Mechanical Technology November 2015

⎪ Innovative engineering ⎪

can be harmful to the environment and potato peel waste is of zero value to factories. At a local chip factory in Gauteng, this waste is presently under-utilised. This project proposed that a system using anaerobic digestion (AD) be employed to dispose of the solid waste and clean the waste water, while producing biogas as a by-product to supplement existing systems in the heating of the chip cook- ers, hence reducing energy costs. This design report suggests that a low- cost process, namely anaerobic digestion (AD), is a possible solution for the effec- tive and profitable use of these waste products. In the South African processing industry, however, AD technology is not readily available, so a gap in the market certainly exists for such a system. This highly technical and interesting study was presented by students Micha Dedekind, Craig Daniel and Richard Grieves, under guidance from lecturer Joao Nobre. This team from WITS identified a health and safety risk: broken bottles and spillage on the Rosslyn brewery factory floor. While conveying or packing, filled bottles of beer often break due to the high pressures applied during the filling process. These broken bottles fall off the conveyor lines and pose a substantial safety hazard for employees. Added to this problem is the fact that conveyors in the factory use soap and water lubri- cants, which increase the danger of a slippery floor. The team observed that an external contractor cleans the floor three times a day to reduce the health and safety risk. However, when cleaners are not present, the floor remains filled with glass shards and water. They proposed an autonomous cleaning machine as their solution to this obviously unac- ceptable problem. Competing students Vuledzani Madala, Portia Sibambo, Nkosinathi Shongwe, and Tisetso Ramolobe under guidance of lecturer Joao Nobre, won third prize for their entry, as well as the Innovation prize. The formal prize-giving for this com- petition will take place in January 2016, while the theme for 2016’s Pneudrive challenge will be announced before the end of 2015. q WITS University’s – Automated Warehouse Cleaner

The Stellenbosch team – Reghardt Pretorius, Johannes Leuvennink, Madeli du Toit, Josua Blom and Jean Swart – show a model of their winning Bottlebot design, which automates the transportation of empty beer bottles to the capping machine.

The potato game changer developed by Wits students: Micha Dedekind, Craig Daniel and Richard Grieves, proposes using anaerobic digestion (AD) to produce bio-gas from starch-laden wastewater.

An illustration of the automated warehouse cleaner system developed by Wits students: Vuledzani Madala, Portia Sibambo, Nkosinathi Shongwe and Tisetso Ramolobe.

Mechanical Technology — November 2015

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