Design and Fabrication of Mortar and Plaster Sprayer

Project Title

Design and Fabrication of Mortar and Plaster Sprayer

Project Area of Specialization Mechatronics EngineeringProject Summary

Design and Fabrication of Mortar and Plaster Sprayer would consist of a water pump, air compressor and two gear motors. All of this electromechanical system would be integrated onto the assembly trolley along with a mixing chamber and a hopper (container). The hopper will be filled with the premixed material manually. The hopper is fitted with a low torque gear motor attached to the starwheel mechanism that will drive the mixture towards the mixing chamber in a exhaust fan system similarity. The mixing chamber, now filled with mixture is attached to the water pump that will be used to add the required amount of water to the mixing chamber. The mixing chamber is fitted with a high torque gear motor on top, connected with a mixer paddle, that will be used to mix the water and the premixed material. As the consistency of the system is met, the mixing chamber has a fitted connection with the air compressor that will be used to drive out the mixed material and spray it on to the wall. The whole process will be monitored continuously via the control panel that has been fitted with the informative LCD panel.

Project Objectives

The manual plastering process requires a lot of time and skilled labour. Nowadays, there is a lack of skilled labour who can work efficiently and consume less time. Moreover this increases the cost of the project as the wages of the labour increases with each passing day. In order to contribute more in the economy through construction sector, automated
machinery has to be introduced. The motivation is to reduce the time and cost that is spent on construction by designing an important part involved in building construction which is automatic mortar spray. This would improve the efficiency of the work. The core objectives include: design and modelling of the device; fabrication of the device; successful demonstration of device on a vertical surface.

Project Implementation Method

The project had started back in March 2021. The initial phases of the project included the comparison of different machines and models that fitted the description of our project, available in the global market. A thorough literature review had been done, contrasting the pros and cons of different machine available. In the latter stages of early development, different components were being judged to be included in our machinery that would refine the wrok and produce effective work hours. Flow chart and block diagrams were made to understand the final working of the system. A 3D CAD Model had also been developed in the Solidworks software to visually see the machine and look for improvements in design. In September 2021, the focus of the prject had shifted in the research area. Different team members worked on finding different components belonging from a group that fitted the requirements of our project. While our machinery was big and consisted of heavy duty components, different team members worked on the mathematical modelling of the components as well. The specifications of the components and machine were identified by the various proposals of design calculation. Survey of local market was done to ensure the specified equipment was available. By the mid of December 2021, the acquirement of the equipment had been done and were tested once a while individually to check their feasability and working procedure. Later on, the work on the electrical simulations had begun. The sensors being used, the interface of different electromechanical components with the control panel etc, all of this was worked on. As of now the electrical work has reached its peak with just the final PCBs waiting to be integrated onto the main assembly. The order for the assembly had also been given mid-February which should be received within a week from now. From there on forward till May, we look to work on any faults that may occur during the entire process and work towards any improvement that may be possible.

Benefits of the Project

The implementation of the project would work towards the reduction of labour time. Eventually, the cost of labour in the construction industry would be reduced as well with the help of Mortar and Plaster Sprayer. During human labour, the material is seemed to be wasted a lot... this machine would work towards the reduction in the waste of the materials. Lastly, the Mortar Sprayer would produce an effective way of applying plaster and mortar when human labour is keen to error and has to do layering repeatedly to cover off any uncovered walls.

Technical Details of Final Deliverable

Dimensions: 3' x 2' x 2'

Mixing Chamber Capacity: 5 liters

Hopper Capacity: 25 litres

Mixing Motor Speed: 380 revolutions per minute (rpm)

Mixing Motor Output: 2.2 kilo-watts (kW)

Star Wheel Motor Speed: 50 revolutions per minute (rpm)

Star Wheel Motor Output: 0.75 kilo-watts (kW)

Power Supply Ratings: 220V, 10A

Air Compressor Rating: 220V, 5 horsepower (hp)

Air Compressor Pressure: 8 bar

Air Compressor Flow Rate: 180 litres/minute

Output Flow of the Mixture: 10 litres/minute

Final Deliverable of the Project Hardware SystemCore Industry OthersOther Industries Transportation Core Technology Internet of Things (IoT)Other Technologies Shared Economy, OthersSustainable Development Goals Decent Work and Economic Growth, Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, Responsible Consumption and ProductionRequired Resources

Item Name	Type	No. of Units	Per Unit Cost (in Rs)	Total (in Rs)
			Total in (Rs)	80000
Gear Motor (High Torque)	Equipment	1	31000	31000
Gear Motor (Low Torque)	Equipment	1	16000	16000
Water Pump	Equipment	1	8000	8000
Air Compressor	Equipment	1	15000	15000
Electrical	Miscellaneous	1	10000	10000