Idiot proofing your hot runner system.

It is an embarrassingly common problem to schedule a hot runner mold into a machine and then find you don’t have enough zones or the plugs on the mold with eight zones won’t fit into the controller with twelve zones. OR, somebody (of course not you) plugs the power into the thermocouples and burns everything out.  While this list of pesky goofs is probably endless the point is obvious:  Standardize.

“LEAN”  - today’s current buzzword – is base on two simple philosophies: Avoid unnecessary steps (keep it simple) and be flexible (i.e. standardize).  Would life be easier if (1) the thermocouple plug on the mold was female and the heater plug on the mold was male?  This would keep you from plugging the wrong plug into the wrong outlet. (2) If all plugs were 24 pin (12 zone) plugs?  This would provide flexibility even if the mold only had 4 zones. (3) Better yet, what if all controllers and molds used only one plug?  These can be purchased with up to 128 pins.  Groups of four would be the control and power for one zone.  Since the plugs are keyed it would be impossible to hook it up wrong.

What a deal!  Flexibility, easier setups, no ‘jury rigging’ and more profit.  Think about it.

Contact me with questions put in the subject line QUESTIONS.
Bill Tobin, WJT Associates, E-mail: bill4012@hotmail.com