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Methods for Maintaining the Injection Molding Machine

Methods for Maintaining the Injection Molding Machine, involve daily cleaning, regular checks of hydraulic oil, temperature, and molds, along with annual full inspections. Proper lubrication, safety precautions, and special care for cold regions ensure optimal performance and extend the machine’s lifespan.

1. Care for the Injection Molding Machine-Daily Maintenance:

    Cleaning of the machine: The machine must be cleaned immediately after every working shift to prevent accumulation of plastic materials and dust particles.

    Nozzle and mold inspection: The nozzle and mold must be regularly checked for blockage that could cause serious damage.

Temperature and pressure monitoring: The temperature and pressure of the machine should be checked from time to time for its good working condition.

2. Care of the Injection Molding Machine (Weekly Maintenance):

    Hydraulic oil check: The hydraulic oil level and quality should be checked and replaced if necessary.

    Cooling system check: The cooling system shall be checked for any malfunctions in its operation.

Bolts and fasteners-All bolts and fasteners on the machine should be checked for tightness.

3. Care for the Injection Molding Machine - Monthly Maintenance:

    Filter Change: All filters should be changed in due time to allow the machinery efficiency.

    Check Electrical Systems: All electrical systems should be checked for effectiveness.

Hydraulic systems inspection: The hydraulic systems of the machine should be checked for any leaks.

Care for the Injection Molding Machine - Monthly Maintenance
Care for the Injection Molding Machine - Monthly Maintenance 2

4. Annual Maintenance Care of the Injection Molding Machine:

    Full machine inspection: The whole machine should be inspected for worn-out parts that need repair or replacement.

    Hydraulic oil change: The hydraulic oil should be completely changed to ensure the best performance of the machine.

Check and reset of parameters: Review the parameters set in the machine and reset, if required.

Safety Precautions for Maintenance of the Injection Molding Machine:

  • Employ protection equipment for machine care: Operators must make use of protection equipment like gloves, safety glass, and other protective clothes.
  • Training and awareness for machine care: Training and awareness should be imparted to all the operators on safety instructions.
  • Switch off the machine in case of malfunction: If the machine is malfunctioning or is not performing as it should, switch it off instantly and push the emergency stop button.

Other Tips for Care of the Injection Molding Machine:

  • Periodical Inspection: Very important in early detection of the problem and to prevent it from being big. Periodic inspection is necessary so that wear, loose connections, leaks, or any other type of defect does not affect machine performance.
  • Proper Lubrication: Proper lubrication is vital to avoid damage through friction and allow for smooth running. Follow instructions from the manufacturer on the types of lubricants and frequency needed for different parts of the machine.
  • Temperature control: The temperature must be tightly controlled to achieve uniform molding and to avoid the thermal degradation of materials. Heating elements, molds, and cooling systems should be adjusted and monitored on a routine basis to operate within specified temperature ranges.
  • Replace worn parts: Over time, injection molding machine parts may wear out or become damaged due to prolonged use. Keeping an inventory of spare parts and regularly replacing worn or damaged parts is vital to avoid sudden breakdowns and downtime.

Care of the Injection Molding Machine Mold – Care of the Nozzle: The nozzle and mold of the injection molding machine have to be cared for and maintained properly in order to function optimally and last longer. Following are some valuable tips regarding nozzle and mold care:

Care of the Nozzle:

  • Cleaning Regularly: Clean the nozzle regularly to avoid building up the plastic material and dust particles. These will help prevent the clogging of the nozzle.
  • Temperature Monitoring: Check regularly on the temperature of the nozzle as it is very important for correct functioning. The temperature of the nozzle operating should be within the specified limit set by the manufacturer.

Prevention of backing, that plastic does not come to the nozzle; this allows protection against potential failure of both nozzle and heaters

Worn nozzle replacement should be replaced for any worn and destroyed nozzles on appropriate time to provide appropriate machine functioning.

Care of Mold:

  • Cleaning regularly: The mold should be cleaned regularly to prevent the building up of plastic material and dust particles. It prevents the mold from getting damaged.
  • Lubrication: The mold’s moving parts should be lubricated periodically for play-free and smooth operation.
  • Cooling system: The cooling system of the mold should be checked on regular basis and it should be working rightly for the prevention of parts warping and cracking.
  • Regular check-up: Regularly check the mold and find out those areas that need repair or replacement for prolonging the mold service life.
  • Preventing rusting: Molds should be kept in a dry and moisture-free area for preventing rusting. Anti-rust materials can also be used for mold protection.

Safety Tips:

Gloves and safety glasses are examples of protective equipment that should be worn in cleaning or repairing either of the nozzle and mold. Turn on the machine and put it to zero to avoid accidents in case its cleaning or repairing of the nozzle and mold.

Winter or Cold Region Maintenance for the Injection Molding Machine: With temperatures falling, especially in cold regions below 0°C, the performance and maintenance of the injection molding machine become very crucial. For such a low-temperature environment, the following tips must be followed:

  • Oil temperature: Due to the influence of low-temperature oil viscosity on the working performance of an injection molding machine, it is suggested that in cold areas, the pre-heating function of the oil temperature should be applied to maintain a temperature between 45°C and 55°C.
  • Avoid cold operation of the machine: It is better to avoid start-up of the machine at too low a temperature of the oil. The cooling water should not be turned on before the start-up of the machine but after the rise in the temperature of the oil.
  • Adjust injection process temperature: The temperature of the injection process during winter should be 5 to 10°C higher than during spring and fall.
  • Hydraulic system check: Check the connection to avoid leakage due to deformation in low temperatures.
  • Check all electrical and hydraulic parts: All parts shall be in normal working condition without strange noise and movement.
  • Lubrication problem handling: Add hydraulic oil when the oil pump is not able to provide enough lubrication.
  • Cleaning of cooling system: After shutdown, clean the circulating water in cooling system to prevent freezing and cracking.
  • Cleaning: Keep injection molding machine itself and its peripheral environment clean
  • Antifreeze: It is necessary to use antifreeze in cooler to avoid frost damage.

Inspection of pipes and valves: All pipes and valves of cooling water should not have any leak, rust, or damage. Filters of the water-cooling system should be cleaned regularly so that they may perform the filtration process correctly. The level of coolant inside the cooling system should be appropriate on a regular basis.

Of course, this can be reduced along with prolonging the life of such injection molding machines by following some maintenance tips.

Source: www.fcs.com.tw