Cleaning, Maintenance and Storage of Injection Molds
Injection molds have a limited service life, appropriate measure can greatly extend this. Here share the methods which E-Mold used to cleaning, maintenance and storage of our customer's injection molds.
1. Cleaning and Maintenance of Heating and Cooling Channel
Heating and cooling channels must be cleaned thoroughly to eliminate scale, Rust, and sludge. Since these deposits decrease the channels, measuring the flow rate is a way of checking the system. A pressure-controlled valve is installed between mold and channels and a defined pressure drop is set, which has to be same for each examination. If the flow rate was measured with the new mold, a comparison with any new measurement after a production run provides information about the degree of clogging of the channels.
For cleaning, heating and cooling channels are usually flushed with a detergent because mechanical removal of the deposit is generally not feasible due to the geometry of the system. Detergents and special cleaning equipment are marketed by several producers.
The nipples, bridges, bolts and feed tubes outside the mold are also checked for damage and replaced where necessary, provided they stay on the mold. Before the mold is stored, water has to be removed with compressed air and the system dried with hot air.
2. Cleaning and Maintenance of the Mold Surfaces.
After the end of production, the mold must be carefully cleaned of any adhering plastic residue. The work is independent of the type and amount of molding material. Generally, we use soap and water for removing material remnants and other deposits. The mold then has to be dried carefully. Rust spots from condensed water or aggressive plastics have also to be removed before storage. Depending on the degree of chemical attack, abrasives for grinding and polishing may be suitable. Removal of residual lubricants from movable mold components is also part of the cleaning operation.
3. Cleaning and Maintenance of the Heating and Control system
This work if particularly important for hot-runner molds. After each production run, we will use an ohmmeter to check the heater cartridges, heater bands, and compare the results with the mold card. We also need to check the lines, connections, insulation, and the main lead cleats.
4. Cleaning and Maintenance of Sliding Guides
The guides on movable, mold parts require particularly careful cleaning and must be washed with resin-free and acid-free lubricants. Also check the level of seal in the cylinder in the case of hydraulically actuated slides and cores.
5. Cleaning and Maintenance of the Gate System
We always check the nozzle contact area first, then we will check other special nozzles which belonging to the mold. In the case of temperature-controlled gates that are not generally demolded with every shot, it is necessary to clean the gating system.
6. Mold Storage
Before return the molds to storage, the molds has to be carefully dried and lightly greased with non-corrosive grease. This is especially important for movable parts, such as ejector assembly, sliders and lifters. For extended storage, the mold should be wrapped in oil paper. Creasing and wrapping of the mold in oil paper is crucial when the mold store does not satisfy the demands above and below. All abservations and maintenance work are recorded on the mold card.
- Injection Molds
- Injection Moulds
- Tooling
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