What is tool cleaning?
Tool cleaning includes all measures for cleaning moulding tools that are required, for example, in the Injection moulding, Moulding presses or Transfer presses are used. The aim is to maintain surface quality and process reliability in particular and to avoid Burr formation or deposits during the Series production.
Why is tool cleaning important?
Moulding tools are subject to thermal and mechanical stresses during each cycle. This can result in residues of material or release agents sticking to the mould. Without regular cleaning, there is a risk:
- Burr formation due to particles on interfaces
- Reduced demouldability due to deposits
- Impairment of the surface structure
- Downtimes and increased rejects
Especially for vulcanising Rubber compounds quickly accumulate residues such as sulphur, additives or oils.
Typical tool cleaning processes
- Sandblasting, especially with corundum or glass beads
- Manual cleaning with brushes, spatulas and cleaning agents
- Ultrasonic cleaning for smaller or sensitive tool inserts
- Chemical cleaning of polymer residues
When are tools cleaned?
- Regularly scheduled (e.g. after X cycles)
- For process problems (Ridge, demoulding)
- Before series start-up or after a longer downtime
- After material change or maintenance