Sherman Plastics, Inc. (Depew, NY) recently helped save one of its clients more than $38,000 by switching to Dyna-Purge M engineered purging compound. Garlock Sealing Technologies, a supplier of high-performance fluid sealing products based in Palmyra, NY, called on Dyna-Purge, a division of Sherman Plastics, to assist in solving a problem related to the purging of its injection molding machines.
"Whenever we changed from black to clear urethane, we experienced an excessive amount of degradation, which caused an unacceptable level of scrap and downtime," explained Jeffrey Johncox, Garlock's senior buyer. "Burnt material would come out when we ran the clear parts, and we were on pace to run about $27,000 of scrap for the year, at least half of which was due to this contamination during changeovers."
According to Paul Nichols, manufacturing engineer, Garlock purged an average of six times per week at a total cost of $1024.80. Dyna-Purge specialists visited the injection molder's new production facility in Palmyra to review Garlock’s purging procedure and purging compound selection.
"Today, more than ever, companies are looking to us to help them cut costs and improve efficiencies in their operations," said Tim Cutler, Dyna-Purge business manager. "We knew one of our engineered purging compounds would offer a solution that would save Garlock time and money while improving their purging procedure."
After extensive testing — including the training of Garlock operators, engineers, and managers on the use of Dyna-Purge — Dyna-Purge M was selected as the best grade for the company's needs. Dyna-Purge M can be used to purge a variety of resins from the barrel and screw at temperatures ranging from 350 to 600° F (177 to 315° C).
Compared to the previous purging product Garlock had been using, Dyna-Purge M reduced purging costs from $170.85 to $46.78 per purge — an annual savings of $38,710. On top of the dollar savings, Garlock's switch to Dyna-Purge M lowered purging time from 90 minutes to 20 minutes, representing a time savings of 80 percent. By improving the purging procedure, Garlock gained 360 hours of production time per year.
Tim Cutler noted Dyna-Purge M’s formula provides a dual action scrubbing power: the pellets expand while scrubbing granules soften without melting, allowing them to thoroughly clean hard-to-reach areas. Moreover, Dyna-Purge M is non-abrasive and non-chemical so it will not damage machinery, and is safe to use for operators. Because it works faster and requires less material than other types of purging products, Dyna-Purge M lowers cost-per-purge for injection molding, extrusion, or blow molding equipment.
For additional information, call Dyna-Purge at (716) 685-2121, or visit their website.
