The initial concept for the project was realized when the team became aware of the accumulation of large amounts scrap aluminum from laboratory experiments. These materials were often left to await recycling; however, the school did not have a device which could recycle or repurpose these metals in place. In the mechanical engineering discipline, casting is a common manufacturing practice. Unfortunately, while many of the courses offered a theoretical background on casting processes and techniques, they were unable to provide an experimental component as they lacked a device which could allow students to safely perform casting experiments. Thus, Team Electrode decided to design, manufacture, test and open source a device which could take waste and scrap materials from the various manufacturing and testing laboratories, and recycle these metals using a device which could melt them into molten metal and perform casting experiments, all while providing a safe learning environment for future students.
