u/j4ck4lz7

I've been getting this alarm for a few days now, usually after a mold change or stopping the machine for whatever reason.

I've already replaced the EtherCAT cable and cleaned/reseated the connections. The fault still occurs intermittently, which is why I'm leaning toward a failing EL1904, specifically A34 or safety controller.

The only way I've even been able to get the motor to kick on is by power cycling the robot's electrical cabinet several times. I know of no way to test the card itself.

It's showing FSoE watchdog timeouts, safety controller in faulty condition, plus everything else that runs on that same circuit. Robot safety gate, E stop, the whole shabang.

Anyone had this same issue?

What was the fix?

I'd like to be sure before we sink the money into a new card or a service tech.

Thanks in advance, guys and gals.

Found these in a spare parts cabinet while looking for some water fittings.

Can't figure out what these could be used for.

Any ideas?

Every leak, corroded fitting, and patched-up hose in this picture started as a simple repair. A fitting, a valve, a hose, a seal. Nothing major.

But instead of fixing the problem when it first showed up, it got pushed off because the machine was still running and production was still making parts.

Eventually those little problems become the norm.

Cooling flow starts dropping. Mold temperatures become inconsistent. Cycle times creep up. Scrap rates increase. Technicians spend more time chasing process issues that are really maintenance issues. Then one day something finally fails and production comes to a halt.

What frustrates me is watching companies refuse to spend a few hundred dollars on preventative repairs, then turn around and spend thousands on overtime, emergency maintenance, downtime, expedited freight, and lost production after the fact.

I've seen it happen over and over again.

The goal shouldn't be to keep equipment running until it breaks. The goal should be to keep equipment healthy enough that it never gets to that point.

In my experience, the plants that invest in preventative maintenance spend less time fighting fires and more time making good parts.

The most expensive repair is usually the one that got put off because "it's still working."

Anyone else seeing this in their facility, or is it just an injection molding thing? 😆

Running a hydraulic valve gate tool and I suspect I have a sticky spool in the valve gate manifold.

Symptoms:

- 4 hydraulic valve gates

- 2 hydraulic circuits controlling the gates

- Intermittent cavity imbalance

- One cavity will occasionally flash while another short shots

- Process can run fine for hours and then suddenly go out of balance

- Hydraulic pressure appears normal

- Gate position sensors indicate the gate is opening, but I am beginning to suspect they may only be monitoring the valve command signal rather than actual gate pin position

The valve manifold uses 24VDC directional control valves. All coils energize and the LEDs illuminate when commanded.

My current theory is that one of the valve spools is hanging up or shifting slowly when hot, causing one gate to open later than the others and throwing off the fill pattern.

Has anyone dealt with this before?

If this is in fact a sticky spool, what process adjustments would you make to limp through a production run until I can tear into it? The tool comes out tomorrow on 2nd shift.

Would any process adjustments actually help compensate for a delayed gate opening, or am I chasing my tail until the hydraulic issue is fixed?

Curious to hear what the mold builders, hot runner guys, and process engineers would do in this situation.

Hate it when that happens.

Safety strap stopped the slide from moving out, causing the horn pins to snap off inside the slide. Operator error or bad placement of safety strap?

Count your fuckin days, Subway!

Which one are you?

Do you keep your tools clean and organized?

Do you pack your toolbox full of useless paperwork and junk you'll likely use once in the next 5 years?

I believe your toolbox says a lot about your personality and your vehicle/house.

Do you agree?

Does anyone know how to zero or recalibrate the NVDT on this Engel Duo 660? My clamp force sensor was reading 45 tons during ejection. It eventually alarmed out for "clamping force too high."

I was able to fix it temporarily by resetting the mold height and recalibrating the tie bars with input calibration, but the tonnage slowly built back up until it alarmed out again.

My guess is a clamping force sensor drift, not residual tonnage since it was reading tonnage while the clamp was opened.

Thanks in advance.

When I made this build, I wasn't entirely sure how everything worked together as a whole. I know it has more potential than I'm able to get out of it if someone who knows what they're doing is able to give me some advice. It would be much appreciated.

Legos are Squirmskull, Five Fresh Claws, Ox's Horns, Snowdrifer, Reel of Kattas, Bergbreaker, Frigid Grin and Bloodseizer.

Gems are Haunt Coil, Igneous Scorn, Mourneskull, Mother's Lament, Battleguard, Abiding Curse, Tear of the Comet and Volatility Shard.