There are many factors that affect the quality of vertical injection molding machine plastic products. For example, we can say the temperature and pressure control, gate position and size, cooling system design, etc. If you don’t have to face these issues you may make mistakes when designing or manufacturing your products. You can find a lot of information about these topics online. But it’s hard to find what you really need without wasting time reading tons of irrelevant information.
We’ve spent years gathering all this knowledge into one comprehensive guide for beginners and advanced users alike. This article contains everything from basic concepts to detailed explanations on how different parameters affect product quality. It also provides practical solutions for common problems with step-by-step instructions so even if you’re not an expert yet, after reading our book you will be able to solve any problem related to vertical injection molding machines by yourself!
Causes of Plastic Injection Molding Machine Problems
If you are making plastic parts, there is a high probability that you are using an injection molding machine to do so. There are many problems that can arise during this process. But knowing what they are will save your company money and time. The following list of common injection molding machine problems outlines. The issues that may occur with these machines.
Slow Cycle Times: Inefficient Injection Molding Machine Cycles
If you run into problems such as slow cycle times and your injection molding machine refusing to keep up continuously, one of the first things that you should check is whether or not your injection molding machine is set up for the material that you are running. Many materials require different injection pressures, holding times, and back pressures which can affect cycle time, change the shot size, or make your material not flow correctly.
Excessive Vibration of an Inefficient Injection Molding Machine Operation
If your injection molding machine is experiencing a high amount of vibration, there is usually something that will need to be tightened to reduce it. Check all bolts and screws on the injection molding machine. Also, those that hold the ram in place as these are typically common trouble spots. It can even be as simple as adding grease or changing out compressed airlines to solve the problem.
Jammed Liquid Plastic or No Injection Molding Machine Flow
The plastic should always flow smoothly through the machine as long as everything is set up correctly for your material. Also, it will not cause any problems for your process. If you do experience a jam, these are some of the steps that you should take:
- Make sure that the injection molding machine’s hopper is filled to the correct level
- Check for air in the line
- Make sure that all of your seals and O rings on your cup screws are working properly, such as checking for wear or cracking.
Melted Plastic: Uneven Injection Molding Machine Heating Systems
If you are noticing that some of your plastic is not melting correctly, the main cause is how your vertical injection molding heating system works. For example, if you have a hot runner system and it’s leaking, the material will only flow through the melted channels instead of all along its length which is where it needs to go. Additionally, issues with your mold temperature can also cause problems. It happens when they are not consistent throughout the entire process.
White Streaking: Blown Filament Injection Molding Machine Problems
If you are noticing white streaks in your final plastic parts, it is likely that your injection molding machine has blown a filament which means that one of the heating elements inside your machine’s heating block has gone out. This problem needs to be fixed by replacing the blown filament as you can not repair it.
Short Shot (Not Feeding Material)Misaligned Components
This is one of the most common problems that you could experience with your injection molding machine. If it is not set up for your material or if something has gone wrong with one of the components such as a barrel that is not completely tightened. To solve this problem, you will usually need to run down and tighten anything on the machine that we can tighten such as screws and bolts in the hopper and ram areas.
Heating Issues: Uneven Machine Temperature
If you are seeing problems such as lean beads, warping of your product, or dents in the walls of your part. This indicates that you do not have an even temperature throughout your entire injection molding machine. It may be helpful to check for air in your lines or to even purge the line with nitrogen before starting up your machine. Read more.
