Safety Considerations
Modified on Sunday, 01 February 2015 12:00 AM by mpieler — Categorized as: Consultants Corner
Safety considerations
Vol. 27 #2, November 2000
Following are some safety considerations when running an extruder:
Safety gates and guards should be in place.
Wear safety glasses at all times.
Wear hearing protection, if required.
Keep the floor free of pellets as they act as ball bearings and can cause a bad fall.
Avoid standing opposite the die, melt pipe and head flanges, as they can unexpectedly squirt hot polymer especially during the heat up and start up stages.
Avoid standing downstream from head or flange bolts and rupture disk, especially at start up. An over-pressure condition can cause a bolt to break and shoot out like a bullet. Contamination can cause rapid screen pack plugging, which the over-pressure and shutdown circuits may not safely detect.
Keep hands and metal items out of the feed throat. To break a pellet bridge or resin jam, use a plastic or wood rod.
When checking an open vent, wear a full face, clear, polycarbonate shield.
- John R. Wagner, Jr., J. V W. Enterprises, Inc.
See also:
Electrical checks
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