GRANT BEALL

Our team worked on a problem presented by a nanotechnology company called nanoRANCH based in Fort Worth, TX.

 

Problem:

Aluminum scrap metal, specifically from cars, is difficult to process for recycling because it must be sorted by alloy first. Aluminum alloys are very similar and need precise technology to sort

 

Goal:

Create a machine capable of rapidly sorting randomly shaped and sized aluminum scrap metal by alloy series.

 

Payoff:

There is already an abundance of aluminum scrap that cannot be rapidly recycled and this abundance will increase tremendously with FORD's new aluminum frame F-150. Currently most aluminum scrap is shipped overseas for hand sorting. This creates a large market for recycling aluminum mechanically.