How to Clean Injection Molds

Injection molding is an industrial plastic-making process.

Injection molding is a production process in which plastics are heated until liquid and sprayed into a mold where they cool and are given the final shape of the manufactured product. As the project cools, it shrinks away from the mold walls, allowing it to be ejected. To keep this process working efficiently, molds need to be systematically and regularly cleaned. Although most molds are cleaned haphazardly and by hand, there are also a number of technological solutions available.

 

Instructions

1.                            Cleaning Molds by Hand

1

Disassemble the mold using a screwdriver to disconnect the parts. Separate the parts that are most susceptible to corrosion and contaminate build-up. These include the front and rear clamp plates, bubbler plates, bushings, water lines and wear plate grease grooves.

2

Spray the pieces of the mold with a cleaning spray, or place them in a solvent bath. More abrasive cleaning chemicals may work more quickly, but they will also cause wear and tear on the mold that can shorten its life.

3

Scrub the mold with a stiff brush to remove the contaminants, then wipe dry.

2.                            Cleaning With Dry Ice Pellets

4

Connect a dry-ice pellet blasting system to an air line near your mold. A double-line system introduces the pellets at the spray nozzle, while single-line systems introduce them at the hopper and offer a more powerful spray.

5

Disassemble the mold and strongly secure the parts to be cleaned. The force of the dry-ice pellet impacts can easily knock over unsecured parts, possibly damaging them.

6

Ensure the area is clear. These guns spray dry ice at 900 feet per second, which can cause severe injury.

7

Put on safety gear. This includes a face mask, gloves and an apron as well as ear protection that can block the 102-decibel noise produced by the sprayer.

8

Turn on the air line and squeeze the trigger to spray the parts. The dry ice will dissolve on impact, taking residue with it. This method, however, may not be very effective at rust removal.

3.                            Cleaning Molds Ultrasonically

9

Disassemble the mold and immerse the parts in a detergent solution. The exact type of detergent depends on what kind of contamination is to be removed. Heavily alkaline solutions like sodium hydroxide are very effective with most contaminants, but are dangerously caustic. Mildly acidic solutions are better for rust, but will turn steel gray.

10

Connect an ultrasonic generator to a shop power line. This generator transforms regular current into the very high frequencies necessary for ultrasonic cleaning.

11

Attach transducers to the bottom and sides of the tank. These transducers will vibrate at the high frequencies coming in from the generator, which produces tiny bubbles in the water that impact the mold pieces with force enough to strip away contaminants, while leaving the metal mold undamaged.

12

Set the timer on the generator, and walk away. The cleaning process will proceed on its own.

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Silicone Mold Problems

 

Frequent Questions

1 . Why silicone mold appear less turning model ?

In the process of making molds adding too much silicone oil, silicone oil destroys the molecular weight silicone , so the mold will be fewer non-durable turning model such phenomena . If molding more complex patterns products come with a large hardness silicone mold , there will be fewer turning model of the phenomenon , because silicone excellent time will be very brittle , easily broken . Conversely , if you do build a product to do with a small hardness silicone mold , the result would be equally unsatisfactory . Because the silicone is too soft, it will reduce the tensile and tear strength , made ​​out of the mold will be deformed , so turning model number will be reduced. Plastic mold itself is very good quality , silicone no good or bad , only suitable or unsuitable . We should adopt appropriate size product hardness silicone to make a mold.

2  Why silicone mold have burning phenomenon ?

Because unsaturated resin and resin product added peroxide curing agent after the reaction in case of resin will produce a lot of heat, general resin curing time of 3 minutes, three minutes after going to release soon , will prevent the silicone mold burning problem

3 Why silicone mold will appear in the table dry quit phenomenon ?

Silicone mold belongs condensation silicone , which is absorbed by the moisture in the air and cured silicone in the process of making , the water evaporated , while there is no transferred amount of water, this phenomenon occurs . Solution: This phenomenon does not belong to product quality issues , but because there is no control of moisture , silica gel to enhance shelf life , shelf life of these phenomena appear long , long time using silica gel , add amount of 0.05% water ,  the problem can be solved.

4 Why silicone mold appear poor tension phenomenon ?

Because the client in the production process of the mold in order to reduce the viscosity of silicone , silicone easy to make large amounts of silica in a silicone oil is added , this will become very soft silicone that produce intolerance pulling the tear strength is reduced , Rally deterioration phenomenon resulting mold is not durable , life is short, less turning and so on.

5 Why mold will appear oil flush?

Silicone mold itself have no oil flush problem , just because during operation adds composite silicone ( silicone oil with white mineral oil complex ligand ) as white mineral oils are petrochemical products, not silicone .

6 Why mold have aging phenomenon ?

In the process of making silicone molds , we recommend our customers the best without any oil, if necessary , the amount of silicone oil added up to no more than 5 % to 10 %. Because the addition of silicone oil will destroy the molecular weight silicone too , so do not come out of the mold will produce acid , intolerant aging phenomenon.

7. Why silicone mold have surface marks , stripes, not smooth and so on ?

This phenomenon is a product or a model to be replicated no grinding or polishing sake. Because in fact the model or the product itself is not enough to smooth or perfect , so the product or model to be copied if not polished or polished , even the best silicone molds will do pretty, is not smooth enough . Another case is , when playing a release agent , no uniform brushing can also cause mold surface problem.

8  you know the usage of mold silicone?

Silicone mold is mainly used for toy and gift industry , craft industry , furniture decoration industry , figures copied , building decoration industry , resin handicraft industry , unsaturated resin crafts industry , candle craft, Plastic toy industry ,Gifts stationery industry,Gypsum gifts industry, mold manufacturing industry, Bolero industrial , simulation plant and animal sculptures, Buddhist carvings crafts products and other industries copy and mold making .

Mainly in used in toys , gifts, floral fine products for packet mode , filling mold products , glass , lighting , candles , figures copy production molds , large products , open- slice mode , relief , statues , gifts making molds , sole model , perfusion mold, sand- casting.

A variety of different uses specific operations silicone mold is also not the same , what is required to achieve the specific operation must be based on a variety of different parameters.

 How to clean

General production mold clean up our way is the use of sandblasting ,place the silicone products mold into blasting machine, blasting head is aligned with the production of silicone products mold cavity , and then gradually Sort cavity by sandblasting .

 

 

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