Extrusion dies cleaning for aluminum profile industry.

Extrusion dies cleaning for aluminum profile industry is a critical task: here is a sample of cleaning in 4 minutes blasting cycle:

extrusion die pre/after blasting

Loading pattern on planetaries:

extrusion dies loaded on planetaries

"Blasting is always a good idea" because:

• cleaning after caustic bath to remove residual aluminum from dies;

• cleaning after eat treatment, this applies to both dies users and producers;

• some producers blast also before the heat treatment ti make it more affective.

Operator procedure:

1. Upload dies onto the table, planetaries may help to increase the coverage;

2. Close the doors and push & hold pushed "start" button, cleaning cycle will automatically start - typical timing is between 3 and 5 minutes;

3. Operator is free to handle the dies cleaned/to be cleaned while the blaster is cleaning;

4. Cleaning 1st side done, doors unlock automatically;

5. Flip* the moulds upside down, go to point "2", if dies have been already flipped go to "6";

6. Download the cleaned dies, upload the new batch, back to point "2" and follow.

* Placing the dies vertical, see the picture below, allows to save the flipping operation and the double cleaning, increasing efficiency and productivity of the process.

Vertical batch loaded and ready for cleaning without flip operation.

Control paremeters of the cycle are:

• dies cleaning efficiency;

• cycle time, usually between 3 and 5 minutes, use of planetaries short it down close to the 3 minutes and even below;

• media consumption about 1/2 kg per cleaning hour.

• 4/5 cleaning cycles/hour depending on the size of the machine due to the different timing of loading/downloading .

Service contract helps clients to keep all these parameters under control skipping unexpected stops and avoiding extra costs.

CM blasters models used.

The most popular blaster used is the rotating table blaster, sizes of the machine goes accordingly with dies dimensions (and weight); expected production rate as well. From the pure efficiency process the best way of blasting is "vertical" position, that allows to avoid the flipping operation and drastically reduces the handling time - this gap increases even more if the dies are "heavy" and on the bigger diameters of the measures commonly used.

CM T10 extrusion dies cleaner for flat cleaning

CM T14 2 blast wheels for vertical cleaning.

To choose the best option inside a wide range where here only two samples are shown, the only way is to check dies dimensions, footprint availability and productivity expected, as already happened for more than 200 facilities worldwide.

Learn more: silvioruiu@gmail.com