CTA Report, Draft 1, ISP Review - US Chemical Safety and Hazard ...

4.1.4 Molding Department
After exiting the curing oven, the edges of the pad were trimmed and then the mat was cut into pieces of
desired length. These pieces, called “pelts,” were manually hung on storage racks as they left the
production line. Later, the pelts were moved into the molding department. There, hydraulic presses were
used to fully cure the pelts and form them into their final shapes. The fully cured automotive acoustical
insulation parts were then trimmed by water-jet cutters and manually packaged for shipment to CTA’s
customers.
4.2 Production Line Operation and Cleaning
The production lines generally ran continuously during the weekdays. The day shift started at 7:00 am. A
crew of five, working 12-hour shifts, normally ran each line. A crew leader directed each crew, adjusted
various controls and feeder rates, and completed batch records and production logs. Other crew members
typically included an inspector, an oven tender, and two blend line operators. The inspector examined the
finished product as it came off the production line to determine if the product met quality specifications.
The oven tender operated the curing oven and stacked pelts onto racks. Blend line operators ensured that
fiberglass and resin feeders were supplied with raw materials.
The crew also cleaned the lines, typically at the beginning of each shift. Daily production line cleaning
usually required about 1 hour and included tasks such as:
• Using compressed air to blow out the area under the forming chain in the mat-former.
• Using a chimney sweep 11 or compressed air to clean the vertical pipes leading to the
baghouse.
11 A chimney sweep is an instrument used to clean soot or dust off surfaces inside a chimney, duct, or pipe.
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