Resources – Maes Insights

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Design of Experiments for Injection Molding

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Design of Experiments is a technique of performing a set of planned experiments to study the effect of the processing parameters on the quality of the part. In its simplest form, studying the length of the part at two holding pressures and relating the change in the length of the part to the change in […]

Molding Validations

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The molding processes need to be validated to ensure that the customer will receive the molded parts or their assemblies as per the specified requirements. The process begins with the the plastic pellet coming into the shop and leaving a finished product. Therefore every sub-process, equipment and the procedures that are involved in this transformation […]

Scientific Molding – The 6-Step Study

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The 6-Step Study: The Viscosity (Rheology) Curve, the Gate Freeze Study and the Pressure Drop Study were the three studies that were done as part of the Scientific Molding Studies. The Molding Area Diagram (MAD) has references in some early texts such as in the ‘Handbook of Injection Molding’ by Rosato, was not always considered. […]

Scientific Molding – The 6-Step Study

Admin

The 6-Step Study: The Viscosity (Rheology) Curve, the Gate Freeze Study and the Pressure Drop Study were the three studies that were done as part of the Scientific Molding Studies. The Molding Area Diagram (MAD) has references in some early texts such as in the ‘Handbook of Injection Molding’ by Rosato, was not always considered. […]

At what temperature does the viscosity graph need to be performed?

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A question that frequently gets asked in my seminar is ‘If there is a recommended temperature range, at what melt temperature does the viscosity graph need to be performed – the high end or the low end or in the center?’ To answer that question let us understand that the reason to perform the viscosity […]

During first shots – Never look at your part dimensions unless …

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One of my customers called me since he was having issues with one of their new molds and parts. He had visited the mold maker for first shots that resulted in parts being out of spec. The mold steel dimensions were adjusted, 10 shots that met the specifications were sent to him, he accepted the […]

Back Pressure – The misunderstood molding parameter

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When I teach the concept of Back Pressure in my seminars almost always one of the attendees will say ‘Increasing back pressure will increase the melt temperature’. That is absolutely true! However, there are a few things we must understand about back pressure. One should only use the minimum needed and never to fix dimensional […]

How does design of experiments (DoE) work?

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HOW DoE WORKS Based on the users selected parameters the software designs the needed experiments to find out the effects each parameter has on the end product. In de Tornedo chart below the software shows that the molding pressure parameter has the most effect on the end result. A=Mold Temperature B=Cooling Time C=Molding Pressure D=Viscosity […]

How to improve your overall equipment effectiveness

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HOW TO IMPROVE OEE Step 1 Track your process information Your effectiveness is affected by these 6 most common losses: Equipment failure, Setup and adjustments, Idling and minor stops, Reduced speed, Process defects, Reduced yield. By keeping track of the data of these 6 losses you will create a report on how much percent of production […]

How many molding parameters truly make a difference in the quality of the part?

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MOLDING PARAMETERS There are 11+2 molding parameters that make a difference in the quality of the part. Why the +2? The first phase is the Injection Phase where the cavity is filled with molten plastic. The second phase is called the compensation phase where the shrinkage is being compensated. The compensation phase is further divided […]

How Packing Pressure influences the mold dimensions

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Packing Pressure This video shows how packing pressure influences the dimensions of the mold. <iframe src=”https://player.vimeo.com/video/386459023″ width=”640″ height=”564″ frameborder=”0″ allow=”autoplay; fullscreen” allowfullscreen></iframe> Plastic melt has a higher volume compared to solid unmolten plastic. Consider a mold cavity of dimension A. Refer to the video above. If it is filled with melt it will have less […]