Plastics Workshops and Seminars
Injection Molding Maintenance Technology and Practices
Includes short demonstrations and hands-on laboratory exercises
Instructor: Jerry Lord
WHO SHOULD ATTEND:
This four-and-one-half-day workshop is for molders, setup, and maintenance personnel who want to gain a better understanding of how injection molding machines operate and their safe and proper use. Participants can gain a more intuitive understanding of the relationship between the machine function and the molding of plastic parts.
EDUCATIONAL GOALS:
This workshop will provide an understanding of how injection molding machines operate and how to properly set up and care for them. Starting with a quick review of machine safety, metal fatigue will be discussed as it relates to the operation of molding machines. Mechanical aspects of molding machines will be discussed, starting with the various clamp designs, including the advantages and disadvantages of each. The mechanical aspect of the various types of injection units will then be discussed. Hydraulic and electrical aspects as they relate to the operation and maintenance of molding machines will be covered. Control schemes such as PID, OPEN LOOP, ADAPTIVE, and CLOSED LOOP control will conclude the talks. Short demonstrations and hands-on laboratory exercises will also be provided to reinforce the lecture material.
WORKSHOP OUTLINE:
1. Machine Safety
- A review of the latest ANSI B151.1 standard
- A review of design safety hierarchy
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration
- Lab tour to show safety features
- Clamp designs and how they operate
- Mechanical
- Hydraulic
- Hydro-mechanical
- Importance of clamp stiffness
- How toggle machines really work
- Common causes of clamp failure
- Plasticating designs and how they operate
- Single stage
- Two stage
- Hydraulic drives
- Electric drives
- Non-return valves
- Common causes of plasticating failure
3. Hydraulic Aspects
- Basics
- Fluid maintenance
- Required properties
- Filtering
- Cooling
- Sample hydraulic circuits
- Hydraulic accumulators
- Troubleshooting
- Basics
- Heaters and heat control
- Motors and motor control
- Position, force, and pressure sensors
- Troubleshooting
- PID control
- Open loop control
- Adaptive control
- Closed loop control
- Typical efficiency
- Ways to improve efficiency