The Open Source Ball Mill is a highly customizable milling machine designed to be powered either by AC or off-grid photovoltaic power, allowing it to cater to a diverse user base. What's truly remarkable about this product is its affordability, with the AC version priced below US$130 and the off-grid photovoltaic version priced below US$315. This makes it an accessible and cost-effective tool for a wide range of applications, including science and engineering. Complete CAD files are available for users to modify and adapt the design to their specific needs.[1] Furthermore, detailed information about the device can be found in the HardwareX publication[2]. The Literature review page can be found at 3D printing of ball mill FAST Literature review.
The open source ball mill at FAST is helping us to grind the silicon waste from the photovoltaic industry to be used in the battery applications. Based on the validations on grinding silicon waste with the open source ball mill, the device is capable of working for days without interruption.
For more information contact Maryam Mottaghi.
Safety Training Requirements[edit | edit source]
- Dr. Pearce Safety Lab Tour
- Worker Health & Safety Awareness
- WHMIS 2015 - Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System
- Laboratory Safety & Hazardous Waste Management
Safety Issues With Method[edit | edit source]
- All the electrical connections must be properly insulated.
- The ball mill should function in a safe environment apart from people or food (e.g. a chemical fume hood). This can be critical depending on the type of material used.
- Use of mask, gloves and safety glasses is required while handling the powders to avoid the fine particles from being inhaled or getting in the user’s eyes.
- Powders should be isolated from other sensitive equipment.
- The users should follow safety guidelines for powders of their specific type and size (e.g. fine powders are often combustible).
- The open source ball mill is designed and validated to be used for dry materials.
- Materials that react with the polymer should not be used.
- The ball mill is validated by Si waste from solar panels, which indicates similar brittle materials like SiC or glass are compatible
Personal protective equipment[edit | edit source]
PPE is to keep YOU safe so that you can keep doing what you want to do.
- Safety glasses – always required
- Gloves
- Face mask
- Lab coats
SDS and other[edit | edit source]
Knowing what chemicals are in the lab and how they interact with each other is critical when accidents happen.
- Appropriate SDS sheets should be viewed online.
- Note the hazards listed on the door to the lab. If you introduce any new equipment or materials you must clear them with the responsible person listed on the lab door. If the responsible person is out of date, contact the departmental administrators to get it updated.
Equipment Name[edit | edit source]
- AC/off-grid photovoltaic powered open-source ball mill
- Located at TEB 28
Calibration & Tolerances[edit | edit source]
Operation & Procedure[edit | edit source]
Shutdown[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ https://osf.io/xa4ws/
- ↑ M. Mottaghi, M. Rahman, A. Kulkarni, J.M. Pearce, AC/off-grid photovoltaic powered open-source ball mill, HardwareX. 14 (2023) e00423. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ohx.2023.e00423.
