Reduce downtime and scrap with colour changes on the fly

Colour changes are daily business for injection moulding companies. However, an ineffective method for execution of changeovers can result in wasted material and machine downtime. To avoid such a scenario, Chem-Trend has a solution in store.

Fast and easy colour and material changeovers for injection moulding and extrusion machines are a critical factor for an efficient production process. They are key to profitability for plastics processing companies in times of increasing competition and degrading economic conditions. However, many moulders still use virgin resin to purge machines, resulting in increasing costs and machine downtime.

On-the-fly purging to reduce downtime

In contrast to this process, on-the-fly purging solutions help manufacturers avoid downtime due to colour changes. They allow moulders to quickly load the purging compound at the end of a run, then immediately resume production. This purging process consequently goes along with a range of advantages:

• Removal of resin, colorant, carbon and further material that may still remain in the machine from prior cycles.
• Downtime is reduced significantly since purging is conducted without having to stop the machine.
• An easy and quick procedure significantly minimizes scrap rates and loss of production efficiency.

Case study: 50% reduction of downtime

An example will help to understand in more detail how it works: A large injection moulding company recently approached Chem-Trend with contamination issues when changing PP from red to white. Chem-Trend partnered with the moulder and quickly realized that the client was using virgin resin to purge their machine. This inefficient proceeding resulted in excessive scrap and downtime.

Based on the development of a thorough understanding of the moulding company’s needs and processes, Chem-Trend recommended purging the machine “on-the-fly” with Ultra Purge™ purging compounds in order to speed up colour change time. This allowed the moulder to quickly load the purge compound at the end of a run, then immediately resume production with minimal downtime and resin scrap. The customer had never seen a purge compound that was 100% mouldable and able to purge the screw/barrel and hot runners at the same time.

The test resulted in reduced downtime by 50 % – from 3 hours to 1.5 hours. One week after the trial, Chem-Trend provided free training to the company in order to have all the process technicians utilize proper procedures and quantities. A further benefit resulted in the saving of purging compound.

Learn more in our

case study