From lab to production,
providing a window into the process
Cleaning Up
If using hand weights without the lift system, push down slowly on the weight and purge any material remaining
in the barrel through the die and out of the barrel. If using a weight lift system, you may want to turn off the “Auto
Raise” feature to allow the test weights to dwell at the end of the test and purge any remaining material from the
barrel. Remove the piston rod by twisting it clockwise to break the seal created by the molten plastic then pull
straight up.
Warning: If you pull the rod out too quickly you may cause a suction that pulls the die out along with
the rod which may lead to a very hot die coming off and travelling through the air or onto the floor or some
other undesired location.
While wearing protective gloves, wipe the piston rod with a cotton rag. Remove the die with the die
removal tool. Put two cleaning patches directly over the barrel about 1/2 way overlapped and, using the cleaning
tool, push the patch down into the barrel. Run the patch up and down a half dozen times or so, and then repeat
the process. A minimum of two sets of patches are generally needed to clean the barrel properly, however, some
materials are harder to clean that others. Repeat the process until used patches come out clean. When the system
is clean, put the die and piston plunger back into the barrel. This allows the piston plunger and the die to reheat
before the next test.
With materials that are thermally stable (less than 5% viscosity change over 1/2 hour of heat
exposure) we recommend only cleaning the barrel between every second run. For materials that degrade or are
moisture sensitive it is recommended that both the barrel and the die be cleaned completely between each test.
To clean the die, use the die removal rod and push the die up from the bottom of the barrel and out the top. Wipe
it with a cotton rag and clean it by running the drill bit through it several times. Remove material that collects in
the grooves of the drill bit and repeat until the drill passes easily through the die. Scrape the die with the sample
cutting knife if needed to clean the top and bottom faces. For materials that crystallize quickly you can clean the die
by first running a drill bit up into the die while it is hot and in the indexer. This will make it much easier to get the
cleaning drill bit inserted when the die is removed and the material starts to solidify.
USER TIP: Experienced users often listen for a double bounce of the die when they drop it back into the barrel to
know that the barrel is clean.
Also, while the die is out of the barrel, look down the barrel bore to be sure it is clean (use safety
glasses when looking down the barrel and beware of noxious fumes that may come from heated material inside!).
Ensure the inside surface of the barrel is smooth and shiny when completely clean.
P/N:974179 Rev: 0918 ECO: 49667
www.dynisco.com
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