3 Ways Purging Compounds Help You Save With Super-Engineering Resins

Purging from high temperature resin to a dissimilar resin can be a time consuming and incredibly costly undertaking. Even if you’re changing over to another super-engineering resin, the cost-per-pound for PEEK, PEKK, ULTEM, etc. is high so companies want to make sure they are not wasting any material on bad parts. When changing from high temperature to a lower temperature resin this process can be an even more challenging. Fortunately, there are some purging compounds designed specifically for these resins. Today we will look at some ways purging compounds can make your life easier when running super-engineering resins.

1.) They Eliminate Contamination

Purging compounds like Asaclean PX2 Grade are excellent cleaners.  They remove carbon and color contamination easily at temperatures up to 790°F.  Additionally, they will leave your screw and barrel completely clean.  When processors run at incredibly high temperatures, carbon and burning are common. If you use a glass-filled grade like PX2, you can quickly remove the carbon and continue running good parts. This will dramatically reduce scrap and keep your parts sell-able.

2.) Easier Shutdowns & Start-Ups

Every processor has dealt with difficult start-ups throughout their career. After a shutdown, it can take hours before your shift is running good parts again. This is due to the oxidation of plastic in your barrel when you turn off your heats. When running super-engineering resins, this can be particularly problematic due to the cost-per-pound of the resin and the high heats needed to melt the resin in your machine. Use a purging compound like Asaclean’s PF Grade to seal your barrel before you shut down. They run at the same high temperatures as your processing resins and prevent oxidation within your machine. This will see you running good parts in no time at start-up.

3.) Faster Material & Color Changeovers

As we mentioned earlier, changing from high temp to lower temp resins can be especially challenging, as you can find yourself dealing with all kinds of contamination issues as the resins react to different temperatures. For these situations, we recommend a 2-step purge to ease into the lower processing range. Switching from a high temp purging compound to a general-purpose purging compound will help you speed up your changeovers.

Time is the most valuable resource for any processor. If you can make parts faster with less downtime, you make more money. For processors running super-engineering resins, the costs are substantially higher than those running commodity resins. But if you find ways to run efficiently, the profits can be truly lucrative. Commercial purging compounds are a great way to reduce changeover time and get back to running production. When using super-engineering resins, you need to use a high temperature purging compound that can withstand the temperatures as well as make sure the screw and barrel are clean when done purging. You invest mightily in the cost of quality super-engineering resins.  Protect your investment with purging compounds that help you get the most out of every pound.

 If you have any questions on how to implement a Purge Program for super-engineering resins, request your free consultation today and learn how to supercharge your profits.

Ready to reduce your production downtime to protect your profits? Learn more about how purging compounds and process efficiency work in tandem.