1. Understand the basic principles and influencing factors of clamping force
Clamping force is to prevent the injection mold from expanding due to the pressure of the plastic melt during the injection process. When debugging, we must first understand the factors that affect the clamping force. The size of the mold, the complexity of the shape, the wall thickness of the product, the viscosity of the plastic material used, and the injection pressure will all affect the clamping force requirements. For example, large molds or molds with complex structures have more complex distribution of the force of the melt on the mold cavity during injection, and may require a larger clamping force. Products with thicker walls have greater melt pressure during injection, and the clamping force also needs to be increased accordingly. At the same time, high-viscosity plastic materials require higher pressure to push during the injection process, which will also increase the demand for clamping force.
2. Initial setting and rough adjustment
The initial setting of the clamping force is based on the basic parameters of the mold and product. Generally, you can refer to the recommended values of the mold manufacturer or the experience data of similar molds in the past. In the rough adjustment stage, you can start with a lower clamping force and gradually increase it. Observe the performance of the mold during the injection process. If flash occurs, it means that the clamping force is insufficient and needs to be increased appropriately. If the resistance is too large or there is an abnormal sound when opening the mold, it may be that the clamping force is too large and needs to be reduced appropriately. At this stage, you can adjust a smaller amplitude each time, such as a 5%-10% clamping force change, and then perform an injection test until the flash basically disappears and the mold opening process is smooth.
3. Methods and techniques for precise adjustment
Using professional clamping force measurement equipment can achieve more precise adjustments. These devices can measure the force of the mold during the injection process in real time. When adjusting, fine-tune with smaller increments each time (such as 1%-2% clamping force change) and pay close attention to the measurement data. In addition, you can also observe the quality of the product. If there is local flash on the surface of the product or it is difficult to demold and the product has traces of pulling, it may be caused by uneven local clamping force. At this time, you can check the parallelism and installation of the mold, and make targeted fine-tuning of the relevant parameters of the clamping mechanism, such as adjusting the pressure of individual clamping points.
4. Dynamic adjustment and optimization
After the mold runs continuously for a period of time, the clamping force may need to be adjusted again due to factors such as thermal expansion of the mold and wear of parts. A mechanism for regular inspection and dynamic adjustment should be established. During the production process, pay attention to the working status of the mold, such as whether new flash appears and whether the product size is stable. Based on these feedback information, the clamping force should be optimized and adjusted in time to ensure that the mold can work stably under the appropriate clamping force throughout the production cycle, ensuring product quality and mold life.
