Setup Operator Responsibilities

The setup operator has total control over setting and removing molds as well as starting up
and shutting down production runs. Specifically, the operator should do the following:

1. Supervise and install molds in injection molding machines in a safe and correct manner to
ensure proper functioning.
2. Ensure that all auxiliary equipment is connected and operating as required.
3. Startup the molding machine and establish a molding cycle that will produce parts that
meet customer requirements before releasing the machine to production.
4. Record molding cycle conditions for startup and note any nonconforming conditions of the
mold, cycle, and auxiliary equipment.
5. Ensure that all safety equipment and interlocks are functional and within tolerance.
6. Check out auxiliary equipment and hardware daily to be sure it is operational and in
calibration, with clean filters and no unsafe or damaged items.
7. Make sure all equipment, machines, and molds in machines are in a safe condition when
not running.
8. Maintain a clean and safe shop area, free froze resin, water, and hydraulic oil spills or
purging. Pick up and return all tools and equipment to their respective storage areas.
9. Assist in problem solving when parts go out of tolerance and provide operator training to
monitor machine conditions.
10. Perform other duties as required and requested by the molding room production manager
to ensure the safe operation of the molding department.
 INJECTION MOLDING STARTUP
Setting the injection molding cycle consists of the following operations, which should be
performed after the machine and mold are operating:

1. The molding machine’s feed hopper gate is opened and pre-dried resin is fed the slow
moving screw.
2. With the nozzle backed away from mold’s sprue bushing, set the screw turning at
operational RPMs while the resin is conveyed forward through the feed, transition, and
into the metering section. During this transition, the material absorbs heat from the barrel
and begins to melt. The molding machine is now an extruder that melts the resin through
conduction, heat from barrel, and barrel/screw shear heat. As the resin moves down the
barrel, it is compressed, melted, and pumped forward in front of the screw tip by the
shallowing screw flights. Material feed continues with the melt extruded from the nozzle
and air shots taken until the molten resin is up to operating temperature. When the melt
quality seems uniform, melt temperature is taken. If within molding parameters, the
machine’ s nozzle is brought forward into contact with the mold’s sprue bushing, the
mold is closed, clamp pressure is applied, and the molding cycle begins. Now, the screw
is forced back by the increasing volume of molten resin being built up ahead of its tip at
the front of the barrel. The volume of melt produced in front of the screw is based on the
number of ounces of material needed to fill the mold and runner system. A slight excess
in volume is added to provide about a ½ inch of melt cushion, or pad, in front of the
screw for maintaining packing pressure after the injection stroke has been made. The
volume of resin buildup is controlled by a limit switch that stops the screw’s rearward
travel and rotation when tripped. If melt temperature is off, machine adjustments are
made until it is within the required zone.
3. Hydraulic screw - back pressure may be applied against the screw’s rearward motion to
create additional screw - shear heat if difficulty is encountered in producing a good melt.
This may be required if rapid cycling of the press results in minimum travel to melt the
resin, unmelt pellets occur, or the screw is inefficient in producing a uniform resin melt
temperature. Heat- sensitive and glass- reinforced resins should use minimal pressure, if
 necessary, in the range of 25 to 50 PSI. This is because an increase in back pressure will
result in higher glass - fiber breakage, which results in lower physical properties in the
molded part.
4. The molding cycle continues with a shot of resin buildup in front of the screw. The screw
is then stopped from rotating, and the injection cycle begins with the screw forced
forward by hydraulic injection pressure. The screw is now acting as a ram that forces the
resin into the mold cavity. The check ring at the screw tip is forced rearward, sealing off
any material backflow over the screw. The resin is ejected into the mold at a selected first
- stage high - injection pressure and speed. The injection pressure and speed settings can
be selected to suit the resin and mold filling characteristics desired. To determine the
maximum injection pressure to use, calculate the number of square inches of part and
runner surface area and the clamp tonnage of the molding machine. This must be
computed so that the mold does not spring open during the injection stage, causing
flashing. As resin is injected, the trapped air is vented through the cavity venting system.
To calculate injection pressure, divide the pounds of clamp pressure, , converted from
tons, by the number of square inches of surface area of the part and runner:

clamp pressure (tons) (2000 lb/ton )

Injection pressure = mold cavity and runner surface area in^2

For example, the maximum injection pressure for a mold with 100 square inches of
surface area for a 350 - ton clamp machine would be 7000 PSI of pressure. This would
be 700 PSI gauge, as there is usually a factor of 10 of gauge pressure to actual injection
pressure. The injection pressure varies based on surface area of material and machine
clamp pressure. The time to fill the mold is based on the shear sensitivity of the material
plus the cavity ’ s gate size, and it can vary from slow to fast speeds with variable
injection pressures.
5. After filling the mold from 90 to 95 percent during the first stage, high reduced injection
is reduced by half to a lower second packing pressure stage to finish filling the cavity. If
injection pressure was not reduced rapidly, the mold cavity would fl ash. This packing
pressure is then held on the cavity until the gates freeze off and no more material can
 be forced into the cavity. During second - stage packing and before the cavity gate
freezes off, the part cools and shrinks. As a result, pressure must be maintained on the
melt to pack in as much resin as possible. This compensates for the resin’s shrinkage
during cooling.
6. After gate freeze- off, the cavity is sealed and the screw can start rotating to build up
the volume of resin for the next shot. The part, which is now cooling in the cavity,
continues to shrink according to its molecular structure. The part must now cool enough
to become rigid, so that when the mold opens it can be ejected from the cavity without
warping and the mold’ s ejector pins will not penetrate the surface to distort the part.
Part cooling time is based on the type of resin, part thickness, and crystallinity of the
resin, mold temperature, and complexity of the part. This is normally the longest time
period in the entire cycle.
7. The mold then opens and the part, sprue, and runner are ejected. The mold then closes
with maximum clamp pressure applied, the screw injects more resin, and the cycle
continues.