Soup of the day

Almost every day we will post new hints and tips relating to Moog parison programmers, bottle leak testers, automatic check weighing, spin trimmers, AND occasionally 'weird stuff' that won't necessarily relate directly to the products we sell.

1. Leak tester rejecting good bottles? The biggest cause is the simplest: not getting a good seal on the containers neck. Check the condition of the 'rubber' pad. The 'rubber' can actually be Polyurethane, Natural rubber, Silicone, and occasionally sponge neoprene. The hardness varies from 30 Shore 'A' to 75. Which is the best for your application? Sponge will seal on anything but wear out too quickly. Very soft materials will not pick up poor neck finishes, so generally medium hardness is better. Polyurethane has good tear strength, but beware this material can harden in time, so don't buy more than a year's supply!

2. Many blow moulding machines use the Moog 76 & 760 series servo valve for parison control. Experience has shown that Moog's 62 and 631 series valves are less dirt sensitive, less expensive to buy and service. Ask us about our exchange program.

3. LVDT transducers don't go faulty as often as you might think! Unless the wires get damaged or you bash it then the transducer might be OK. Testing is easy.

4. Cardboard is the biggest source of contamination in blow molding. It enters the system with the regrind, and all efforts should be made to prevent cardboard coming into contact with regrind. Use clean plastic 'dustbins' for storing scrap containers, tops+tails, regrind etc...

5. Regrind is as valuable as new material. For every pound of regrind you don't use, you will have to buy a pound of new stuff.

6. Servo valve problems? Check that the filter dirt alarm switches are connected - they often aren't Better still don't fix the cause of the problem, just keep sending the servo valves to us for repair - we need the money.

7. Extrusion blow moulding of large containers in PET is a pig of a task.

8. When you order a blow moulding machine give some thought to the ancillaries you will need. Don't wait until the machine arrives.

9. Thinking of buying a machine from China/Taiwan/India etc? There are some good machines, and a lot of really bad ones. If you order the machine directly from the manufacturer then you are legally the importer, and you have the legal responsibility to ensure that the machine complies with your countries safety laws. If the machine infringes any patents, it's you that will get sued, not the Chinese producer.

10. Never ever try and take the spool out of a servo valve - you will probably wreck to valve.

11. Companies that have fitted 'off line' continuous hydraulic filter units are all reporting a significant reduction in hydraulic problems. Don't buy a mobile filter trolley for filtration. The only use of these units is filling up the hydraulic tank.

12. Have you tried Bi-modal H.D.P.E. yet? companies are reporting faster cycle times particularly on thick walled parts (jerry cans, drums)

13. Most Moog servo valves we get in for repair are damaged by heat, not blocked with dirt. Is your oil cooler blocked ? do they forget to turn the cooling water on after a mould change?

14. NUMBER CRUNCHING: Moog servo valves cost thousands of dollars, but 10% of the valves sent to us have no details of who sent it!

15. When sending valves to us for repair ask your engineers to fit a cover plate. Without the plate residual oil can make the box soggy and the valve falls out. The shippers insurance does not cover this as it was your fault. If fact he can charge you for the damage caused to other shipments. Insufficient packing is your fault.

16. Ever had a complaint for 'out of spec' bottle weight ? Have a look at our Check Weighing page.

17. Beware of leak tester manufacturer's claims of really fast performance. Small stable bottles are easy to test. Tall, unstable and large bottles will be much slower to test, but this will only be mentioned in the small print.

18. Never use 'refurbished' or 'reconditioned oil. Everybody I know has more trouble with valves, pumps etc..

19. Spiral tube hopper loaders are great ! Really good with LDPE. Massive reduction of the dust that seems to get through the bag on vacuum hopper loaders.

20. Trouble with Moog valves? You might be using one of the older types that are more dirt sensitive than newer models. Tell us what you've got, we'll tell you if it's the best servo valve for the job.

21. Solutions, Solutions, Solutions ! Get the latest buzzword ! Count how many times you see the word "Solutions" in company advertisements, or anywhere.

22. What happened to "Mission Statements"? Denes Hunkar, one of the most inspirational people I ever met , sadly deceased a couple of years ago, once said "A company without a mission statement won't be in business in 5 year's time. Sorry Denes, I don't agree. It's not what you say that counts, it's what you do. Keep a list of companies that claim to be solution providers but didn't solve your problem. Throw darts at the list. It won't do any good but what else can you do?

23. Are "Deformable Die Ring" (PWDS, 3DX) systems worth the money?. In the right application YES. ..............If you are producing blow molded containers to DOT/UN then the extra control of wall thickness can be essential to meet critical criteria such as 'Drop Test' Asymmetric or complex shaped technical parts such as automotive fuel tanks are another good application. Ordinary bottles - Nope !

24. Support the SPE !

25. Moog valve arrived today, hanging out of the box. Damage over $600. Not covered by DHL insurance as the valve had no cover plate and the oil leaked out, box got soggy. DHL considering charging for damage to other parcels.

26. When sending Moog or other servo valves to us for repair, fit the cover plate (We know you have some !)

27. Want a really cheap leak tester? Phone our competitors.

28. Want a leak tester based on yesterday's technology? Phone our competitors.

When you lose, don't lose the lesson.

Follow the three Rs: Respect for self, respect for others, responsibility
for all your actions.

Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke
of luck.

Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.

Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

Spend some time alone every day.

Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.

Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

Live a good, honourable life. Then, when you get older and think back,
you'll be able to enjoy it a second time.

A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.

In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation.
Don't bring up the past.

Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.

Be gentle with the earth.

Once a year, go someplace you've never been before.

Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.