Injection molding machine safety

Safety device All machines are equipped (or should be equipped) with applicable electrical, hydraulic, and/or mechanical safety devices. Some of them, such as injection molding machines, have all three modes for safety operations. 

Of course, all materials that are processed in the molten state can cause bums if the hot material comes in contact with the skin. Care must be taken to avoid this, and it should be noted that molten material left in the barrel of an extruder or injection molding machine can "spit" unexpectedly. In all cases, it is recommended that the manufacturer s Material Safety Data Sheet be consulted before working with any of these materials. 

Occupational Safety Around Injection Molding Machines... 

The EN 201 of safety-related stipulations for injection molding machines has been turned into National Standards. For example, at present, it is applied in Germany in its April 1997 version as DIN EN 201. The hst of contents pertaining to this standard for injection molding machines is shown in Figure II-1. 

Juveniles must not be employed on injection molding machines. This does not apply to juveniles over 16, if this is neeessary for them, in order to achieve their educational aims and for as long as their safety is assured by professional supervision. 

ANSI/SPI B 151.29 Vertical Clamp Injection Molding Machines (VCIiMM) D Safety Requirements for the Manufacture, Care, and Use. 

Congratulations, you have just successfully completed making your first injection mold. Now that we have a mold we can try out the new injection molding machine, but first a few words about safety. 

Plastic injection molding machines are very common in many manufacturing plants around the world. Occasionally, the technician needs to reach inside the machine to clear out debris. Many hands and arms have been lost from trying to clean the debris while the machine was still powered on (though not running). An electrical interlock that automatically disconnects the power source when the inside envelope of the machine has been violated is another example of a safety device. 

Brazilian Association of Technical Standards. NBR 13536 injection molding machines for plastics and elastomeric. Technical safety requirements for the design, construction and use. Rio de Janeiro (2008). 

Polycarbonate can be readily injection molded. Polycarbonates typically require only a short injection molding cycle time, because the polymer flows into the mold easily and solidifies rapidly. We injection mold polycarbonate to produce a wide variety of commercial goods, including compact disks, jewel cases, aircraft windows, kitchen utensils, and clear refrigerators drawers. Polycarbonates are also found in a wide range of disposable medical devices, such as the flow locks on intravenous tubes and the hard, disposable components of dialysis machines. Impact resistant polycarbonate is used to manufacture sports and other safety helmets. Glass fiber reinforced polycarbonate is used in the housings for power tools. 

The purpose of injection molding is to produce polymer end products with high efficiency and to shape the products with complicated forms. Scientific molding is an important initial practice to make proper short shot. To start up with any mold, short shot is to be made for the safety of the machine and mold. Therefore, fimctional areas such as barrel and heating zones are important for their individual functions. 

Since injection molding clamping functions are fast and can be dangerous to the operator, certain safety features are required. An interlocked sliding gate at the front of the machine protects the operator. The interlocks are electrical, hydraulic, and mechanical. 

There are both three- and four-station injection blow molding machines in the industry today. Wheaton Industries, which is one of the largest injection blow molders in the world, pioneered the four-station design, primarily for safety. However, with the movement to PET on the injection blow molding machines the fourth station has become a necessity to allow for the core rods to be conditioned through the use of an air chamber. The core rods are not temperature controlled, but are allowed to have their bodies or shanks, to cycle within a specified temperature window. 

Injection time, the maximum time for which injection can occur, is the setting on a timer. When this time is set for the transfer technique (transfer from fill to pack), it determines the time in which the cavity fills. However, if other transfer techniques are used, the time setting is merely a safety or default value. Thus, if transfer does not occur by the other technique, the machine switches to pack or second stage at the set time. When time is set for the transfer technique, injection time is incremented until the entire shot size is injected into the mold and the plastication begins immediately. When other transfer techniques are used, injection time is set 1 to 2 seconds higher than the time required for injection. 

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