ITW Filtration tackles tough molding challenges, saves time, and reduces maintenance costs with Mold-Vac air and gas-evacuation units mounted on its injectionmolding machines.
The Illinois Tool Works (ITW) ITW Filtration of Lake Geneva, Wis., processes polyphenylene sulfide (PPS)-based products, has a lot of out-gassing work, and deals with hard-to-fill parts in its molding operations.
To overcome these molding challenges, save time, and reduce maintenance costs, the company relies on Mold-Vac air and gasevacuation units attached to its injection-molding machines.
Prior to the Mold-Vac units, says Chris Beaver and Ron Lavin, manufacturing floor technicians at ITW Filtration, the shop experienced part burns, trapped gas, and voids inside the walls of certain parts. The evacuation units eliminate such problems for these troublesome jobs. One in particular stands out, says Charles Schwab, manufacturing manager at the plant. A mold for an automotive, anti-lock-braking-system valve needed an O-ring pocket on a parting line, so channels were required to evacuate the molding area. According to Schwab, this modification cost a couple thousand dollars and took a few days of downtime, and the Mold-Vac systems were essential in manufacturing the part.
"If we don't use the systems when processing jobs, part quality suffers," comments Beaver. And because of the system, the shop cleans molds once daily, as opposed to cleaning tools after each shift.
CAE Services
Batavia, Ill.
caeservices.com
