College - Author 1

College of Engineering

Department - Author 1

Mechanical Engineering Department

Degree Name - Author 1

BS in Mechanical Engineering

College - Author 2

College of Engineering

Department - Author 2

Mechanical Engineering Department

Degree - Author 2

BS in Mechanical Engineering

College - Author 3

College of Engineering

Department - Author 3

Mechanical Engineering Department

Degree - Author 3

BS in Mechanical Engineering

College - Author 4

College of Engineering

Department - Author 4

Mechanical Engineering Department

Degree - Author 4

BS in Mechanical Engineering

Date

12-2019

Primary Advisor

Lee McFarland, College of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering Department

Abstract/Summary

The asphalt shingle is a type of roof shingle that uses asphalt for waterproofing. Its low cost and easy installation make it one of the most common roof covers in North America. General Aniline and Film (GAF) is one of the nation’s largest manufacturers of roofing materials and produces asphalt shingles at their Shafter, California manufacturing facility. To manufacture asphalt shingles, a base material of fiberglass passes through a series of processes that sequentially add asphalt, ceramic-coated mineral granules, and thermoplastic adhesive. The fiberglass base-material arrives at the manufacturing facility in large rolls that workers must periodically splice together in series at the intake of the manufacturing line to maintain continuous production. The splicing process begins when workers hoist a new fiberglass roll with an integrated shaft onto open-mouth bushings behind the current production roll. Next, a worker manually rotates the roll in small increments while another worker carries the leading end into the splicing station. Then, two workers splice the lead end of the new fiberglass mat-roll to the trailing end of the current production-roll. Rotating the mat-roll requires the worker to apply a large force to overcome the inertia of the roll and the friction between the shaft and bushings, which presents an ergonomic hazard. The scope of this project is to design a system that rotates the fiberglass mat-roll mechanically.

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