Formech 450DT, Installation, Operating And Service Manual

Page 1: ... Installation Operating and Service Manual Desktop Vacuum Forming Machine For Parts Service Technical Assistance Telephone 44 0 1582 496 797 Fax 44 0 1582 496 646 450DT ...

Page 2: ...from Memory 16 Operating Techniques 17 Optional Extras and Accessories 17 Reducing Windows Fitting optional 19 Trolley Self Assembly Instructions optional 20 Reel Feed Self Assembly Instructions optional 22 Tooling 23 450DT Standard Baseboard 24 450DT Reducing Window Baseboard 24 Plastics 25 Post Forming Operations 26 After Forming 26 Trimming 26 Warranty 27 Seals 27 Heating Elements 27 Vacuum Sys...

Page 3: ... panels Never remove any warning labels from the machine Note the HOT SURFACES safety labelling on the heater heater guard These areas can become VERY HOT Only use the machine for vacuum forming plastic It is not intended for any other purpose Ensure that the area you are working in is properly ventilated and that you are aware of the potential hazards from the plastics you are forming It is the r...

Page 4: ...NT SUCH AS GLOVES WHEN TESTING THE HEATED PLASTIC HANDLING HOT VACUUM FORMED PARTS MANUALLY ASSISTING THE FORMING PROCESSS AND TOUCHING HOT SURFACES INFRARED RADIATION IS EMITTED BY THE QUARTZ HEATERS ENSURE THAT ANY EXPOSURE TO THIS TYPE OF RADIATION IS SHORT OR COMPLETELY AVOIDED 3 Toxic Fume Inhalation When large sheets of plastic are heated fumes will be given off ENSURE THAT THE MACHINE IS PO...

Page 5: ... FORCE TO ANY ITEM OTHER THAN THE CLAMPING OF SHEET PLASTICS AS PART OF THE VACUUM FORMING PROCESS DO NOT USE THE TOP OF THE HEATER OR TOP OF THE HEATER GUARD TO STACK PLASTICS OR OTHER MATERIALS DO NOT USE THE MACHINE TO STACK OR LEAN ITEMS AGAINST THE SIDES DO NOT USE ANY OTHER PART OF THE HEATER TO MOVE THE HEATER FORWARDS AND BACKWARDS OTHER THAN THE HEATER HANDLE DO NOT USE OR MODIFY THE ELEC...

Page 6: ...ater safety shut off after idle period A powerful filtered diaphragm vacuum pump Vacuum gauge indication An air blow facility to release the moulding from the tool An external pressurized air outlet port to allow air supply to external accessories The machine has been designed to be highly adaptable and functions such as changing a mould or fitting reducing windows which allow smaller sheets to be...

Page 7: ...crews are fitted to the under side of the trolley machine Ensure the machine and or trolley is sited on a level surface in a draft free environment with a minimum of 40cm access around the machine Ensure that the area on and around the machine is clear of all other stored items and materials More access may be required for maintenance and this desktop machine may be easily moved if necessary Noise...

Page 8: ...achine Arrangement 1 Fuse Holder The machine is protected with a 13A fuse accessible from the outside 2 Power Inlet Receptacle C20 The machine has a C20 receptacle on the side The power cable has a C19 Plug to fit this receptacle If your machine is a special voltage or frequency then it may be supplied with a lead not terminated into a mains plug See Safety section at the beginning of this manual ...

Page 9: ...lastic and locked in place to ensure a good vacuum seal At the end of the cycle the table is returned to the lower position by pushing the handle back and away NOTE A mechanical interlock designed to prevent a mould being raised into the heating elements stops the table being raised unless the heater box is fully back 10 Heater Box This carries the heating elements and is drawn forward by manually...

Page 10: ...Manual Formech 450DT V1 0 0317 10 General Arrangement 525 761 340 Power inlet socket Air outlet port 639 955 530 562 Machine Footprint Dimensions are in mm ...

Page 11: ...nd saved if required Heater Power Setting Allows adjustment of the heat power for each zone Adjustable in 1 increments Heater Standby Setting This feature allows reduction of the heater power level when the heater is in the rear position Page Forward This operation will advance to the next page in the help screen and memory settings screens Page Back This operation will return to the previous page...

Page 12: ...hine to assist with Vacuum air flow under the mould tool 4 Fix the mould tool in place Lower the table by pushing the table lever away from you 5 Open the material clamps see general arrangement and raise the clamp frame Place the plastic material over the aperture 6 Pull the clamp frame down and close the two material clamps The plastic should completely cover the white seals around the aperture ...

Page 13: ...wn on these screens in the language selected Press to open the operating screen in manual mode The Manual Operation screen will open as shown The Heater timer value on the Heater button will count UP when the heater is pulled forwards and stop when pushed back The Vacuum button will latch the vacuum ON when pressed The Release button will momentarily activate the pump pressure when pressed Heater ...

Page 14: ...tness is correct push the heater fully back 1 Lift the table until it is fully raised Then press the VACUUM button to latch on the vacuum The moulding will form around the tooling Once released the moulding is now complete and the table may be lowered Release the clamp frame to remove the moulding for inspection Review the results and determine the parameters required to produce the forming Use th...

Page 15: ...d The Manual mode default heater settings are shown Heater power settings are adjusted by pressing on the heater button and changing the value using the pop up keypad on the adjust screen 450DT Settings Once set to a required value press on a zone and the value will transfer to that zone Repeat the process on the other zones to set the required heat power values Heat power may be set in 1 incremen...

Page 16: ... Procedure 450DT Saving Parameters to Memory When save is pressed on the settings screen the available memory slots are shown Press the forward arrow to advance to memory positions 11 20 Press the Back arrow to return to the settings page if required Press on a previously saved memory slot to change an existing record or select a new slot to save as required When a memory position is selected the ...

Page 17: ... sufficiently relaxed to become indented by the blunt end of a pencil but not soft enough to sag A properly heated sheet will give an excellently defined moulding If the sheet is not hot enough while forming the moulding will not pick up all the detail from the tool The times below were recorded using styrene at an ambient temperature of 20 degrees C With the machine at operating temperature Pleas...

Page 18: ...ducing windows For more information please contact our sales department 3 You can use your vacuum forming machine for blow moulding by fitting a special circular reducing window to your machine The maximum diameter you will get on the 450DT is 270mm For more information please contact our sales department 4 The Formech machine trolley allows you to easily move your 450DT machine The 2 locking cast...

Page 19: ...ted to the machine 6 Close and lock the clamp frame At this stage you may have to adjust the toggle clamps 2 The lower reducing window locates over the two cap head screws 3 There is one cap head screw at the front and another one at the rear opposite side 4 Place the upper reducing window in the clamp frame at the rear 5 Then locate it at the front of the clamp frame The hole on the top plate of ...

Page 20: ...s required 10mm spanner for the dividers and machine security fixings 13mm spanner for castor screws 4mm Hex tool or screwdriver for button head screws C Assembly 1 Start with the bottom tray that will need the four castors and the dividing panels for material storage to be secured in place Ensure the two locking castors are fitted at the front of the lower tray Fit castors using the M10 washers a...

Page 21: ...xings to the struts and lower tray with the remaining plain washers and M6 button head screws Tighten all 24 strut fixings securely Turn the assembly over so that the 4 casters are on the floor and check for stability 5 When locating the machine on the trolley ensure the machine rubber feet are located in the clearance holes of the trolley top Ensure that local lifting and handling procedures are ...

Page 22: ...locking collars either side of the reel Then tighten the two collars to the central shaft so that the cones are locked in place Now locate the shaft and the material on top of the reel feed stand TAKE CARE WHEN LIFTING HEAVY LOADS SUCH AS PLASTIC REELS FOR USE WITH THIS OPTION ENSURE THAT LOCAL LIFTING AND HANDLING PROCEDURES ARE APPLIED AND MONITORED BY A PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR HEALTH AND SAFETY ...

Page 23: ...he plastic sheet before it can take up the full definition Resin tools combine most of the advantages of metal moulds with relative ease of manufacture Various resinous materials are commercially available especially for vacuum forming tool production Repairs to the vacuum circuit can be costly The use of talc as a release agent is not recommended It may clog the vacuum filter valves and hoses MDF...

Page 24: ...aperture size front to back and left to right If necessary the MDF baseboard can be screwed down to the table with self tapping screws in the corners 300XQ standard base board R2mm 0 078 radius on top edge all round to top MDF from flaking 450DT Standard Baseboard 426mm 16 77 276mm 10 87 Make board 4mm 0 15 smaller than reducing window aperture front to back and left to right 115mm 4 52 8mm 5 16 2...

Page 25: ...ill mould but difficulties may be encountered It is not within the scope of this manual to attempt to list all the potential problems and their solutions It is recommended that the newcomer to vacuum forming gains experience and confidence with easily formed materials before moving onto the more difficult materials Formech has available a Vacuum Forming Guide which will cover some of these topics ...

Page 26: ...umerous methods available for this process Thin materials can be trimmed with a sharp knife Shaped cutting dies can be used to cut out intricate shapes If no flange is required on the finished product then a trimming saw mounted in a pillar drill will cut the moulding in a horizontal plane to free it from the surrounding material In mass production environments the range of equipment available for...

Page 27: ...ome extremely hot when power is applied The wire expands and contracts as it heats and cools Eventually due to the continual expansion and contraction the wire will fracture and a new element will be needed This may take 10 years or more Because of this we are unable to apply our standard warranty to Quartz heating elements However our experience is that this form of infrared heating is durable re...

Page 28: ...r similar to achieve a good surface for the new adhesive to key with Ensure that the surface is clean from dust dirt and grease 2 Apply a generous bead of high modulus silicone sealant to the masked area and smooth down to give a consistent layer 3 Cut the silicone strip in lengths long enough to overlap the corners Do not stretch the seal strip when measuring or applying Lay each strip on to the ...

Page 29: ...ticular zone Remove the relevant terminal block covers to determine this If you are a qualified electrical technician and conversant with electrical fault finding techniques then refer to the circuit information at the rear of this manual If you are uncertain then contact Formech for service and advice 3 Resistances for heating zones and individual elements are scheduled in the electrical trouble ...

Page 30: ...elevant terminal block cover s 5 Loosen and remove the element wires from the appropriate connector block 6 Remove the nuts and washers holding the faulty element Spanner key n 8 7 Remove element and fit the replacement new heating element ensuring the fixing screws are secured 8 Ensure that the connections are correctly fitted and the connector block screws are fully tightened Replace the connect...

Page 31: ...ectrical technician may work on any parts carrying mains voltage and should be responsible for ensuring that the machine is in a safe condition before allowing services to be restored ZONE ELEMENT TYPE RESISTANCE 5 ZONE 1 108Ω ZONE 2 50Ω ZONE 3 215Ω ZONE 4 178Ω 250W Quartz Element 215Ω 300W Quartz Element 178Ω 550W Quartz Element 100Ω If zone 1 or 2 has a resistance measurement that is double that...

Page 32: ...ent check the following Raise and lock the mould table in the up position Turn your machine on and press the Start button Check the reading you get on the vacuum gauge A vacuum gauge reading of 22 Hg or higher is normal A lower reading indicates poor vacuum where attention is required Press on the manual operation icon Turn the vacuum on ...

Page 33: ...locked The pump filter is blocked The vacuum valve is blocked or not operating The vacuum pump is blocked or faulty If the heater has been left in the forward position with no plastic in the clamp frame the table will start to overheat The pipe attached to the back of the table will shrink and constrict the passage of air Pipes become less flexible over time and may loosen or crack If the Vacuum p...

Page 34: ...lter Disconnect the electrical supply to the machine Remove the five screws retaining the rear panel The filter is connected to the pump as shown in the picture above Remove the pipe clips A B Remove the filter Fit the new filter ensuring that the arrow embossed on the filter is pointing to the pump with the internal spring on the right hand side Replace pipe clips A B Replace the rear panel and t...

Page 35: ... loose particles to build up particularly on the heater tray Lubrication The 450DT requires minimum lubrication Apply general purpose grease to the table guide bars when required to assist with table movement Apply a small amount of fine silicone oil or fine oil to the heater slide bars when required to assist free movement of the heater Service Repair ...

Page 36: ...Manual Formech 450DT V1 0 0317 36 Wiring Diagram Formech 450DT ...

Page 37: ...Manual Formech 450DT V1 0 0317 37 Wiring Diagram Formech 450DT ...

Page 38: ...1 Black Crank Handle Knob GH25 1 Interlock Spring GH40 4 Machine Rubber Mounting Foot GH41 1 450DT Table Mesh MPP44 1 5M Seal kit 5M Top Seal 3m Table Seal Sealant Seal kit A SK02 1 10M Seal kit 10M Top Seal 3m Table Seal Sealant Seal kit B SK03 1 Silicone Sealant Cartridge 85ml MPP01 1 5 2 Valve 24Vdc 6W P30 1 Vacuum Pump PAP02 1 Diaphragm Seal Set one side only PAP03 1 Top Washer PAP32 1 40mm Va...

Page 39: ...Mount Socket Switch EE49 1 Panel Mount Fuse holder 25mm EE50 1 25mm 13A Ceramic Fuse BS1362 240V EE51 1 Microswitch Hi temp EE34 1 Buzzer 12 24VDC EE96 1 BS1363 A 3Pin Plug to C19 Power Lead 13A EE57 1 EU Shuko Plug to C19 Power Lead 16A EE56 1 NEMA6 15 N America Plug to C19 Power Lead 15A EE74 Spare Parts Listing ...

Page 40: ...cuum Forming Machine Machine Function Thermoforming of Plastic Sheet Model Type 450DT Serial Number Date of Manufacture Is in conformity with the provisions of the following other EC Directives 2014 35 EU 2014 30 EU 2011 65 EU Technical File Compiled by Andrew Berry at address below Formech International Limited Unit 4 Thrales End Farm Thrales End Lane Harpenden Hertfordshire AL5 3NS United Kingdo...

Page 41: ...9 797 Fax 44 0 1582 469 646 spares formech com For Parts Service Technical Assistance North and South America Telephone 608 424 2524 spares formechinc com Formech International Limited Unit 4 Thrales End Farm Thrales End Lane Harpenden Hertfordshire AL5 3NS U K Tel 44 0 1582 469 797 Fax 44 0 1582 469 646 Email info formech com ...