Kate Ianessa Aragon 10-Erbium

Research 10

Region I
La Union Schools Division
REGIONAL SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL for REGION I
Bangar, La Union

Research Report
IMROVISED STYROPOR CUTTER
At present, Styropor or what we called Styrofoam is set for many applications such

as trays, plates, bowls, and fish boxes. Generally, Styrofoam is a useful material especially

for decorating. It is known as expanded polystyrene foam. Expanded polystyrene foam is a

thermoplastic. It can be heated and remoulded repeatedly. Basically, it is a synthetic, aromatic

polymer made from the monomer styrene. From being used as building materials to white foam

packaging, expanded polystyrene has a wide range of end-use applications.

Expanded polystyrene foam is one of the most widely used plastics, the scale of

its production being several million tons per year. It can be naturally transparent, but it can

also be colored with colorants. Uses include protective packaging such as packaging

peanuts, CD and DVD cases, containers, lids, bottles, trays, tumblers, and disposal

cutlery.

However, there are some errors in foam-cutting which can lead to the low quality of

styropors. One of the tools in cutting styropors is a plain cutter which is the most common

material used to shape and design Styrofoam. Yet, it takes too much time and effort in using it

especially when someone is on a rush. In some cases, the sides of the Styrofoam get rough
instead of having a flat and soft surface. And there are also cases when people cannot design the

figures they want because of the difficulty in using the cutter to achieve the desired design.

This problem led the researchers to design and develop a device that could cut styropor

accurately and effectively. Thus, the study “Improvised Styropor Cutter” was made.

In using the device, the selector switch was turned on to start heating the guitar string or

wire. Right after, the foot switch was pressed to manage the heating of the guitar string. Then, if

the guitar string is heated, the 10 by 10 inches styropor is pushed on to the guitar string to cut

the desired shape. Remember, after pressing the foot switch, ten (10) to fifteen (15) seconds

should lapse before using it to cut the styropor.

In data gathering, two treatments were prepared, namely: T0 (control) using the

Conventional Cutter Blade and T1 using the Improvised Styropor Cutter. Twenty (20) panelists

were asked to do the cutting. Each panelist was required to cut a 10 x 10 inches styropor

achieving the desired shape and size. Using a timer, time-consumed was recorded in cutting the

styropor in seconds. Surface finish and acceptability on manipulation were also evaluated by the

panelists by answering a questionnaire survey form using a rating scale with 5 as the highest

and 1 as the lowest.

Based from the results and findings of the study, the Improvised Styropor Cutter has a

thin piece of guitar string that heats up to 120⁰C making the cutting process more effective.

When heated, it can push the styropor into the string and forming it into its desired shape.

Likewise, it is more comfortable than the Conventional Cutter blade method.

On the other hand, the quality of outputs of the Improvised Styropor Cutter is better than

the Conventional Cutter blade because it has the ability to cut styropor with accuracy. It is also

easier to use and requires little learning in using. Moreover, using the Improvised Styropor
Cutter requires smaller force and less pressure is also applied on the hands which makes the

cutting process easy and more convenient.

Therefore, the Improvised Styropor Cutter is an effective device in cutting styropors.

In the light of the findings, the following points are highly recommended and suggested:

Add a border on the device for more accuracy in cutting styropors with to form straight edges.

Cutting styropors with different shapes and sizes should also be considered.It may also improve

by calibration and harder base for smooth manipulation. It is also suggested that the source of

power must be larger capacity of the solar panel. In additional, immediate utilization of the

Improvised Styropor Cutter to provide greater and quality outputs among the manufacturers.