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Avoid Profiling…

I have recently received different questions and many revolve around the same theme, profiling. Essentially, it does not cost anything to add profiling to virtually any machine parameter since it is all a mater of programming. As a result, manufacturers add it to everything. This does not mean it is always a preferred function.

In general, you should always avoid profiling anything related to the process, but I will include the following for more clarification…

Don’t Profile

Back Pressure
Screw RPM
Screw Decompression
Pack Pressure
Hold Pressure
Injection Pressure

Profile Only When Absolutely Necessary
Injection Speed
For more clarity on this, feel free to read:
-Andy

Know Your Materials…

Situation

When discussion materials, most technicians will discuss the material by the trade-name. Unfortunately, when asked what the materials are, they seldom know what the base material is.
My Thoughts
Always teach your employees the name of the actual materials they process. If they are processing PC, then discuss polycarbonate and it’s attributes, processing temperatures, drying temperatures, and any specific characteristics if you are running special grades of the material.
-Andy

Procedures During Power Outage…

I was reading about the power issues overseas and it reminded me of a conversation a few years ago…

Manager
We had a power outage last summer and everyone just walked around in circles, not knowing what to do.

My Thoughts
A power outage can be a very dangerous situation. There are many pieces of equipment which have stored energy which might be released when the power returns if not properly shut down. There are also areas of the plant which have poor auxiliary lighting which can contribute to slips, trips, and falls.
If your company does not have a procedure for power outages, you need to create one. Aspects such as where to meet, who is responsible for personnel count, which machine needs to be powered off and who decides to send people home.
Additional Thoughts
This is extremely important if you process highly sensitive materials such as PVC or Acetal which might cause a problem when the molding machines start back up.
-Andy

Don’t Exclude the Engineers…

I was in recent discussions with a company and heard this statement…

Manager
I doubt the engineers want to take any of this training since it is for production personnel.

My Response
Don’t count out your engineers… just because they have a degree does not mean they are done learning. Typically, the engineers will take all the courses available to them, to both learn more about topics relevant to them and to better understand what everyone else is learning.
Additional Thoughts
I have one molding manager who tried to exclude the engineering group from some of the advanced processing courses and send emails to him in protest. He later said to me “I didn’t even think they going to use the system, but now they are driving the initiative,”.
-Andy

Why does Recovery Matter?

In a recent discussion, one technician asked me this…

Technician
Why bother optimizing recovery? We typically set each machine to 100 RPM.
My Response
There are three major reasons: 1) Setting the process to produce a specified melt temperature provides a more predictable viscosity 2) Determining the optimal rear zone temperature ensures the most consistent and reliable material feed 3) Slowing the screw consume only 80% of the cooing time helps prevent degradation while maximizing conductive material heating.
Additional Thoughts
The process of screw recovery has a large impact on the efficiency and consistency of the process. This will help reduce scrap rate and energy consumption.
-Andy

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