Build It Like Ben: Ben builds an automatic can crusher…or does he?

Build It Like Ben: Ben builds an automatic can crusher…or does he?

New Tech Press: Ben, thanks for taking the time to join us today. So. Why a can crusher? Doesn't seem like a very “techie” thing to build.

Ben: Well basically, there were two reasons. One, If you are anything like me, you probably have piles and piles of pop cans or soda cans, depending on where you live, laying all over your house. What can be done to stop the madness? When will it end?” We had to save the world. Reason two, and this is the most important reason, I received a Viewer Challenge from a guy who calls himself the Longhorn Engineer. He wrote to me and said ‘Hey, Ben Heck, can you build an awesome automatic can crusher? He had a few ideas about how it could be done, so it just sounded like a fun challenge.

New Tech Press: What were Longhorn’s ideas for how it could be done?

Ben: He said he was thinking it could be solenoid powered and have a readout of how many cans have been crushed. So, basically, it took a “non-techie” thing, as you say, and made it really cool. He also had an idea for a mechanical solution, as well.

New Tech Press: So what was this solenoid idea all about?

Ben: Pretty simple really. Basically you make a big solenoid – like in a pinball machine, and then crush a can.

New Tech Press: Can you tell us the theory behind the solenoid?

Ben: Basically it’s just a whole bunch of wire that is wrapped around a coil, with a metal rod through the center. Once you apply current through the coil it induces a magnetic field through in the rod and shoots it out the end.

New Tech Press: Ok, so now you’re off to build this thing. What was the next step?

Ben: My friend Park came over with test solenoid set up. So we had a coil of wire, our bank of capacitors and our rectifier to turn the AC voltage to DC voltage all set up. Basically when we touched the two wires together the rod would shoot through and crumple the can.

New Tech Press: Did it work as planned?

Ben: Not exactly as planned, but with a few test tries and some blown breakers the solenoid kind of did its job, but not enough toto actually crush a can. So we set off to make a new solenoid that was even longer and more deadly. The goal was to make the new solenoid the same thickness as the old one, but longer in length. We hoped this would give the crushing rod more momentum and power.

See the sparks fly, and watch the video at www.element14.com/community/docs/DOC-24800/l/episode-3-ben-builds-an-automatic-can-crusher-or-does-he

A touch of solenoids

www2.electronicproducts.com/A_touch_of_solenoids-article-wccn_feb201015-html.aspx

Want to build your own automatic can crusher? See Ben’s Bill of Materials (BOM) at: www.newark.com/jsp/bespoke/bespoke7.jsp?bespokepage=e14/en_US_E14/landing/benHeck/benHeckShow.jsp

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