MoldTrax

One of the most interesting parts of performing a maintenance capability assessment (MCA) in mold plants around the globe is observing the different styles practiced when repair technicians work on molds. When talking to repair techs about why they like a particular method or tool it is easy to see why they would think there is only one way to do things. It’s simply how they were taught by the older, tenured repair technicians.

A look at how taking the time and data to analyze a mold problem will help you repair it right—and permanently—the first time.

A look at mold performance and maintenance issues through a few simple reports in the right sequence will allow you to drill down into what the issues are really costing you.

As tempting as it is, cloning is seldom a good idea unless the DNA has come from a proven, reliable performer in the press that also has been well thought out from behind the bench.

Organized maintenance manuals can offer an advantage that electronic data does not.

Ongoing data collection and visual inspection of tooling and parts is the only method that will allow you to balance maximizing tooling life, production capability and mold reliability.

Maintenance discipline is just as much a factor of our working environment as it is our individual character that controls an internal drive toward performance excellence.

To better understand what a toolroom supervisor needs to improve mold performance and maintenance efficiency, we need to further understand their challenges and job responsibilities.

Data that processors need and what they should collect.

What would you like your maintenance system to do for you?

Sending a mold outside can be an advantageous method to doing business, or it can be a nightmare. Don’t leave it to chance.

The last three steps of a six-step process for strategizing for improvement in shop operations when it comes to how we maintain molds.

The first three steps of a six-step process for strategizing for improvement in shop operations when it comes to how we maintain molds.

MoldTrax 4.0™ comprehensive performance and maintenance documentation system for molds and dies from MoldTrax (Ashland, OH) features a number of upgrades, including: fast trax reports, which are 20 new reports that allow the user to compare multiple fields of information, such as mold performance and maintenance issues, simply by filtering or sorting with typical Excel tools by whatever issues or topics are desired; larger screens so users can see more maintenance information without scrolling; connectivity to profilecv.com—an instant link provided to the company’s website for global access to mold data; expanded TechTips™ section allows users to store more information and create mold specific maintenance manuals showing disassembly, cleaning, polishing, assembly and final check procedures; and user-friendly flags let you know if information input in MoldTrax is correct.

In today’s tool shop facilities it is apparent that a communication/teamwork chasm still exists, which must be addressed in order to improve operations.

Tools and the boxes that contain them tell a lot about the moldmaker and his/her talents.

Cleaning nozzles and manifolds, electrical boxes, assembly and final check.

The steps of a typical clean and rebuild of an encapsulated system.

A look at in-house and outsourced cleaning.

MoldTrax 4.0 is the industry’s only comprehensive data collection and utilization software specifically designed for troubleshooting and managing molds.

Clear cut methods that prove effective on troublesome installations.

Probable causes and repair methods with an eye on preventative measures.

How to improve your leak detection methods.

The keys to proper mold repair on-the-job training are an organized, systematic shop atmosphere, and an understanding of mold repair skills requirements and the mold characteristics that challenge those requirements.

How to properly format a corrective action report in your shop database

Including position analysis in your data collection practices will help you make smarter maintenance and mold design decisions.

Keeping molds production ready and reliable is much more dependent upon proactive maintenance measures than reactive habits.

Utilizing data to set goals.

Standardizing maintenance terminology.

How to best organize data responsibilities in a maintenance system.

Creating a clean room.

Mold handling and the overhead hoist system.

Determining repair shop space requirements.

Just as important as creating a solid maintenance plan for molds, is the shop in which the repair takes place.

A simple mistake can be catastrophic for both sales and the mold, making a final checklist a must.

The process of assembly is the stage during which most mistakes occur, so accurate and safe mold assembly is key.

Ultrasonic immersion cleaning is a non-abrasive, user-friendly method that has the greatest impact on reducing cleaning time, improving mold cleaning consistency and reducing tooling damage.

Even though hand cleaning will never be completely eliminated, ice blasting is an alternative cleaning method that can effectively reduce cleaning time and cost.

Cleaning a mold is a critical part of the repair process, but many myths must be dispelled.

Repair technicians should be aware that careful handling of tooling, attention to detail and documentation keeps manifolds functioning properly and prevents costly mistakes.

Using analytical skills based on historical mold performance and maintenance requirements, combined with mold and part defect data determines probable causes and corrective actions.

The vertical and horizontal position methods used to separate mold plates each have advantages and disadvantages.

The repair sheet is critical to the success of any mold repair plan.

The last shot is the most important key to insuring accurate mold repair.

Setup checklists, verifications and injection mold layout sheets are critical factors in the beginning of the mold process.

A tool specifically designed to make tooling removal a quick, safe, one-person job helps moldmakers get jobs done quickly and efficiently.

In this new column, real world mold maintenance issues are discussed and tips to competing in a fast-paced environment are given.

I was standing 50 feet from the toolroom door and I could hear the sound of someone trying to remove a stubborn leader pin from a mold plate - or laying train tracks