Page 63 - Plastics News September 2024

TECHNOLOGY NEWS
a robot to use in their facility. The limitation of
this offering is that it will only suit certain simple
applications, for example, palletising, or particu-
lar welding options. The upside is that the robot
can be repurposed for multiple product types
– palletising a box of cakes is effectively the
same process as palletising a box of dishwash-
er tables, for instance. Talk to your automation
supplier to determine if RaaS could be right for
your needs in the short-term – by allowing firms
to test the water and experience the benefits
before making their own investment, it can rep-
3 Common Injection Molding Challenges and
How to Solve Them
hen a molded part is rejected, it is
normally due to one of three crite-
Wria: dimensional stability, warpage or
appearance. Always, the first step to injection
molding troubleshooting is to be able to name
the defect correctly; the second step is to iden-
tify where it comes from.
Troubleshooting Size Problems
One of the most common problems in the injec-
September 2024
September 2024
resent an affordable route into automation for
some first-time users.
In conclusion, when designing or upgrading any
production line, make sure to consider automa-
tion as one of the cornerstones of your project
from the outset. By working with a reputable au-
tomation supplier, you can ensure your manu-
facturing facility is optimised for success, not
just for today, but for years to come.
Source – Medical Plastics News
tion floor is that a part comes out “right” directly
after molding, and then, after storage, suddenly
has the wrong dimensions. A diameter that was
verified a couple of hours after molding may no
longer fit, or an assembly dimension may no
longer fit within range.
This most frustrating fact has to do with a defect
called shrinkage, a behavior natural to polymers
and specially to semi-crystalline polymers. It is
related with the viscous component of the visco-
elastic behavior, and it is described by the ability
of molecules to flow relatively to each other, and
to arrange when energy is available.
The main cause for shrinkage is the availability
of “free energy” within the polymer to enable
molecular movement. This energy comes from
heat in the injection molding process. So, basi-
cally, whenever there is heat available, molecular
rearrangement will happen.
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