Design, construction and performance test of a clay extruder machine for small-scale brick making

Date

1987

Abstract

A simple design of a clay extruder machine prototype was made, constructed and tested. Performance test for each component parts and the whcle prototype was done to evaluate the performance characteristics. Power requirement, capacity, efficiency, and compressive strength of finished extruded bricks were determined and analyzed statistically using a 5 x 5 factorial arrangement in completely randomized design with five replicates. Performance test of the final prototype was done at varying extrusion speeds of 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 rpm and different clay: sand mixture ratios (by volume) of 90:10, 80:20, 70:30, 60:40, and 50:50. Moulding cost per brick and a simple break-even analysis were determined. The speed reducer was a local design of a single spindle hand tractor transmission assembly; the hopper was a rectangular prism made from gage #16 G.I. sheets; the feeder flighting was a full-pitch, full-flight screw; the kneader flightings were a combination of counterpegs and half-section screws in alternate arrangement; the hanger bearing was a bronze bushing in a suitable housing and end seals with suitable hanger plate and spokes; the extruder flighting wan a single full-flight half-pitch screw uniformly tapering to a quarter pitch at the head end with the head flighting material a thicker 1/4*t B.I. plate; the extrusion barrel and kneader trough was an 8" steel water pipe; extrusion die base was a circular to rectangular reducer; the extrusion die was gage #18 stainless steel sheet; and worn-out knife-sharpened hacksaw blade as extrudate cutting unit. Average power requirement at optimum extrusion speed of 20 rpm at the highest capacity of 27 pc/hr at the highest extrusion efficiency of 92 percent was about 0.276 kw. Maximum power requirement was 0.47 kw at 35 rpm. Bricks extruded from 70:30 clay: sand mixture ratio exhibited the strongest compressive strength of 92 kg/sg. cm. meeting the minimum ASTM individual clay brick Grade NW. Extruded bricks showed better appearance than CLSU manually-moulded mass-produced bricks. Production rate was three times faster than manual moulding. Extrusion cost was about ₱1.30/pc at 27 pc/hr moulding capacity at 10 percent breakage at ₱2.00/brick. Break-even production capacity was about 6.6 bricks.hr. Estimated profit was ₱15,922 for dry season period of 6 mo per year operation. The machine amounted to ₱26,780 and weighed 400 kg.

Document Type

Master Thesis

Language

English

LC Subject

Brickmaking machine

Location

UPLB Main Library Special Collections Section (USCS)

Call Number

LG 995 1987 A2 A65

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