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There’s a lot of information out there
about molding plastic and how to get the best performance from
the tools you build or run. This article contains guidelines
about mold coatings that should give readers a good idea of what
coatings, from the traditional to the modern, will help to
achieve optimum mold performance. After all, these tools are an
investment and they need to be protected for the life of the
products they mold.
Coatings & preventive maintenance
Before introducing the wide range of
coatings on the market today, it’s important to note the role
coatings can play in a preventive maintenance (PM) program.
PM is really the key to protecting your
tooling investment because it saves time and money. Once you
invest in a mold coating to improve tool performance, a PM
program should be implemented to ensure you get the maximum
benefit.
Keep in mind that no coating lasts forever,
and producing substandard parts from a mold with a worn coating
is no way to win customers and remain profitable. The key is to
educate your personnel on how mold coatings wear during
production. Every coating is different, so it’s of benefit to
have employees learn how to tell when the coating is showing
deterioration, especially in high-wear areas.
For
example, when molding abrasive material, wear in and around gate
areas plated with hard chrome is the first sign that your mold
needs servicing. How can you tell there is wear? The chrome
coating is approximately 20 RC points harder than...
...Continued
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