1st PROJECT ADVANCE: DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION AND

IMPLEMENTATION OF AN AUTOMATED PLASTIC INJECTOR.

JUAN CAMILO SUAZA PINEDA.

JHOANN STEVEN GONZÁLEZ SÁNCHEZ.
LEONARDO FABIO FERNÁNDEZ DIAZ.
VICTOR MAURICIO VALENCIA.
WILLIAM AGUIRRE GUISA.

First project advance to design, build and automate a plastic injection molding
machine.

Teacher: José Luis Rubiano Fernández.

De La Salle University.
Faculty of Engineering.
Automation Engineering.
Bogotá D.C. 2019

1
 CONTENIDO

Pág.
INTRODUCTION 9
OBJECTIVES 10
DEFINITION OF THE PROBLEM 10
1. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK 11
1.1 MOLDING BY INJECTION 11
1.2 TYPES OF INJECTION MACHINES 11
1.2.1 Piston machine 11
1.2.2 Piston machines with pre-plasticizing 12
1.2.3 Spindle machines 13
1.3 GEOMETRY OF THE INYECTORS 14
1.4 THE INJECTION CYCLE 15
1.5 CLOSURE FORCE OF THE INJECTOR UNIT 15
1.6 INJECTION CAPACITY 16
1.7 CHOICE OF PLASTICS 16
1.8 MOTORS 20
1.8.1 General characteristics 20
1.8.2 Electric motor 20
1.8.3 Pneumatic motor 22
1.8.4 hydraulic engine 22
1.8.4.1 Gear motors 23
1.8.4.2 Vane motor 23
1.8.4.3 Piston engines 23
1.8.5 Operating principles 23
2. STATE OF ART 25
3. ALTERNATIVES OF SOLUTION 27
3.1 MOLDING BY INJECTION 27
3.2 MOLDING BY BLOWING AND INJECTION 28
4. SELECTION CRITERIA 29

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5. SELECTION OF ALTERNATIVE 30
6. DEFINITION OF SUBSYSTEMS AND FUNCTION. 31
7. ELABORATION OF THE MODEL 34
CONCLUSIONS 35
BIBLIOGRAPHY 35

3
 LIST OF FIGURES

Pag.
Figure 1 12
Figure 2 12
Figure 3 13
Figure 4 14
Figure 5 14
Figure 6 15
Figure 7 18
Figure 8 19
Figure 9 21
Figure 10 21
Figure 11 22
Figure 12 30
Figure 13 31
Figure 14 32
Figure 15 32
Figure 16 33
Figure 17 33
Figure 18 33
Figure 19 34
Figure 20 34
Figure 21 34

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 LIST OF ANNEXED

Pág.

Annexed 1 37
Annexed 2 38
Annexed 3 39
Annexed 4 40
Annexed 5 41
Annexed 6 42
Annexed 7 43

5
 GLOSSARY

INJECTION: Action that consists in introducing a liquid or a pressurized gas

inside a body.

PLASTIC: are the materials consisting of a variety of organic, synthetic or semi-

synthetic compounds, which have the property of being malleable and therefore
can be molded into solid objects of various shapes.

PLASTICITY: is a mechanical behavior characteristic of certain inelastic

materials consisting of the ability to deform permanently and irreversibly when it
is subjected to stresses above its elastic range, ie, above its elastic limit.

PRESSURE: is a physical quantity that measures the projection of the force in a

perpendicular direction per unit of surface, and serves to characterize how a
determined force is applied on a line.

HARDNESS: Hardness is the opposition offered by materials to physical

alterations such as penetration, abrasion and scratching. For example: wood can
scratch easily, this means that it does not have much hardness, while metal is
much harder to scratch.

MATERIAL RESISTANCE: The resistance of an element is defined as its ability

to withstand forces and applied forces without breaking, acquiring permanent
deformations or deteriorating in any way.

MOLD: A mold is a piece, or a set of coupled pieces, internally hollow, but with
the details and external impressions of the solid future that you want to obtain.

FUSION POINT: is the temperature at which it changes from a solid to a liquid

state. At the melting point, the solid and liquid phase exist in thermodynamic
equilibrium. The melting point of a substance depends on the pressure and is
usually specified at a standard pressure, such as 1 atmosphere or 100 kPa.

ENERGY: energy is defined as the ability to perform a job. While, in technology

and economics, it refers to a natural resource (including its associated

6
technology) in order to extract it, transform it and give it an industrial or economic
use.

WORK: it is said that a force performs work when there is a displacement of its
point of application. The work of the force on that body will be equivalent to the
energy necessary to displace it.

ALTERNATE CURRENT: it is called the electric current in which the magnitude

and direction vary cyclically.

CONTINUOUS CURRENT: refers to the continuous flow of electrical charge

through a conductor between two points of different potential and electrical
charge, which does not change direction with time.

MACHINE: A machine is a set of mobile and fixed elements whose operation

makes it possible to take advantage of, direct, regulate or transform energy, or
perform work with a specific purpose.

MOTOR: is the systematic part of a machine capable of operating the system,

transforming some type of energy (electrical, fossil fuels, etc.) into mechanical
energy capable of performing a job.

POWER: is the amount of work done per unit of time.

TRANSFORMER: electrical device that allows to increase or decrease the

voltage in an electric circuit of alternating current, maintaining the power. The
power that enters the equipment, in the case of an ideal transformer (that is,
without losses), is equal to what is obtained at the output. Real machines present
a small percentage of losses, depending on their design and size, among other
factors.

INDUCTION: is the phenomenon that causes the production of an electromotive

force (emf or voltage) in a medium or body exposed to a variable magnetic field,
either in a mobile medium with respect to a non-uniform static magnetic field, or
the variation of the lines of field crossing that surface by a turn.

7
 SUMMARY

In this document, emphasis is placed on the first stage for the design,
construction and implementation of a plastic injection molding machine, which
consists of determining the most suitable type of structure for the objectives to be
achieved based on thesis, works and / or projects that have worked on the subject
previously, this in order to set a very strong base in terms of the physical
principles that model this type of machines to finally identify which alternative will
give a correct and efficient solution to the problem.

Plastic, Inyector, Machine, Design, Modeling.

8
 INTRODUCTION

Since the creation of plastic from petroleum (more or less end of World War II),
more than 8300 tons have been created around the world, amount of plastic that
can be compared with the Empire State Building in New York, but multiplied for
25,000. This is a very worrying phenomenon not only because of the amount that
is produced, also because of the amount that goes to the sea or that simply does
not have use. "According to the national geographic of the 8300" some 6,300
million tons are now waste, and 79% of them are in landfills or in the natural
environment. "In addition, only 9% of the plastic is recycled" 2 Currently the
production of plastic does not intend to stop because this material is one of the
most economical and reliable both for packing and for packing different foods or
objects, for this reason it is important to start a change and what better way to
generate it by proposing an alternative of solution within the reach of all people,
that is why this project aims to publicize a machine which allows recycling the
plastic used in daily life and transform it into an object with new capabilities of use
in order to avoid use more plastic than what is produced. It should be noted that
there is not a culture of recycling strong enough to encourage the sustainable use
of this material, therefore, it is important to complement this type of work
generating awareness in society about this type of phenomena that apparently is
invisible but that It is really serious.
This report aims to show the first phase for the design, construction and
implementation of a plastic injection machine, which consists of presenting the
first model of the machine, its subsystems, construction materials, selection
criteria, etc., to give a solid foundation to the future phases of this project. For the
design, the CAD program SolidWorks version 2018 was used, in addition to
consulting different documents on this type of machines in order to adapt one of
these models to the objectives to be achieved. As a result, a very interesting
design was obtained that can be a solution for small companies or even for those
fans who want to design their molds to make their own pieces of plastic.

9
 OVERALL OBJECTIVE

Design, build and implement with the help of a CAD program, a prototype
injection machine that allows to create a figure of 10 g.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

• Consult different prototypes and designs that have been created in the industry,
in addition to theses and degree projects that may be useful for design.

• Understand the physical principles and concepts that govern the behavior of the
machine.

• Carry out a scale design based on the investigated prototypes, which allows the
generation of 10 g figures.

• Determine the most suitable materials (Cost / Benefit) for the construction of the
prototype.

DEFINITION OF THE PROBLEM.

The project as such consists of the construction of a machine that allows to inject
plastic to produce different figures made in this material, considering the volume
to be handled, the most suitable materials for fluid control and the dimensions of
the structure. Hence the problem of How to obtain plastic figures from the
construction of a suitable injection molding machine for low density
polypropylene?

10
 1. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

1.1 MOLDING BY INJECTION:

The injection molding basically consists of melting a plastic material under
suitable conditions and introducing it under pressure in the cavities of a mold,
where it is cooled to a temperature at which the pieces can be extracted without
deforming. The great development that injection machines have suffered in
recent years has been influenced not only by the growing number of materials
and type of these available, but also by the growing demand for plastic items.
Many of the current materials such as PS, PA, PVC, PMMA, etc., were developed
in the decade of the 30s. "Injection molding is normally applied to thermoplastic
resins although, with certain modifications, it can be applied to materials
thermosetting and synthetic elastomers "3.
The injection process is divided into two important parts: the fusion of the material
and the injection, these two processes are what define the wide variety of existing
injection molding machines and also their use for different productivities.

1.2 TYPES OF INJECTION MACHINES:

1.2.1 Piston machine: In these machines the material, in the form of granules or
pellets, enters the heating cylinder through the feed hopper located in the rear
part of the cylinder. The material is heated and melted in the heating cylinder at
the same time as it circulates towards the front of the latter, pushed in successive
times by the strokes of a piston that moves tightly in the heating cylinder. This
piston acts as an injection piston and forces the molten material to pass from the
heating cylinder to the mold cavities, thus carrying out the second phase of the
process. Therefore, in these machines, both the injection and the fusion are
performed in a single cylinder designed to meet these two purposes.
The heat transfer in the heating cylinder of these machines is quite deficient.
Given the low thermal conductivity of plastics, in practice it is difficult to heat them
quickly and uniformly, the problem of heat transmission is further complicated by
the limitation in the time of permanence of the material inside the cylinder.
Another way to increase the heating surface could be to make the heating
chamber too long, and at the same time decrease its diameter. However, in this
type of cylinders the pressure losses and the flow resistance of the cylinder are
unnecessarily increased polymer, so there really has not been a tendency to build
machines with this type of cameras.

11
 Figure 1. Piston injection molding machine.

Source: (Marcilla, Polymer Technology) 4.

1.2.2 Piston machines with pre-plasticization: Due to the characteristics of the

piston machines mentioned above, these were gradually replaced by injection
machines with pre-plasticization. In these machines, the melting and plasticizing
stages are independent, so that the design of each of the zones of the machine
is more appropriate. "The idea of pre-plasticizing is to heat the material in a
heating chamber or cylinder and transfer the already hot material (plasticized
material) from this chamber to the injection cylinder." 2. Generally, two types of
machines are distinguished. plasticizing: piston and spindle, depending on
whether they use one or another element in the pre-plasticizing chamber. In
addition, they can be parallel or angled depending on the relative arrangement of
the plasticizing and injection cylinders, as shown in the figure 2.

Figure 2. Piston and angle pre-sorting machines.

Source: (Marcilla, Polymer Technology) 4

12
The plasticized material is transferred to the injection cylinder when it is empty.
During the injection of the material into the mold, the injection piston itself acts as
a closing valve for the plasticizing cylinder. Machines with this arrangement have
the drawback that it is necessary to have two different structures to support the
stresses originating in each chamber.
In the pre-plasticizing machines with piston and in line like that of figure 3, the
body of the pre-plasticizing cylinder acts as an injection piston once the injection
cylinder has finished filling. The plasticized material enters the injection cylinder
through the drilled center of the injection piston, where a valve is placed to
prevent material recoil during the injection period. Machines of this type offer the
advantage of their symmetry and that of forming compact machines, together with
a greater economy of construction compared to the machines of pre-plasticizing
at an angle.

Figure 3. Pre-plasticizing machine with piston and in line.

Source: (Marcilla, Polymer Technology) 4

1.2.3 Spindle machines: Spindle machines provide uniform heating of the

material, as well as homogeneous mixing. In these machines the injection of the
material is done from the plasticizing chamber, which is provided with a spindle
similar to that of the extrusion machines. The heating of the material is therefore
produced in a similar way as in the case of extrusion machines: the rotation of
the screw transforms part of the mechanical energy into heat by friction, and in
addition the hot walls of the cylinder contribute to increase the temperature by
conduction. The efficiency in heat transfer of these machines is very high
compared to piston machines. However, here, unlike what happens in extrusion
machines, the screw also moves axially to perform the injection. The operation of
these machines in terms of solid transport, plasticization and melt transport is
analogous to the extrusion process. At present they are, by far, the most used,
so they are titled: "conventional machines" 4.

13
 Figure 4. Spindle injection machine.

Source: (Marcilla, Polymer Technology) 4

1.3 GEOMETRY OF THE INYECTORS:

In the plastics industry there are many types of injectors that vary in size
depending on the production that is needed, in addition to the way of injection
and work as shown in Figure 5.

Figure 5. Geometry of the injectors.

Source: Cesar C, Alejandro M. Design of a plastic injection machine. 5

In the industrial world it is more common to see the use of horizontal work
machines, this due to the ease they have to be automated since they use
mechanical elements such as motors and screws, which can, together, generate
movement of the material without needing large amounts of force or require
manual movements. The one that follows in popularity is the vertical injection, this
is used for low production because it requires a manual movement to perform the

14
injection, using pistons and other elements that help generate the necessary
pressure to inject the material into the mold.
1.4 THE INJECTION CYCLE: An injection machine usually has different times of
individual jobs that together make up what is known as the injection cycle, this
cycle can vary from one machine to another, but usually there is a predefined
cycle that can be seen in Figure 6, in which the distribution of each individual
work becomes evident and will serve as a reference of times for each one, more
exactly in what proportions they should be distributed.

Figure 6. Relative times of an injection cycle.

Source: (Marcilla, Polymer Technology) 4

It should be noted that not all of these machines have all of these types of jobs,
since in some they are simply not necessary, as for example in a simple spindle
machine, it does not require a rework time in the injection unit.

1.5 CLOSURE FORCE OF THE INJECTOR UNIT:

The closing force is necessary to consider the force necessary to keep the mold
closed during the injection process. It is not always necessary to use the
maximum closing force of the machine, because this can represent an
unnecessary expenditure of energy and, therefore, money.
"For the case of the polymers that flow easily, the injection pressure is lower
compared to those that flow less, this causes the closure unit to have to apply
greater force to keep the mold closed, during the injection of the polymer" . (which
in the case of this project will be low density polypropylene)

15
1.6 INJECTION CAPACITY:
Injection capacity is understood as the maximum amount of material that a
machine is capable of injecting in a single mold in a mold at a certain pressure.
The injection capacity provides an idea of the possibilities of the considered
machine. "In the catalogs of manufacturers of machines of injection sometimes
indicate the capacity of injection like the maximum weight, expressed in grams,
that can inject the machine in a single cicle” 5.

Table 1. Closing force and injection units.

CAPACITY CLOSING FORCE (kN) INJECTOR UNITS (g)

Low 100 to 800 15 to350

Medium (common) 800 to 1500 350 to 1000
High (Specials cases) 1500 to 4000 +1000

Table 2. Combinations of closing and injection units for plastic injection

machines.

Source: Battenfeld Virtual Catalogs (Germany).

1.7 CHOICE OF PLASTICS:

In this section you can see the different existing plastics and most importantly
with their characteristics as a melting point. For this section it is not so important
to define each one of the plastics, since only low density polypropylene will be
used for the project, so only a detailed explanation of this plastic will be made.

16
 Table 3. Physical properties of plastics.

Source: (Precious plastic, Hakkens D).

 Tm - crystalline melting temperature (some plastics have no crystallinity
and are said to be amorphous).
 Tg - glass transition temperature (the plastic becomes brittle below this
temperature).
 Td - heat distortion temperature under a 66 psi load.
 Cte - coefficient of linear thermal expansion.
 Tensile Strength - load necessary to pull a sample of the plastic apart.
 Compressive Strength - load necessary to crush a sample of the plastic.
 Density - aka specific gravitymass of plastic per unit volume.

Each of the plastics mentioned in Table 3, have their own "seals" that are what
identify them from any plastic, these "seals" can be found in the most common
plastics of daily use to identify their type. There are other ways to identify what
type of plastic is, either by the way it is burned directly with the fire, or its buoyancy
in different liquids, but the most practical is to directly identify its symbol as shown
in Figure 7.

17
 Figure 7. Symbols of the different plastics.

Source: (Precious plastic, Hakkens D)

For the project is going to be use of low-density polypropylene because its

characteristics is one of the most affordable plastic when it comes to melting,
since these have a melting point too low compared to the different plastics
mentioned in Table 3.
Low density polyethylene is a polymer of the olefinic polymer family, such as
polypropylene and polyethylene. It is a thermoplastic polymer formed by
repetitive units of ethylene. It is designated as LDPE (for its acronym in English,
Low Density Polyethylene) or as LDPE, in Spanish. Like the rest of the

18
thermoplastics, the LDPE can be recycled. It is identified with the following
symbol:

Figure 8. Low density polypropylene.

Low density polyethylene is a polymer with a highly branched chain structure; this
makes it have a density lower than that of the HDPE (0.92-0.94 g / cm3).
Low density polyethylene is a polymer that is characterized by:
 Good thermal and chemical resistance. It can withstand temperatures of
80 ° C continuously and 95 ° C for a short period of time.
 Good impact resistance
 It is milky in color, it can become transparent depending on its thickness.
 Very good processability, that is, it can be processed by the shaping
methods used for thermoplastics, such as injection and extrusion.
 It is more flexible than high density polyethylene.
 Presents difficulties to print, paint or paste on it.

Density in the environment of 0.910 - 0.940 g / cm3.

Some of its applications are:
 Sacks and plastic bags.
 Film for greenhouses and other agricultural uses.
 Toys.
 Household objects, such as glasses, plates, cutlery.
 Bottles.
 Base for diapers.
 Pipes and pipes.
 Stretch film.

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1.8 MOTORS:
"An engine is the systematic part of a machine capable of operating the system,
transforming some type of energy (electrical, fossil fuels, etc.), into mechanical
energy capable of performing a job" 12.
There are several types, the following being the most common:
 Internal combustion engines are thermal motors in which a combustion of
the engine fluid takes place, transforming its chemical energy into thermal
energy, from which mechanical energy is obtained.

 External combustion engines, are thermal engines in which combustion

occurs in a fluid other than the engine fluid.

 Electric motors, when the work is obtained from an electric current.

1.8.1 General characteristics:

Performance: is the quotient between the useful power they generate and the
power absorbed [η].
Low-speed or nominal speed: the angular speed of the crankshaft, that is, the
number of revolutions per minute (rpm or RPM) rotated by [n].
Power: it is the work that the motor is capable of performing in the unit of time at
a certain speed of rotation.
Torque: is the moment of rotation that acts on the motor shaft and determines its
rotation.
Stability: is when the engine is maintained at high speeds without spending too
much fuel as much as electrical energy in its corresponding time that the engine
passes without any defect, but this is only done in the factories where the engine
is developed.
For practical purposes, emphasis will be placed on the two types of engines used
in the development of this project, which were:

1.8.2 Electric motor: "Is a device that converts electrical energy into mechanical
energy by means of the action of the magnetic fields generated in its coils" 13.
They are rotating electrical machines composed of a stator and a rotor (figure 9).
Some of the electric motors are reversible, since they can convert mechanical
energy into electrical energy functioning as generators or dynamo. Electric
traction motors used in locomotives or hybrid cars often perform both tasks, if
properly designed.

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 Figure 9. Rotor, stator and fan of an electric motor.

Source: S.J. of Waard. Open electric motor.

The stator (figure 11) is the fixed part of a rotating machine and one of the two
fundamental elements for the transmission of power in the (case of electric
motors) or electric current (in the case of electric generators), the other being its
mobile counterpart: the rotor (figure 10) which is formed by an axis that supports
a set of coils wound on a magnetic core that rotates within a magnetic field.

Figure 10. Rotor of an alternating current motor, also known as a "squirrel

cage".

Source: Sergio Panei Pitrau. Squirrel cage motors.

21
 Figure 11. Stator of an AC motor.

Source: Marrrci. Stator of a vacuum cleaner universal motors.

1.8.3 Pneumatic motor: A pneumatic motor or compressed air motor is a type of

motor that performs mechanical work by expanding compressed air. "Pneumatic
motors generally convert the compressed air into mechanical work through a
linear or mainly rotary movement" 12. In the latter case, the gas enters a sealed
engine chamber and, as it expands, exerts pressure against the blades of a rotor.
This type of motors are an alternative to electric motors when these are not
recommended or possible, as, for example, in some mining, industrial, etc.
environments.
1.8.4 Hydraulic Motor: A hydraulic motor "is a mechanical actuator that converts
hydraulic pressure and flow into a torque and an angular displacement" 12, that
is, in a rotation or rotation. They are used mainly because they deliver a very
large torque at small speeds compared to electric motors.
Table 4. Equations that model the behavior of a hydraulic motor.

Source: Joan. Hydraulic Motors

14.

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1.8.4.1 Gear motors: They are small in size and can rotate in both directions, but
the torque is small, they are noisy, they can work at high speeds, but analogously
to paddle motors.
1.8.4.2 Vane motor: They have the same structure as the vane pumps, but the
radial movement of the vanes must be forced, while in the pumps it is due to the
centrifugal force.
1.8.4.3 Piston engines: They are the most used of all since the highest powers
are achieved working at high pressures. Depending on the position of the pistons
with respect to the shaft, you can find: Axial piston engines, radial piston engine.

1.8.5 Principle of operation: Electric motors are devices that transform electrical
energy into mechanical energy. The means of this transformation of energy in
electric motors is the magnetic field. There are different types of electric motors
and each type has different components whose structure determines the
interaction of the electric and magnetic fluxes that cause the force or torque of
the motor.
“The fundamental principle that describes how it is that a force is originated by
the interaction of a point electric charge q in electric and magnetic fields is the
Law of Lorentz” 15:

Where:
What is the electric charge?
E is the electric field.
V is the velocity of the particle.
B is the magnetic field density.

In the case of a purely electric field the expression of the equation is reduced to:

The force in this case is determined only by the charge q and by the electric field
E. It is the Coulomb force that acts along the conductor causing the electric flow,
for example, in the coils of the stator of the induction machines or in the rotor of
DC motors.
In the case of a purely magnetic field:

23
The force is determined by the charge q, the density of the magnetic field B and
the velocity of the charge v. Normally there are many loads in motion so it is
convenient to rewrite the expression in terms of charge density and then obtain
force density Fv (force per unit volume):

This is a basic principle that explains how forces originate in electromechanical

systems such as electric motors. However, the complete description for each type
of electric motor depends on its components and its construction.

24
 2. STATE OF ART

Orlando Pérez Rivera (2007) worked on a project focused on the design of an

injection and movement control system for the formation of polyurethane in
rectangular molds, used to seal air filters used in automobiles; reducing operating
costs, delivery times and improving product quality. These advantages are the
product of the characteristics of the material used in this project, being:
- The great structural rigidity complemented with an excellent price / isolation
ratio.
- Obtaining the maximum adhesion of the polyurethane on any surface obtaining
a continuous isolation without joints or thermal bridges.
- Prolongation of the useful life of the treated covers.
- Acts as a shock absorber of vibrations.
- Considerable energy savings in both cooling and heating.
- Does not absorb environmental humidity.
The method used by the author for manufacturing was continuous production,
where the raw material is injected through independent pumps to a hermetically
sealed head, using a high or low pressure system. The main advantage of the
method is that during mixing there is no presence of air, which favors not only a
continuous and even foam production but also the obtaining of a uniform cell or
pore that improves the physical and mechanical properties of the whole batch of
production. After the development of the methodology proposed by the author, I
conclude that for the mechanical movement system it is advisable to use stepper
motors, which allow a uniform speed and greater fidelity in the measurements,
since injection trajectories can be made with a precision in tenths of an inch, the
transmission of movement of the system was carried out by means of pulleys and
belts, with the advantage that it is possible to work at relatively high speeds at
very low costs. For this, 4 pulleys were used to change the direction of the force
and two belts for each axis. In addition, in the realization of the prototype, the
modeling and simulation software such as Solid Edge represented a great help,
since they allowed a visualization of the design where the real dimensions and
the analysis of the assembled pieces are known.

Aguirre Paredes, Cristina Vanesa, Proaño Núñez and Jean Carlos in 2018 carry
out a project based on the development of an automation system for a MIR 65
plastic injection molding machine at the company Insoplastic. The project
consisted of the development of an automation system for a plastic injection
molding machine MIR 65, belonging to the company Insoplastic, in order to
achieve that the aforementioned injector is controlled by a PLC, being able to add
new processes of control according to production. This process allowed the
elimination of excessive existing wiring through the use of contactors and
mechanical timers for its operation, and the fact that it was replaced by a PLC

25
and HMI interface facilitated the interaction between the process and the operator
by obtaining an easy-to-interpret graphic interface. according to the needs of
each product in the manufacture. The MIR65 automation provided economic and
social benefits and benefits because it ensured a better quality of work performed
by the operator in the new system implemented. The reductions of the information
processing times are less than those obtained in a manual control by eliminating
the logic of the contactor chain.

Guano Moreno, Rommel Israel, Rosero Garzón y Miguel Ángel presentan en

2015 un Proyecto para realizar el incremento del OEE (Eficiencia global del
Equipo) en una inyectora de plástico basándose en la repotenciación del sistema
de control. El diseño del sistema de control se realizó mediante software
TwidoSuite para el PLC, Panel Studio para el HMI (Interfaz Hombre Máquina),
se utilizó materiales como terminales, borneras, relés y cables, se redactó un
manual de usuario para el manejo del sistema. Este trabajo logro un incremento
en la producción donde en un horario de 9 am a 3 pm se producen 1200
armadores mientras que antes se producían 800 e igualmente el índice de
armadores defectuosos se redujo, tanto así que si antes eran 120 armadores en
el presente solo hay 24 dañados.
Guano Moreno, Rommel Israel, Rosero Garzón and Miguel Ángel present in 2015
a Project to increase the OEE (Overall Equipment Efficiency) in a plastic injection
molding machine based on the repowering of the control system. The design of
the control system was made using TwidoSuite software for the PLC, Panel
Studio for the HMI (Human Machine Interface), materials such as terminals,
terminals, relays and cables were used, a user manual was written for the
management of the system. This work achieved an increase in production where
in a schedule of 9 am to 3 pm 1200 shipowners are produced while before 800
were produced and also the defective shipowners index was reduced, so much
so that if before there were 120 shipowners in the present only There are 24
damaged.

26
 3. SOLUTION ALTERNATIVES

One of the most important issues that must be addressed is the type of material
that will be extruded, thanks to the advance of engineering and the use of
polymers in the industry, synthetic polymers can be used that meet the
engineering and market technical characteristics. For a successful
manufacturing, the family of thermoplastics is used for the blowing and injection
process. "This is because the material must have a viscous behavior and that can
deform when it is subjected to a certain temperature, otherwise, the pressure
exerted by the injected air could not expand the material through the mold cavity"
7. The main thermoplastics used depend on the technique used, being for the
case of blown extrusion: LDPE, HDPE, PVC-U, PS, PP, PA and ABS. Those
used in the blow molding technique are all those used in blown extrusion and also
PE and PET glass.
Regarding the solution of a problem, there are different options, but according to
the criteria or needs that you wish to fulfill, there is always one option that stands
out above the others. This is because it has characteristics such as economy,
sustainability, efficiency, among others. In this case, for engineering students,
factors that have a direct impact on society must be considered, since that is what
their work is about.
To answer the problem of: How to obtain plastic figures from the construction of
a suitable injection molding machine for low density polypropylene? the following
alternatives are presented:

3.1 MOLDING BY INJECTION:

It is a semicontinuous process that involves injecting a polymer, ceramic or
molten metal into a mold closed under pressure and cold, through a small hole
called a gate. In this mold the material solidifies, beginning to crystallize in semi-
crystalline polymers. The part or the final part is obtained by opening the mold
and removing the molded part of the cavity. Injection molding is a very popular
technique for the manufacture of very different articles. In the United States alone,
the plastics industry has grown at a rate of 12% per year in the last 25 years, and
the main process of plastic transformation is injection molding, followed by
extrusion molding. An example of the products manufactured by this technique
since the 1950s are the famous LEGO blocks and Playmobil toys, as well as a
large number of automobile components, components for airplanes and
spacecraft.
Injection molding is an environmentally more favorable process compared to
papermaking, tree cutting or chrome. By not directly polluting the environment, it
does not emit gases or aqueous residues with low noise levels. However, not all
plastics can be recycled and some of those that can be recycled are deposited in
the environment, causing damage to the environment. "The popularity of this
method is explained by the versatility of the parts that can be manufactured, the
speed of manufacture, the scalable design of rapid prototype processes, high

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production levels and low costs, high or low automation according to the cost of
the piece, the very complicated geometries that would be impossible by means
of other techniques, the molded parts require little or no finishing because they
end with the roughness of the desired surface, the color and transparency or
opacity, good dimensional tolerance of the molded parts with or without inserts
and with different colors " 8.

3.2 MOLDED BY BLOWING AND INJECTION:

It consists of obtaining a preform of the polymer to be processed, similar to a test
tube, which is then heated and introduced into the mold that houses the desired
geometry, then air is injected, which allows the expansion of the material and the
shape end of the piece and finally it is extracted. The preforms are stable and can
be blown at high speed according to the required demand. There is another
technique called ROTOMOLDATION or rotational molding which is a process of
forming plastic products in which a polymer is introduced in liquid or powder form
in a mold and this, when rotating in two mutually perpendicular axes, adheres to
the surface of the mold, creating hollow pieces. This process consists of the
following stages:
First, the polymer is deposited, either pulverized or in a liquid state, inside the
mold. Once this is done, the mold closes ensuring its tightness, although it must
have been constructed so that at the end of the process it is possible to open it
and recover the piece produced. The amount of polymer required must be
previously calculated according to the dimensions required for the piece to be
manufactured. Then, the already closed mold is introduced in an oven at
temperatures between 250-450 ° C (melting or sintering the material), where it
starts to rotate slowly around two perpendicular axes that pass through the center
of gravity of the piece. "The rotation movement is the cause of the polymer
adapting to the internal walls of the mold, covering the entire surface with a
relatively uniform wall, thus leaving the hollow part" 9. Subsequently, the mold is
cooled and the solidified part is removing.
The materials to which this technique can be applied are thermoplastic, however,
thermostable and latex can also be used. "The most common thermoplastics are
polyethylene (HDPE-LDPE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polypropylene (PP),
polystyrene (PS), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), etc." 10. From thermoset
materials, for example, polyester RFV, PU resin and polyester and epoxy resins
are used.

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There are other options that allow the production of plastic molds such as molding
by hand or using a tool, however, the most optimal are the two previous ones
because:
- Reduce the risk of human injuries.
- They reduce the amount of plastic used, which implies a reduction in costs and
is friendlier to the environment.
- Gives a better finish, providing greater quality to the piece.
- The manufacturing time of the piece is less in comparison.
-The only drawbacks with the automated options are the cost of implementation
and the time it takes to build one of these machines.

4. SELECTION CRITERIA

The machine that you want to build must allow you to achieve the objectives
defined for this project, so it is necessary that it covers the following needs:
- Compact structure, which allows the construction cost is not too high.
- The subsystems of the machine must be made up of elements that are
affordable, that is, without difficulty to obtain them.
- Despite the size, the structure must be secure in order to avoid risks ordamage
to the user.
- Production times should be as optimal as possible to avoid misuse of plastic
material.
- The machine must allow the production of 10 g figures in low density
polypropylene.
- The process must be as automatic as possible to avoid risks to the user due to
the handling of temperatures.
- Must have the least amount of engines possible to reduce costs and allow the
machine to be more practical.

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 5. SELECTION OF ALTERNATIVE
According to the criteria that must be met mentioned above, the most convenient
alternative is the design of a machine that allows the injection molding of low-
density polypropylene with a maximum of 10 g. These limitations allow the
structure to be made up of low-cost elements, since the maximum temperature
to handle is around 132º C, so finding materials that resist this magnitude is not
difficult, for example, the iron melting temperature is 1510º C. In addition, there
are different versions, designs or documented works based on plastic injectors
made in a very economical and homemade way, information that serves as
evidence that it is possible to build this type of machines in compliance with the
proposed objectives.
As for the motors to be used for in the fuel transfer, an electric motor and a
pneumatic motor will be selected. The first being the one in charge of turning the
spindle to allow the movement of the liquid plastic until the nozzle of the machine
where it will be subsequently injected, while the tire will be used to drive a piston
that secured the movable part of the mold to avoid leaks and waste of material.
To obtain the electric motor, we will use one of the models provided by the
technology center of La Salle University, which have an approximate power of
0.33 HP and a nominal speed of 1750 RPM. This speed will serve to achieve that
with the rotation of the spindle there is sufficient force in the movement of the
plastic to be injected into the mold.

Figure 12. Sample of one of the single-phase motors available in CDT.

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 6. DEFINITION OF SUBSYSTEMS AND FUNCTION
The model designed for the plastic injection machine is the one observed in figure
9, where each of its components are marked with letters (A, B, C, etc.,), whose
functions are the following:
A. Cannon: the barrel is used as a medium through which the molten plastic is
transported (figure 10).
B. Mouthpiece: its function is to be used as a funnel that allows the plastic to be
injected into the mold (figure 11).
C. Mold support: it is the element that will hold the molds and the moving parts
(figure 12).
D. Static mold: the function of the static mold is to be the first entrance of the
molten plastic; This mold has a hole that functions as the only entrance of the
plastic towards the mold.
E. Mobile mold: this part moves together with the mobile support, to be able to
remove the piece of plastic already dry and thus be able to start another cycle
(figure 13).
F. Mobile support: The mobile support is responsible for holding the mobile mold
and at the same time moving freely through the mold support (figure 14).
G. Hopper model: the hopper is responsible for reloading the barrel with plastic
(figure 15).
H. Hopper model: The hopper is responsible for reloading the barrel with plastic,
parts G and H work in a set of 2 pieces each, to create the hopper in general.
I. Spindle: It will work as a plastic position variator through the barrel, it will be
responsible for moving the plastic (figure 16).

Figure 13. Model of the injection machine.

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 Figure 14. Cannon model.

Figure 15. Nozzle model.

Figure 16. Model of the support of the molds.

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 Figure 17. Movable mold model.

Figure 18. Movable support model.

Figure 19. Hopper model.

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 Figure 20. Spindle model

1. DEVELOPMENT OF THE MODEL

The model of the machine serves as a reference to establish the correct location
of each of the elements that make up the structure and establish if the dimensions
of each is indicated, so that they fit perfectly. The design of the model was made
with the following materials:
- Walnut wood.
-Plasterboard.
- Straw cardboard.
-Cardboard.
The actual visualization of the structure is presented in the following image:

Figure 21. Representation of the inyectora of plastic in model.

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 CONCLUSIONS
The inyectora of plastic is of much utility in the plastic industry since it generates
big benefits to the companies that make use of these. The correct design of this
is necessary to ensure that it generates a quality product and also in matters
related to the safety of human operators. Another important factor that generates
a challenge for all and more for us as engineers is to create products that are
ambitiously sustainable, this injector guarantees that the maximum use of plastic
and does not generate unnecessary waste and that, on the contrary,
contaminate.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

[1] ECOticias. Recycling of plastics How are they recycled? {Online}. Date of
consultation {February 25, 2019}. Available at:
https://www.ecoticias.com/residuos-reciclaje/21178/Reciclado-de-Plasticos-
Como-se-Reciclan.
[2] BBC World. 5 graphs to understand why the plastic is a threat to our planet.
{Online} Date of consultation {February 20, 2019} Available at
https://www.bbc.com/mundo/news-42304901
[3] Beltrán and A. Marcilla. Polymer Technology M.
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Available at: http://iq.ua.es/TPO/Tema5.pdf
[5] Cesar C, Alejandro M. Design of a plastic injection machine. Bucaramanga:
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[7] Richardson and Lokensgard. Plastic Industry, Industrial plastic. Editorial
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[8] Tim Osswald and Enrique Giménez. Processed polymers, Fundamentals.
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[10] Morton. Jones. Processing of plastics. Limusa 1999. ISBN 968-18-4434-3.
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de España, S.A.U, 1997. pp 164-174.

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[12] Enriquez Harper. The practical book of generators, transformers and electric
motors. Mexico: Limusa. Noriega Editores, 2004. 225p.
[13] Fitzgerald, A.E., Kinglsley, C., Umans, S. Electric Machinery, 6th Edition,
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theory. Barcelona: Editorial Reverté, S.A. 2007

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 ANNEXES.

Annex 1. Map and measurements for the cannon model:

37
Annex 2. Plan and measures for the nozzle.

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Annex 3. Plan and measures for the support of the molds:

39
Annex 4. Plan and measures for the mold.

40
Annex 5. Plans and measurements for the measurable support model.

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Annex 6. Stockings and plan for the spindle.

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Annex 7. Measurements and plan for the hopper.

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