Project Overview

• Horizon Roofing Inc., a commercial reproofing company requested help improving workplace efficiency to reduce dumpsters & crane usage, and reduce insulation waste. This led our team to outline a machine that could successfully grind-up removed insulation, transport the insulation debris off the roof, compact the ground-up debris, and find a way to re-use the insulation.

• ​Our team prioritized the grinding and transportation aspect. We tested various blade designs (as shown in the gallery above), eventually choosing a 8"x 8" square blade. A hexagonal shaft was utilized, and a hexagonal hole was drilled in each blade so that a staggered arrangement blade could be achieved. A 3 hp motor, and a pillow block setup was chosen to achieve the necessary rpm to keep up with the workers' speed. After researching & testing, it was decided that a compressed air vacuum, LineVac created by ExAir, would handle the debris transportation phase.

• ​Research and outside input revealed that if the ground-up insulation was compacted, it would be challenging to calculate the Insulation R-Value. Therefore, focus was pushed towards the re-use method. Due to Covid workplace limitations and project deadlines, our team was only able to brainstorm the re-use aspect. The primary idea was to mix an adhesive with the ground-up insulation and then blow it into attics for insulation. 

• Our project successfully met the customer’s parameters of improving efficiency. We successfully cut down crane usage from 8-12 hours to 2-3 hours. In addition, our design will reduce the yearly dumpster usage from roughly 2,000 down to 750 dumpsters.