Finding a Plastic Parts Heater for Safe & Quick Warm-up

AI Thread Summary
A user is seeking an effective method to heat plastic parts to 120 degrees F quickly for assembly, as current methods result in parts cooling too fast or becoming too hot to handle. They have experimented with a lamp setup that heats parts individually but found it inefficient. Suggestions include using a lower wattage bulb or a longer bar lighting component to safely expose multiple parts to heat simultaneously. The idea of using a heat gun or freezing the metal pins to facilitate easier assembly was also mentioned, though the latter could slow down production. The user is looking for affordable and efficient heating solutions to improve their assembly process.
cdowney
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Hello,

I am looking for something to keep plastic parts warm and pliable. We have plastic discs that need metal pins snapped into some grooves and they snap wayyy to tight. We checked with a vendor and the material is still within spec, but I cannot change the material

It takes one minute to snap all the fittings in place. So we need the parts up to a stable 120 degrees F relatively quick, but on the other hand the parts can get too hot to handle if left under the lamp for too long and we are then looking at a fire hazard and many burnt fingers.

I have tried this already:

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/GE-LIGHTING-Lamp-2V294?Pid=search


We tried a setup that heats the parts up to 120 degrees F one at a time. They each would sit under the lamp for a minute. The part lost its heat by the time you took it out and assembled it, and if we made it any hotter we wouldn't be physically able to touch the plastic discs.

I need a quick cheap way to heat these plastic parts. I was looking at picking a lower wattage bulb or maybe a long bar lighting component so we can expose more parts to the heat for a longer period of time at a safer level. Even if I could have 2 stations: One "on deck" and one "up to bat" I can lower the wattage of bulb, double the exposure time, and make the process a lot safer.

Just looking for ideas. I thank you in advance for any input/advice!
 
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I haven't seen anything like that yet. The only problem with that is it would slow down our assembly line with people holding the gun and snap fitting the pins. There just wouldn't be enough hands
 
I just might try that freezer idea though!
 
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