Page 45 - Injection Molding Advanced Troubleshooting Guide
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2.24 Miscellaneous Supplies 27
2.22 Flow Meter
A flow meter is used to measure water flow in a mold. Through the use of a flow
meter it is possible to determine if a water line has adequate flow to achieve optimal
cooling. Checking the flow across water circuits may show change over time that
can indicate problems that can impact the ability of the mold to cool the plastic.
2.23 Mold Cleaning Supplies
A good first step for troubleshooting is to clean the mold using mold cleaner and a
wipe. Many defects can be impacted by a dirty mold. Before trying process adjust-
ments, the mold should be cleaned. If the defects go away two things may need to
happen:
1. Create a cleaning standard for how and when. Every shift should be cleaning the
mold appropriately and this should be occurring on a regular basis. Also stan-
dardize cleaning at mold start ups.
2. Evaluate the mold for adequate venting. If the process technicians cannot keep
up with cleaning the mold it most likely does not have enough venting.
More effective cleaners such as Zapox may be required to clean significant buildup
from a mold surface.
2.24 Miscellaneous Supplies
There are a number of other simple items that make troubleshooting easier includ-
ing:
Note pads to help keep track of changes
Markers to write on sample parts
Ziplock bags for bagging samples
A calculator to help with math
A sealed container for samples for moisture analysis (i. e., glass bottle)
