Contamination, or "contami" in shorthand, refers to the presence of foreign substances or impurities. This term is used across the manufacturing industry to denote any foreign material incorporated into the manufacturing process.
In the context of injection molding factories, contamination typically refers to:
The primary cause of contamination in the injection molding process is the intrusion of dust and other foreign materials.
From the arrival of plastic raw materials, through processing, to shipment, there are numerous steps involved. It is during these steps that foreign materials can get mixed in.
Injection Molding Flowchart:
The manufacturing environment required in injection molding factories varies depending on the product being made. For example, food trays and medical devices are manufactured in cleanrooms. However, for other products like construction materials or general goods, a basic sheltered environment may suffice. Factories producing a wide variety of products need to change setups frequently, with some machines handling up to five mold changes per day for both prototypes and mass production. Even with line clearance checks at each production run, previous materials can remain and contaminate the next batch.
Contamination in injection molding can be broadly divided into two categories:
Depending on the type of contamination, it's possible to narrow down where in the injection molding process the issue lies.
Mixed contamination, generally referred to as "incorporated foreign materials," can occur at any stage from "1. Raw material arrival" to "5. Filling the mold."
Adhering contamination, commonly known as "adhered foreign materials," can occur at any stage from when the product is removed from the mold to when it is shipped.
:As can be inferred from the types of contamination, the essence of preventing and addressing contamination lies in thorough line management. Optimizing each process and rigorously managing the entire line is essential for prevention.
Considering the multiple processes, frequent setup changes, numerous equipment, and teamwork involved in an injection molding factory, achieving thorough line management may not be straightforward.
In such cases, focusing on common sources of contamination, such as:
and organizing operations for incident occurrence can be a way to aim for production improvements.
In addition, it is difficult to improve productivity if the basics of contaminationc prevention and countermeasures are thoroughly detected. There are two main points to detect the occurrence of content.
First of all, it is important to examine contaminationc Elephant.
Visual Extension mirror If you are a kneaded foreign matter, cut out the event Request component analysis from external specialized organizations We will hit the causes revealed from the test results and further pursue the cause. If the cause is not identified, it may lead to further defective occurrence, so it is necessary to stop the production line. Let's restart after identifying the cause and completing the treatment.
If a defect occurs, it is the highest priority to share it with the related sections immediately. Regardless of the specific cause of the cause, you can first share it to prevent defective leaks.
Even if the molding method and raw materials are different, the basics of contamination measures and prevention do not change, but in specific resin specialty and molding methods, it may be more likely that contamination will occur compared to others.
contamination has a bad appearance that can be visually judged to be defective. It is a problem that is often generated with transparent molded products and is a problem. (Transparent raw material, acrylic, PC, etc.)
When using the pulver, many possibilities are lurking, such as the mixture of chilligomi, which is covered by the crushed material, and a mixture of crushed blades.
Molded machines with many replacements and products that are molded for a long time can easily accumulate carbides in the screws in the heat cylinder, and the carbide is peeled off and filled. Decide the prescribed shot in advance, purge it with a purge material, or cleaning and cleaning the screw. In the process performed as shown in the above example, be aware of contaminationc countermeasures and prevention to improve productivity.
This is a summary of the points that are used for the terms used in the manufacturing industry, especially when considering defective measures and productivity in injection molding factories. The aim is to establish a higher productive molding technology by considering the necessary measures based on the "thorough line management", which is the basis of contaminationc prevention and countermeasures. Let's do it.
