I am doing project on Can Crusher , I need to know how exactly can i calculate the force needed to crush a can? Also, what are the best material used to build my machine? Regards
I would suggest obtaining the force needed empirically. The force can be considerably reduced simply by denting the side of the can. Best material would be steel being strong and cheap.
You can find the force you need by gently placing weight on top of the can until it collapses. You could do this with and without denting the can to determine if the benefit of less required force is worth the increased complexity required to make the dents. The force would just be the amount of weight it took times gravity. As far as calculating the force theoretically, that would depend on the geometry and materials of the can and require some complex equations you can find in your Mechanics of Materials text book. I'd avoid this unless this is a project for you MoM class and the professor told you to. Then you should be asking your classmates or professor this question. If you have access to a metal shop, I would use whatever scrap steel they have around. If not, you can use cheap pine wood. Keep it simple. Pull lever, crush can.
