Feature Articles - ITW Filtration
ITW Filtration Uses Mold-Vac Systems to Improve Part Molding
Process
 The
Illinois Tool Works (ITW) ITW Filtration, a Lake Geneva, WI manufacturer,
improves costs and quality of filtration and venting products.
It is comprised of four plants located in Elk Grove Village, IL,
Tinley Park, IL, and Mazon, IL. Its primary customer is the automotive
industry. To serve its customers, it offers advanced manufacturing
techniques to control costs. The company uses state of the art
materials and real-time process monitoring systems to generate
anti-lock braking systems, vent filter applications, air conditioning
systems and other commercial products.
 Charles Schwab is the company's manufacturing manager. Chris Beaver
and Ron Lavin are manufacturing floor technicians who oversee molding
production and Mold-VAC air and gas evacuation systems attached
to injection molding machines. Nearly two years ago, ITW Filtration
contacted CAE Services, supplier of Mold-Vac systems, to implement
its gas and air evacuation machines. Schwab's team processes polyphenylene
sulfide (PPS), trade name: Fortron.
Prior to installing Mold-Vac, Beaver and Lavin witnessed burns
in parts and trapped gas, and voids inside the wall of a particular
automotive part. "The Mold-Vac systems definitely helped eliminate
those issues," says Schwab. Beaver adds, "If we do not
turn the Mold-Vac system on when processing a job, there is an
obvious difference in part quality." There are currently using
four Mold-Vac systems at the Lake Geneva site.
For one particular job involving a valve in an anti-lock breaking
system, there was added to the mold an O-ring pocket on a parting
line. Channels were required to evacuate the molding area. To make
that modification, it cost a couple thousand dollars and a few
days of downtime. Notes Schwab, "I can safely say that the
Mold-Vac system is an essential part of manufacturing this part.
We wouldn't be able to generate quality parts without it."
"When we originally realized
that we needed an air/gas evacuation system, CAE Services had
what we were looking for and responded quickly to our request.
The first unit was installed immediately. Their customer service
has been excellent.”
He says the Mold-Vac units perform particularly well when they
process PPS-based products, as well as when there is a lot of out-gassing
work. "In addition, Mold-Vac machines work well when an application
involves a hard to fill part," says Schwab.
Beaver and Lavin say that they clean the molds once per day. "If
we didn't have the systems, we would have to clean the tool after
each shift," Beaver adds. The Mold-Vac machines save time
and reduce maintenance costs. Both technicians agree that Mold-Vac
systems are extremely user-friendly and easy to install and operate. "Everything
fits well together. We plugged them in and we were off and running," adds
Lavin.
"When we originally realized that we needed an air/gas evacuation
system, CAE Services had what we were looking for and responded
quickly to our request. The first unit was installed immediately," Schwab
adds. "Their customer service has been excellent."
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