Producing components using plastic injection moulding machines
Overview
This standard identifies the competencies you need to produce components by plastic injection moulding, in accordance with approved procedures. You will be required to check that the injectionmoulding machine is ready for the operations to be performed and that all the required materials and consumables are available. You will be expected to check that the mould tools are free from damage, which could impair the quality of the mouldings produced and that all services required to operate the machine are fully operational.
You will be required to operate the injection moulding machine, in line with safe working practices and approved procedures and to continuously monitor the moulding operations, making any necessary adjustments to settings in order to ensure that the work output is to the required quality and accuracy. Meeting production targets will be an important issue and your production records must show consistent and satisfactory performance.
Your responsibilities will require you to comply with organisational policy and procedures for the plastic injection moulding activities undertaken and to report any problems with the moulding activities that you cannot personally resolve, or are outside your permitted authority, to the relevant people. You will be expected to work with a minimum of supervision taking full responsibility for your actions and for the quality and accuracy of the work that you produce.
Your underpinning knowledge will provide a good understanding of your work and will provide an informed approach to applying plastic injection moulding procedures. You will understand the plastic injection moulding process and its application and will know about the equipment, materials and consumables, in adequate depth to provide a sound basis for carrying out the activities, correcting faults and ensuring the completed mouldings are to the required specification.
You will understand the safety precautions required when operating the plastic injection moulding machines and when using the associated tools and equipment. You will be required to demonstrate safe working practices throughout and will understand the responsibility you owe to yourself and others in the workplace and towards the environment.
Setting up of the plastic injection-moulding machine, its tooling and associated delivery/collection mechanisms are the subject of another standard.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
| 1. work safely at all times, complying with health and safety legislation, regulations, directives and other relevant guidelines 2. follow the component drawing or any other related specifications for the component to be produced 3. obtain and prepare the appropriate tools, equipment and materials 4. carry out the moulding activities using the appropriate methods and techniques 5. produce components to the required specification 6. check that all the required operations have been completed to specification 7. deal promptly and effectively with problems within your control and report those that cannot be solved 8. ensure that work records are completed, stored securely and available to others, as per organisational requirements 9. leave the work area in a safe condition on completion of the activities, as per organisational and legal requirements |
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
| 1. the specific safety precautions to be taken whilst carrying out the activities (including any specific legislation, regulations or codes of practice relating to the activities, equipment or materials) 2. the health and safety requirements of the work area and the activities, and the responsibility these requirements place on you 3. the hazards associated with the activities, and how to minimise them and reduce risks 4. the personal protective equipment and clothing (PPE) to be worn during the activities 5. how to obtain the job instructions for the production operations and how to interpret the information 6. the basic parts and functions of plastic injection moulding machines and moulds (to include mould location points; mould heating/cooling arrangements; machine controls; hydraulic, pneumatic and electricity supplies; material delivery and collection systems; guards and other safety devices) 7. the types of mould tools that are used and their typical applications 8. the importance of checking the moulds for damage or other non-conformance, prior to starting up the injection moulding machine 9. the different types of component delivery/collection systems that are used on plastic injection moulding machines 10. the machine operating parameters that may require adjusting during the injection moulding activities (such as temperature, pressure, speed/timings and distance) and how to adjust them 11. the effects that changes to settings will have on the quality of the components produced 12. the different types of materials used in the plastic injection moulding process 13. preparations to be carried out on the materials in order to ensure that the completed components meet the required specification 14. the temperature range of the material being moulded and the mould being used 15. methods of checking the finished mouldings to ensure they are to the required specification 16. identification of moulding defects, their causes and methods of prevention 17. how to make adjustments to machine settings to deal with such defects as flashing, short shot, distortion and colour problems 18. the quality control procedures used and inspection checks to be carried out on the mouldings produced and the equipment to be used 19. the problems that can occur with the plastic injection moulding activities, and how these can be overcome 20. the importance of keeping the plastic injection moulding equipment clean and free from damage, good housekeeping of tools and equipment and maintaining a clean and unobstructed working area 21. the extent of your own authority and whom you should report to if you have problems that you cannot resolve 22. how to access, use and maintain information to comply with organisational requirements and legislation |
Scope/range
Scope Performance
| 1. Prepare for the plastic injection moulding operations, by carrying out all of the following activities: 1. obtain all necessary documents and job instructions for the moulding operations being performed 2. ensure the work area is clear of obvious hazards 3. adhere to health and safety regulations, systems and procedures to realise a safe system of work 4. check that there are sufficient raw materials available and that they meet the component specification 5. ensure that there are appropriate facilities for storing the completed mouldings 2. Carry out all of the following checks on the injection moulding machine: by carrying out all of the following checks: 1. checking the correct mould tool is located in the machine and is complete, clean and free from damage 2. ensuring that mould surfaces are clean and free from damage 3. checking that secondary mould tool components are clean and free from damage 4. checking that all moulding parameters have been set correctly (such as temperature, pressure, speed/time, distance) 5. checking that component delivery/collection mechanisms are working correctly (such as robots, conveyors, separators and collection chutes) 6. ensuring that all guards, screens and safety mechanisms are in place and in good working order 7. checking that all services are connected and that all connections are in good order (such as water, electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic) 8. checking that all machine controls are operational 3. Produce plastic injection mouldings, using two of the following types of mould tools: 1. two-plate tools 2. three-plate tools 3. combination/composite tools 4. split tools 5. unscrewing tools 4. Produce plastic injection mouldings from two of the following types of material: 1. acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) 2. polystyrene 3. nylon 4. polyethelene 5. polycarbonate 6. acetal 7. polypropylene 8. other specific material 5. Complete the visual inspection and segregation of mouldings, according to company procedures, for all of the following: 1. mouldings which meet the required specification 2. mouldings which have defects 3. mouldings that require further investigation 6. Monitor moulding operations, and make adjustments to the machine settings to deal with **two** of the following issues: 1. flashing 2. short shot 3. distortion 4. burning 5. colour deviation 7. Check plastic injection mouldings comply with one of the following quality and accuracy standards: 1. current industry standards and codes of practice 2. international standards 3. company standards and requirements 4. customer standards and requirements |