International Journal of Machine Design and Technology

Design and Implementation of an Effective Screw Conveyor Machine for Improved Plastic Recycling Applications

Akaninwor, G. C. — 2026-02-03

Existing conveyor systems struggle to handle varied plastic material properties, causing frequent jams and operational downtime. There is a need for a reliable screw conveyor machine that ensures smooth material flow, minimizes waste, and boosts recycling efficiency. This study outlines the development and implementation of a designed screw conveyor machine for efficient plastic recycling, featuring a 0.58m shaft length and powered by a 120W electric motor. The machine incorporates an A39 pulley (1.015m length, 0.0125m diameter) and a hexagonal bolt assembly with a 0.3302m length. A 2mm mild steel sheet was cut to the required size to form the screw conveyor hopper with a 0.0006m³ and the hopper seams were welded using the Oxy-acetylene technique. The screw conveyor unit features dual 1.2kW band heaters, totaling 2.4kW of heating power to ensure optimal plastic melting. The screw conveyor cylinder has a diameter of 0.12m. The hopper was further attached to the screw conveyor frame, ensuring proper alignment and secure attachment using the oxy-acetylene technique. A shaft and support were further attached to the screw conveyor with proper precision and alignment. A die was created at the end of the pipe to facilitate the easy flow of molten plastic using a machining process. A hand grinding machine was employed to smooth out rough edges or surfaces. Paint was further applied to prevent rust and corrosion. Performance results indicate a drive force of 11.88N, velocity of 0.042m/s, and a mass of molten plastic of 4.55kg. The screw conveyor capacity is 0.1912kg/s, demonstrating effective plastic processing capabilities. The developed machine offers improved material handling, reduced energy consumption, and enhanced recycling efficiency, contributing to sustainable plastic waste management practices.

A Review of the Design and Performance Analysis of the Air Preheater with Efficiency Calculation

Nishith Gandhi — 2026-05-30

In boilers, thermal power plants, furnaces, and industrial heating systems, an air preheater is an important heat recovery device that utilizes waste heat from hot flue gases to preheat incoming combustion air before it enters the furnace. This process improves combustion efficiency, reduces fuel consumption, and enhances overall thermal efficiency. Air preheaters are widely used to recover energy that would otherwise be lost in exhaust gases. Depending on operating conditions and applications, different types of air preheaters are used, such as recuperative, regenerative, tubular, plate-type, and rotary air preheaters. However, their performance may be affected by issues like fouling, corrosion, leakage, pressure drop, and maintenance requirements, which must be properly managed. Additionally, in order to guarantee dependable operation and a long service life of air preheaters in high-temperature environments, appropriate design and material selection are essential. Heat transfer efficacy is maintained, and efficiency losses are avoided by routine inspection, cleaning, and monitoring.

Role of Mechatronics in Industry 4.0/5.0 Transitions: IoT, AI-driven Robotics, and Autonomous Control Strategies

Ujjwala Yedage — 2026-04-04

The global manufacturing landscape is undergoing an unprecedented paradigm shift driven by the convergence of cyber-physical systems, artificial intelligence (AI), and advanced robotics, collectively catalysed by the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0) and its emerging successor, Industry 5.0. Mechatronics, as an integrative engineering discipline that synergises mechanical engineering, electronics, computer science, and control theory, occupies a pivotal role at the intersection of these revolutions. This study presents a comprehensive review of the evolving role of mechatronics in facilitating and accelerating the industry 4.0 to 5.0 transition, with particular emphasis on three critical technological pillars: the internet of things (IoT), AI-driven robotics, and autonomous control strategies. Through a systematic survey of literature published between 2015 and 2025, this review examines how IoT-enabled mechatronic systems achieve real-time sensing, edge computing, and bidirectional data exchange across heterogeneous industrial networks. The study critically analyses the deployment of machine learning algorithms, including deep reinforcement learning (DRL), convolutional neural networks (CNNs), and transformer-based architectures in intelligent robotic platforms and flexible manufacturing systems. Furthermore, it investigates autonomous control paradigms such as model predictive control (MPC), adaptive control, multi-agent coordination, and digital twin frameworks that enable self-organising, fault-tolerant manufacturing ecosystems. The review identifies key challenges encompassing interoperability standards, cybersecurity vulnerabilities, energy efficiency, human-robot collaboration (HRC), and ethical considerations in autonomous decision-making. It delineates the conceptual boundary between Industry 4.0 (efficiency-centric, data-driven automation) and Industry 5.0 (human-centric, resilient, and sustainable co-creation), mapping how mechatronic innovations bridge these paradigms. Case studies from automotive, aerospace, pharmaceutical, and smart logistics sectors are synthesised to illustrate real-world deployment trajectories. The paper concludes with a forward-looking research agenda identifying open problems, emerging technologies such as neuromorphic computing and soft robotics, and strategic recommendations for researchers, engineers, and policymakers.

Design and Optimization of Acoustic Metamaterial-based Musical Instruments with Topologically Robust Sound Propagation and Wave Control

Rittwik Mahmud — 2026-06-02

Acoustic metamaterials have emerged as a transformative platform for controlling and manipulating sound propagation beyond the constraints of conventional material systems. This study investigates the design and development of musical instruments incorporating acoustic metamaterials that support topologically robust sound transport. By exploiting principles from topological physics, including protected edge states and defect-immune waveguiding, the proposed instruments enable highly controlled acoustic transmission with reduced dissipation and enhanced stability against structural disorder. The work presents a comprehensive framework encompassing theoretical design principles, numerical simulations, fabrication methodologies, and experimental characterization of prototype instruments. Finite element modeling is employed to analyze wave dispersion characteristics and validate topological band structures, while experimental prototypes demonstrate consistent sound localization and robust transmission under varying environmental and structural conditions. Results indicate significant improvements in tonal stability, resonance tuning precision, and immunity to fabrication imperfections compared with conventional acoustic designs. Furthermore, the integration of metamaterial architectures facilitates novel mechanisms for acoustic filtering and mode shaping, enabling expanded expressive capabilities in musical applications. The findings demonstrate the potential of topological acoustic metamaterials to redefine instrument engineering and open new avenues in wave-based musical design, acoustics research, and applied physics. Additionally, the study discusses the potential scalability of the proposed designs for integration into both traditional acoustic instruments and digitally augmented performance systems, emphasizing their applicability in real-world musical contexts. The proposed approach also provides a foundation for future interdisciplinary research bridging materials science, applied physics, and computational acoustics. These advancements highlight a paradigm shift in acoustic instrument design driven by topological concepts with implications for performance optimization, noise control, and future smart material integration in acoustics and advanced musical applications research.

A New Consideration of the Explicit Calculation Model of Variable-Speed EVI Scroll Compressor

RyongChol Rim — 2026-05-29

The development of explicit calculation models for accurate and rapid prediction of the performance of a variable speed EVI scroll compressor is vital for the design of scroll compressors of this kind and their utilizing systems. This study analyzes the compression process, including the injection process of refrigerant in a variable speed EVI scroll compressor, and a new modelling technique was applied to develop explicit equations that improve the results of previous work. As a result of parameter prediction of the compressor by using proposed model, the injection mass flow rate can describe 82.5% of the experimental data with a deviation of ±10%, the total input power can describe 90.5% of the experimental data with a deviation of ±5%, and the discharge temperature can describe 93.7% of the experimental data with a deviation of ±4K, which proves to have a clearer physical meaning, high accuracy and to be relevant to applications.