Fall 2017 Co-op Presentation

Marcella Miller
Department 44 – Plant Engineering
Mechanical Engineering – University of Cincinnati
 Overview
• Projects
– Graphite Mixer
• Funnel
• Platform
– Interlocks
• Ball Mills #2 and #5
• B-line and C-line Flux Mixers
– Ore Pit
• Conclusion – Lessons Learned
• Acknowledgments
 Graphite Mixer - Funnel
• Graphite-water mix is applied to stick electrode
oven chain
• Mix is added using 5-gallon buckets
– Bucket rim is wider than mixer opening
– Spills create safety hazard
• Funnel will accommodate bucket and mitigate
spills
 Graphite Mixer - Platform
• Employees currently stand on wooden pallets to
work with the mixer
• The funnel stands four inches above existing
opening
• Fiberglass grating
• Frame is bolted to the ground
 Interlocks – Ball Mill and Flux Mixer
• Ball mill crushes raw chemicals into smaller
particles, flux mixers blend flux
• Interlocks prevent door from opening while
machine is operating

Door
locked, key
released

Key in Key in
interlock, control
door panel,
unlocked, machine on,
key locked key locked

Machine off,
key
released
 Interlocks – Ball Mill and Flux Mixer
• Interlock latch breaks frequently
Original
– Flexible hinge cause door to misalign
– Door is larger than the latch
• Separate latch from main door

Modified
 Ore Pit
• Bulk chemical deliveries (railcar or truck)
dumped into pit
• Air wand used to clean ore pit after deliveries
– Overflow
– Ledges inside the pit catch material
• OSHA regulates respirable silica exposure
– Permissible exposure limit (PEL): 0.05 mg/m3 Proposed solution

Current structure
 Conclusion – Lessons Learned
• SolidEdge
– Frame and sheet metal modeling
• Design process
– Proximity to plant floor
– Multiple revisions
– CAD world vs. real world
 Acknowledgments

– Bryan Nelson – Amy McMullen

– Aaron Schmitkons – Brittany Romeo
– Anthony Francini – Jeremie Buday
– Ethan Schwartz – Kimvy Nguyen
– Tom Soster – Dalton Hayes
– Jimmy Miller – Dan Nieves
– Ray Hachen – Vicki Palagiano
– Charles Johnson