made. If you spin a flywheel too fast you
eventually reach a point where the force is so great that it shatters the wheel into fragments.
Strong lightweight materials turn out to be the best for flywheels since they can spin fastest
without breaking apart. Steel being the locally available material and cheap is used in this
case.
The spring can be purchased locally and the types made from annealed steel can be used.
4.1.8. Nail collector material
This is made from sheet metal. It can be galvanized in order to prevent corrosion.
19
20
Motor
1.5kW
ii)
1400 rpm
Flywheel
This is a heavy wheel attached to the rotating crankshaft to smooth out delivery of power from
the motor to the nail head punch through the crankshaft. The rotating mass is used to maintain
21
the speed of nail making machine while the machine releases or receives energy at a varying
rate, i.e. as the nail head punch hits the nail to form the head and while the cutting dies are
severing the nail wire. The motor starts at a low speed and accelerates and while the flywheel
also accelerates, it stores energy which it gives back to the crankshaft as the speed decreases.
The inertia of the flywheel opposes and moderates fluctuations in the speed of the engine and
stores the excess energy for intermittent use. The amount of energy stored in a flywheel is
proportional to the square of its rotational speed, as seen in the equation below;
1
= 2
2
Where:
E is the energy stored
is the angular velocity
I is the moment of inertia of the mass about the center of rotation. The moment of
inertia is the measure of resistance to torque applied on a spinning object (i.e. the
higher the moment of inertia, the slower it will spin when a given force is
applied).
The moment of inertia for a solid cylinder is
22
higher speed and since the kinetic energy of a spinning object, E, is related to the square of
its angular velocity, speed has a much bigger effect than moment of inertia.
The standard dimensions of a rectangular sunk key for a shaft of diameter 1.5 inches are as
follows:
Width of key = 0.375 inches
Thickness of key = 0.1875 inches
4.3.1.3.
Pulley system
This is composed of the belt drive and pulleys. The rotary motion of the motor is transferred
to the crankshaft through the belt and two pulleys, one at the motor shaft and the other at the
crankshaft. The v-belt is suited for the nail making machine for the following reasons:i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
Quiet operation
v.
V-belts are made of fabric and cords and molded in rubber while the pulleys are made of
cast iron in order to reduce the overall weight of the machine.
23
Type of
belt
Power
ranges in
kW
Minimum
pitch
diameter of
pulley
(mm)
Top
width
(mm)
Thickness
(mm)
Weight per
meter length
(N)
0.7 3.5
75
13
1.06
2 15
125
17
11
1.89
7.5 75
200
22
14
3.43
20 150
355
32
19
5.96
30 - 350
500
38
23
From this and with a motor rating of 1.5kW, the suitable choice is class A with a pitch
length of 1255mm.
For the pitch length, the standards for class A are as in the table below:
Type of
belt
645, 696, 747, 823, 848, 925, 1001, 1026, 1051, 1102, 1128, 1204, 1255,
1331, 1433, 1458, 1509, 1560, 1636, 1661, 1687, 1763, 1814, 1941, 2017,
2068, 2093, 2195, 2322, 2474, 2703, 2880, 3084, 3287, 3693.
Table 4.4: Standard pitch lengths of V-belts according to IS: 2494 - 1974
With the consideration on the distance from the motor shaft to the crankshaft pulley and the
above standard pitch lengths of V-belts for class A, the suitable length is 1560mm.
24
60
2 1400
0.03
60
= 4.398 /
1 1
2
1400 60
350
= 240
The driven pulley at the crankshaft will therefore have a diameter of 240mm.
With the chosen belt pitch length of 1560mm, the distance between the driven and driving
pulleys is computed as below:
25
Motor
pulley
Driven
Pulley
X
Figure 4.2: Belt-Pulley free body diagram
2 1
2 1
2
= 2 + 1 + 2 +
2 1
1560 = 120 30 + 2 +
120 30
26
4.3.1.4.
Crankshaft
This can be described as an off-centre connection that takes energy from a rotating wheel.
Its primary function is to convert rotary motion from the motor to a reciprocating motion
required for the head formation by the nail head punch.
It can be forged from a steel bar through roll forging or cast in ductile steel. The crankshaft
carries high torsion loads and needs to have high fatigue strength. It should also have a good
hardness to resist surface abrasion and wear by the parts attached to it. For the nail making
machine, the crankshaft will be composed of pieces of shafts attached together as shown
below.
Bearings
The bearings are used between the crankshaft and the machine frame to maintain separation
between the two components. This serves to reduce frictional resistance due to relative
motion between contact surfaces.
27
They should be lubricated in order to reduce friction and wear between the sliding parts of
the bearing, dissipate the heat that arises during the nail cutting process, protect the bearing
surfaces from water, dirt, etc or to prevent corrosion of the bearing surfaces. The lubrication
process forms part of the regular maintenance measures and oil or light grease is used for
this purpose.
4.3.1.6.
Connecting rod
The motor rotates the crankshaft which transmits the motion to the nail head punch. In order
to do this and maintain the nail head punch motion on a straight line, the connecting rod is
used. This is attached to the crankshaft with bushes between them to avoid wear and tear on
the two components.
Together with the crank, they form a simple mechanism that converts rotary motion into
linear motion. Since the connecting rod is rigid, it may transmit either a pull or a push thus
the crankshaft can be used while pushing and pulling the nail head punch through both
halves of a revolution. The connecting rod is linked to the crankshaft by a bush. The most
commonly used bushes are split bushes. Without the bushes, the connecting rod and the
crankshaft would wear out necessitating replacement which is expensive and time wasting.
With the bush in place, this effect is eliminated as it undergoes the wear and tear instead.
For this reason, the bush should have a good high load bearing material. The split bushes
used in the nail making machine can be cast thus reducing machining time. For this
machine, the bush is made from bronze and requires regular lubrication.
28
The Rollers
The nail wire is normally kept and moved in rolls. During uncoiling, therefore, there is the
tendency of the wire not to be straight. This could cause a problem during head forming as
the wire could buckle. To avoid this, the rollers are used. They have a function of
straightening the wire as it enters the die block and to remove the effect on the wire due to
case hardening since this would necessitate large cutting forces and cause fast wear and tear
on the cutting dies.
The rollers used in the machine are five in number placed two on one side of the wire and
three on the other. They are mounted on two metallic slabs which can be easily separated
and closed by the use of a bolt with a wing nut during the initial feeding of the wire into the
machine.
4.3.2.2.
The Cam
This offers a controlled wire entry into the die block which ensures that the correct length of
the wire is fed depending on the size of nail required. It also ensures uniformity of the nails
in size.
29
As can be shown in the diagram below, the cam is profiled in such a way that it moves the
wire by a certain distance in every revolution.
The cam presses the wire against the roller hence grasps it. The surface (gripping surface) is
hardened to prevent fast wear and tear and to ensure that a considerable force is generated
do pull the wire from the rotating roll which is placed next to the machine.
After pushing the wire into the die block to the required length (2 inches in this case) the
cam rotates freely and the wire is left stationary. This is the time during which the nail is cut
and the wire hit to form the head for the next nail. The cam drive is attached to the nail head
punch where it draws its motion.
4.3.2.3.
It is attached to the die block and carries five straightening rollers and a single roller which
helps to grip the wire as it is being pushed by the cam. It also acts as the support of the wire
as it goes into the machine.
30
The function of this is to hit the wire tip hence making it conform to the required shape of
the nail head. Its tip is knurled to form the surface necessary for providing friction while
using the nail.
It is made of high carbon, heat-treated steel for strength and durability. The heat treatment
helps prevent chipping or cracking caused by repeated blows on the cut wire. It needs to be
strong and sturdy. It should be hard to prevent cracking and chipping during hitting.
It is connected to a support which transfers motion from the crankshaft through the
connecting rod.
The auxiliary components which support and guide the nail head punch include; die block,
wire gripper, nail guide and the nail head punch cover.
Force required to forge the nail head can be calculated as below:Stress, is given by: =
2
4
(0.1182.5102)2
4
= 7.055 106 M2
2N
60
N=1400 r.p.m
Then =
21400
60
= 146.6 rad/sec
From v = r,
r =1.5x2.54x10-2 =0.0381m
The linear speed of the nail head punch is v =146.6x0.0381 = 5.585m/s
The momentum of the nail head punch is given by
Momentum = mv,
where
m = mass
v = linear velocity
where
= density
V = volume
The minimum force required to forge the nail is 1750N as determined above.
Putting a safety factor of 2, the actual force imparted on the nail wire is 1750X2 = 3500N.
32
4.3.3.2.
Die block
The wire passes through the die block and is hit to form the nail head on the front side. The
front end of the die block where the wire emerges is in the shape of the nail head. The die
block also houses the gripper which is operated by the motion of the nail head punch.
4.3.3.3.
Wire gripper
During the forging of the nail head, there is need to hold the wire tightly to prevent it from
receding during the formation of the nail head. This is because of the large force involved
while forging the head. It is timed in such a way that it releases the wire immediately the
head is formed to allow more wire to be fed into the machine.
4.3.3.4.
Rail guide
The primary function of this is to align the nail head punch with the central axis of the
machine so that it always hits the nail at the required position without deflection. It also
offers support to the nail head punch (forms the nail head punch rest)
4.3.3.5.
By construction, the nail head punch would deflect in a vertical direction upon punching the
nail head. To prevent this, the nail head punch cover is employed to restrict this deflection.
33
Sliding roller
This slides on the surface of the nail head punch and remains on the same position lengthwise
as the head punch reciprocates. The sides of the nail head punch are profiled such that when
the head punch is at extreme backward position, the nail cutting dies are at the cutting
position.
The sliding rollers enable this motion with ease as the friction is reduces.
4.3.4.2.
This is to drive the nail cutting dies. They push the cutting dies to the cutting position and are
themselves pushed back by the return spring.
The Stress due to the Bending Moment that the cutting die levers must overcome is
calculated as follows:
The bending stress is given by =
Where
and
= ,
=
34
3
12
22.54 10 2 (2 2.54 10 2 )3
12
= 5.55 107
L
Figure 4.11: Cutting die lever analysis
P
P
R1
R2
Figure 4.12: Cutting die free body diagram
R1 and R2 are the reactions at the ends due to the central load P
35
From the balance of clockwise and anti clockwise moments, R1 and R2 are found to be:
1 = 2 = 1750
The resulting bending moment will be maximum at the center where P acts and is given by:
= 1750 8 2.54 102 = 355.6 356
The stress due to the maximum bending moment experienced at the centre of the cutting die
levers is given by,
=
356
2 2.54 102
=
2 5.55 107
2
The cutting die levers should be designed to overcome this stress i.e. the levers should have
higher bending stress strength so that the nail machine does not fail due to this stress.
This is the same stress that is transferred to the screw hence the screw is designed to
overcome this.
4.3.4.3.
Immediately after the nail head formation, the nail head punch moves back as the nail is
moved forward by the cam. The cutting die levers then close in pushing the cutting die which
cuts the wire which then falls on the exit plate.
The cutting die become blunt after some time hence need to be sharpened from time to time.
36
4.3.4.4.
Return spring
The levers do not have a return mechanism and the return spring is necessary. It pushes the
cutting die holder which in turn pushes the levers back. Without being pushed back, the nail
head punch would hit it hence causing breakage of the machine.
A compression spring is used for this purpose. When the spring is compressed, the force it
exerts is proportional to its change in length. The rate or spring constant of a spring is the
change in the force it exerts, divided by the change in deflection of the spring. That is, it is
the gradient of the force versus deflection curve.
where
x is the displacement vector the distance and direction the spring is deformed from its
equilibrium length.
F is the resulting force vector the magnitude and direction of the restoring force the
spring exerts
k is the rate, spring constant or force constant of the spring, a constant that depends on the
spring's material and construction.
This push is what is required to return the cutting dies to the open position in order to give
space for the nail head punch to hit the nail head. Since force is equal to mass, m, times
acceleration, a, the force equation for a spring obeying Hooke's law looks like:
37
X
Amplitude
Period
4.3.4.5.
This houses the return spring and the cutting die holder. It holds the two in position to ensure
that there is no sideways deflection while the machine is in operation.
38
39
40
The innovation uses a motor which when started, rotates the crankshaft connected to it through a
V-belt and pulley drive. The end of the crankshaft is attached to a flywheel in order to smooth
out the motion of the crankshaft. The crankshaft is connected to the nail head punch through the
connecting rod. The rotary motion of the crankshaft is converted to a reciprocating motion of the
nail head punch support. This reciprocating motion of the nail head punch is used during the nail
head formation as it intermittently hits the end of the nail wire.
The motion of the nail head punch is also used by the nail cutting system. There exists push
levers which push the cutting dies at one end once the nail head has been formed. At
the
opposite end of the push levers, there are rollers that slide on the sides of the nail head punch.
These are included to reduce friction between the levers and the nail head punch contact surface.
The sides of the nail head punch are profiled in such a way that as the nail head punch hits the
wire to form the nail head, the cutting dies are fully open and while the nail head punch is at its
extreme back position, the cutting dies sever the wire to form the nail.
The wire feeding system also derives its motion from the nail head punch. The reciprocating
motion of the nail head punch is converted to a rotary motion of the cam through an off-center
pivot on the cam. The cam is placed side to side with a roller between which the wire passes. The
roller rotates freely and provides the required pressure necessary for the cam to grip the wire.
The gripping of the wire is necessary to pull more wire from the wire roll placed next to the
machine. The cam is shaped in a way that during one rotation, only a fraction of the
circumference of the cam grips the wire. This fraction is equal to the length of the nail to be cut.
For the rest of the circumference of the cam, the cam rotates freely without feeding the wire and
it is during this time that the cutting dies sever the nail wire and then the head punch forms the
head.
During the head formation, so much force from the nail head punch is used to forge the severed
protruding end of the wire to conform to the nail head cavity on the die block. There is need
therefore, to hold the wire during the forging to prevent it from receding. A wire gripping
mechanism is introduced at the die block. A wire gripper is attached to the nail head punch from
which it derives its to and fro motion. There is a small hole on the die block that goes up to the
41
wire groove in which a small metallic block is inserted. As the nail head punch advances, the nail
gripper slides on the small block pushing it downwards against the wire hence providing the grip.
Once the nail has been severed, it falls on a collecting tray made of sheet metal which directs it
out of the machine. This collecting tray is sloping hence the nails move through it by gravity.
This nail making machine can also be modified to produce nails of up to 3inches. This can be
done by replacing the cam with another one of a different profile that feeds the required size of
the nail.
The innovation is different from existing machines since the driving system for major
components notably the nail cutting system and the nail feeding system. The description of the
working mechanism is as below:
42
Performance
In Kenya, electrical power is supplied at a rating of 240V, 50Hz. The nail making machine will
use a motor of 2Hp and 1400rpm. From this and a pulley reduction factor, the machine will
operate at a rate of 350cycles per minute. With the production of one nail per cycle, the rate of
production of nails will be 350 nails per minute.
The nail making machine is designed to run continually for 12 hours. The crankshaft and the nail
head punch are well lubricated in order to reduce the friction. Friction increases the temperature
on the mating surfaces. With adequate lubrication, there is minimal friction on the components
leading to minimum heat generation. Since the amount of heat generated is little, air-cooling is
sufficient to run the machine for a long time without overheating.
The nail making machine is also designed to produce 2 inch nails. However, provision of a cam
with a different profile can enable it to produce nails of different sizes.
In order to eliminate the vibrations occurring in the machine due to the reciprocating motion of
the nail head punch and the rotational motion of the flywheel, vibration isolators can be installed
together with the machine.
5.1.2.
Environment
The nail making machine can operate indoors and outdoors under normal working conditions. A
motor insulation and protection is required to ensure that there is no sparking or arcing during
operation due to the vibrations that are experienced during the operation of the nail making
machine. The machine has a motor cage that ensures that the ingress of dirt dust and grease does
not affect the operation of the nail making machine.
43
5.1.3.
Maintenance
Frequent lubrication of the nail making machine should be carried out. In addition to this general
observation should be made i.e. to ensure that all the joints, bolts and nuts are well secured. For
the above nail making machine innovation, maintenance takes a short time since it is smaller and
most parts can be easily accessed.
5.1.4.
Aesthetics
The nail making machine is painted in blue and white to give it a fine finish. The color can also
change according to customer specification. The various components are filleted to give them a
better outlook.
5.1.5.
Safety
A guard rail is installed around the machine to prevent any injury that may arise due to pulling in
of loosely hanging clothes, hair etc. All metal edges are also blunted out to prevent cuts and
bruises in case they are accidentally knocked.
In addition to that, L-channels at the base allow the machine to be screwed to the ground hence
preventing too much vibration.
44
=0
=1
45
COST
95,324
190,000
Vibration isolators
12,616
3,500
Weighing scale
4,000
Installation
25,000
TOTAL
330,440
Table 5.1: Total Initial investment
COST
Nail wire
80,200
Packaging material
10,000
Operator
20,000
Labour
20,000
Mechanic
5,000
Security
5,000
Transport costs
30,000
Electricity
6,800
Water
700
TOTAL
177,700
46
Month 2
Month 3
Month 4
Month 5
Month 6
230,000
350,000
458,423
458,423
458,423
458,423
170,200
177,700
177,700
177,700
177,700
177,700
59,800
172,300
280,723
280,723
280,723
280,723
cash 59,800
232,100
512,823
793,546
1,074,269
1,354,992
Cumulative
flow
=0
=0
=0
=0
This shows that the payback period for the investment will be achieved in the third month of
operation. This is therefore a worthy investment.
47
48
6.2.RECOMMENDATIONS
The nail making machine innovation can produce nails of between 2inches and 3inches. There is,
however, a need for nails of other different sizes so there should be an innovation to this effect.
49
REFERENCES
1. Khurmi, R. S. (2004). A Textbook of Machine Design (14th ed., pp. 623 - 678).
Eurasia Publishing House (PVT) LTD.
2. Darbyshire, A. (2008). Mechanical Engineering (2nd ed., pp. 283 290). Macmillan
Publishers.
3. Kempster, M. H. A. (1984). Engineering Design III (1st ed., chap. 2 9). Macmillan
India Ltd.
4. Singal, R. K. (2008). Fundamentals of Machining and Machine Tools (3rd ed., chap.
11). International Publishing House Pvt. Ltd
5. Khurmi R. S. (2004). Engineering Mechanics (19th ed., chap. 11). Rajendra Ravindra
Printers (Pvt) Ltd.
6. Madara, M. O. (2004). Engineering Design (1st ed., pp. 145 - 147). Togo Press Ltd.
7. S., L. M. (2012). Advameg Inc. Retrieved from http://www.madehow.com/volume2/Nail.html
8. Maureen, K. P. (1997 - 2012). Glasglow Steel Nail Co. Ltd. Retrieved from
http://www.glasglowsteelnail.com/nailmaking.html
50
APPENDICES
APPENDIX 1: Cost evaluation of the Nail Making Machine
COST PER
NO.
ITEM
MATERIAL
QTY
Kg
Unit
TOTAL
COST
Frame
Mounting
MS
200
1,200
Frame Top
length
MS
550
1,100
Frame Top
width
MS
200
1,000
Frame Base
length
MS
200
400
Frame Base
width
MS
200
400
Crankshaft
Carbon steel
4,000
4,000
Connecting
rod
MS
285
Crankshaft
end lock plate
285
Bush
Bronze
10
Bearings
11
Bearing cage
12
Motor
13
Motor plate
MS
14
Pulley
Cast Iron
15
V-belt
990
100
100
100
200
Aluminium
2,000
4,000
MS
445
890
10,000
10,000
1,518
1,518
500
1,000
600
600
285
51
285
16
Flywheel
Steel
7,000
7,000
17
Nail head
punch
Alloy steel
150
150
18
Nail head
punch
support
Carbon steel
7,500
7,500
19
Nail head
punch cover
MS
285
703
703
20
Nail head
punch rail
MS
285
1,193
1,193
21
MS
285
1,951
1,951
22
Rollers
Cast Iron
400
2,400
23
Nail exit
Galvanized
steel
250
250
24
Spring
Spring metal
300
600
25
Cam
Cast Iron
940
458
458
26
Cam driver
MS
285
728
728
27
Cutting die
Carbon steel
1,500
3,000
28
Cutting die
lever
MS
285
2,584
5,168
29
Cutting die
rail
MS
285
616
1,232
30
Cutting die
rail end plate
MS
285
94
188
31
Cutting die
roller
Alloy steel
300
600
32
Cutting die
holder
MS
354
708
52
285
33
Die block
Cast Steel
7,477
7,477
34
Nail gripper
MS
30
30
35
Nail gripper
driver
MS
285
199
199
36
Cam support
MS
285
330
330
37
Roller support
MS
285
747
747
38
Alloy steel
20
70
1,400
39
Guard rail
MS
600
600
40
Nail feeder
support
MS
2,410
2,410
41
Labor cost
15,904
42
Miscellaneous
5,000
TOTAL
285
95,324
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76