Artificial Grass Recycling Beating Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
The recycling of artificial grass is inefficient due to the difficulty in separating infill materials like sand and rubber from the recyclable components, leading to abrasive damage on shredding machinery and labor-intensive vacuuming processes, resulting in low-grade plastic reuse.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus with a conveying system and a beating section that inverts the artificial grass, using a rotatable and oscillating beating member to dislodge debris and infill, accompanied by a liquid inlet to wash away particulates, allowing for effective separation and reuse of materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional shredding is used to process artificial grass, then the grass can be ground into small pieces for separation, but the sand infill causes abrasive wear on shredder components
Solution Approach 1:
The apparatus performs preliminary removal of sand and rubber infill from the artificial grass before the shredding process. The beating section with rotatable and oscillating beating members dislodges and removes the abrasive sand particles from the grass tufts, preventing them from causing wear during subsequent shredding operations. This preliminary action protects the machinery while maintaining processing efficiency.
2Loss of substance
If industrial vacuum cleaners are used to remove sand and rubber before rolling, then some infill can be removed, but the process is labor intensive, time consuming, and requires separate transportation of the sand/rubber mix
Solution Approach 1:
The apparatus enables self-service removal of infill materials through the beating action that automatically dislodges and removes sand and rubber from the artificial grass. The system integrates the removal process into the main processing line, eliminating the need for separate vacuuming operations and subsequent transportation of removed materials. The beaters continuously agitate and remove infill as the grass passes through the apparatus.
3Loss of substance
If plastics are separated from sand and rubber but not separated from each other, then all plastics are classed as low grade and reused in low-grade products
Solution Approach 1:
The apparatus segments the artificial grass into distinct components through systematic separation. The beating section removes infill materials, and the conveying system facilitates further separation of plastic elements. This segmentation process prepares the plastics for more precise classification and sorting, enabling them to be categorized by type and quality rather than being uniformly classified as low-grade material.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The apparatus efficiently removes infill and debris, reducing wear on machinery and enabling the reuse of sand and rubber, thereby improving recycling efficiency and reducing costs.
Implementation Method 1
a beating section located intermediate said first and second conveying sections, arranged to beat and/or agitate said unrolled material as it is moved from the first conveying section to the at least second conveying section
Implementation Method 2
accompanied by a liquid inlet to wash away particulates
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides an apparatus for recycling artificial or synthetic layered materials. The apparatus includes a first conveying section arranged to receive and unroll a used or pre-processed roll of artificial or synthetic layered material, in use, and at least a second conveying section arranged to receive and re-roll the subsequently processed roll of said material. The apparatus further includes a beating section located intermediate said first and second conveying sections, arranged to beat and/or agitate said unrolled material as it is moved from the first conveying section to the at least second conveying section, in use.