Injection mold maintenance: prevent mold scratches and wear

author: Universe plastic

2024-03-26

During the production and use of injection molds, there will be friction between the mold surface and the movable structural parts, which may cause scratches and wear marks. If it is not discovered and repaired in time, the mold parts may not work properly or be scrapped.

How to prevent molds from being scratched and repaired during work? Universe Plastics Engineers will explain to you in detail based on past experience:

Causes of mold scratches

1. Mechanical bumps and scratches

Scratches and wear caused by collision and movement of injection molds with hard objects or injection molding machines during transportation, installation and production.

2. Scratches on the mold material

If there is a difference in hardness of injection mold parts, the hard material bites into the soft material, causing scratches and abrasions.

3. Wear during mold closing action

The concave and convex parts of the injection mold produce wear powder when the mold collides with each other, and sticks to the mold, causing constant scratches.

4. Metal fatigue wear

Due to the long-term movement of injection mold parts, metal fatigue occurs and is prone to wear. In severe cases, there will be scaly peeling wear.

5. Clearance movement wear

When parts with small structural gaps in the mold are in motion, deformation may easily occur, leading to scratches and wear, which mostly occur in square keys and keyways of injection molds.

6. Material corrosion and wear

Injection molds have long been exposed to chemical, moisture, ion and other corrosive properties produced by plastic materials, resulting in different wear states between injection mold parts.

How to prevent mold scratches

1. Professionals and Tools

In order to prevent scratches on the mold, it is recommended to arrange for professionals and tools to perform operation, use and maintenance work. Especially when transporting or installing the mold, avoid sharp or hard objects coming into contact with the mold.

2. Mold structure lubrication

Before production use, apply an appropriate amount of lubricant to the movable structure of the mold to reduce friction and wear and reduce the risk of scratches.

3. Use of injection molding machine

When the mold is installed on the injection molding machine for production, the appropriate clamping force must be selected, which can be slowly increased to prevent excessive force from damaging the mold and scratching it.

4. Operator training

Provide training to personnel who operate the mold to ensure correct operation and maintenance of the mold, improve professional awareness and skills, and reduce the possibility of accidentally scratching the mold.

5. Optimize mold materials

Choose mold materials with high hardness, and the material selection for moving parts should be consistent to prevent hard materials from biting into soft materials.

How to spot mold scratches

1. Clean the mold regularly

Use appropriate cleaning agents and lubrication methods to reveal potential scratches or wear, not only to lubricate and maintain the mold structure, but also to check whether the mold structure is abnormal or scratched and worn.

2. Touch detection

Gently touching the mold surface with your hands can help detect mold smoothness or scratches, especially in areas that may have problems, and feel the smoothness and changes in the surface. This requires experienced engineers to do this.

3. Optical inspection

Use a magnifying glass or other suitable optical device to inspect the mold surface. You can also illuminate the mold surface with a light source, which can help detect tiny scratches or subtle wear.

4. Use testing equipment

If conditions permit, surface inspection instruments such as high-precision height meters or three-dimensional coordinate measuring instruments can be used to quantify the unevenness of the mold surface so that scratches or wear can be discovered in time.

How to Repair Mold Scratches and Wear

1. Grinding and polishing

For shallower scratches, sanding and polishing techniques can be used to remove the scratches and restore the smoothness of the mold surface.

2. Partial repair

For deeper scratches or scuffs, local repairs may be required. The scratches can be filled with suitable repair materials and subsequently sanded and polished.

Summarize

Through the above methods, the risk of scratches on the injection mold can be effectively reduced, and the scratch and wear problems of the injection mold can be discovered and repaired. Professional services are required to ensure the service life of the mold.

Dongguan Universe Plastic Factory has 15 years of mold manufacturing experience, a professional team and processing and testing equipment, and has established long-term cooperation with customers in 35+ countries around the world.

If you are looking for a professional mold manufacturer, please contact us to get the latest service quotation.

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