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Operating three injection molding machines, Mold Craft was using liquid additives and polyethylene to purge
on a weekly basis. By switching to Dyna-Purge, the company decreased purging time by 31/2 hours per purge — a 67% improvement.
Mold Craft produces fishing lures in an array of vibrant colors and dispersion patterns. Under the most difficult purging conditions,
the company decreased its cost-to-purge by 44%, which represented an annual savings of $29,250.
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Situation:
Mold Craft Products, Inc., Pompano Beach, Florida
produces a line of three dozen colorful fishing lures.
The company operates two 150-ton Newbury Imperial
injection molding machines with 2" diameter screws,
and a 200-ton Lester model with a 3" diameter screw.
Processing temperatures for the flexible PVC used to
produce the lures range from 400°F in the front zones
to 280°F in the rear zones.
Purging is necessary for color changes, especially
when a lighter color follows a darker color, and for
the removal of powdered pigments to run dispersion
colors. Frequency of purging is dictated by production
requirements; however, Mold Craft purges each
machine about once a week for preventive maintenance
purposes.
Mold Craft had used liquid additives mixed with
polyethylene to purge. The amount of in-house
purging material used ranged from 10 lbs. to 100 lbs.,
averaging about 40 lbs. Downtime for purging
would reach up to 285 minutes — nearly five hours.
Their calculated cost-to-purge was $445 or
$66,750 annualized.
Solution:
Use Dyna-Purge M, a versatile grade designed to
purge a wide range of resins from the barrel and screw
at 350°F to 600°F (177°C to 315°C), and Dyna-Purge V,
a grade specifically designed to purge rigid and flexible
PVC at temperatures from 320°F to 400°F (160°C to
204°C).
Results:
- Dyna-Purge takes 67% less time to purge with more than three hours saved.
- The maximum cost to purge decreased by 44%, saving $29,250 per year.
- Since Dyna-Purge cleans faster and more thoroughly, there is less resin wasted in the purging process, and no need to use other in-house materials and regrinds to purge.
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