Design and Fabrication of Fully Automated Syrup Making, Filling and Capping Plant

Project Title

Design and Fabrication of Fully Automated Syrup Making, Filling and Capping Plant

Project Area of Specialization Internet of ThingsProject Summary

In the digital world of Industrial Automation, microcontrollers are implementing new software technologies so that engineers can race to develop the best products that maximize the outcome. There is a scope and need for fully automated production and packaging lines in the industrial sector. In order to have a learning experience of making a prototype for the industrial sector, This F.Y.P. is chosen to design and fabricate a small scale fully automated electro-mechanical plant for syrup making, filling and capping by incorporating microcontrollers. The aim is to increase the productivity of the whole process in terms of output.

This FYP can be divided into three different stations, which are as following:

1. Syrup Making Station
2. Filling Station
3. Capping Station

First, based on the user input, a calculated amount of syrup is made. This syrup is then filled into a container and send to a capping station (with the help of a conveyor belt system) where it is capped. A schematic of this whole project is shown in Figure 1.

We will demonstrate the Internet of Things technology at its rudimentary levels to make the whole process slightly more user friendly and efficient.

Figure 1 Proposed schematic/model of the Syrup Mixing and Bottling Plant.

P.S. :

Some reference youtube videos by which this F.Y.P. is inspired by:

• Mixing Station: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUQ8WaXAWAQ 
• Container Filling & Capping Station: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdXzMI1PXcs

Project Objectives

1. To design a fully automated small scale electro-mechanical plant for syrup making, filling and capping by incorporating microcontrollers.
2. To increase the productivity of the whole process in terms of output.

Project Implementation Method

The plant will be designed with the help of CAD software (e.g. SolidWorks) and the basic Machine Design knowledge.  Then an electromechanical system is to be designed consisting of commercial off the shelf sensors (e.g. infrared sensor), actuators (e.g. servo motor, stepper motor, relay switches, etc.) and microcontrollers (e.g. Arduino UNO, Node MCU, etc).

A wifi module will be used to send the data from different stations to the main server from where it will be sent to the cloud thus demonstrating the Industrial Internet of Things technology. 

Following an estimate process flow chart for the project:

Benefits of the Project

In the world of technology and Engineering Projects, there is always a scope for improvement. Industrialists are constantly looking for ways to improve productivity, quality, flexibility, safety and costs of the Industry. In the era of the 4th industrial revolution, the automated systems are the key to all the major problems mentioned above. This FYP is a prototype aimed to learn how to integrate the Components using Electronic Circuit and apply Automation.

There are many benefits to this project. Some of them are explained below: -

1. The major advantage of our project is that there will be no need for continuous supervision.
2. Work uniformity and accuracy (e.g. makes syrup with same composition and taste all the time).
3. Saves both times as well as cost as machines can work tireless hours and with a faster pace than human operators.
4. The machine is extremely responsive to market demands as the microcontroller can make any composition of the product depending on the market demand.
5. The user interface is much friendly because of integrating the system with IoT (as we can monitor and control the plant from anywhere any time through the Internet).

Technical Details of Final Deliverable Syrup Mixing Station:

First, a container (e.g. hooper) is used for temporarily storing ingredients (like sugar). The lid of the container opened to add the ingredients to the mixing tank. This lid is controlled using a Servo Motor in order to control the flow of ingredients electromechanically. A calculated amount of liquid (like water) is added to the mixing tank with help of a solenoid valve. Then the mixing tank motor is started which is attach to a shaft with blades and the ingredients are mixed in the tank. These all processes are controlled autonomously with the help of a microcontroller. The 3D CAD Model of the fabricated Syrup Mixing Station is shown in the Figure 1 (below).

Figure 1: A CAD model for the Syrup Mixer
 

Filling Station:

After proper mixing, the mixture is filled into the containers in a controlled quantity.  Again, a solenoid valve is used to control the flow electromechanical. The containers are moved to the next station with the help of a Flat Belt Horizontal Conveyor Belt System (a photo of the fabricated Flat Belt Horizontal Conveyor Belt System is shown in Figure 3).

Figure 2: Syrup filling station schematic.

Figure 3: The fabricated and fully working Flat Belt Horizontal Conveyor Belt System.

Capping Station:

The filled bottles are transported to the capping station with the help of a conveyor belt system which is also controlled by a microcontroller. The filled container is now capped in the capping station and then send further down the line to end-user. 

Final Deliverable of the Project Hardware SystemCore Industry FoodOther Industries Manufacturing Core Technology Internet of Things (IoT)Other Technologies RoboticsSustainable Development Goals Industry, Innovation and InfrastructureRequired Resources

Item Name	Type	No. of Units	Per Unit Cost (in Rs)	Total (in Rs)
			Total in (Rs)	70570
Stainless Steel Water Tank	Equipment	1	2700	2700
AC Motor	Equipment	1	3500	3500
Stainless Steel Pipe for Syrup Mixer Frame	Equipment	1	2300	2300
Stainless Steel Rod for Syrup Mixer Blade	Equipment	1	550	550
Transportation Charges for Syrup Mixer	Miscellaneous	1	400	400
Sugar Container	Equipment	1	3200	3200
Solenoid Valve (12V)	Equipment	1	900	900
Servo Motor (MG996)	Equipment	2	650	1300
Node MCU	Equipment	2	500	1000
Mini USB Cable	Equipment	2	60	120
2 Relay Module	Equipment	4	160	640
Infra Red Module	Equipment	2	100	200
16V Adapter	Equipment	1	450	450
Labor Cost for Syrup Mixing Frame Fabrication	Equipment	1	5500	5500
Mild Steel Shaft (20 mm) for Conveyor Belt Roller	Equipment	1	250	250
Mild Steel Pipe (3 inch outer dia.) for Conveyor Belt Roller	Equipment	1	250	250
Stainless Steel Caps (3 inch) for Conveyor Belt Roller	Equipment	4	30	120
Machining for Conveyor Belt Roller	Equipment	1	600	600
Welding for Conveyor Belt Roller	Equipment	1	300	300
Nylon (3inch by 530mm) for Conveyor Belt Roller	Equipment	1	1200	1200
Machining (Turning, Parting and Drilling) Lab for Conveyor Belt Roller	Equipment	1	900	900
T-Type Housing and Bearing (20mm) for Tensioning Mechanism	Equipment	2	750	1500
Bearing (20mm x 42mm) for Tensioning Mechanism	Equipment	3	100	300
Conveyor Belt	Equipment	1	1800	1800
Acryllic Side Frame Material (5.5ft x 1.5 ft) for Conveyor Belt System	Equipment	1	2430	2430
Acrylic Top Sheet Material (200mm x 1100mm) for Conveyor Belt System	Equipment	1	720	720
Laser Cutting Charges for Acrylic Sheet	Equipment	1	1400	1400
Stepper Motor (1.9A, 24 VDC, Nema 23) for Conveyor Belt System	Equipment	1	300	300
Stepper Motor Driver Driver	Equipment	1	1300	1300
Tensioning Mechanism (Metal forming and welding) for Conveyor Belt Sys	Equipment	1	2500	2500
M12 6 inch Bolt for Tensioning Mechanism	Equipment	2	60	120
M12 Nuts for Tensioning Mechanism	Equipment	4	10	40
M6 30mm Bolt and Nut pair	Equipment	30	15	450
Drill Bit (7mm)	Equipment	1	50	50
Transportation Charges for Conveyor Belt System	Miscellaneous	1	800	800
Linear Actuator for Capping Mechanism	Equipment	1	6580	6580
Capping Mechanism Material	Equipment	1	5000	5000
Capping Mechanism Labour Cost	Equipment	1	2000	2000
Batteries	Equipment	4	50	200
Transportation Charges for Capping Mechanism	Miscellaneous	1	200	200
Paint Job	Equipment	1	2000	2000
Stand Frame for Syrup Mixer Station	Equipment	1	7000	7000
Stand Frame for Bottle Filling Station	Equipment	1	4000	4000
Stand Frame for Capping Station	Equipment	1	3500	3500