When it comes to purchasing used plastic machinery, there are various issues you need to be aware of in order to minimize production the problems that are associated with using second hand molds. The potential production problems that you are likely to experience with used molds include poor part quality, molding below full cavitation, slow cycle times as well as constant machine stoppages due to poor part ejection.
Another critical issue you need to be aware when purchasing used plastic machinery is molding machine damage. Used plastic injection molders are likely to be in poor condition, and this can cause platen wear, broken toggle pins and broken tie bars. The machine damage will initially show up as part quality problems as well as mold balancing issues.
So how do you purchase quality used injection molding machines to use in your business? Before you go ahead to purchase any used plastic machinery, it is a good idea to ask to see the mold producing samples in person or by video link. It is by doing this that you will be able to get an accurate idea of the cycle time as well as the current part quality issues. Better yet, you can get the mold shipped to your factory so that it can test it by yourself. the same way you test drive a car before you buy it, you need to test drive the injection molder before paying for it.
Another thing you need to do before buying used plastic machinery is ask for the latest samples from all cavities. You should weigh each sample and measure the wall thicknesses. This information is important because it will give you an accurate picture into the condition of the mold you are interested in. If there is a large variation in cavity weights or wall thicknesses, it may lead to immediate production problems, so make sure that you allow for this in your planning.
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