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moldmakingtechnology.com 21 quick connect with a small through hole or a physical blockage. Clean the lines manually or with an acid or Rydlyme flush (small circu- lating pump used as a closed loop system). Use a thermolator and flow meters to check the flow and document. Melt delivery system check. For cold runner systems, look for parting line damage. The overall runner condition and smooth plate movement is important. When using a three-plate design and the runner is stripped, conduct a closer inspection of the sucker pins. Inspect gate areas, including sub-gates to ensure a consistent dimensional size and polished surface. Examine the cold sprue bush- ing and its contact with the mold. Inspect the spherical radius seat as well. For hot runner systems, visually inspect the gate and machine inlet areas for defects and to ensure the mating components are appropriately sized to match the manifold system. Refer to a plaque or print of the wiring schematic when setting up the hot runner controller and connecting the cables without apply- ing power. Connect water to any hot runner cooling circuits before powering up the hot runner manifold system. This prevents damage to valve pin cylinder seals. Power up the system and run diagnostics. If you do not have a controller with diagnostics, then watch for unusual amperage draw. If you are drawing high amperage and the temperature does not lower, this may indicate a heat sink, which is cause by unplanned steel-to-steel contact or an over-injected (over-molded) hot runner system. For both scenarios, have experienced per- sonnel clean the overmolding or clear the steel. Verify flow from all nozzles, as blocked flow paths are oftentimes difficult to diagnois. Don't be afraid to enlist the help of a hot runner supplier to walk you through this process. Remove the clamp plate from the system and visually inspect for pinched wires, plastic or water leaks. Send to the manifold OEM for any necessary repair. Lubrication. Appropriately grease or oil all mechanical actions before run- ning the mold. Keep in mind that more grease is not always better, as it can block vents and contaminate cavities. And, when using graphite impregnated bushings, use 3-1 oil as an alternative to grease. When faced with a takeover tooling project, do not succumb to the pres- sure of producing parts unprepared. Take your time and prepare and evaluate. Sometimes a skillful and impassioned "no" can save you and your customer thousands of dollars and conserve human capacity. CONTRIBUTOR Rich Oles is owner of ROI Rich Oles Industries LLC. Don Vander Jagt is the engineering manager at Commercial Tool & Die Inc. FOR MORE INFORMATION: ROI Rich Oles Industries / 616-610-7050 / richoles@gmail.com / Skype: richard.oles Commercial Tool & Die Inc. / 616-785-8100 / don.vanderjagt@commercialtool.com / commercialtoolgroup.com Inspect for leakage, kinks, cuts and restrictions that can cause a water leak, as seen inside this hot half assembly. National Tool & Manufacturing Co. 581 Wheeling Road Wheeling, IL 60090 P: 847.806.9800 F: 847.806.9827 E: cs@ntm.com www.ntm.com Save on Time and Resources Let us grind, saw, mill and machine your raw stock to machine-ready blanks & finished plates. Verona VR Stainless VR P-20 VR Holder Exclusive Home of NLMK's Holder Steels SERIES