Tooling Know-How
Determining Maximum Mold Cycle Counts
The first production meeting with my new employer went something like this: “We want you to establish a preventive maintenance program that is based on cycle counts for all our molds.” Before I could launch into an explanation of how best to determine maximum cycle counts, I was hit with this: “So, how many cycles do you think our molds can safely run before we need to clean them?”Leaving my crystal ball at home and unable to get my x-ray vision working, there was no way to answer that question with any accuracy.
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When Assembling Molds, Patience is THE Virtue
Installing and fitting close-tolerance tooling requires patience, a steady hand, attention to detail, and the ability to “read” resistance.
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Communication Is Key in Designing Blown Film Dies
Over the years I have bought, designed, or helped design quite a number of blown film dies.
Read MoreYou Think You Know Your Molds? Try These 10 Questions to Find Out for Sure
A mold repair technician’s job has always been to make molds run—anyhow, any way.
Read MoreTooling Know-How: Five Tips on Profile Die Design
A poorly designed profile die—one that does not permit the part to be extruded with the same dimensions from run to run—coupled with a lack of understanding of the extrusion process, is a recipe for scrap generation.
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Tooling Know-How: Troubleshooting Defects--Part II: Hot-Runner Long Gate Vestiges
Last month, we discussed the general issues of an organized and disciplined process of troubleshooting and correcting mold defects.
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Troubleshooting Defects: Part I
Like the three other aspects of a typical mold clean/repair job (disassembly, cleaning, and assembly) there is usually more than one way to skin the cat of troubleshooting and correcting defects.
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The Eight Stages of Mold Repair
While the mold was still being disassembled, two “cleaners” began pulling tooling out of plates and putting them into buckets in preparation for a good scrubbing—and I mean a scrubbing.
Read MoreHow to Determine Maximum Mold Cycle Counts
At my first production meeting with my new employer, I was told, “We want you to establish a preventive maintenance program that is based on maximum cycle counts for all our molds.” Then, before I could launch into an explanation of how best to determine maximum cycle counts, I was hit with the follow-up: “So, how many cycles do you think our molds can safely run before we need to clean them?”Leaving my crystal ball at home and unable to get my x-ray vision working, there was no way to answer this question with any real accuracy.
Read MoreWhy Not Just Let ’r Leak?
Here’s how a typical West Coast molding facility with 20 injection presses investigated the downtime impact of water leaks in the plant.
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