Regular maintenance of mold parts plays a vital role in the life of the mold. The annual maintenance program required for each injection molding location depends on the different mold cycle times. Here are some mold parts overhaul tips that every mold user can use to ensure the effective operation of mold components such as hot runners, heaters, guide pillars and ejectors, molding inserts, etc. to prevent unexpected situations from occurring.
1. Check for warning rust or moisture at the air dispersal holes. If you find rust or moisture near the hot runner vent, it means internal condensation, or a possible water line break. Humidity can trigger a short circuit that is fatal to the heater. If the machine is not running year round and needs to be shut down at night, then the chances of this condensation occurring increase.
2. Remember to remind the operator not to "clean out" the hot nozzle head at the gate. If the operator happens to see a small piece of stainless steel at the mold spout, it may be a spot spout assembly. "Cleaning out" what appears to be an obstruction can often ruin the hot nozzle head. To avoid damaging the hot nozzle, verify the nozzle type of the hot runner system before taking action, and make sure all operators are trained to recognize the different types of nozzles they are touching.
3. Slide the stopper. For machines that run year-round, this work should be done once a week. And the end of the year is a good time to give these parts a routine lubrication maintenance.
4. Interactively calibrate the resistance value of the heater. You should have measured the resistance value of the heater when you first started using it, and the end of the year is the time to measure it again and compare it. If the resistance value has a ±10% fluctuation, it is time to consider replacing the heater to ensure that it does not fail at a critical point in the production process. If the initial resistance value is never measured, measure it once and use the resulting value as reference data for future inspections of the heater.
