GN CONTACT-HEAT THERMOFORMERS - IDEAL FOR THE PRODUCTION OF FACE SHIELDS!
In response to Covid-19, GN has worked with two local companies to develop face shields to assist and protect front line health care workers! This led to the development of a very successful process confirming that our GN3021DX or GN3625DX are ideal for the production of those shields.
Although GN Thermoformers have been used in the past as cutting presses, they have never been used in such abundance for one particular product such as the shields. Customers are running 3-Up shield tools, achieving 25 cycles per minute with or without RSX robotic stackers.
We are pleased to help our customers to support their local front line workers. Should you be interested in a similar project, we would be happy to assist you and share the expertise we have gained which has led to the implementation of a few steps, making this process more efficient:
- We wrap some cloth around the rollers and the sheet lift bars to prevent scratching
- There is no covering on the cut plate and it is heated to 70° C. to help slightly reduce the cut force
- The operator manually takes the parts from the machine and stacks them into an alignment fixture to keep the stacks of 100 pieces stable. This prevents the shields from sliding on each other and getting scratched.
- Each bundle of 100 is then wrapped with plastic film to keep the bundle tight, again to avoid scratches. They will be later assembled during a separate process.
- Running a 3-Up Tool maximizes the forming area of a GN3021DX. It includes 18 small hardened dies that cut out the slots to insert the elastic.
There are various versions of the finished product, each associated with its own material and labor costs. The following are some examples:
The Covid-19 pandemic has certainly brought this demand for shields to the forefront and made us all realize that we were not ready for this virus. Although the current requirements are very high worldwide, we now know that in future, a stable level of inventory will be essential to ensure that our front line workers are always protected.
Should you consider moving forward with such production of shields in your own area, we would love to assist you in any way we can so please do not hesitate to contact us at your convenience. You may reach us by email at marketing@gncanada.com or by telephone at +1 902-275-3571.
Kind regards,
Your GN Sales & Marketing Team
GN Thermoforming Equipment
