Welcome to the sheet press induction. Below is an overview of sheet pressing and the machine we use at KWMC The Factory. Please then work through the course content below.
Once finished, you will need to complete a short quiz. You will need to score 100% to complete the online induction, and you may retake the quiz as many times as you need.
The course will take roughly 30 mins to complete, please get in touch if you need any support.
Overview
The Sheet press gently heats and presses shredded plastic into recycled sheets using a hydraulic press. The heat and pressure causes the plastic chips to soften and fuse.
Depending on the type of plastic used, the resulting flat sheets can be laser cut into products such as jewellery or coasters, or fabricated into 3D moulds or objects using a vacuum former or strip bender.
Pressing time differs depending on the type of plastic used, but for acrylic offcuts this usually takes 3 hours plus time for the sheet to cool down overnight.
Different material cassette types can produce recycled plastic sheets in a range of thicknesses. Tools also exist for making shaped parts such as Frisbees on the machine. However, we do not currently have these available at The Factory.
Our machine
CR Clarke R30 Sheet Press
Can press: PP, HDPE, HIPS, ABS, LDPE, acrylic
Standard sheet size: 457 x 254mm
Maximum sheet size: 457 x 305mm
Maximum sheet thickness: 2-3mm