Know-How
Extrusion Know-How: The Whys & Hows (& Ifs) of Vented Extruders
Vented or two-stage screws only make sense when volatiles must be removed in order to make a satisfactory product.
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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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Extrusion Know-How: Proper Alignment Saves Wear & Tear ... or Worse
Is extruder alignment important?
Read MoreInjection Molding Know-How: Drying Tips: A Dozen Details You Should Know
Drying is complicated.
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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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How Much Horsepower Do You Need?
Most extrusion processors know that in order to boost output you need more power.
Read MoreToday's Lesson: Drying (Part 1)
Listen up, please: This is going to make your life easier.
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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.
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How to Solve Uneven Clamping
Of the hundreds of variables involved in injection molding, clamping mechanisms and platens often get less attention than they deserve.
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.
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