Page 59 - Plastics News June 2026

FEATURE NEWS

Individually, these events seem insignificant. Col- cess drift. Each shift inherits a slightly different
lectively, they represent hundreds of hours of setup, effective process windows become nar-
lost production each year. rower, and results vary depending on who is
running the machine. Scrap during longer runs
Making Downtime Visible Without Expensive
Software increases, and technicians spend more time re-
acting than controlling.

Before investing in automated monitoring sys-
tems, many shops can unlock value simply by Root-cause process control takes a fundamen-
making downtime visible. Logging unplanned tally different approach. Instead of asking which
stops longer than a few minutes , along with a setting to change, technicians focus on why the
basic cause classification quickly reveals pat- defect occurred. Key questions include whether
terns. pressure is transmitted effectively before gate
freeze, whether venting and thermal balance are
What often emerges is not operator error but adequate, and whether material condition has
systemic constraints, including insufficient dryer changed since the last validated run.
capacity for the production mix, aging tempera-
ture control equipment or deferred maintenance
that gradually slows cycles.

Why This Matters Financially

Every lost machine hour still carries overhead,
utilities and indirect labor costs. Recovering even
a portion of this time effectively increases plant
capacity without adding presses, people or floor
space. For growing molders with limited capital,
this recovered capacity can delay or eliminate
the need for major investments.

No. 3: Replace Adjustment Driven Processing
with Root Cause Process Control
Adjustments are still made, but only after the

In many molding operations, defects are ad- cause is understood. As a result, changes are
dressed through immediate parameter chang- fewer and more deliberate, and processes re-
es. When a short shot appears, pressure is in- main centered rather than continuously per-
creased. When sinks or voids occur, pack time turbed.
is extended. While this adjustment-driven ap-
proach may restore output quickly, it often treats The operational payoff is significant. Molders
symptoms rather than underlying causes. typically see fewer adjustments per shift, more
stable cycle times and reduced scrap during ex-
Over time, frequent adjustments introduce pro- tended runs. Processes become easier to hand

June 2026 PLASTICS NEWS 61