Plastics
Health and safety plays a vital role in the manufacture of plastic materials and components. The high temperatures involved in processes plastics creates risks to the workforce. This high heat can also create fumes which have been found to be carcinogenic. Plastics will continue to be a well used material for years to come due to their workability and speed of manufacture. But with ever growing concerns over long term sustainability, recyclability will be an ever more important factor.
Cenheard has extensive experience in both injection molding and extrusion manufacturing processes. Components for kitchens and furniture, cable ties, bearing components, bags and other packing materials. This versatile material is everywhere. The reliability of plastics processing machinery has resulted in a lot of old manufacturing equipment still being used today. As a result, Cenheard has been heavily involved with machinery upgrades and ongoing compliance assessments.
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Injection molding is the process of forcing molten plastic into a mold and then cooling the plastic to create formed parts. A surprising wide variety of products are manufactured in this way. The injection molding machines themselves are very versatile. To manufacture a different product, a simple mold change is required.
Cenheards experienced team of health and safety professionals have collaborated with our clients on several key projects. These range from developing risk assessments to writing standard operating procedures and conducting DSEAR assessments. DSEAR standards for ‘Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmosphere Regulations’. A DSEAR assessment is generally required for injection molding processes due to the presence of flammable materials being used or stored as part of the process.
XYZ robots are commonly used in conjunction with injection molding machines to remove parts from the machine mold after forming. These must be integrated with the injection molding machine via designated safety circuits. This ensures that the robot comes to a comes to a safe stop if an operator accesses inside the injection molding machine. As these machines are integrated a line conformity assessment must also be completed. This would include a line technical file and a declaration of conformity as part of the compliance validation process.
Extrusion is the process of forcing material through a die under intense pressure. The high pressures used to force the plastic through the die often creates enough heat to sufficiently melt the plastic. Therefore, additional external heat sources are often not required.
In plastics manufacturing this process is often used to create bags and packing material. The die forces the plastic into a tubular shape which is then cooled and rolled up. Afterwhich, the plastic rolls can be sent through a printing process. Later processing can then cut and seal the tubular plastic sheet to create plastic bags.
The experienced team of machinery safety engineers at Cenheard have conducted numerous PUWER assessments on extrusion equipment. This has then been followed by ongoing support to implement the identified actions. By providing an easy means of prioritising and implementing actions, Cenheard has helped with rapid changes resulting in safer workplaces.
A relatively new technology which has exploded in popularity in recent years. 3D printing is a highly versatile manufacturing technology, which really took off during the covid-19 pandemic. As the availability of machinery spare parts was significantly limited, maintenance engineers took it upon themselves to manufacture their own spares. This has led to a wave of 3D printer purchases and maintenance innovations. Today we still see maintenance teams utilising this technology as it can provide significant cost savings and reduced lead times.
Now a valuable tool in most engineering workshops. 3D printers provide a great way for a engineering apprentices to get involved in design processes. Substituting OEM parts for in-house manufactured spares. In some cases this provides better build quality as plastic filaments are available in carbon fibre and even kevlar type materials. Creating more robust spares such as robots tool heads, door hinges and sensor mounting brackets.
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