Milacron Blog

O-Rings: Keeping Oil Where It Should Be

So where should oil be? Not on the floor, that’s where! O-rings, tubing that serves as a seal, are crucial for keeping oil inside the machine and off your shop floor. They seal all hydraulic valve ports on manifolds, and while O-rings may seem straightforward and simple in nature, and they are, there are still many factors to consider for them to function properly.

For instance, every machine uses a combination of different sized O-rings, all specific to your exact machine. It is critical to make sure that those O-rings are fitted correctly and tightly secured. If you are not using the correct O-ring or the placement of the O-ring is off, it can lead to leakage around the valve sealing surfaces. This will result in oil leaking out of the groove and onto the shop floor. Your machine may rack up downtime and oil expenses. Here are some things to consider when dealing with O-rings on your plastic injection molding machine.

The Right O-Ring for The Right Job

First and foremost, all O-rings are not created equal. O-rings can vary by valve, hose and fitting type. Example brands include Bosch, Rexroth, Atos, or Parker, and it is possible for one injection machine to have multiple brands. Fortunately, for ease of maintenance, we can provide Milacron kits that contain all types of O-rings. These kits are also compatible with multiple valve, hose, and fitting suppliers meaning we can be your one-stop-shop for O-rings. You don’t have to constantly be shopping.

Our Milacron Kit numbers are 10133000 (Standard valve repair kit), 10380743 (Square cut O-rings), 11965289 (Atos Valve O-rings), and 10398681 (Face Seal hose /fitting).

When Should I Replace My O-Rings?

O-ring leakage typically does not affect your machine productivity. As part of your weekly and monthly preventative maintenance plan, you should walk around your machinery and take note of any leaks. Check around all manifolds, hoses and fitting connections. Hydraulic system pressures in valves, hoses, and tubing can range anywhere from 2850 psi on the low end all the way up to 5000 psi on the high end. Any leak found should be repaired at that time because leaking is never normal. A small leak will eventually lead to a blown O-ring.

What’s the Worst-Case Scenario?

With a faulty or damaged O-ring, you can lose multiple gallons of oil and trigger a down machine. Be preventative instead of reactive! This leakage can also result in an extremely unsafe work environment for your workers and create environmental hazard issues. Environmental and safety regulatory laws in your area may lead to you hiring outside firms to dispose of the oil and clean-up materials.

Milacron Is Here to Keep You Running

We are here to help. We offer a variety of preventative and general maintenance programs that can help you combat the drips and spills. Please refer to your maintenance manual for suggested preventative maintenance schedules. To schedule Service and Parts, just call our team at 1-800-288-8306. Our Aftermarket Service Team is available 24/7 to handle your needs.

From our National Service Manager to you,

Scott Mason
Technical Support and Parts
1-800-288-8306

by pventurellaFebruary 26, 2020no comment

Filter Elements: The Key to a Healthy Machine

Filter elements are one of the most crucial parts on your injection molding machine. It is a key component and one of the greatest contributing factors to extending the life of your machine. Much like your kidneys, filter elements keep circulating fluids free from contamination and particles, which means your valves, pumps and hydraulic components will work properly.

by milacronmarketingJanuary 29, 2020no comment

Hot Runner Balance and the Effects of Shear

For years, natural balance has been the cornerstone of a successful hot runner balance. This means that the melt experiences the same flow length and the same diameter melt channels from when it leaves the machine nozzle until it enters each cavity within the mold. This approach has served the industry well.

by milacronmarketingJune 5, 2019no comment

The Importance of Precise Hot Runner Temperature Control

Hot runners are known to offer many processing advantages. However, to maximize your productivity and production quality, maintaining precision temperature control is a critical component for these systems to work as designed. Maintaining precise temperature control is known to affect part quality and processing as temperature directly impacts processing variables associated with the Resin Characteristics and Hot Runner System.

by milacronmarketingMay 6, 20191 comment

Debunking a Myth: Co-injection Molding is Too Complex and Too Expensive

When choosing a co-injection solution, there are a few different options available. You can buy a complete, turnkey co-injection system or you can retrofit an existing injection molding machine with a co-injection hot runner and auxiliary injection unit. Regardless of the chosen path, the end result is a co-injection molding cell.

by milacronmarketingMarch 27, 2019no comment

Don’t Worry, It’s Cool – The Power of Conformal Cooling

In today’s world of plastic injection, there are several factors driving long cycle times. Thermal control of the mold is the most influential aspect. With the inability to evenly cool an injected part, the cycle times run long, warpage is increased and the end product is plagued with tension and stress which often ends with parts failing quality control.

by milacronmarketingFebruary 20, 2019no comment

Prevent Hot Runner Downtime with Scheduled Maintenance

Preventative Maintenance (PM) is a critical task that aims to help ensure your mold(s) run at peak efficiency by strategically investing in service and maintenance before things go very wrong and get very costly. A well executed PM program will help improve productivity and avoid costly downtime including unscheduled breakdowns. However, the trick has always been in finding the right balance to optimize your operation. Too little service and you could still incur breakdowns, among other issues, and too much maintenance you end up throwing money away.

by milacronmarketingJanuary 23, 2019no comment

Getting Into Shape Mentally

Training, continuing education, skill development or whatever name you want to assign to it can have benefits beyond the bottom line. Why should you invest in training? There are a number of reasons why you or your organization should be looking at some form of training or continued education if you are not already doing so. In the US alone, 10K baby boomers turn 65 (the typical age of retirement) every day. While the average retirement age of a baby boomer lies somewhere between 61 and 65, it’s easy to see a growing wave of the very experienced and skilled workforce leaving the many industries, including plastics, across the US and in Europe.

by milacronmarketingDecember 12, 2018no comment

Putting Your Mark on Your Part

Have you ever looked at the bottom of a plastic container and noticed one or more symbols molded into the part? These markings are added at the time of molding with a metal insert placed in the cavity of the mold. When the resin solidifies it bears the mark of the specific insert added. Believe it or not these markings can be extremely important and very helpful for molders and consumers alike as they guide decisions through the life cycle of the plastic part. For the molder, the markings provide key information which can include when the part was made, helping to identify a specific manufacturing lot or batch and ensuring that a reliable quality system exists. For consumers, the markings can show how the finished good can be used and possibly re-purposed through recycling.

by milacronmarketingNovember 28, 2018no comment

Hot Runners vs Cold Runners: Why You Should Be Using a Hot Runner System

Plastic components are in use by every industry and manufacturing these components through injection molding has come a long way. A wide range of equipment options exist depending on your application and capabilities. Generally speaking you have a choice between traditional cold runners or the more advanced hot runners. Each option comes with its own unique sets of pros and cons and so understanding the differences and how they relate to your application could have a big impact on your productivity and overall profitability.

by milacronmarketingNovember 14, 2018no comment

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