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Applicable Training

During a recent seminar, an extrusion technician recently made this false statement…

Technician
None of the training out there applies to what my plant is doing.
My Response
I first asked him if his extruder had a barrel and screw… He said yes. I then asked about the barrel heaters, cooling fans, and temperature controllers… He again agreed.
He also agreed his extruder has an adapter, die, screw motor, reduced, feed throat, and so on. Then he explained that they used unique downstream equipment on their standard extruder. 
I explained that half of their process is the extruder and the second half is the downstream, in which much training is available. Lastly, I asked if his employees could improve their knowledge and abilities such as in math, quality, and problem solving… He again agreed.
Additional Comments
The purpose here was not to sell training… but to get people to think about training materials as components of the overall training solution.
-Andy

Measuring Screw Wear

A friend of ours recently asked this question about screw wear…

Jim
I can get maintenance to measure the screw, but their philosophy is that
there’s no reason to do so. Typically we replace barrels and check rings, but
do not know what the state of the screw is.  I think we should know, and
measure, but I can’t say technically why.  Can you help?

My Response

The purpose of routinely measuring screw and barrel wear to see the trend over time.  This practice allows you to preemptively correct for wear by scheduling repairs and replacements. for example, let’s suppose a screw is still working, but having some mixing or melting issues, you can document approximately how much wear, and clearance, indicates such complications. If you see a similar situation developing on another machine, you can schedule a screw replacement or repair, rather than react after you produce a bunch of scrap. You can also avoid certain jobs with sensitive materials or strict colorant requirements if you know a machine is suspect.
For comparison… top drag racers completely dismantle and re-assemble the engine after each race, replacing everything from pistons to pushrods (takes about 90 minutes). The components they remove are later measured and a determination is made whether to re-use, refurbish, or discard each component. Each team has its own set of records derived from experience to identify when a component is useful or useless. If the team fields different classes of cars, then the acceptable tolerances would vary from machine to machine. 
Additional Thoughts
There are always rules of thumb, but your mechanics need to think about their jobs more like crew chiefs knowing the driver (mold) is stepping into a machine that is ready to do the job.
-Andy

Explaining Melt Flow Index

I receive this question very often, and feel it would be great for the blog…

Larry
Can you briefly explain melt flow index, and how processors use it?
My Response
Melt flow indexing is the most popular, and yet least accurate way to determine material viscosity. The melt flow index (MFI) is the measure of how many grams of polymer pass through a standardized capillary under a standard load over 10 minutes. The value obtained through the melt flow index test is a single data point. The melt flow index only tests the material at one shear stress, and temperature. 
In general, a higher melt flow index indicates a lower material viscosity. This means that a material with a melt flow index of 20 flows easier than a material with a melt flow index of 5. Melt flow index information from different materials and material grades may be used for a rough comparison of flow characteristics for different materials.
Many processors use this data to qualify incoming materials and to help anticipate changes in the process. For example, if the lot of material you are processing has a MFI of 10, and a new lot has an MFI of 15… you can anticipate issues such as flash, over packing, or overweight product and make the appropriate adjustments.
Additional Thoughts
To obtain more accurate and relevant viscosity data… it is better to perform rheology tests using a capillary rheometer or a parallel plate rheometer. Many companies will also perform in-mold rheology tests using actual production molds.
-Andy

Purpose of Platen Deflection Test

I received this question over the weekend…

Milan
I heard about the platen deflection test. How should I do it and what information can I obtain from the test?

My Response
Most platen deflection occurs within the stationary platen due to the fact that it receives the least amount of support. It also has a large hole cut out of the center for the sprue bushing.
There are typically two different instances in which deflection of the stationary platen occurs. The first deflection happens when the mold is clamped under full tonnage. The second deflection takes place as the polymer is injected and packed into the mold.
The Platen Deflection Test is used to determine the amount of stationary platen deflection that occurs during the molding cycle. Basically, a dial indicator mounted to the machine base, and is placed as close to the center of the platen as possible.
The results of this test should be retained with the machine’s records and used as a baseline for future deflection comparisons. This is valuable information – as it allows you to track the degradation of the stationary platen’s integrity over time.
Additional Thoughts
You can often reduce platen deflection by increasing the nozzle forward force.
Our intelligent molder series of training covers this topic in much more detail. Also I discuss these tests in our free online webinars: http://www.traininteractive.com/free/webinar/player/
-Andy

Are Hydraulic Machines Going the Way of the Dinasour…?

A friend asked my opinion about the state of hydraulic molding machines the other day…

Bob
When do you think hydraulic molding machines will go the way of the dinosaurs?
My Response
In my experience, the plastics industry is relatively slow to adopt the latest technology. Four of the biggest factors in adopting a new technology are:
1) Significant Increase in Performance
2) Demonstrated Reliability
3) Ease of Use
4) Lower Cost
As you may know, the earliest all-electric molding machines were very delicate, and did not provide significant value. As the years have progressed, and technology has improved… these machines have begun to outperform hydraulic machines in virtually all these four areas. It is only a matter of time before all-electric molding machines have dominance in all demographics of the injection molding industry… especially as the costs of all-electric molding machines decrease far below the cost of hydraulic machines.
That being said, there will always be injection molders who will prefer to mold with hydraulic molding machines… or have older machines which are still functioning properly. I recently spoke with one molder who said ‘I hate electric machines, they are so quiet it just doesn’t sound busy around here’.
Additional Thoughts
I have watched the slow adoption of closed-loop process controls over the past few decades. At first, the controls were confusing, complicated, unreliable, and very expensive. Now this technology dominates the market… yet, there are still manufacturers who will sell you a brand-new injection molding machine with an old-fashioned open-loop process controller ~ if you really want one.
-Andy

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