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Feed Throat Cooling…

I just received this question via email…
MM
Most of the plastics raw material data sheet do
not contain the Feed Zone temp. How can we  keep this temp during
production?
My Response
Since this cooling is used to prevent bridging most processor runs this temperature at or near the lowest setting.
The two common reasons a processors will increase this temperature is if 1) the rear heater band cannot maintain the desired setpoint, or 2) condensation is occurring inside the feedthroat.
-Andy

Another Great Use for Compressed Air Dryers…

I was in a discussion with a manager the other day. The discussion turned to material driers and the manager said this…

Manager
We don’t have any compressed air driers because we process a lot of nylon and we have to dry it centrally as well as at the hopper.
My Comments
Although compressed air driers do not dry the material as quickly as desiccant driers, they can still be implemented as a cost saving alternative in many applications. Hopper-mounted compressed air driers are a great method of keeping previously dried materials from absorbing moisture.
The simplicity, low cost, and reduced maintenance of compressed air material driers make them a great option to consider for hopper-mounted drying.
-Andy

How to Teach Technicians…

I was asked this question from a company president the other day…

President
Our technicians do everything from changing molds and materials handling to parts testing and troubleshooting  How can we train someone to do this type of job?
My Response
It is true that it is impossible to teach someone all that all at once, but an employee can learn all this over time. The best way to approach this is to break up the instruction by responsibility. Let the person learn a specific aspect of their job sufficiently before moving on to the next function. For example, have then learn how to inspect the parts and become proficient in that role before teaching the job function. If you make each steps in the progression clear and defined, it can give the employee a sense of accomplishment as well as an understanding as to where they are in the development process.
Additional Thoughts
Many companies create interim job functions such as an apprentice or technician level 1, 2, and 3 to differentiate a trainee from a full-fledged technician.
-Andy

The First Step to Good Troubleshooting…

I was asked this follow-up question to a previous blog post…

NM
What is the first step in troubleshooting?

My Response
Personally, I believe the first step in good troubleshooting occurs before a defect is made. The first step is to ‘Establish a Stable and Reliable Process’.
To further illustrate this point, I recommend reading the following article:

-Andy

The Key to Good Troubleshooting…

A plant manager asked me this question the other day…

John
What is the key to good troubleshooting?

My Response
The most important aspect to successful troubleshooting is good documentation. This starts with the documentation of the process outputs when the mold is creating good parts. With this as a baseline, the troubleshooter can use this documentation to investigate and determine the specific change to the process. Once the change is determined, the process can typically be corrected rather quickly.
There are more articles and links in this blog entry:
-Andy 

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