At Advantech Plastics, we believe that energy conservation isn’t just good for the environment, it’s smart business. After all, if we can provide the highest level of plastic injection molding quality at a lower price, we can pass along the savings to our customers. That’s why we’re always eager to lower energy costs through a variety of strategies including:
Avoiding intermittent stops:
Reducing runners and product ejection errors can save time and energy. Waste shots are unnecessary and can be avoided. One of the key factors to avoiding intermittent stops is to do daily and scheduled preventive maintenance on the molds and robots thoroughly.
Reducing runners and product ejection errors can save time and energy. Waste shots are unnecessary and can be avoided. One of the key factors to avoiding intermittent stops is to do daily and scheduled preventive maintenance on the molds and robots thoroughly.
Avoiding machine downtime:
When the machine stops, it cools down. Re-heating up the mold, heater bands, and oil requires a large amount of energy. This can be prevented by daily or scheduled inspections.
When the machine stops, it cools down. Re-heating up the mold, heater bands, and oil requires a large amount of energy. This can be prevented by daily or scheduled inspections.
Changing production style:
- Keeping specific resins and colors on specific machines and avoiding too many changes;
- Devising a production schedule that keeps equipment on continuously for a set amount of time;
- Avoiding changing molds on specific machines. Each time a mold is changed, energy is spent.
Molding condition and technique:
- Shortening machine cycles;
- Lowering the temperature on molds, whenever possible;
- Optimizing clamping force, for better surface finish, increasing the yield and reducing defects;
- Purge and change the mold at the same time
- Not over-cooling the rear feeding port
- Shortening the mold temperature control pipes, preventing heat loss and stabilizing temperature
Although there are numerous other energy-and-cost-savings techniques, the goal at the end of the day is the same: saving money and improving quality.