Cross-Training Your Plastics Equipment for Better Productivity
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By Mike Brodstedt, - Gammaflux A Simple but Effective Plan for Custom Molders Being competitive in today’s molding industry is more challenging than ever before. Whatever the issue . . . resin costs, China, you name it, this is not your father’s molding industry anymore. It’s not all gloom and doom, of course. Plenty of molders have worked hard to find ways to adapt to the new playing field. The implementation of lean manufacturing principles, Six Sigma, ISO certification, company-wide training initiatives, and other methods are some of the things molders are doing to better compete. So, if I told you that you can significantly cut back on downtime and gain an edge with something seemingly as simple as: -Standardizing on 12-zone increment hot runner controllers for all molds in your shop that are less than 60 zones, and You’d do it, right? Many of the molders we have visited over the years agree that doing something this simple would save them significant time and money, but with all they have on their plate, it is definitely not a “front burner” issue. We’re here to tell you that those molders who have taken this step have given themselves one more advantage that leads to faster mold turns, increased flexibility, and higher profits. Simplify, Simplify, Simplify . . . Standardize!!! A common scenario in many molding plants is the need to juggle schedules. Many molders don’t know which tools they will be running on any given day. Juggling molds can also mean juggling hot runner controllers. If you find out today that starting later this week you need to bring a mold out of storage and put it into production on a press that’s been idle, will you have a controller, cables and connectors ready to go, or will you need to wait? It’s all about simplification. Most custom molders have a lot of active and semi-active hot runner molds, in some cases hundreds of them. If it seems like a daunting task to replace the hot runner controllers, mold connectors and cables in your shop, it is. But, to make this a less daunting task, leave the old molds alone – but start now, from this day forward, to standardize on this equipment on all new tools. The Power of 12
Our experience has shown that 12 is the magic number for the preferred number of controller zones, and for cables and connectors. This is because almost all of the leading hot runner suppliers have already standardized on 12-zone wiring patterns. The main difference among the brands is that they use different styles of cables and connectors. The most commonly used connector is probably the PIC/MTC 12G D-M-E standard. These connectors are fine for most applications, but their power-side crimp pins are relatively fragile. Gammaflux recommends using the HBE-24 style connector, which has molded-in pins for durability. How Many Controllers Do You Need? This is a common question. The answer depends totally on the number of molds in your shop, how often they run, and what your scheduling is like. Some molders dedicate a hot runner temperature controller to a specific mold; some, to a specific molding machine; and some use “floaters”, meaning the controller is mobile and can be moved around the shop and used on any number of machines or molds. All of these methods are fine, but for the ultimate flexibility, we recommend the “floaters” method. Hot runner controllers that are dedicated to the machine or mold are not often necessary, although this may be preferable for more sophisticated molds that are 60 zones or more. For molds smaller than 60 zones, if you plan correctly, you can “cross-train” your controllers to work with any number of machines and molds in your plant. With the controllers, cables and connectors standardized, you will have a built-in backup plan. Any controller can control any application that is the same size or smaller. Floor Space is Critical In most molding shops floor space is a premium, so ideally your hot runner controllers will not need to take up valuable square footage. The Gammaflux TTC hot runner controller is floor-standing on casters, has a compact footprint, and works for larger molds up to 640 zones. For smaller applications, Gammaflux LEC hot runner controllers are stackable in 12-zone increments. You want the ability to easily build up or break down your controllers to match the specific mold they’ll be working with, and at the same time, use as little floor space as possible. The Plan So, do yourself a favor and start today with a plan to standardize on your controllers, cables and connectors. This “cross-training” of your equipment will save you invaluable time and money down the road. Eventually, all of your controllers and molds will be compatible. Our recommendations:
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