Preliminary Preparations
Establish a full lifecycle record for each mold:Create an individual file for every mold, fully documenting key information such as material specifications, date of entry into service, cumulative production cycles, past maintenance history, and replacement intervals for wear parts; this serves as the foundation for future maintenance scheduling.
Classify and grade maintenance levels: Categorize molds into three types-high-load mass production, standard mass production, and low-volume/multi-variety/intermittent use-based on usage frequency, production material types, and precision requirements, and assign appropriate maintenance intensities to each.
Define roles and responsibilities:Designate trained personnel for mold maintenance and mold installation/removal as the primary executors; assign the injection molding foreman to oversee daily operations, with supervisors conducting periodic spot checks to ensure proper implementation.
Core Maintenance Activities by Stage
Pre-production preventive maintenance:
Clean oil and rust from mold surfaces, clear all cooling water channels, and inspect the sprue bushing radius for residual debris and ensure moving parts operate smoothly.
Test the performance of electrical components (e.g., heating rods, thermocouples) beforehand; document the results to confirm they are undamaged and prevent unexpected mid-production failures.
Routine maintenance during production:
Clean plastic strands and debris from parting lines and runner surfaces twice daily; apply grease to guide pillars, guide bushings, and locating pins once daily.
Inspect ejector pins, sliders, and lifters every shift for sticking or wear, and tighten any loose mold-securing screws.
Set maintenance thresholds based on machine tonnage: perform maintenance every 30,000 cycles for 100T–150T machines and every 20,000 cycles for 210T–350T machines; the higher the tonnage, the shorter the maintenance interval.
