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This Siderail is used on a bariatric bed system. Its function is to create a wall to keep the patient in the bed, but also to rotate out of the way so a patient can be removed from the bed. There are four siderails per bed system. What is unique about the part is that it is twin-sheet molded with a steel weldment for structure "insert-molded" into the part during the molding process. The challenge the "insert-molding" creates in the twin-sheet process is the delay between the sheets leaving the oven and forming to the mold, and the time it takes to load the inserts, all the while the sheet is losing heat and jeopardizing the integrity of the weld. In addition, we "flush-trim" the parting line, making is cosmetically pleasing as shown in View 1. The mold has an articulating feature (core-pull) that positions the weldment correctly during the process, and then retracts to allow de-molding. The challenge here is the accurate location of the hinge holes in relation to the molded part (View 3). The mold also has a heated pinch-line to slow down loss of heat at the weld points that occurs during the "insert" process. The part is pressure-formed in the twin-sheet process yielding sharp, crisp radii to provide a cosmetically pleasing recess for the green overlay. In addition, a channel is formed into the part to house a ball, which in conjunction with the printed green overlay creates a level to ascertain the correct orientation of the patient. View 2 shows a cavity molded in the part to house a level ball which is then covered by a clear overlay. View 4 shows a cut-away of the part with the steel weldment inside. Once the part is trimmed, it is then foam-filled for additional structure and stiffness. |
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