The challenges of 2020 make processing efficiency more important than ever. As you move closer to the new year and prepare for your holiday shutdown, here are three year-end ideas to get a jump start on a successful 2021.
1.) Pull the screw. The year-end holiday shutdown is the most common time for processors to conduct preventative maintenance. You should pull screws from machines to give a manual inspection to ensure all the equipment is in perfect working condition. It’s also a great opportunity to make any necessary repairs without impacting efficiency. While screw pulls can cause headaches, there are some purging compounds that make the process much easier. Check out the short 90-second comparison of a screw pull with Black ABS vs. a screw pull with Asaclean EX Grade to see the difference a purging compound can make.
2.) Seal the machine. The next suggested best practice for a good year-end PM comes just prior to shutting down. If you don't pull the screw and plan on going straight into shut down from last production, I strongly encourage you to seal using a purging compound. This will save you substantial time when you start back up after break. Apply a full barrel at the end of the production run immediately before you shut down. The sealing grade will coat the screw and barrel preventing any oxidation to occur while the machine sits idly for the holiday break. At time of start-up when the machine gets up to temperature, displace the purge and enjoy a fast start up with better part-to-part quality.
3.) Look for resin deals. As some companies try to reduce inventories, take advantage of year-end resin buys. Some resin suppliers would like to get any excess inventory off the books. Nowadays, processors are too busy to drop inventory when they will need product going headstrong into the new year.
Learn how to reduce machine downtime with five quick purging compound tips for your injection molding application.
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