You know that a high-output injection molding press builds up carbon contamination over time. You probably also realize that pushing through color after color results in high scrap rates and excessive production downtime.
With an ever-increasing demand for the products produced in your facility, you need an on-point purging process that improves your ability to churn out products and turn a profit.
Learn why using a high-quality purging compound reduces scrap rates and minimizes production downtime.
The following three reasons exemplify why commercial purging compounds are so critical to improving operations:
Using the next resin immediately behind the first one – and continuing the production run until the color or resin is changed – It is ineffective to use the "next resin up" for changeovers. It is inefficient and a waste of time and material to run production until your next good part.
Production resins don't include cleaning additives and do not effectively remove color or the previous material. When using resin for color/resin changes, it layers over any resin or color deposits already in the barrel, eventually causing color and carbon contamination.
Prolonged color or resin changes mean longer downtime, resulting in a higher cost of production. High-quality commercial purging compounds eliminate the residue of the first material or color. You gain a competitive advantage due to reduced changeover times and material waste reductions.
We designed our purging compounds to remove stubborn carbon and color deposits on the tip and flights of a screw. A high-grade purging compound also reaches those dead spots within the screw/barrel assembly that virgin resin cannot address.
Any remaining resin within the barrel, under heat, degrades and eventually causes carbon contamination. These black specks result in a high scrap rate, material waste, and a massive loss of productivity.
Commercial purging compounds effectively keep injection molding machines clean.
Establish a regular, preventative purging program to make the most of your purging compound in reducing carbon contamination. This routine maintenance ensures you avoid carbon contamination buildup in the barrel and screw, effectively decreasing machine downtime.
Do not use the next resin or regrind to clean injection molding machines. These products do not clean. Using these materials typically results in even more scrap and waste.
Instead, use an effective commercial purging compound to eliminate residue from processing resins. Due to its powerful cleaning ability, the purging compounds help to reduce changeover times and material waste. The reduced scrap rate and production downtime more than pay for the price of the purging compound.
Outdated cleaning methods—like flushing an injection molding machine with the next resin or regrind—are ultimately time-consuming, material-wasting, and ineffective in removing color and carbon contamination. The resulting plastic scrap and production downtime drain your efficiency and profitability.
Most, if not all, plastics processing facilities would benefit by using a commercial purging compound instead of scrap or the "next resin" method.