Pultrusion
1. Pultruder Start Up:
_____1.1 Attach air supply at back of Main Puller Panel.
_____1.2 Verify that the ends of the hoses are in the drain below puller #2.
_____1.3 Place a five gallon bucket under the location where the hoses attach to the plumbing at the wall to catch water drip-off.
_____1.4 Verify that hoses are attached and open valves.
_____1.5 Switch the main electrical breaker for the heaters to On.
_____1.6 Switch the main electrical breaker for the pullers to On.
_____1.7 Switch the main power for the oil heater to On (on the side of the machine).
_____1.8 Adjust the oil temperature from 100oF to 200oF by pressing the up arrow button on the control pad.
_____1.9 Push the green Heater Start Button.
Warning: The black iron pipe and die will become hot.
_____1.10 Plug in the Puller Force Meter located to the right on the Main Puller Panel.
_____1.11 Switch the power to On for the temperature display panel.
_____1.12 Switch both of the power switches to On for the hydraulic system at the Puller Main Power Panel.
_____1.13 Switch the Water Supply and Die Clamp Panel On.
_____1.14 Turn the key for the Clamp Key On.
_____1.15 Plug in the heat gun and set next to rod exit from the die.
_____1.16 Plug in the chop saw.
2. Resin Bath and Fiber Preparation:
_____2.1 Move both fiber roving racks into position such that fibers exit the racks freely.
_____2.2 Check fiber rovings for possible knots, if knots are present, untie them.
_____2.3 Placethe metal drip pan in-between the resin bath assembly and the forming guide.
_____2.4 Attach resin troughto forming guide bracket such that excess resin from die and forming guide will be caught and drain into the buckets.
_____2.5 Place catch buckets under resin trough and inside the metal pan to catch excess resin.
_____2.6 Guide copper wire through the die.
_____2.7 Locate 6 E-glass fiber rovings, tape them tightly into a bundle and guide them through the resin bath assembly.
_____2.8 Hook wire to rovings by pushing it through the middle of the bundle and hooking the tape.
_____2.9 Guide bundle through the die by pulling the wire back through until taped end is out of die.
_____2.10 Tape and braid 6 more glass rovings to the rovings already through the die and pull through until the taped end is through the die.
_____2.11 Tape and braid another 6 glass rovings and pull them through the die until the taped end is completely through.
_____2.12 Tape and braid in the 3 carbon and 2 aramid rovings to the glass rovings and pull them completely through the die.
_____2.13 Pull the complete bundle of fiber rovings through die and guide them through puller 1 and then through puller 2.
3. Manufacturing Process:
_____3.1 Place green vacuum bagging material inside resin bath.
_____3.2 Placethe wet-out assembly in the bath on top of the vacuum bag material and pull the vacuum bag material so that it is pulled tight against the assembly.
_____3.3 Place two screws on opposite sides of the assembly and tighten themthrough the vacuum bagging material.
_____3.4 Add the mixed resin to the resin bath so that it is ½ inch below the top of the resin bath.
_____3.5 Turn the Pump On key to the On position at the system control panel.
_____3.6 Turn the Cylinder Clamp key to the On position.
_____3.7 Set the puller function to Auto operation.
_____3.8 Press the System Stop button and hold to reset the pullers.
_____3.9 Turn on the heat gun.
_____3.10 Press the System Start button to start the puller system.
_____3.11 Keep the fiber rovings pulled tight through puller 2 until it clamps a pultruded rod.
_____3.12 Once the pultruded rod is through puller 2 cut the dry fiber rovingswith shears and discard appropriately.
_____3.13 Pull fully cured pultruded rod for approximately 20 minutes or until a satisfactory rod has been produced.
_____3.14 Empty catch buckets back into resin bath to keep resin above the bottom rollers.
_____3.15 Using the chop saw with a quick motion, cut the pultruded rod approximately every four feet.
4. Pultruder Shut Down:
_____4.1 Using a screwdriver, remove the bolts holding the fiber wet-out assembly in the bath.
_____4.2 With the pullers still running, raise the fiber wet-out assembly out of the resin bath.
_____4.3 Remove the two lower rollers, the outside two of the assembly, using a screwdriver.
_____4.4 Carefully, remove the fibers from the fiber wet-out assembly.
_____4.5 Hold up the dry fibers until they become taught (do not allow dry fibers to go into the resin bath).
_____4.6 Continue pulling the fibers through the die while spraying acetone on the fibers to clean the excess resin from the die.
_____4.7 Reset the oil temperature to 70 oF with the down-arrow key located on the heating unit, and allow the die to cool to 130 oF.
Caution: The die will remain hot for some time and should not be touched until cooled.
_____4.8 Press the System Stop button the on Puller Main Power Panel to stop the pullers, when the fiber rovings exits the die completely resin free.
_____4.9 Turn off the heat gun and unplug.
_____4.10 Using a pair of scissors, cut and discard of the fiber rovings attached to the end of the last part.
_____4.11 Tape the fiber rovings together near where you made the cut with the scissors.
_____4.12 Unplug the saw and hook the saw’s safety chain with the saw lowered.
_____4.13 Turn Pump On to the Off position.
_____4.14 Turn Clamp Cylinder key Off.
_____4.15 Turn the Clamp Key Off.
_____4.16 Turn Off switches on the Puller Main Power Panel.
_____4.17 Turn Off temperature display panel once the temperature readings are at 130oF or lower.
_____4.18 Turn Offthe Water Supply on the Die Clamp Panel.
_____4.19 Press Heater Stop Button on the heating unit.
_____4.20 Turn Main power switch to the heating unit Off.
_____4.21 Unplug the Puller Force Meter.
_____4.22 Switch main breaker for heating unit Off.
_____4.23 Switch main breaker for pullers Off.
_____4.24 Turn off both water valves.
5. Clean-Up
_____5.1 Fully dismantle the fiber wet-out assembly.
_____5.2 Place the disassembled assembly into the dip tank to soak for approximately 24 hours and then wipe clean.
_____5.3 Place the rollers and bolts in a small container with acetone. Wipe clean after allowing the rollers and bolts to soak for a minimum of 15 minutes.
_____5.4 Place the acetone container under the hood.
_____5.5 Lift excess resin out of the resin bath by lifting the green vacuum bag material out of the tub and carefully dumping the resin back into the bucket containing the original pre-mixed resin.
_____5.6 Place the white bucket and all other buckets used into the oven set at 200 0F until cured.
_____5.7 Use acetone to wipe clean the forming guide, the resin trough, and any other parts or spots on the pultrusion machine or floor.
_____5.8 Sweep floor around saw area and dispose of sweepings.
_____5.9 Return all tools used to proper location.
1