Checking The Quality Of Your Injection Molded Pallets
12 Dec 2018
Quality inspection and assurance are an important aspect of any plastic pallet injection molding process. Checking the quality of your injection molded pallets involves aiming to identify the possible defects during the molding process as opposed to when it’s too late. Here is how we suggest you check the quality of your injection molded pallets:
Checking the Quality of your Injection Molded Pallets
It is important to check the quality of your injection molded pallets to ensure you are able to identify the defects and the causes before they get worse. The following steps should be taken to check the quality:
1. Inspect the plastic pallet injection molding machine
When you notice a defect on a pallet, it is important to go to the source on where this pallet was made, the injection molding machine. 76% of the defects created are caused from the machine. Finding the fault on one pallet, can help to reduce the error from recurring on the next pallets created, this is especially important for more large scale productions. Checking the pallet machine for sink marks or burns as this can show a faulty machine.
2. Check quality of HDPE and PP pallets
Verifying the quality of HDPE and PP pallets starts with the materials used, and any issues which could be affecting the pallet meeting its desired standard.
3. Inspect all injection molded plastic at the end of the production process
After all pallets have been produced, it is imperative to inspect each batch of pallets. Ensuring the consistency has carried out throughout all pallets created.
4. Have a dedicated quality control department
Finally, there should be a quality control department to oversee all the pallets again for a triple check that the standard is as required.
Identifying the Defects in Injection Molded Pallets
It is important to understand why a defect in the injection molding process can occur, rather than just being able to identify the defect. This can help for you to prevent this issue from recurring.
A list of possible defects are:
Sink marks: This is a common defect, when the outer section of the pallet has solidified, but the inner section has not. This can be prevented by ensuring the design is consistent in thickness and if not, then adjusting the parameters of the mold can help.
Gas mark: This is also referred to as burning, which can occur when there is no exit for the air to escape the mold. To prevent this enable locations for air vents strategically across the mold.
Flow marks: This is when the plastic doesn’t flow correctly through the mold cavity. To prevent this, you can alter the gate location or size to free the flow marks.
Splay: This can occur when the plastic bubbles during the injection molding of the plastic pallet and can only be eliminated by considering redesigning the mold.
Short shots: This can happen when the plastic pallet injection mold has not filled correctly. Adjusting the mold parameters can fix this issue.
Knit lines: This can commonly occur with injection molding pallets due to the small holes in the design of the surface. Knit lines can form themselves into a line of weakness where molten materials meet together.
Checking the quality of your injection molded pallets can ensure you maintain high quality plastic pallets and can help to fix issues before they get worse.