Injection Moulding Machine Clean-Out with Milliclean 1000T

Overview

Millers Oils Fluid Management Division was approached by an accredited Tier 1 supplier to the automotive sector, tasked with the clean-out and refill of five critical injection moulding machines. (The Wittman Battenfeld 2000T, Wittman Battenfeld 1300T, 2x Wittman Battenfeld 850T, and Toshiba 650T.)

Challenges

• Limited Access: Access to the machine sumps was limited, making a full manual clean-out challenging and time-consuming.
• Production Impact: The injection moulding machines run at high capacity, so any cleaning downtime would result in production costs, meaning that minimal disruption was necessary.
• Machinery: At approximately 12 years old, the machines suffered from heavy varnishing and sludge build-up. One machine also had a history of overheating issues which resulted in accelerated oxidation of the oil, posing risks of valve sticking and pump failures.

Solution

Milliclean 1000T, a solvent-free cleaner, was added to the existing hydraulic oil at 20% of the sump capacity. Circulated for 48 hours while the machines were in operation, Milliclean 1000T swiftly removed lacquer, varnish, and sludge from the hydraulic system without any production downtime.

Process

• Circulation: Milliclean 1000T circulated for 48 hours, effectively cleansing the hydraulic systems pipework, couplings, hoses, tanks, valves, and pumps.
• Draining and Clearing: The fluid management team drained the tanks, cleared any residue, and flushed the system.
• Replacement: Filters were replaced, tanks refilled, and new oil filtered down to meet the recommended OEM ISO cleanliness code.

Results Achieved

• Deep Clean: Each injection moulding machine underwent a deep clean without using hazardous solvents.
• Minimal Downtime: Production downtime was kept to a minimum, ensuring significant time and cost savings for the business.
• Visual Transformation: The images of the machine sight glass showcase the results.

• Image 1: The machine sight glass before the clean, where a heavy build-up of varnish is clearly visible.
• Image 2: The sight glass after running Milliclean 1000T through the system for 48 hours, the varnish build-up was removed.
• Image 3: The machine sight glass after being refilled with the new, filtered oil.

Customer Satisfaction

The client was highly impressed with the results and service from our Fluid Management team. So much so that, witnessing the success first hand, they added the Toshiba machine to the job.

“Historically we could have hours of down-time and heavy manual labour with strong chemicals to clean out hydraulic sumps and components. Milliclean 1000T and the Millers team dramatically reduced down-time, there were no solvents involved, and since the Millers Oils Millclean 1000T project was completed the machines are now running better than ever and we are delighted with the results and would highly recommend Millers oils products and services” – Production Manager

Products Used

Milliclean 1000T

Millmax ZF 46 (Wittman Battenfeld)

Millmax IM 46 (Toshiba 650T)

Find out more about Millers Oils Fluid Management Division here.