In modern manufacturing, the energy consumption cost of injection molding machines usually accounts for 30% or even higher of the total production cost. Improving the operating efficiency of injection molding machines can not only reduce energy consumption and waste of raw materials, but also shorten the molding cycle and increase overall production capacity.
1. Optimize the clamping unit settings
Why does the clamping unit affect energy consumption?
Clamping force is an important parameter to maintain mold closure and ensure product molding quality. However, if the setting is unreasonable, excessive clamping force will cause the motor or hydraulic system to be in a high-load state for a long time, which will invisibly increase energy consumption and equipment wear.
Optimization suggestions:
According to the mold structure and product size, use the formula to estimate or software to simulate the minimum required clamping force to avoid "over-matching".
Turn on the automatic mold protection function to avoid clamping, damage to the cavity, and reduce invalid opening and closing actions.
Check the lubrication of the clamping mechanism and the wear of the guide pin to prevent increased operating resistance.
2. Reasonable control of injection parameters
Core influencing factors: injection speed, pressure, time
The power consumption in the injection stage is closely related to the quality of the product. Unreasonable settings not only waste energy, but may also cause product defects such as shrinkage and burrs.
Implementation method:
Choose a suitable injection speed according to the wall thickness of the product. Thin-walled products use high pressure and fast injection, and thick-walled products use slow injection to ensure quality.
Accurately set the back pressure value to mix the materials evenly without increasing unnecessary energy consumption.
Use a multi-stage injection program to adjust the pressure/speed in stages to reduce instantaneous high loads.
3. Use high-efficiency and energy-saving motors (such as servo drive systems)
Why is the servo system recommended?
Traditional hydraulic systems continue to operate even when there is no action, causing huge waste. The servo drive system can supply energy on demand and consumes almost no electricity when idling.
Implementation method:
The old machine is converted to a servo hydraulic system, and the investment recovery period is usually <1 year.
For new equipment, all-electric injection molding machines are preferred, which not only saves energy but also significantly improves repeatability.
Check the servo system parameters regularly to avoid setting drift and causing efficiency loss.
4. Strengthen the insulation measures of the heating system
Heat loss = invisible energy consumption
The heating system of the barrel is one of the main power consumption areas of the injection molding machine. Many factories have long ignored its insulation effect, resulting in continuous heat loss.
Insulation suggestions:
Add an insulation cover or ceramic insulation layer to the barrel to reduce heat loss by 30~50%.
Use energy-efficient ceramic heating coils or far-infrared heaters to improve heating efficiency.
Regularly check the thermocouples and control systems in the heating zone to ensure accurate temperature control and avoid overheating.
5. Regular maintenance of the hydraulic system
Hydraulic efficiency reduction = system continues to "hold breath"
Problems such as hydraulic oil pollution and oil pump aging will lead to low system efficiency, frequent motor start and stop or overheating and energy consumption.
Maintenance points:
Replace the hydraulic oil and oil filter every 3,000 hours to ensure the system is clean.
Check whether the cylinder seal is aging and whether there is micro-leakage, and replace the seal in time.
If the oil temperature exceeds 45°C for a long time, the cooling system needs to be installed or upgraded to avoid efficiency reduction due to excessive oil temperature.
6. Optimize the cooling system configuration
Poor cooling = extended molding cycle
The cooling process accounts for 30-60% of the injection molding cycle. Insufficient cooling will cause product deformation, and too long cooling time will waste time and energy.
Optimization suggestions:
Regularly clear the cooling water pipe to keep the flow rate stable. Blocked mold water channels are the number one killer of cooling efficiency.
Use a mold temperature controller to control the mold temperature constantly and improve the consistency of cooling.
Use a variable frequency water pump or a high-efficiency cooling tower to avoid overload of the cooling system.
7. Shorten the molding cycle
A difference of one second means a difference of thousands of pieces in production capacity
Shortening the molding cycle not only increases production, but also reduces the equipment running time, thereby reducing overall energy consumption.
Implementation skills:
Mold design should focus on thermal balance and cooling channel optimization to ensure rapid heat dissipation.
The automatic ejection device should be smooth to avoid delays caused by mold jamming and ejection failure.
Controlling the holding pressure and cooling time within the shortest range of product size stability, accurate to 0.1 second can also produce significant energy-saving effects.
8. Use automated auxiliary equipment
Automation ≠ expensive machines, but maximized efficiency
Using automated equipment can reduce manual misoperation, improve consistency, and reduce equipment waiting time.
Recommended equipment:
Automatic feeder: avoid idling due to lack of material and save time.
Robotic arm: used for picking up and boxing to reduce manual errors.
Integrated solutions such as in-mold labeling and in-mold assembly: reduce secondary processing.
Connect to the MES system to collect injection molding data in real time and realize remote monitoring and analysis.
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