Good questions! We’ll answer both in this article.

But… before we answer those questions let’s consider briefly the “life” of a mould tool. If you think for a moment, you’ll see it has a pretty miserable existence.

A mould tool is working day in day out under a great deal of pressure in extremely hot and humid conditions. Every part it is expected to make must be absolutely perfect, look good and be as accurate as the first one the tool made hours ago. The tool opens and closes, rotates, and spins, thousands of times each working day.  Maintaining the condition of the tool is clearly essential if the tooling is to keep up this exhausting pace of work.

Now that we know it’s a hard life for a mould tool let’s look at the second question first. “What are the benefits that you can expect when moulding tools are properly cleaned?”.

You can expect that:

– Product quality will be improved as any contaminants, residues, or oxides left on the mould’s surface are removed.

– Cleaned tools will run efficiently and longer in between preventative maintenance and the lifespan of the tools will be significantly extended.

And now that we know that cleaning mould tools is crucial, we can answer the first question “How can I clean our moulding tools?”

There are a number of options, but most require the forceful application of chemicals, abrasive media, or complex immersion equipment and frequently, the disassembly of the tooling itself. When cleaning moulds, it’s critical to keep the surface texture and form factor unaffected by the cleaning technique.

The most effective and efficient mould tool cleaning method is to use advanced laser technology. Unlike sandblasting or dry ice blasting, no force is exerted with laser cleaning.  Injection moulds are ideally suited to cleaning with this technology as the moulds don’t have to be disassembled and can be cleaned ‘on the spot’ often in just a few minutes.

Other benefits associated with laser cleaning include:

Versatility: Laser cleaning can be used on a wide range of mould materials, including metals (e.g., steel and aluminium) and non-metals (e.g., plastic, and composite moulds).

Extended Tooling Life: By regularly cleaning and maintaining injection moulds with laser technology, their lifespan can be significantly extended, reducing the need for costly replacement.

Improved Product Quality: Clean moulds result in better product quality. Laser cleaning ensures that there are no contaminants, residues, or oxides left on the mould’s surface, leading to more consistent and higher-quality moulded products.

Non-Destructive: Laser cleaning is a non-contact process, no abrasive materials or chemicals that can potentially damage the mould’s surface are used. This non-destructive process also helps prolong the lifespan of moulds and maintains their dimensional accuracy.

Precision: Laser cleaning technology is extremely precise. It ensures that the mould’s intricate details and dimensions stay intact.

Speed. Laser cleaning is significantly faster than traditional methods that often need the mould to be disassembled, manually cleaned, and subsequently reassembled.

In an industry where precision, efficiency, and quality are critical, laser cleaning technology stands out as a game-changer for injection moulding companies. Its ability to deliver precise cleaning, reduce downtime, and improve overall productivity makes it a worthwhile investment. It has become a preferred method for many manufacturers looking to optimise their injection moulding processes.

Did you also know NASA has also experimented with laser cleaning technology for non-contact cleaning of sensitive equipment on its spacecraft?