Cleaning, Maintenance and
Resin Removal.
There are two times cleaning must to be performed
to Porcerax II:
The first time is when the tool shop has prepared
the insert or cavity. The material is 25% air by volume and the cutting fluids
will displace the air, thus filling and clogging the pores. After the
permeability has been restored by either stoning or EDM machining the venting
surface, the steel should be sent out to be professionally cleaned.
The steel should be thoroughly blown dry through
a drilled, tapped, and EDM-relieved hole in the side of the insert or cavity.
This cleanout or back-flush hole should be designed to accept a shop air
fitting. This will be very useful over the life of the insert in back-flushing
fluid and future residue from the insert, and for checking restored permeability
with filtered shop air. (See photo below.) If the cleaning operation is not
completed, due to the trapped fluids, inside permeability will not exist.
Note: Cleaning, Design & Manufacturing
Services are provided by:
Molder's World, Inc., Ph: 513-235-5131, Fax: 513-469-7212
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The
second time cleaning is needed is after the insert or cavity has been in
operation and film, a thin layer of mold release agent, resin residue, shop oil
or any other contaminate has partially or totally blocked the air flow. To clean
the porous material, remove the insert or take the small cavity and send it out
to be professionally cleaned. Important!!!
Please Read Before Using
Porcerax II !!
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Porcerax II Success Tips
- Porcerax II can be machined, but it
should be machined wet to prevent work hardening. Because Porcerax II
is porous and will corrode, an oil-based coolant should be used if
possible.
- Finish machining should be done at a
slower feed rate than other mold steels due to its tendency to chip or
splinter as the tool exits the work piece. "Picture framing"
or machining the parameter of the insert first will also help in this
matter.
- Welding Porcerax II is not recommended
by the manufacturer of Porcerax II due to its tendency to crack. It is
best to re-machine the Porcerax II insert and weld or shim in the core
pocket. Silver soldering or brazing is acceptable, however it is
important to realize that where the material is soldered it will lose
permeability.
- The machining process will smear the
pores closed on the surface of Porcerax II. After machining the pores
must be reopened by EDM or polishing.
- Be aware of your resins flash points.
Seven (7) micron Porcerax II has pores that average .0003" in
diameter; twenty (20) micron has pores that average .0008" in
diameter. Nylon 6 for instance will flow into the pores that are
.0008" but polypropylene and ABS will not.
- Texturing the 7 micron Porcerax II is
possible, however your texture house must be aware that they are
working with Porcerax II and if not familiar with the material they
should contact Molder's World immediately.
- Mold releases such as silicon mold
release will clog the surface pores of Porcerax II if sprayed onto the
surface of the material. Therefore positive air pressure should be
blown back through the exhaust line while the tool is being sprayed.
Inserts protected with mold saver must be cleaned before use.
- Strategically placed high- pressure
cleanout or back flush/exhaust holes drilled & EDM machined into
the Porcerax II insert help to vent as well as assure proper cleaning.
- The more square inches of Porcerax II
used in the cavity area the better the venting will be. The thinner
the Porcerax II or the shorter the distance air has to travel to the
exhaust line the better the venting will be. Keep in mind the physical
limitations of Porcerax II.
- An exhaust line through the core block
must be adjacent to an EDM machined area on the side or back of the
Porcerax II insert. The cavity side of the Porcerax II must also be
EDM machined or polished open.
- Porcerax II must be cleaned both before
it goes into production for the first time to remove EDM cutting
fluids and periodically during production to remove resin gas buildup.
- Because of health safety and fire risks
it is recommended that Porcerax II be professionally cleaned.
- Avoid running water lines through
Porcerax II, since they are difficult to seal.
Proper Cleaning and certain designs work
better than others. For a quote on designing, building or cleaning
Porcerax II inserts please contact:
Molder's World, Inc., Ph: 513-235-5131, Fax: 513-469-7212 |
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