Mold cleaning is a key process in mold maintenance, and it is also a bottleneck restricting mold maintenance. Because the speed of mold manufacturing and development is much faster than the speed of mold cleaning, and the mold needs to be prepared for the next production immediately after rapid cleaning, so the time left for mold cleaning is quite limited. Through the investigation of the factory, it was found that the molds arranged in the corridor and workshop in the factory almost filled the limited operating space of the workshop, just waiting to be cleaned.
Nowadays, the man-hours spent cleaning formwork and mold components have greatly exceeded the man-hours used for all other maintenance operations (disassembly, commissioning, or assembly), mainly because: on the one hand, cleaning formwork and molds is the key to maximizing the service life of molds, improving the reliability of molds, and ensuring product quality; on the other hand, most molds are still cleaned by hand.
Laser cleaning technology is a cleaning solution that uses high-frequency short-pulse laser as the working medium. The high-energy beam of light of a specific wavelength is absorbed by the rust layer, paint layer, and pollution layer, forming a rapidly expanding plasma (highly ionized unstable gas), and at the same time generating a shock wave. The shock wave turns the contaminants into fragments and is removed. When the contaminants are removed, the laser will not react to the mold, which can avoid the excessive "cleaning" of traditional cleaning.
The advantages of laser cleaning for mold cleaning include:
1. Laser cleaning has multiple functions
The laser cleaning machine is a multi-functional cleaning equipment that can not only be used for rust removal, oil removal, and oxide removal, but also for glue removal, paint removal, dirt removal, and dust removal.
2. Suitable for surface cleaning of various molds
The objects of mold cleaning include rubber molds, stamping molds, sealing ring molds, wheel hub molds, etc. A laser cleaning machine can solve all cleaning problems. The laser cleaning machine can be integrated with numerical control machine tools or robots to implement remote control cleaning, which can effectively ensure the safety of workers in some application fields.
3. Does not damage the substrate
Laser cleaning uses a high-energy pulsed laser beam to illuminate the surface of the workpiece. Short-term impact does not warm the metal surface. It can effectively remove contaminants without damaging the surface of the substrate, making the surface as new. After the cleaning task is completed, the accuracy of the mold will not be affected.
4. Green environmental protection
During the cleaning process, laser cleaning does not require cleaning liquid or other chemical solutions, and no fertilizers are produced. The pollutant particles and gases generated during the laser cleaning process can be recycled through the recovery device to avoid pollution to the environment.
5. Low operating costs
The operation of the laser cleaning machine is very simple, and there is no need to learn laser and mechanical expertise and complicated use procedures. Even beginners can quickly learn to use it after simple operation training. The laser cleaning machine can be used stably for a long time, and the operating cost is low. It only needs to be cleaned or replaced regularly in the later stage, which is close to maintenance-free.