What causes the jamming of the fully automatic bottle blowing machine?
What causes the jamming of the fully automatic bottle blowing machine?
- Mechanical component issues (common)
Wear or lack of lubrication of guide rails and sliders: This is a common cause of sluggish movement. Guide rails and sliders are core components that ensure the precision of actions such as mold opening and closing, and mold shifting. Dust, plastic debris contamination, or dried-up lubricating oil can exacerbate wear and increase movement resistance.
Handling: Clean the guide rail regularly and lubricate it with the specified high-temperature resistant lubricating oil. If it is worn, replace it in a timely manner.
Loose or worn timing belt/chain: The timing belt or chain is responsible for transmitting power and ensuring synchronous movement between various workstations. If it becomes loose, it can lead to inaccurate positioning and unsynchronized movements, manifesting as stalling or impact.
Treatment: Check and adjust the tension to a suitable level. If the tooth profile is severely worn, replacement is necessary.
Bearing damage: If the bearings on various transmission shafts are damaged, it will directly lead to inflexible rotation or seizure.
Troubleshooting: Listen for any unusual noises, rotate manually to check for any roughness or binding, and replace any damaged bearings.
Loosening of fasteners such as bolts: Any loosening of the fixing bolts of moving parts may lead to component displacement or inconsistent movement, causing jamming.
Handling: Conduct regular inspections and tighten the bolts at key locations.
- Issues with pneumatic and hydraulic systems
Insufficient or unstable air/oil pressure: The opening and closing of molds, stretching, and other actions of the bottle blowing machine are primarily accomplished by air cylinders or oil cylinders. If the system pressure falls below the set value, the output force of the cylinder will be insufficient, making it impossible to smoothly complete the actions, especially during the mold clamping stage.
Troubleshooting: Check the output pressure of the air compressor or hydraulic station, verify the accuracy of the pressure reducing valve, and inspect the pipeline for any leaks.
Damage to cylinder/oil cylinder seals: Wear of the internal sealing rings in the cylinder or oil cylinder can lead to internal leakage, resulting in insufficient pressure, slow and weak movements, or even crawling.
Troubleshooting: Check if there is any air leakage sound (pneumatic) when the cylinder is operating or observe if the operating speed is abnormally slow. The sealing parts need to be replaced.
Solenoid valve failure: If the coil of the solenoid valve controlling the pneumatic/hydraulic circuit is burned or the valve core is stuck, it will result in the action being unable to be executed or executed incompletely.
Troubleshooting: Check the solenoid valve indicator light, listen for the sound of direction change, use a multimeter to measure the coil continuity, and clean or replace the solenoid valve.
Fully automatic bottle blowing machine 3. Electrical and control system issues
Sensor malfunction or displacement:
Position sensors (such as proximity switches and photoelectric switches) are used to detect whether the mold is in place, whether the robotic arm is at the home position, etc. If the sensor is displaced, malfunctions, or blocked by dust, it will send an error signal to the PLC, resulting in action interruption or disorder, which manifests as “getting stuck”.
Handling: Clean the sensor sensing surface, check its position for accuracy, and test its signal for normality.
PLC program or parameter error: Improper settings of delay and sequence between actions may cause mechanical conflicts. For example, if the mold is not fully opened and the ejection mechanism starts to operate, it may lead to jamming.
Handling: Refer to the equipment manual to check whether the delay parameters in the PLC program are reasonable, and have them adjusted by a professional engineer if necessary.
- Issues with molds and process parameters
Mold issue:
Wear of guide pillar/guide sleeve: It leads to misalignment of the upper and lower molds, making it difficult to open and close the molds.
Poor mold venting: When the mold is closed, the internal air cannot be quickly vented, forming an air cushion that prevents the mold from fully closing.
Handling: Regularly maintain the mold, ensure the guide pillar is lubricated, and clean the exhaust slot.
Improper setting of process parameters:
Uneven heating temperature: Overheating or overcooling in certain areas of the parison (preform) can lead to uneven stretching, resulting in poor bottle molding and potential jamming within the mold.
Improper stretching rod speed/timing: It does not match the blowing or mold opening action, which may cause interference.
Suggestions for systematic investigation steps
Observation and localization: First, determine which specific action phase the jamming occurs in (e.g., during mold closing, when the stretching rod descends, or when the mold is opened?). Observe the equipment alarm information.
Manual mode test: Switch the device to manual mode, perform each individual action that is experiencing stuttering, listen to the sound, observe the speed, and determine whether the issue is due to high mechanical resistance or insufficient power.
From simple to complex:
First, check whether the pressure of the air/oil source is normal.
Next, inspect the mechanical parts: check for lubrication, tightness, and any foreign objects.
Check electrical control: sensors, solenoid valves, PLC signals.
Seek professional support: If complex PLC programming or precise mechanical adjustments are involved, please promptly contact the equipment manufacturer or a professional repair technician.
Prevention is better than cure: Establishing a regular Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) system, encompassing cleaning, lubrication, fastening, and parameter inspection, is an effective and economical method to avoid jamming in fully automatic bottle blowing machines.
