Scrap plastic reduction

Scrap, cast offs or organic waste during processing production, can propose a problem for many companies in the plastic sector, especially for those that are dedicated to the transformation of injected plastic pieces.

On occasions, these companies are found with a great number of defect pieces that, by the requirements of the client, their own market or legal limitations, they have to pass a very demanding quality control in order to fulfil the market requirements (as an example it occurs in the automotive sector).

Other times, the quantities of defected scrap pieces, are the majority of predictions due to mould modifications, the process, or injections of new pieces in the production plant.

Overcharges generated by scrap

This considerable and significant increase in scrap, is not only affecting the productivity of the part model or assemblies to be injected, but in addition, is also affecting various overcharges due to the following causes:

• Overcharge in the use of primary substances: The cause of this overcharge is because they need to carry out more injection cycles in order to reach the quantity of pieces requires, and therefore they have to employ more plastic material (and/or colours and other additives) still the pieces that do not pass control quality are thrown away and on occasions not employed as a recuperated material.
• Overcharge of energy resources: The injection of pieces that don’t fulfil the quality control must have more equipment time than necessary in production in order to reach the number of batch pieces lost.
• Increase in non-productive product stoppages: In order to solve the problems of the quality of pieces and eliminate possible defects, it has to readjust the process of injection by the means of parameterisation of the machine, and in the worst cases, modify the moulds. In this second scenario, it could also include a repercussion with time instalment of the injected batches.
• Increase in pre-consumed waste: Depending on the application of a defected piece it can result in recyclability difficulty for the same characteristics, due to the required techniques, these pieces can be assembled metal parts, or be pieces with different natural plastic materials that by design are difficult to separate.

How can we help your company to reduce scrap?

At AIMPLAS, we offer services of personalised technical sorting in order to optimise the process of injection production, by the means of adjusting machine parameters, and whilst reducing the quantity of defected pieces.

The objective of this is assortment, in addition to increasing the quality of the piece, to diminish the amount of primary substance employed for the production of the piece, so the energy resources employed for injecting the batches, improve the efficiency of productive unity where they provide solutions to solve these defects.

The possibility of us appearing in installations in your company in order to solve these problems of elevated numbers of scrap exists.

Also, we offer the training by the means of adapting a standardisation of terminology and system of good process practises of injection, in order to guarantee the employees, follow the same guidelines in order to continue the quality of the piece required, independently employing the injection of the mould or of the sector pertinent to our client.

Reduction of scrap and Circular Economy

This service favours the implementation of a Circular Economy in your company through the means of:

• Considerations for the adequate percentages of the company of recycled material that don’t affect the final properties of the piece nor the process of injection.
• Optimisation of the process in order to minimise the energy resource and prime substance.
• Suggestions about alternatives to the contact tracing of the process in order to employ equipment of which can be used to take advantage of defective pre-consumed parts by returning them to the manufacturing process.

Do not hesitate to get in contact with us if your company need technological advice in order to reduce scrap.

Author: Víctor Sevilla. Injection Expert