Maximizing Mold Uptime

“A robust mold is more than just a tool that allows a molder to make plastic parts; it is a package that enables a manufacturer to support a supply chain that fulfills customer demands with minimal downtime and maintenance costs.”

This statement [from James Bourne, tool repair supervisor and industry supporter] clearly serves as the driver behind this month’s Mold Maintenance & Repair Supplement—a collaborative effort between MoldMaking Technology and Plastics Technology magazines to raise awareness and promote planning for more proactive mold maintenance as well as repair techniques and strategies for molders and their mold builders.

This includes you—toolroom managers at molding facilities, molding facility owners, plant managers, OEM contacts responsible for tooling productivity and costs, and personnel at mold building companies responsible for repairing and maintaining their customers' tools.

Why maintenance and repair? Why now? Well, consider the competitive environment in which you do business. Sure, there are many critical issues, but is there one technical matter more compelling these days than uptime? Poorly maintained or dirty molds quite simply take money out of your pocket.

And  because repairs and downtime prove costly for molders, threaten OEM program launches and can damage mold builder customer relations, this supplement reviews some essential strategies and processes for proper mold maintenance and repair—including methodology, training, cleaning and welding to name a few—which are all necessary for optimal performance of your tooling.

We‘ve designed this supplement as a keepsake. We believe that the advice delivered with authority by the contributors of the content within this issue will be useful today, tomorrow and well beyond. The common sense tips and best practices shared here are certain to help you—as a moldmaker or molder—improve the efficiencies of your operation if put into practice.

We hope you find it a useful tool.