A prototype of an automated dispenser for hollow block fabrication

• Main Authors: Sarmiento, Eugene A., Tria, Joel Y., Valdez, Sunny A., Pineda, Ronnie P., Sinco, Reicher John P.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 1995
• Subjects: Electronic control; Hollow blocks; Machinery > Design; Mixing machinery; Digital electronics; Interface circuits; Electronic digital computers > Programming; xx4 Concrete mixers; Engineering
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/7192
• Institution: De La Salle University

The thesis involves the design and fabrication of A Prototype of an Automated Dispenser for Hollow Block Fabrication. As the name implies, it is a complete mechanism that shall perform the act of dispensing materials required in the manufacture of Concrete Hollow Blocks (CHB).Three elements are involved in the manufacture of CHB, cement, sand and water. The prototype shall be in charge of dispensing the right amount of each of these materials in order to produce the desired strength of hollow block. The device shall first read the moisture content of the sand by means of a moisture tester. The data obtained from the tester shall be used as input for the computer program which shall, in turn, compute for the required amounts of each material given the desired water to cement ratio as its parameters. The sand shall be dispensed from its container and weighed simultaneously by a load cell. Once the weight of the sand dispensed has equaled the amount required, the sand container's valve will close and the final weight of the sand shall be returned and stored by the computer. Next, the valve of the container holding the cement will be opened, releasing the cement. The cement will go through the same process as the sand, it shall be dispensed from its container and weighed by a load cell. Upon reaching the proper amount of cement to be released, the valve will likewise close. The final weight of the cement will also be stored in the computer. The water to be dispensed will then be released from its container through a solenoid valve. The volume of water to be released will also depend on the amount computed by the program. After the amount of time required to release the said amount of water is reached, the water valve shall also close. Similarly, the total volume of water released shall be recorded and stored in the computer.In the event that the computer program detects that an incorrect amount of material dispensed by the machine, it shall compensate for the difference from the computed amount. This shall be done by recomputing, this time to obtain the amount of materials that must be added to that which has already been dispensed in order to meet the desired water to cement ratio. The materials have now been dispensed based on a certain parameter of water to cement ratio. They may then be released to the next step of the manufacture of concrete hollow blocks which is already beyond the scope of this study.