Setting Final Cushion…

During some classroom training the other week, a student asked me the following question… John What value should you set the cushion at? My Response A good rule of thumb is 10% of the initial shot size. For example, if the overall shot size is 100mm, then the cushion should be about 10mm. This avoids pressure […]

Teaching Tolerances…

I was asked this question during a recent on-site visit… QA Manager What is an easy was to explain tolerances to new employees? My Response Focus on the fact that tolerances are commonly expressed in a way which can be easily broken up into simple math equations. Dimension: 1.00 ± 0.01 Upper Limit: 1.00 + 0.01 = 1.01 Lower […]

How Much Training a Week…

As a trainer, this is one of the more common questions I receive… Manager How much training a week should I give my employees? My Response We typically recommend between 1 and 2 hours a week. It is always much better to provide your employees a slow, steady, & consistent stream of information over an extended period of […]

PBT in Hot Runner Systems…

I was asked this question by a molder who was having trouble balancing a hot runner system… Bob We have this new mold which is running 16 cavities in PBT. Usually we can balance the mold using the drop temperatures, but that does not seem to work on this mold. Any thoughts? My Response Essentially, semi-crystalline polymers […]

Documentation Takes Too Long…

I was in a discussion recently with a GM and he had this problem… Manager My technicians are not willing to take the time to document their changes. They claim it takes too long? My Response The issue here is not time, but education. If your employees are not taking time to document, it is likely that […]