Maintenance of Tools / Molds a start

In the last installment we brought up the fact of maintenance and some ideas of how to implement…

Basically the issue is where to start. From the aspect that time is money why not with the mold. In the past we have explained in these articles the red, green and yellow tag systems for molds. What we talk about for maintenance here is have you budgeted for that maintenance with your customer? Did you explain to him that when running a tool that there are certain things that must be done to the tool to maintain it and that these cost monies or that this is why we charge what we do? Are you eating these costs? How long does it take for you to recoup the cost of an ejector pin breakage? What about normal servicing such as lubing the pins and bushings, tearing down the tool for its PM, of cleaning it, the vents, checking for the wear and galling that may be occurring. Maybe you sold them the original tool, did it come with a statement to run x amount of parts?

Though the above covers some of the costs issues, The real issue here is how are you maintaining the tool. Do you have it on a shot meter that is mold mounted, so you know when to service the tool, and or how the mold is actually doing with regard to wear and tear via how many openings and closing the tool has gone through. The mold mounted counter gives data as to how many openings and closing.

Simple maintenance:
1- blowing out water lines when done, (may not if sealed system)
2- wiping down the tool after use and using a mold saver type spray
3- Cleaning and or stoning the top clamp plates so they do not incur build up.
4- Lubing the pins and bushings
5- Making notation of the fact when grease is applied to the leader pins it tends to wear off one side.
6- Noting and or cleaning any excess surface build up in the tool.
7- checking the ejector pins for rotations, do they, be sure they did originally

Other:
1- Noting any problems that occurred in the running of the job.
2- Were they problems that are associated with the tool?
3- Do parts hang up?
4- Water leaks
5- Flash
 

Though the above is not all-inclusive it is a start. It is amazing that I go into plants and find simple things such as water lines shut down because they leak, cavities blocked off for a broken ejector pin. The sad truth is they had these same problems the last run, and no one fixed them, or the customer would not pay.  Unless the job is extremely profitable or you were able to raise you prices due to fewer cavities or longer cycle you are paying.

Thanks for the time.

Steven L Silvey
Sr. Technical Service
GP-Ashland Distribution Company