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Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1 Background of the Study For centuries, paper was a rare and precious commodity. Until today, paper is a fundamental part of life and its existence is always taken for granted. Each year, the world produces more than 300 million tons of paper. Since paper comes from plant fibres and trees, the paper production creates a big sacrifice for our forests. Natural forests are destroyed at an unsustainable pace with most surviving forests degraded by roads, agriculture, pollution and invasive species. Also, paper manufacturing requires large factories with large inputs of fibres, chemicals, machineries and water. Ultimately, saving our trees will save humanity as all our food, water, livelihood, medicine and shelter come from the environment. Producing paper from virgin materials destroys a lot of our forests, efforts has been made to produce paper from other cellulose materials like banana peels, carrot stalks, onion skins, corn husk, used cloth or any fibrous materials. This method of creating paper has been adopted by companies like Papyrus Australia, which uses banana peelings to produce paper products. Not only do they produce good quality paper, creating paper from these materials also uses a lot less energy compared to manufacturing paper from virgin materials. If these materials are widely used, problems arising from paper production can be greatly aided. The researchers think that one reason for the unpopularity of recycling these waste materials is due to the arduous process of creating paper. Recycling waste materials usually takes a lot of effort, as well as time since the procedures are done manually. If there is an automated way to recycle these waste materials, we believe that more people
2 will be encouraged to produce paper from materials like corn husks, banana peels and those fibrous plants abundant in the country. Since there are a lot of electronic devices that can replace and mimic the procedures in the manual procedure, creating such machine is very feasible. And with this information at hand, the researchers have decided that the automation of the creation of paper proves to be useful to us as it is important to our environment. The researchers hope that this project will promote consciousness of conserving the precious resources we still have and pass this through the next generation.
1.2 Objectives 1.2.1 General Objective: To design and implement a microcontroller-based paper making machine involving pulp making, paper forming and paper drying using corn husk as a raw material 1.2.2 Specific Objectives:
To design a paper making machine using a PIC16F877 MCU that is able to produce a paper material out of corn skin.
To interface a blender to produce the paper pulp, as well as an electronic heating element to cook the corn husks for 60 minutes.
To create a program for the PIC16F877 MCU using Proton Plus Compiler.
To design a water level detector that will determine the amount of water to be transferred to the blender cooker and a circuit that controls the blower to dry the corn husk paper for 30 minutes.
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To interface solenoid valves that would transfer the solution and water to the blender cooker, and the pulp with water to the mould and deckle.
To test the systems reliability.
1.3 Statement of the Problem Today the lush forests are long gone, and even though many trees are planted specifically for the paper industry, they cannot grow fast enough to meet demand. The ever-increasing demand, especially of the advanced countries has resulted in continued denudation of forests causing severe environmental imbalances. This phenomenon if not treated well will result to serious planet degradation. Deforestation or cutting of trees because of paper production presents multiple societal and environmental problems such as loss of biodiversity, destruction of forest-based-societies, erosion, flooding and climate change in the world. These immediate and long-term consequences of global deforestation are almost certain to jeopardize life on Earth. Moreover, loss of trees is not the paper industry’s only ecological problem. While the impact on the world’s forests is undeniable, the industry consumes vast amounts of energy and water to convert trees into paper. In addition, many chemicals that are used in the process end up in our air, water, and soil in large amounts, causing serious pollution. Global deforestation and waste pollution are both major problems the world is facing right now. And business establishments together with the government in different areas of the world are having a hard time to solve these problems caused by paper industries. So in order to eliminate or even reduce this occurring problems an alternative solution of producing a tree-free paper must be made.
4 The group proposed an eco-friendly alternative of producing paper from corn husks- a discarded agricultural waste which is also noted that if not disposed properly can cause stubborn drain blockages where fibers get tangled. This material will be processed automatically in order to minimize the time frame of producing paper to meet the demand of the consumers. The group’s project promotes method of recycling - producing paper from waste (corn husks) rather than virgin trees. This method makes use of existing waste and turns it into something beneficial while saving natural virgin resources such as hardwood trees and eliminates waste pollution for the purpose of protecting the environment and human lives while meeting the demand for paper.
1.4 Scope and Delimitation The study conducted will include the topics discussed but will be limited to the following conditions:
Though there are many kinds of plant materials that can be recycled, the study will focus on using corn husks as raw materials. This is due to its availability in the country as well as in the vicinity of the researchers.
The corn husks that will be used in the study are cleaned and washed. The stalk or any hard part of the corn husk shall be removed.
Also, the corn husks that will be used in the study is cut into small pieces, about 0.5 cm x 0.5 cm. Corn husks will be loaded into the cooking section of the prototype.
The compiler to be used on the PIC16F877 will be Proton Plus Compiler, which can be easily downloaded from the internet.
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For testing purposes, the size of the paper produced will only be 8’’ x 10’’, which is estimated to be enough to test the quality of the produced paper.
For the soda ash solution, the ratio to be used will be 1L of tap water for 12.5ml soda ash.
The tanks used for water and soda ash solution will have a capacity of about 3 litres.
The quality of paper produced has scrapbook material appearance.
1.5 Significance of the Study One importance of this design is that it imposes and promotes recycling process in our area. Since the researchers will make an automated way of producing paper from corn husks, more people will be encouraged to recycle their waste since it is easier to do so. This project can promote awareness to people as to how important recycling is to us and our environment. Also, this project can give ideas to other researchers that manual recycling processes can be made to an automated process. This project provides an important contribution to saving our environment. Since the design will produce paper from corn husks as raw materials, there will be a reduction in waste produced by improper disposal of such materials.
6 1.6 Definition of Terms A Arduous - demanding great effort or labor Alkali solution - a basic, ionic salt of an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal element B Blender - is a kitchen appliance used to mix ingredients or puree food. Blow Dryer - is an electromechanical device designed to blow cool or hot air C Corn - constitutes a staple food in many regions of the world. Cellulose - structural component of the primary cell wall of green plants D Design - planning that lays the basis for the making of every object or system Deforestation - occurs for many reasons: trees or derived charcoal are used as, or sold, for fuel or as a commodity, while cleared land is used aspasture for livestock, plantations of commodities, and settlements. Deckle - is a belt used along with a mold to gather up wood pulp from a vat for pressing and drying into sheets. F Fiber – a long thin piece of a natural or artificial substance, similar to a thread or hair in shape Float Switch - is a device used to detect the level of liquid within a tank. The switch may be used in a pump, an indicator, an alarm, or other devices.
7 H Husk - the external covering or envelope of certain fruits or seeds I Implement - outsource the new project Interface - A point at which independent systems or diverse groups interact Invasive - having to do with invasion M Microcontroller - is a small computer on a single integrated circuit consisting internally of a relatively simple CPU, clock, timers, I/O ports, and memory. Motor - uses electrical energy to produce mechanical energy, very typically through the interaction of magnetic fields and current-carrying conductors. Mould - is a hollowed-out block that is filled with a liquid like plastic, glass, metal, or ceramic raw materials. P Paper - a thin, flexible material made usually in sheets from a pulp prepared from rags, wood, or other fibrous material, and used for writing or printing on, for packaging, as structural material, as a fabric substitute, etc. Pulp - a soft, moist, formless mass that sticks together
Procedure - the act, method, or manner of proceeding in some action; esp., the sequence of steps to be followed
Proton Plus - is an entry level product written with simplicity and flexibility in mind by Proton.
8 Prototype - the first thing or being of its kind; original; model; pattern Proximity Detector - Proximity detectors are devices that use mutual capacitance between itself and object in order to detect its presence. R Recycle - to pass through a cycle or part of a cycle again, as for checking, treating, etc. Relay- is an electrically operated switch. Many relays use an electromagnet to operate a switching mechanism, but other operating principles are also used. Reliability - Ability of an equipment, machine, or system to consistently perform its intended or required function or mission, on demand and without degradation or failure. S Solenoid valve - an electromechanical valve for use with liquid or gas; it is a tube like System - a set or arrangement of things so related or connected as to form a unity W Water Detector - is a small electronic device that is designed to detect the presence of water and alert humans in time to allow the prevention of water damage.
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Chapter 2 Review of Related Literature The collection of theories, concepts, works and articles that are related to the study can be found in this chapter. Review of related Literature discusses all the factors contributing to the study that help in the completion of the design prototype. All the concepts which are comparison to the study are applied in this chapter which was used as a reference by the researchers.
2.1 Philippine Agriculture About one-third of the total land area of the Philippines is classified as arable. Three-fourths of the cultivated area is devoted to subsistence crops and one-fourth to commercial crops, mainly for export. Farms tend to be small, and many areas are doublecropped. Soils are generally fertile, but 30% of the agricultural land is suffering erosion. In 1973, the Marcos government began a land-reform program that undertook to transfer landowners to about half of the country's 900,000 tenant farmers. By February 1986, over one- half of the area—about 600,000 ha (1,482,600 acres)—had not been distributed. The Aquino administration proposed a program in two stages: the first, covering 1.5 million ha (3.7 million acres) in 1987–89, involved previously undistributed land and other land held by the state; the second, covering 3.9 million ha (9.6 million acres) in 1990–92, involved land cultivating sugar, coconuts, and fruits. A more detailed 1990–1995 plan sought to increase productivity of small farms, maintain self-sufficiency in rice and corn production, and to increase the agricultural sector's role in the trade balance.
10 Roughly half the cultivated land is devoted to the two principal subsistence crops, palay (unhusked rice) and corn. Production of palay was 11,388,000 tons in 1999; longterm production has increased, mainly through the use of high-yielding hybrid seeds under a government development program begun in 1973. The Philippines attained selfsufficiency in rice in 1974 and became a net exporter of rice for the first time in 1977. A similar development plan was aimed at raising yields of corn, which is the chief food crop in areas unsuitable for rice-growing and is increasingly important as feed for use in the developing livestock and poultry industries. The Philippines has been self-sufficient in corn for human consumption since the late 1970s, but since production of animal feed lags behind the demand, imports are still necessary. Corn output in 1999 was 4,643,000 tons. Lesser crops include peanut, mango, cassava, camote, tomato, garlic, onion, cabbage, eggplant, calamansi, rubber, and cotton. (Retrieved February 03,2010 from http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Asia-and-Oceania/PhilippinesAGRICULTURE.html)
2.2 Philippines Agricultural Geography
In the late 1980s, nearly 8 million hectares--over 25 percent of total land--were under cultivation, 4.5 million hectares in field crops, and 3.2 million hectares in tree crops. Population growth reduced the amount of arable land per person employed in agriculture from about one hectare during the 1950s to around 0.5 hectare in the early 1980s. Growth in agricultural output had to come largely from multicropping and increasing yields. In 1988 double-cropping and intercropping resulted in 13.4 million hectares of harvested area, a total that was considerably greater than the area under
11 cultivation. Palay (unhusked rice) and corn, the two cereals widely grown in the Philippines, accounted for about half of total crop area. Another 25 percent of the production area was taken up by coconuts, a major export earner. Sugarcane, pineapples, and Cavendish bananas (a dwarf variety) were also important earners of foreign exchange, although they accounted for a relatively small portion of cultivated area.
Climatic conditions are a major determinant of crop production patterns. For example, coconut trees need a constant supply of water and do not do well in areas with a prolonged dry season. Sugarcane, on the other hand, needs moderate rainfall spread out over a long growing period and a dry season for ripening and harvesting. Soil type, topography, government policy, and regional conflict between Christians and Muslims were also determinants in the patterns of agricultural activity. (Retrieved February 15, 2010 from http://countrystudies.us/philippines/60.htm)
2.3 RP Corn Production Up Efforts to raise corn output are paying off The total corn production of the country has increased by an average of 5.8 percent in the last seven years, an indication that efforts by the government and various industry stakeholders are paying off, according to Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap. In a statement sent to the Sixth National Corn Congress held at the Albay Astrodome here from April 16 to April 18, Yap said that last year’s national corn production reached 6.93 million tons (MT) which surpassed the 2007, harvest by more than 200,000 tons despite high-fertilizer prices and the damage wrought by typhoons on corn plantations. (Retrieved February 03,2010) from http://www.agriculture-ph.com/2009/04/rp-cornproduction-up.html)
12 ―For 2009, we are looking at anywhere between 7.2 MT to 7.4 MT—which is admittedly lower than our original target, because we are taking into account a host of factors including the expected decline in corn yields due to the adverse effect of changing weather patterns,‖ Yap said. At the core of the Department of Agriculture’s (DA's) corn sufficiency and security agenda is a stronger focus on the establishment of postharvest facilities, such as corn-cob dryers, shellers and farm mechanization support in the form of four-by-four tractors and shallow-tube wells.―For these endeavors, we have earmarked P400 million or half of the National Corn Programs’ proposed 2009 financial programming of P817.7 million,‖ he said. Moreover this allocation reflects a policy shift in favor of investing in infrastructure development and away from soft interventions in the form of subsidies for corn seeds and microbial inoculants, Yap said. ―Hence, we have tasked ourselves to realize the targets of raising the national harvest to 7.4 MT this year and further to 7.69 MT in 2010, and therefore improve sufficiency level from 94- percent en route to total sufficiency by 2010,‖ he added. Furthermore, to attain those targets, Yap said farmers should realize an average yield of six tons per hectare in program areas, lower postharvest losses to 8 percent and boost farm income to at least P10,000 per hectare by 2010. To achieve those goals, the DA will promote the use of organic and microbial fertilizers, expand farmlands devoted to corn by opening up new corn areas nationwide, and step up the nationwide inter-cropping program in coconut plantations, he said. And lastly ―We will also continue to encourage the use of hybrid corn technology among farmers across the country, reduce postharvest losses by promoting better harvest practices, continue to increase the production and consumption of white corn particularly
13 among the traditional corn-eating population to ease the pressure on our rice requirements,‖ Yap renounced.
2.4 Philippines Life, Livelihood and Corn Situation A Filipino corn farmer earns an average of US$ 535 per hectare each growing season and plants 1.5 hectares of corn twice a year. They hadn't pursued alternative sources of income. Solution A Pioneer Hi-Bred International community service project in collaboration with the Corn Husk Association of the Philippines (CHAP) allows Filipino corn farmers and their families to earn additional income by training them to create crafts and handiwork utilizing a natural material abundant in their community - the corn husk. Impact More than 15,000 corn farmers have been trained. Now, a family producing cornhusk handicraft five days per week can double their annual income enabling farmers to improve their quality of life. (Retrieved February 3,2010 from http://www.pioneer.com)
2.5 Tree-Free Paper Products Tree-free paper is one eco-friendly alternative. The fibers from most plants can be made into quality paper products. Rapidly renewable resources such as flax and hemp
14 can create quality paper. Experts believe the most effective and environmentally friendly resources for tree-free paper can come from otherwise discarded agricultural waste. Stalks and husks left after harvesting a main crop are perfect; corn, barley, oats, wheat, rice, rye, coffee bean skins, sugar cane husks, and even tobacco fiber can be made into paper. This method makes use of existing waste and turns it into something beneficial while saving natural virgin resources such as hardwood trees. Some of the most popular alternative materials being used for papermaking today include the following: 1. Bamboo is being used for everything from flooring to clothing and even paper. Bamboo paper and rice paper have been made on a small scale in Asia for centuries. 2. Bagasse is the husk and pulp that remains after extracting juice from sugar cane; it can be processed into paper. 3. Waste bark from banana trees can be made into paper. Banana leaf paper is known as abaca. 4. Coconut husks can be processed into thick, textured paper. 5. Corn plant stalks, known as corn stover, can be made into excellent paper pulp comparable to North American hardwood pulp. 6. Cotton paper can be made from old cotton rags and other recycled cotton material, cotton processing waste, or even fresh organic cotton fibers. 7. Paper can be made from bacteria- and odor-free elephant dung.
15 8. Hemp paper is a superior quality product. It is said that Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence on hemp paper. 9. Jute can be made into high-quality specialty paper. 10. Kenaf is a hibiscus from Africa that has been used to make paper. 11. Mango paper is made from the mango leaf and paper mulberry. 12. Straw fibers are very similar to wood and make great paper. At one time, the United States produced straw paper, but the industry no longer exists. 13. The petals and leaves from the tamarind tree can be made into paper. Tree-free paper is not entirely a mainstream product yet, so it may be hard to come by at your local office supply store or printer. However, as with everything else, demand pushes supply up. As more people start asking for tree-free paper, mainstream stores will start supplying it to the general public. Until then, you can search in your local health food and natural supply specialty stores and online. (Retrieved February 05, 2010 from http://www.everything.com/Eco-InvitesTree-Free-Paper-Products/)
2.6 Making Paper from Plants Renewable and easy to find fibers like cattail leaves, iris leaves and agricultural waste like corn husks are perfect for making paper and provide good results for beginners. There are several steps to papermaking, the first of which is harvesting. The same plant can yield fibers that vary in color and consistency depending on when and where
16 they are harvested. Next is cooking. Fibers need to be cooked in an alkali solution for three to twenty hours, depending on the variety. After cooking, the fibers must be thoroughly rinsed - a process that takes much more time and water than you would think. After rinsing, the fibers are beaten into a pulp. Because most leaf and grass fibers area easy to beat by hand, or even with a kitchen blender, they are good choices for papermakers without access to a Hollander beater. After beating, the fibers are floated in a vat of water and scooped up onto a papermaking mould in a thin layer. From there, they are transferred to a cloth or wool sheet and stacked in a ―post‖. The post is then pressed to squeeze out water and promote bonding between the fibers. For the most simple drying method, the cloth with the still-damp paper still attached can be hung on a clothes line. There are any numbers of other drying techniques that yield different surface textures. (Retrieved March 12, 2010 from http://www.missioncreekpress.com/plants.htm)
2.7 How to Make Cornhusk Paper A. Removing the husks: 1. Peel cornhusks from corn, making sure to remove the corn silk from the husks as well. 2. Let cornhusks dry out in an airy place overnight. A flat surface near a window is a good spot that allows the sun to help speed up this process. B. Making pulp: To make the PULP, you will need the following: Crock pot (also called ―slow cooker‖) Blender, Plant fibre and Water 3. Once the husks have dried, cut them into small pieces about 2 cm long. Place them into a crock pot, cover with water and let them simmer for about 12 hours. This will soften the
17 husks and help separate the fibres. 4. Place softened cornhusks into blender with enough water to help the husks move around while being blenderized. You can add other types of pulp, such as shredded toilet paper, at this step. 5. When you remove the pulp from the blender and strain it, the fibres will look ―stringy‖. You can now place these into a large vat or sink full of water. D. Pulling a Sheet of Paper: 6. Immerse the mold and pull a sheet of paper by lifting the mold in a horizontal position from the water. 7. Place mold over a pan to catch the water as it drips while the air dries the paper. It can take up to 2 days to dry this way. If you want it to dry in half the time, you can use a sponge to dab excess water from the paper every so often. D. Your Paper is ready to work with! To finalize the papermaking, you will need: Iron, Clean sheets of paper (letter size is okay) and Surface covered with thick cloth to iron onto. 8. Remove dried paper from mold by placing the mold upside down onto a flat surface. Run your fingers over the screen to help the paper separate from the screen. Paper should release from the mold. 9. When you first remove the paper from the mold, notice that the edges are curled. To flatten this newly formed paper, place it between 2 sheets of clean paper and press with hot iron. 10. Transform poem-photograph from white, heavy paper to an antique. Tear edges of poem-photograph and dab paper completely with a wet teabag. Let it dry and repeat the
18 dab-dry process until its color deepens to your liking. Iron it between 2 clean sheets of paper to flatten it. 11. Glue and iron the poem-photograph onto the cornhusk paper. You can add decorative items to enhance your new creation your picture is now ready for framing! (Retrieved February 12,2010 from www.nativeaccess.com/ancestral/corn/CornHuskPaper.pdf)
2.8 “Braided Tapes”, Handmade Paper Scruptural Book Dennis Yuen, an entrepreneur and an artist at the same time made a new addition to his repertoire which is a book made entirely out of his own handmade paper. This book uses 3 sheets of handmade denim plus corn husk paper (the bluish pages) and 1 sheet with "Angel Wings" botanical elements (the yellowish pages). See the picture below.
Figure 1 Braided tapes
As he mentioned before in his blog (Cailun.info-paper and book making blog), that he have been making paper recently. He said ―Making paper is generally not an easy thing to achieve at home, that is, if you want to have an efficient process and good
19 result‖. He also added that at home, he don't have a deep vet to hold the pulp, but he has a big plastic storage container for the purpose. ―By the way, pulp is the basic ingredient of paper. It's the a mixture of cellulose fibers and water. When the water is drained away, the left behind fibers is essentially paper‖ he said.
Figure 2 Recycled Paper
In this pulp (and the resulting paper shown here), He added denim cotton (for indigo the color), corn husk fibers (for the texture) and recycled paper pulp. In place of a professional beater to break up the fibers, he used—of course, like most paper-makers at home—a blender. Small batches of fibers are blended and added into the vet to create a workable amount of pulp. The leftovers pulp is drained and frozen for next time's use.
2.9 Tips for Variations in Paper-Making Given that the ancient Egyptians used plants to make papyrus paper, it’s only natural that we consider various plants, as well as other creative sources, in creating our
20 own modern paper today. Here are a few tips in creating a look with your own homemade paper that’s personal, beautiful and unique.
Give it a little color. Add some dye, powdered paint, liquid paint, tea, food coloring… From henna to smashed berries, coffee grains to cool-aid, there’s bound to be something creative you can use in your house this very moment. Experiment to see what colors you like best.
Make it touchy-feely. Adding texture to your paper can give it a very unique definition. To do this, add the items of your choice to your paper-paste before you let it dry. Not sure what to add? Anything from tiny seeds to grass, confetti to pieces of thread to glitter can work.
Write like an Egyptian. Rather than reeds, why not add some flowers to give your paper a nature look? You can use anything from moss to pieces of grass, full leaves to flower petals themselves.
Give it an eu de toilette. You may have tried scenting a love letter with some perfume you had on hand, but scented paper can be even more fun. Use essential oils, potpouri or spices to give your paper a unique fragrance.
Add your bright and shiny face. You can even put pictures in your paper. Just smooth a paper copy of a photo onto the paper-paste before draining the water from it. (Retrieved March 18, 2010 from: http://www.papermaking.net/how-tomake-paper/tips-for-variations-in-paper-making/#more-18)
21 2.10 Homemade Paper to Localize Economy?
From pilfering hotel shampoo bottles to using single squares of toilet paper at a time, we’ve all heard some pretty interesting, creative, and sometimes slightly unhinged ways to save money these days. At The Daily Green, handmade paper is considered one of many ways to re-localize the economy and go green.
They recently featured a piece on Adina Levin, the co-founder of Collab. Collab is short for collaborators, and is a Manhattan based company that plans on re-localizing the economy through helping designers, writers, artists, musicians and other creative people collaborate together to form a more sustainable world.
By enabling these innovative minds with the tools and space that they need to collaborate together, Collab hopes to get them inspired and working together, which will hopefully yield environmentally-friendly products and processes to help create localized economy.
One sustainable practice that Levin advocates–and is knowledgeable in–is making homemade paper. Levin uses a very similar process to the one posted here at Paper Making. She also promotes a messy, hands-on approach, often touching the paper pulp and getting very involved in the process. Her video and instructions are perfect for anyone who isn’t afraid to get messy and produce some truly amazing results.
Would using handmade paper really support a more local economy and a sustainable world in general? In a word, probably. By using 50% less energy and 75% less water–as well as creating up to 90% less wastewater and 70% less air pollution–than
22 paper made from unused fibers, it definitely has less of an environmental impact. (Retrieved March 18, 2010 from http://www.papermaking.net/)
2.11 Keeping Safety in Mind While Making Paper
Making paper is considered a very safe and enjoyable activity. However, like any craft, there are some dangers that can always be present. It’s important to take precautions before embarking on any new activity. Here are a few tips to do that when making paper. Use caution when handling your screen. Remember, it’s made of wire and can cause a cut. If you make your own screen, you might even wish to wear protective work gloves until its edges are finished. If you cut yourself during construction, stop the project immediately and apply an antiseptic and a bandage. Be sure that the bleeding has stopped before continuing. If the cut is deep, seek medical attention. Make your paper in a well ventilated area. While most smells are harmless, it’s always possible to come in contact with harmful chemicals if you’re not certain of your paper’s origin. Even benign but strong smells, such as those released during making grass paper, may make some people sick. Wearing a mask can also help with this. The best bet is to only use paper that you know has not been chemically treated. Making paper outdoors is also a good option, as it helps minimize the mess.
23 Use caution when handling your water. If you spill water, be sure to clean it up immediately. It will obviously cause surfaces to become slick, so walk carefully if you must walk in the water. Be sure to have some towels handy prior to beginning, and don’t work near anything electrical to avoid water damage and electric shocks.
Only use mediums that you are comfortable with. If an herb or plant or other item is a known allergen to you, do not use it. Avoid any materials that may cause irritation to your skin. You may also wish to wear gloves and eye goggles while making
paper
in
general.
(Retrieved
March
18,
2010
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http://www.papermaking.net/how-to-make-paper/keeping-safety-in-mind-whilemaking-paper/#more-91)
2.12 Top Handmade Paper Products
Though making your own paper and using it for personal projects is a fun and rewarding activity, handmade paper is not just for this purpose. On the contrary, handmade paper is used in the finest crafts and arts all over the world. From India to the United States, homemade paper is a staple in many artisan projects.
For your next gift or special purchase, you might consider buying one of these unique creations made by fine, handmade paper.
Journals: Though all journals are mostly made of paper, handmade paper journals are highly unique, often displaying cloth or beaded covers that add an artistic style to the author’s thoughts. Typically quite exotic and bold, they are also often more
24 durable than manufactured journals. The same sentiment applies toward handmade paper photo albums, photo frames and scrapbooks.
Bags: Rather than wasting brown paper–or even plastic–shopping bags, handmade paper bags provide a clever, beautiful alternative that is both stylish as well as eco-friendly.
Candle Holders: This is a very novel function of handmade paper, with it being such a flammable source. That said, there are some very simple, elegant designs created for holding and highlighting tea lights.
Clocks: How many of your relatives can say that they own a clock made from paper? It would surely be a more unique gift than another tie or fruit pie. Desk Sets: From paper pads to pencil holders, the items on your desk needn’t be encased within stark cookie-cutter plastics. Why not go for a bold, batik handmade paper desk set instead?
Gift Boxes: How entertaining it would be to be gifted a handmade paper craft– within a gorgeous handmade paper box? (Retrieved March 18, 2010 from http://www.papermaking.net/paper-uses/top-handmade-paper-products/#more-68)
2.13 How to Make Rice Paper If you’ve been making your own handmade paper now, you might want to try making rice paper. Rice paper is a beautiful and elegant creation that has been used in
25 writing and art for centuries in China and Japan. Slightly translucent with a unique texture, it will be a lovely addition to your handmade paper collection.
Though rice paper traditionally means paper made from rice plants, today it can be made from just about any plant source, such as bamboo.
To make your own rice paper, you will need about a pound and a half of bamboo leaves, two and a half pounds of wood ash (such as from a fireplace), a big pot, a basin, water, a couple of towels, some mesh for straining, a mortar and a pestle for grinding, a wooden spoon, the frame you made for paper-making, any decorations you’d like in the paper, and some heavy books for pressing your paper.
To begin, shred your bamboo leaves and set them aside. Prepare your ash by mixing your wood ashes with your water in the pot. Boil the mixture for half an hour and let it sit overnight.
The next day, strain the mixture through your mesh. Mix your bamboo and the ash mix in the pot and cook it together for five hours. When it’s finished cooking, strain the whole mixture once again, and wrap the fiber that’s left in a towel.
Rinse the towel out with fresh water and squeeze out the excess water. Empty the fibers from the towel into your mortar and grind it into a paper pulp with your pestle. Next, fill your basin up with water and pour in your pulp. You should have about four parts of water to one part pulp. Stir it well with your spoon.
26 Follow through with the rest of your paper-making steps, and when you are finished, lay a piece of cloth over the paper before covering it with your books to flatten it out. (Retrieved March 18, 2010 from http://www.papermaking.net/how-to-makepaper/how-to-make-rice-paper/#more-56)
2.14 How to Make Paper with Dryer Lint
With the threat of global warming and other environmental concerns looming over us these days, more people are turning to reusing and recycling things in their homes. It’s easy to find a new life for a milk jug, toilet paper rolls or even used clothing (did you know that you can make insulation out of old jeans?), but some household wastes are hard to find uses for.
Dryer lint may not have been on your list of things to reuse, but it can actually be a good base to use for making paper. To make new paper out of your old dryer lint, gather the items you need to make paper out of any other material–your blender, preparation frame, sink or basin, etc. You will essentially be performing the same steps– just with something you may have thought had no use whatsoever rather than your recycled paper or grass!
Like any other paper base, your lint color will show up in your final product, so keep that in mind as you collect your dryer lint. Soak your lint in warm water for half an hour to break it down for blending. If you want a more full-bodied paper, feel free to add bits of paper as your lint soaks.
27 Next, blend it in your blender as you normally would when making paper. Use about a cup of lint and fill the rest of your blender with water; then, blend until it’s a smooth mixture. Follow through with the rest of your paper-making steps and you’ll have a wholly homemade creation that’s great for arts and crafts, letters or other paper projects. (Retrieved March 18, 2010 from http://www.papermaking.net/how-to-make-paper/howto-make-paper-with-dryer-lint/#more-44)
2.15 Making Plant-able Homemade Paper
Everyone experiences the conundrum of post-holiday, birthday, and other seasonal greeting card blues. What are we supposed to do with these lovely cards after the occasion passes?
While we might save a few for sentimental value, most are fairly generic. Sometimes we can use them in scrap booking, or creating cool origami crafts or boxes; but for the most part, we’ve got an extra box of recycling to turn in.
Fortunately, this is a problem that can be easily remedied with plant-able paper.How cool would it be to enjoy your card–and then plant it into the ground to have a long-lasting gift of nature in its place? Every time you saw it, you would think of the person who sent it to you, and be reminded of the earth-friendly, natural gift of beauty from such a thoughtful friend.
28 While you can buy such paper, it’s also possible to create your own. You can use all of the steps in creating regular paper to begin with. Why not select some greeting cards for your paper base? Then they will already be infused with good thoughts and holiday cheer from past senders.
Now the variation comes in to make your paper plant-able. During the step where you add your paper ―shake‖ mixture to a sink or basin, be sure to also add plenty of the seed of the plant you wish to be grown from the paper. Flat seeds work best, such as tomato, hollyhock, chili pepper, and forget-me-not. Then, follow through with the rest of the steps and you will have made an incredible gift of plant-able paper!
If you decide to give the paper as a gift in the form of a card, gift tag, stationary or anything else, be sure to note somewhere that it is plant-able and it can be torn up and directly deposited into the ground as seeds would be. The paper around the seeds will naturally disintegrate as the seeds grow. (Retrieved March 18, 2010 from http://www.papermaking.net/how-to-make-paper/making-plant-able-homemadepaper/#more-30)
2.16 How to Make Grass Paper We’ve learned how to make paper, and even how to add a bit of grass to homemade paper to give it some texture or a nature look. But did you know that you can actually make paper out of plain old grass? While the smell from making paper out of grass isn’t for people with weak stomachs, it can still be a fun way to use up your grass clippings.
29 First, gather up all of your grass clippings. You’ll need between six to ten cups of them. You may want to do this right after you mow the lawn, which is probably the easiest way to gather grass.
Add the clippings to a large pot, fill it with enough water to cover the grass, and mix in a half-cup of washing soda or baking soda. Allow this mixture to cook for an hour. (If you have plenty of time, letting the grass soak overnight in cold water first can loosen it up even more, making it easier to work with.)
Like you would do with other paper pulps you might create, pour your mixture into a blender and blend until it’s of a smooth, uniform consistency. Then you’ll follow through with the steps you used in making homemade paper from recycled paper.
Remember that you may have to play around with the consistency to get the thickness that you want. For variation, long prairie grasses and dried straw work as well.
Be sure to clean out all of your instruments and containers immediately, as this project can start to smell if left to sit for a long period of time! (Retrieved March 18, 2010 from http://www.papermaking.net/how-to-make-paper/how-to-make-grass-paper/#more-21)
2.17 Solenoid valve: Definition, working principle and common uses
A solenoid valve is an electromechanical valve for use with liquid or gas. The valve is controlled by an electric current through a solenoid coil. Solenoid valves may have two or more ports: in the case of a two-port valve the flow is switched on or off; in
30 the case of a three-port valve, the outflow is switched between the two outlet ports. Multiple solenoid valves can be placed together on a manifold.
A solenoid valve has two main parts: the solenoid and the valve. The solenoid converts electrical energy into mechanical energy which, in turn, opens or closes the valve mechanically. A direct acting valve has only a small flow circuit, shown within section E of this diagram (this section is mentioned below as a pilot valve). This diaphragm piloted valve multiplies this small flow by using it to control the flow through a much larger orifice.
Solenoid valves may use metal seals or rubber seals, and may also have electrical interfaces to allow for easy control. A spring may be used to hold the valve opened or closed while the valve is not activated.
Solenoid valves are the most frequently used control elements in fluidics. Their tasks are to shut off, release, dose, distribute or mix fluids. They are found in many application areas. Solenoids offer fast and safe switching, high reliability, long service life, good medium compatibility of the materials used, low control power and compact design.
Solenoid valves are used in fluid power pneumatic and hydraulic systems, to control cylinders, fluid power motors or larger industrial valves. Automatic irrigation sprinkler systems also use solenoid valves with an automatic controller. Domestic washing machines and dishwashers use solenoid valves to control water entry to the machine. In the paintball industry, solenoid valves are usually referred to simply as
31 "solenoids." They are commonly used to control a larger valve used to control the propellant (usually compressed air or CO2). In the industry, "solenoid" may also refer to an electromechanical solenoid commonly used to actuate a sear.
Besides controlling the flow of air and fluids solenoids are used in pharmacology experiments, especially for patch-clamp, which can control the application of agonist or antagonist. (Retrieved April 15, 2010 from http://www.wikipedia.com)
2.18 Float Switch: Definition and common uses
A float switch is a device used to detect the level of liquid within a tank. The switch may be used in a pump, an indicator, an alarm, or other devices. Float switches range from small to large and may be as simple as a mercury switch inside a hinged float or as complex as a series of optical or conductance sensors producing discrete outputs as the liquid reaches many different levels within the tank. Perhaps the most common type of float switch is simply a float raising a rod that actuates a microswitch.
A very common application is in sump pumps and condensate pumps where the switch detects the rising level of liquid in the sump or tank and energizes an electrical pump which then pumps liquid out until the level of the liquid has been substantially reduced, at which point the pump is switched off again. Float switches are often adjustable and can include substantial hysteresis. That is, the switch's "turn on" point may be much higher than the "shut off" point. This minimizes the on-off cycling of the associated pump.
32 Some float switches contain a two-stage switch. As liquid rises to the trigger point of the first stage, the associated pump is activated. If the liquid continues to rise (perhaps because the pump has failed or its discharge is blocked), the second stage will be triggered. This stage may switch off the source of the liquid being pumped, trigger an alarm, or both. (Retrieved April 17, 2010 from http://www.wikipedia.com)
2.19 Float Switch Operation
A float switch is an electro-mechanical switch which allows for an electrical switch to be opened or closed depending on the fluid level in a container. The float switch allows for automatic operation of devices depending on the level of fluid, such as the operation of pumps, or the opening or closing of valves. Float switches of numerous configurations have been used for various marine and industrial applications. Most float switches contain an electrical switch imbedded within the body of the float switch device. The electrical switch is actuated upon physical movement of the portion of the float switch device containing the electrical switch or upon physical movement of another portion of the float switch device. Such switches typically include a base member having mounted thereon a buoyant arm or float member. They may be physically integrated with the devices they control, or physically independent and connected to those devices only electrically. Electrical circuit and switch means are associated with the arm or member and are responsive to the angular position thereof, whereby the electrical switch means opens and closes as the angular position varies. Typically, changes in the angular position of the arm or member due to changes in water level cause an electrically conductive ball or fluid, such as mercury, to move between switch ON and switch OFF positions to
33 permit or preclude the flow of current through the electrical circuit means. (Retrieved April 17, 2010 from http:// www.electronics-manufacturers.com)
2.20 Water Detector
A Water detector is a small electronic device that is designed to detect the presence of water and alert humans in time to allow the prevention of water damage. A common design is a small device that lays flat on a floor and relies on the electrical conductivity of water to decrease the resistance across two contacts. A 9 volt battery then sounds an audible alarm in the presence of enough water to bridge the contacts. These are useful in a normally occupied area near any appliance that has the potential to leak water, such as a washing machine, refrigerator with icemaker, dehumidifier, air conditioner, or water heater. (Retrieved April 20, 2010 from www.wikipedia.com)
2.21 Unipolar Stepper Motor
A unipolar stepper motor has two windings per phase, one for each direction of magnetic field. Since in this arrangement a magnetic pole can be reversed without switching the direction of current, the commutation circuit can be made very simple (eg. a single transistor) for each winding. Typically, given a phase, one end of each winding is made common: giving three leads per phase and six leads for a typical two phase motor. Often, these two phase commons are internally joined, so the motor has only five leads.
A microcontroller or stepper motor controller can be used to activate the drive transistors in the right order, and this ease of operation makes unipolar motors popular with hobbyists; they are probably the cheapest way to get precise angular movements.
34 (For the experimenter, one way to distinguish common wire from a coil-end wire is by measuring the resistance. Resistance between common wire and coil-end wire is always half of what it is between coil-end and coil-end wires. This is due to the fact that there is actually twice the length of coil between the ends and only half from center (common wire) to the end.) A quick way to determine if the stepper motor is working is to short circuit every two pairs and try turning the shaft, whenever a higher than normal resistance is felt, it indicates that the circuit to the particular winding is closed and that the phase is working. Degree per step is often the most important factors in choosing a stepper motor. It specifies the number of degrees that the shaft will rotate for each full step. Common degree/step includes 0.72, 1.8, 3.6, 7.5, 15, and even 90. Degree per step is also known as the resolution of the motor.
2.22 Relex Case Study: Redesign of a Robot for Improved Reliability
Many product manufacturers realize the need to establish reliability process goals and commit to continual product improvement in order to meet customer, as well as internal, quality goals. Oftentimes, companies committed to reliability improvement turn to Relex Professional Services to aid in their reliability programs. The first step in improving reliability was to identify points in the system affecting reliability. After that, test plans were formulated in order to prove that the prototype can obtain the desired reliability. To analyze the client’s test coverage, flow charts were created for the processes followed by both the test robot and a robot in the field. These two flow charts were compared, and
35 all differences were identified. The key differences were in the processes of crating the robot, transporting the robot to the installation site, de-crating the robot, and installing
the robot. It was suggested here that the product reliability must be between 90-95% confidence levels.
36
Chapter 3 Research Methodology This chapter contains the research methodology that the researchers will use through the course of the study. This section contains the theoretical and conceptual framework that will be used in the implementation of the design. It will also contain process flowchart regarding on how the system will work, as well as the proposed schematic diagram for the design. 3.1 Conceptual Framework
MICROCONTROLLER
Shredded Corn Husk
Pouring of alkali solution
Cooking
Pouring of water
Draining of solution
Blending
Draining of Pulp
Passing through a conveyor with blower at both ends
Drying Figure 3 Conceptual Framework
Molding
37
Figure 4 Block Diagram of the whole System
38 The figure 3 shows the process of a microcontroller-based recycler. It is composed of blocks that reflect the process of the machine recycler. The paper making process will be automatically controlled by our microcontroller, which is a PIC16F877A. The microcontroller will be activating necessary devices in order to successfully process the shredded corn husk to corn paper. The process starts at the cooking, where the user must input the shredded corn husk. The microcontroller also adds a specified amount of alkali solution to the cooker. With this, the shredded corn husk will be boiled using a heating element. The cooking part lasts for about 1 hour, which will be timed by the microcontroller. After cooking the corn husks in alkali solution, the next process involves draining the alkali out of the container. Here, a solenoid valve will be used to drain the alkali solution without draining the corn husks as well. The drained alkali solution will be passed to the solenoid valve to the container itself. Before blending the corn husks, an amount of water will be added to aid with the blending process. The blender will now be activated by the microcontroller. Once the corn husks are fully blended, the paper pulp is now produced. The pulp is now transferred to the mould through the use of a solenoid valve. In order to spread the pulp while in the mould, a brush controlled by 2 motors is used. Once the pulp is leveled well in the mould and deckle, it can now be passed to the dryer section of the machine. The dryer is composed of the conveyor belt, a motor controlled lid, with two hair dryers located at the sides. After the time allotted for drying, the mould will be now unloaded and the corn paper is now finished.
39 Figure 4 shows the basic processes the machine will go through. It is divided into two main boxes namely the User and the Machine. The user part tells us where the user is involved on the process. The machine part tells us the processes where the user has no intervention. The user part has start button and a task of putting in the corn. The whole process depends on the start button which gives the go signal to the machine to start the whole process. The task of putting the shredded corn husk in the cooker blender container is done manually by the user. The machine has many processes in it. The link between the user’s button and the machine will be the MCU. It will also give orders to what process will take effect next. The LED display will indicate if the water and soda ash solution source is nearly depleted. There are two tanks inside the machine, the soda ash tank and the water tank. These two tanks supply the liquid necessary on a specific process. The tanks are all connected to the cooker blender where the cooking and blending process is made. After this stage, the pulp will be drained to the mould and deckle. The pulp will be flattened or leveled to the mould. When this is done, the material will be dried and then will be ready for use.
40 3.2 Design Considerations
3.2.1 Input The shredded corn husks will be fed into the machine as an input. The shredded corn husks are pre-determined before being fed into the machine, it must be in a size of 0.5 x 0.5 cm and weighs 40 grams. It is fed into the hole directly to the container where it will be cooked.
3.2.3 Water Level Detector The water level detector will determine how much volume of water to be poured into the container. In the system, there are two detectors to be used. These water level detectors are placed into the tanks. There are two tanks in the system, one is filled with water mixed with soda ash and the other tank is filled with pure water. The water level detector for the tank with water and soda ash will determine the volume needed to be poured to the container to cook the corn husks and the other one will determine the volume the water needed to blend the cooked corn husks and needed to drain the blended corn husks or pulp to the mold and deckle. Both water level detectors will send signal to the microcontroller to control the operation of the solenoid valves. This water level detector uses LDR sensors. The sensor is based on a voltage comparator circuit using LM741. The input to the inverting input will be the voltage across the LDR that is light dependent. At darkness the resistance of
41 the LDR will be high and so do the voltage across it. The inverting input will be higher than the reference at non inverting pin and the output of the comparator will be low. When the LDR is illuminated, its resistance drops and so do the voltage across it, thus the voltage at inverting input will be lower than that at non inverting input and the output of the comparator goes high. A potentiometer will be used as an adjustable reference voltage of the sensor to alter the sensitivity of the sensor.
Figure 5 LDR
3.2.4 Water Sensor The system will utilize two water sensors. The first one will detect the draining of the water from the container where the corn husks are cooked. Once the draining is done, the water sensor sends signal to the microcontroller to stop the solenoid valve from draining. The other one will detect the draining of water with pulp. The sensor will send a signal to the microcontroller to start the motor in distributing the pulp over the mold and deckle.
42 The water sensor is based on a 2N3904 transistor. It uses the transistor to act as a switch when the base of the transistor is shorted to the positive of the supply by the water falling on the sensor. When the transistor saturates, it will send signal to the microcontroller. The 1 MΩ potentiometer will be used to alter the sensitivity of the sensor.
2N3904
Figure 6 Water Detector
3.2.5 Relay Circuit The relay circuit will be used to control the operation of the heating element in the cooking, the blender to slice the pulp, and the hair dryer in the heating of the paper. The relay circuit will be controlled by the microcontroller.
Figure 7 Relay
43 This is the circuit that drives the ac components of the prototype as shown above. It uses a 2N3904 transistor to act as a switch. The microcontroller saturates the transistor to run the relay. The 1N4001 diode to be putting between the collector and the power is for the protection of the transistor.
3.2.6 Motors There are two types of motors that the proponents will use: DC motors, and stepper motors. There are five DC geared motors to be used move the components of the system. The first motor will control the replacement of mould and deckle. There are two motors to be used to spread the pulp to the mould and deckle. And two other motors will be used in pressing the paper in the heating process. Two unipolar stepper motor will be used to transfer the paper and the mould and deckle to the drying area and to the output area using a conveyor belt.
3.2.7 Motor Driver For the motor driver for the motors of the prototype, the proponents will be using L298 IC. The L298 IC is an integrated monolithic circuit. It is a high voltage, high current dual full-bridge driver designed to accept standard TTL logic levels and drive inductive loads such as relays, solenoids, DC and stepping motors.
44
Figure 8 L298 Motor Driver
Figure 9 L298 Pin Configuration
Figure 10 DC Geared Motor Driver
45
Figure 11 Stepper Motor Driver
The circuits above are circuits that drive the motors of the prototype, DC geared motors and stepper motors using L298. The circuit provides two source voltages, 5V and 12V for VCC and VS respectively. It uses fast recovery UF202 diode which has 50 ns recovery time as required by the datasheet of L298 which should not be greater than 200 ns recovery time. The enable pins are at high condition to enable the Bridge A and Bridge B because both bridges will be used. A 0.5Ω resistor is connected to sensing pins to control the current of the load.
3.2.7 PIC16F877 The PIC16F877 Microcontroller includes 8kb of internal flash Program Memory, together with a large RAM area and an internal EEPROM. An 8channel 10-bit A/D convertor is also included within the microcontroller, making
46 it ideal for real-time systems and monitoring applications. All port connectors are brought out to standard headers for easy connect and disconnect.
Figure 12 PIC Microcontroller In the design, the PIC16F877 will be the system’s main microcontroller. It will accept all the signals from the detection circuits and will actuate all the motors and other devices of the system.
Figure 13 PIC16F877 Pin Configuration
47 3.2.8 Power Supply A dc power supply is used to convert ac voltage at wall outlets into a constant dc voltage. The circuit is shown below. The power supply will use a transformer with a rating of 0-110-220V primary and 12-0-12V, 3A secondary. The rectifier is a Center-Tapped Full Wave Rectifier that provides a full cycle pulsating dc which leads to produce a smooth and regulated dc signal to the electronic components. Half-Wave Rectifier and Bridge Rectifier are not appropriate for the functions of the system because Half-Wave Rectifier produces a half cycle pulsating DC. Thus, produces a distorted DC signal which can generate noise causing a delay in the operations of the microcontroller which may lead to damaging it. The Bridge Rectifier produces a higher voltage and current rating than Full Wave Rectifier that is not suitable for the functions of the prototype because it can lead to damaging its electronic components. The 1N5400 diode will be used in rectifier because this diode suits the output rating of the transformer t its secondary winding. Though there are other diodes available such as 1N5401 to 08 but are more expensive. The 2200 µF, 25V capacitor is used to flatten the pulsating output from the Center-Tapped Full Wave Rectifier. There are two voltage regulators will be used, L7805 and L7812. The L7805 voltage regulator has a fixed output voltage of 5V and output current of 1A that will be used to supply the microcontroller, and detection circuits. Moreover, the L7812 has a fixed output voltage of 12V and output current of 1A to supply the motors.
48
Figure 14 Power Supply
49 3.3 Ideal Design of the Prototype
Figure 15 Prototype
Figure 16 Water Tank and Soda Ash Tank with Water Level Detector
50
Figure 17 Cooker Blender
Figure 18 Mould Dispenser
51
Figure 19 Pulp Distributor
Figure 20 Brush
Figure 15 shows the ideal design of the prototype. The whole design is composed of two tanks, one for soda ash solution and one for water which both contains a water level detector, input section for shredded corn husk, cooker/blender container for cooking and blending process, solenoid valves, mould and deckle dispenser, brush for leveling of the pulp, roller pins for pressing of the excess water, conveyor for moving the mould and deckle with pulp ,motor controlled lid and two blow dryers used for drying process. Furthermore, it also contains a LED for indication of errors. It also has a start button for initializing the machine.
52 3.4 System Flowchart
Figure 21 System Flowchart
53
The process begins when the shredded corn skin is fed to the blender cooker. The next step involves the pouring of the alkali solution on the blender cooker. This combination is ready for the next process which is cooking. This process is time bounded and signaled to start at the moment the right amount of solution is poured. After the given time is over, the solution on the blender cooker will be drained. A small amount of water will be introduced to the blender cooker and the blending process will start. Additional water is supplied to the blender cooker after the process of blending is done. Then, the water with the pulp will be drained out the blender cooker and then poured out to the mould and deckle. When all of the pulp is drained out, it will be pressed and distributed to the mould. After this, the mould with the pulp will be pressed down with a smooth flat metal and then dried below by blowers or dryers. The finish product is then produced.
3.5 System’s Reliability To compute for the reliability of the system, consider the equation is shown below: R=1–
Number of Failures Number of Success/ Trial
To compute the percent reliability of the system, we consider the equation shown below: %R = R × 100% The aimed reliability of 95% was based on a case study provided by the Relex Company. Their case study focuses on the reliability study of a robot with an automated
54 task. During their test planning, the aimed reliability was 95%. Since the case study involves a robot already in the industry, we think that having a 95% reliability is enough for our initial prototype. 3.6 Testing procedures 3.6.1 Error Conditions Table 1 Error Conditions
Table 1 shows the possible errors that could happen to the prototype machine. The errors can happen during the input of corn husks, input of alkali solution in the cooker blender, input of water in cooker blender and the error that could happen in the mould and deckle. The table also shows the test conditions and the expected result for testing.
55 3.6.2 Test Conditions Table 2 Testing Conditions
The testing procedure will be done per process. As we see from the table 2, we consider the five major processes involved in the paper machine recycler such as cooking, draining, disintegrating, transferring to conveyor belt, drying and cutting. The testing begins by putting in the shredded corn husk, rice straw or talahib. The amount of the shredded corn husk, rice straw or talahib is predetermined. The alkali solution however should be tested in two cases. As the user press the start button, the machine should start pouring alkali solution and it must stop pouring after the required
56 level is reached. The water level detector operation should be tested depending on the fluid level in a tank. If pouring soda ash solution reached the desired amount needed for cooking, the water level detector should be able to detect it and send a signal to the microcontroller to close the valve then start cooking. Cooking will end upon the specified time. There are two stages where draining is involved. Draining 1 is when the alkali solution is drained from the cooker then replaced with pure water, and the other is the removal of the pulp with water in the disintegrator. Motor pump is the responsible device to make this process possible. The disintegrator function will remove the part not needed in the process. It will start when the enough water needed is poured to the container. The whole blending process will end after 5 minutes. At the end, water will be poured into the container and the second draining process will happen. In the molding process, a conveyor belt is used to spread the paper pulp. It should be tested to make an equal spreading. Moreover, once it was finished, the conveyor must move to the pressing and drying section. It must then be tested that once the pulp is in the pressing-drying section, it must be then pressed using rolling pins and be dried by an electronic heating element. After the paper is dried first, it will be brought to the cutting section. It must be tested that the cutter can cut the paper with its given size. Finally, it will be air dried for the last time. It will be tested that the dryer will activate for the specified time.
57
3.7 Testing To thoroughly evaluate the performance of the project, there would be 5 trials to be used to test each category. The number of trials was determined using the Fundamental Formula of Gambling:
, where
DC = degree of certainty = reliability = 0.95 p = probability of success or failure = 0.5 N = number of trials Solving for N: From the formula presented above, Substituting the values of DC and p, N = 4.322 ≈ 5 trials
Test for Volume of Soda ash Solution This will test if the volume of 1 liter soda ash solution is transferred for the cooking of corn husks with five trials.
Table 3 Tabulation for testing the volume of soda ash solution for cooking
TRIAL
SUCCESS FAILURE
1 2 3 4 5 AVERAGE
TIME
58
Test for Cooking of the Paper Pulp This will test if the specified time of cooking is achieved with five trials.
Table 4 Tabulation for testing of cooking the paper pulp. TRIAL
SUCCESS FAILURE
TIME
1 2 3 4 5 AVERAGE
Test for Disintegration This will test if the specified time of 5 minutes is achieved in blending the pulp with five trials.
Table 5 Tabulation for testing of disintegration of the pulp TRIAL
SUCCESS FAILURE
1 2 3 4 5 AVERAGE
TIME
59
Test for Volume of Water This will test if the volume of half liter water is transferred for draining the pulp with five trials.
Table 6 Tabulation for testing of volume of water for draining the pulp
TRIAL
SUCCESS FAILURE
TIME
1 2 3 4 5 AVERAGE
Test for Conveyor Belt This will test if the pulp is transferred to the conveyor belt and distributed equally with five trials. Table 7 Tabulation for testing of moulding the paper TRIAL
SUCCESS FAILURE
1 2 3 4 5 AVERAGE
TIME
60
Test for Drying of Paper This will test the quality of paper after the specified time of drying with five trials.
Table 8 Tabulation for drying the paper TRIAL
SUCCESS FAILURE
TIME
1 2 3 4 5 AVERAGE
Test for Cutting of Paper This will test the size of paper after the specified time of drying with five trials.
Table 9 Tabulation for cutting the paper TRIAL
SUCCESS FAILURE
1 2 3 4 5 AVERAGE
TIME
61
3.8 Error Parameters This part discusses the possible errors that the group considered to occur during the development of the prototype. The group clarified that the errors stated below will not become the limitations of the prototype that may reduce its total reliability. These were merely consideration that served as guide to minimize such errors and achieve a higher reliability. The possible errors that will occur in the system design are the following:
Water Level Detector Reading -
Wrong indication of water level may occur
Draining
-
Corn husk, Rice straw or talahib may clog on and in the valve
Dispersion of the pulp in the conveyor belt -
The Pulp may not be dispersed at all sides of the mould and deckle Drying
-
Paper pulp may stick to the rolling pin and in the dryer
3.8 Instruments Used This study utilizes Internet for gathering information about the study and to site some articles that is related to the project. The group also conducted further experiments in making paper from corn husks, rice straw or talahib manually. Such experiment done is made for the purpose of observing the problem arises or the disadvantages when making paper done manually and also to test the properties of the finished product paper
62 done manually. The group also made school library visits for the improvement of the designed project. Through reading books from the library and articles from the internet, the group was able to get some data that will determine all the required information needed for the project. Moreover, the group also asked some Electronics Engineers and concerned citizens for reference regarding the project, the technology given in this project, the statistics and the parameters to be measured for the project.
63
REFERENCES A. Undergraduate Researches Lavin, N., et al. Design and implementation of microcontroller-based rice grain vending machine. FEU – East Asia College, Manila: 2007 Rico,A.R., et al. Design and implementation of microcontroller-based paper vending machine. FEU-East Asia College, Manila: 2008 B. Electronic Sources Solenoid valves. Retrieved 15 April 2010 from http://en.wikipedia.org Float Switch: Definition and common uses. Retrieved 17 April 2010 from http://en.wikipedia.org Float Switch Operation Retrieved 20 April 2010 from http:// www.electronicsmanufacturers.com Water Detector. Retrieved 20 April 2010 http://en.wikipedia.org Unipolar stepper motor. Retrieved 20 April 2010 from http://en.wikipedia.org C. Online Articles Philippines Agriculture. Retrieved 03 February 2010 from http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com Philippines Agricultural Geography. Retrived 15 February 2010 from http://countrystudies.us RP Corn Production Up Efforts to raise corn output are paying off. Retrieved 15 February 2010 from http://www.agriculture-ph.com/
64 Philippines Life, Livelihood and Corn. Retrieved 03 February 2010 from http://www.pioneer.com Tree-Free Paper Products. Retrieved 05 February 2010 from http://www.everything.com Making Paper from Plants. Retrieved 12 March 2010 from http://www.missioncreekpress.com How to Make Cornhusk Paper. Retrieved 12 February 2010 from http://www.nativeaccess.com “Braided Tapes”, Handmade Paper Scruptural Book. Retrieved 03 February 2010 from http://cailun.info Tips for Variations in Paper-Making. Retrieved 18 March 2010 from http://www.papermaking.net Tips for Variations in Paper-Making. Retrieved 18 March 2010 from http://www.papermaking.net/how-to-make-paper/tips-for-variations-in-papermaking/#more-18 Homemade Paper to Localize Economy. Retrieved 18 March 2010 from http://www.papermaking.net Keeping Safety in Mind While Making Paper. Retrieved 18 March 2010 from http://www.papermaking.net Top Handmade Paper Products. Retrieved 18 March 2010 from http://www.papermaking.net How to Make Rice Paper. Retrieved March 18, 2010 from http://www.papermaking.net How to Make Paper with Dryer Lint. Retrieved 18 March 2010 from http://www.papermaking.net
65 Making Plant-able Homemade Paper. Retrieved 18 March 2010 from http://www.papermaking.net How to Make Grass Paper. Retrieved 18 March 2010 from http://www.papermaking.net D. Datasheet Sources Microchip, PIC16F87x datasheet (2003, July 12) Retrieved May 2010 from http://www.microchip.com Fairchild Semiconductor, 1N4001 - 1N4007 General Purpose Rectifiers datasheet (2009) Retrieved May 2010 from http://alldatasheets.com Diodes Incorporated, 1N5400 - 1N5408 Rectifier datasheet (2007) Retrieved May from http://alldatasheets.com STMicroelectronics, 2N3904 NPN Transistor datasheet (2003) Retrieved May from http://datasheetcatalog.com Fairchild Semiconductor, KA78XX/KA78XXA datasheet (2001) Retrieved May from http://datasheetcatalog.com National Semiconductor, LM78XX datasheet (May 2000) Retrieved May 2010 from http://datasheetcatalog.com STMicroelectronics, L298 Dual Full-Bridge Driver datasheet (2000) Retrieved May from http://datasheetcatalog.com RSComponents, Light Dependent Resistors datasheet (1997) Retrieved May 2010 from http://alldatasheets.com ON Semiconductor, LM317 datasheet (April 2004) Retrieved May 2010 from May 2010 from http://datasheetcatalog.com
66 National Semiconductor, LM741 Datasheet (August 2000) Retrieved May 2010 from from http://alldatasheets.com OptoSupply, Phoenix Red LED Datasheet (2004) Retrieved May 2010 from May 2010 from http://alldatasheets.com Tyco Electronics, V23072 Relay Datasheet (February 2003) Retrieved May 2010 from May 2010 from http://alldatasheets.com Power Innovations Limited, TIP120, TIP121, TIP122 NPN Silicon Power Darlingtons (March 1997) Retrieved from May 2010 from http://datasheetcatalog.com PanJIT, UF200 THRU UF2010 Ultrafast Switching Rectifier (2006) Retrieved May 2010 from http://datasheetcatalog.com KIP Inc, 2-Way Normally Closed Solenoid Valves (February 2003) Retrieved May 2010 from http://www.norgren.com
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