Research
Clogged vents and faulty parts
Residue clogs a mold's vents. Trapped air then burns parts or leaves them incomplete.
Industry source
Resin suppliers' guides to faults in molded parts
Cleaning set by shot count
Mold care guides set cleaning by the shots a mold has made, because wear follows use.
Industry source
Mold makers' maintenance guides
Plastic lost at a restart
After a stop, plastic that sat hot in the press is pushed out and thrown away.
Industry source
Resin suppliers' processing guides
Planned care and unplanned stops
Published cases put planned mold care at 60 to 80 percent less unplanned mold downtime.
Case study
Published cases of planned mold maintenance in molding plants
Counters that fit in a mold
Suppliers sell a mechanical counter that sits in a mold and adds one each time it closes.
Supplier's claim
Mold part suppliers' descriptions of their counters