March 14, 2022
Trimas Announces Acquisition of Intertech Plastics
On March 1, 2022, TriMas announced that they have obtained Intertech Plastics. Intertech Plastics is an innovative solutions supplier of complex, accurate injection molded components, extending its product portfolio and abilities for applications in the clinical end market. Intertech is now a part of TriMas Packaging, effective immediately. Noel Ginsburg founded Intertech in 1980. They have two manufacturing establishments in Denver, Colorado, where they specialize in custom injection molding with the latest manufacturing capabilities for their items used in clinical applications, in addition to their products and assemblies for industrial applications. In the past, Intertech worked as a private family-owned company, bringing in about $32 million in profit in the fiscal year 2021.
Read more about it here
Read more about it here
March 23, 2022
The Five M's of Molding
The Five M's of Molding
Plastic injection processing can be quite difficult. The objective of having zero scrap and repeatable cycles can sometimes be hindered by deficient setups or alterations within the molding process. It all comes down to Man, Mold, Machine, Material, Method. This configuration is utilized when reviewing a mold change before starting. It provides an outline for the whole process, and when repeated each time a mold change is altered, it helps hinder poor setup from leading to poor start-up events.
When auditing a mold change:
Man: This allows the supervisor time to schedule the operator and get them into position when all the parts begin to move down the belt. Cell layout is confirmed as being accurate for the new job. Any old packaging, labels, and components are confirmed as removed from the area, and all essential components are verified to be in place.
Mold: Time to check all stages of the mold setup. The mold needs to be clean and ready to start. Clamp speeds need to be confirmed. Mold components need to be checked for damage and correct working conditions. Water needs to be confirmed, and hoses inspected for correct placement and flow. Low-pressure close can also be confirmed. Hot-runner cables must be confirmed as properly connected, and hot-runner and mold temperature setpoints and actuals must be inspected. You must confirm main hookups and operation, in addition to valve-gate hookups, operating them manually to ensure readiness.
Machine: This refers to all mechanicals, confirming accurate robot end-of-arm-tooling, and that the corresponding robot program is loaded. Check the auxiliaries for operation. Confirm that the dryer is turned on and at the appropriate temperature. Verify the right screw tip is installed.
Material: Check that the right material has been loaded and that no other materials are around. Verify to see color feeders are set up correctly and ensure that the press has been purged properly and is prepared for operation. This involves confirming that the barrel temperatures are accurate and the actuals match the setpoints. Confirm that the material purged looks clean and isn’t showing signs of moisture.
Method: This references the process which must be confirmed as conforming to the setup sheet that was evolved when the process was confirmed. At the very least temperatures, shot size, transfer position, hold pressure, and injection speeds must be certified as accurate.
Read more about it here
When auditing a mold change:
Man: This allows the supervisor time to schedule the operator and get them into position when all the parts begin to move down the belt. Cell layout is confirmed as being accurate for the new job. Any old packaging, labels, and components are confirmed as removed from the area, and all essential components are verified to be in place.
Mold: Time to check all stages of the mold setup. The mold needs to be clean and ready to start. Clamp speeds need to be confirmed. Mold components need to be checked for damage and correct working conditions. Water needs to be confirmed, and hoses inspected for correct placement and flow. Low-pressure close can also be confirmed. Hot-runner cables must be confirmed as properly connected, and hot-runner and mold temperature setpoints and actuals must be inspected. You must confirm main hookups and operation, in addition to valve-gate hookups, operating them manually to ensure readiness.
Machine: This refers to all mechanicals, confirming accurate robot end-of-arm-tooling, and that the corresponding robot program is loaded. Check the auxiliaries for operation. Confirm that the dryer is turned on and at the appropriate temperature. Verify the right screw tip is installed.
Material: Check that the right material has been loaded and that no other materials are around. Verify to see color feeders are set up correctly and ensure that the press has been purged properly and is prepared for operation. This involves confirming that the barrel temperatures are accurate and the actuals match the setpoints. Confirm that the material purged looks clean and isn’t showing signs of moisture.
Method: This references the process which must be confirmed as conforming to the setup sheet that was evolved when the process was confirmed. At the very least temperatures, shot size, transfer position, hold pressure, and injection speeds must be certified as accurate.
Read more about it here
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