Eng M Xmsi Standardmold
Eng M Xmsi Standardmold
Eng M Xmsi Standardmold
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. GENERAL INFORMATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.1 INTRODUCTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.2 MAIN COMPONENTS OF THE MOLD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.3 TYPE PLATE AND ENGRAVED CODES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.4 TOOLS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.4.1 Fico tool kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.4.2 Plunger seal cracker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.4.3 Plunger disassembly tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1.4.4 Top mold removal tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1.4.5 Mold carrier. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.4.6 Mold oven . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.4.7 Multimeter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.4.8 Temperature meter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.4.9 RBS cleaning set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
1.5 HANDLING THE MOLD AND PLUNGER BEAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
1.6 SWITCHING TO A DIFFERENT COMPOUND TYPE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
1.7 XMS-I MOLD VERSUS XMS-XX-M2 MOLD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
1.7.1 Possibilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
1.7.2 xMS-xx-M2 to xMS-i . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
1.7.3 xMS-i to xMS-xx-M2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2. BOTTOM MOLD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
2.1 BOTTOM MOLD PARTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
2.2 BOTTOM MOLD DISASSEMBLY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
2.2.1 Precautions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
3. TOP MOLD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
3.1 TOP MOLD PARTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
3.2 TOP MOLD DISASSEMBLY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
3.2.1 Preparing for disassembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
3.2.2 Removing the covers and components. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
3.2.3 Removing the DTC mold components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
3.2.4 Removing the top plate assembly. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
3.2.5 Disassembling the top plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
3.2.6 Removing the ejector set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
3.2.7 Disassembling the mold plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
3.3 TOP MOLD ASSEMBLY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
3.3.1 Assembly precautions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
3.3.2 Assembling the mold plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
3.3.3 Refitting the ejector set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
3.3.4 Refitting the top plate assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
3.3.5 Refitting the components and covers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
4. EJECTOR SET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
4.1 EJECTOR STROKE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
4.2 DISASSEMBLING THE EJECTOR SET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
4.3 ASSEMBLING THE EJECTOR SET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
5. PLUNGERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
5.1 PLUNGER BEAM AND PLUNGERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
5.2 REPLACE THE TEFLON PLUNGER RINGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
5.3 DISASSEMBLING A PLUNGER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
5.4 PLUNGER ASSEMBLY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
6. SLEEVES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
6.1 DISASSEMBLING THE SLEEVES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
6.2 ASSEMBLING THE SLEEVES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
7. GATE INSERTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
7.1 (DIS)ASSEMBLING THE GATE INSERTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
8. CENTER PINS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
8.1 CHECKING CENTER PINS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
8.2 ADJUSTING LONG CENTER PIN HEIGHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
9. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
9.1 MACHINE AND MOLD TYPES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
9.2 HEATER ELEMENTS STANDARD MOLD (TOOLID V1). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
9.2.1 The standard mold (ToolId V1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
9.2.2 Heater connector standard mold (ToolId V1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
9.3 HEATER ELEMENTS STANDARD MOLD (TOOLID V2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
9.3.1 The standard mold (ToolId V2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
9.3.2 Heater connector standard mold (ToolId V2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
9.4 HEATER ELEMENTS SPECIAL DTC MOLD (TOOLID V2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
9.4.1 The DTC mold (ToolId v2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
9.4.2 Heater connector DTC mold (ToolId v2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
9.5 CHECKING THE TEMPERATURE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
9.6 CHECKING THE ELECTRICAL CURRENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
9.7 CHECKING THE RESISTANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
9.8 EXCHANGING THE HEATER ELEMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
9.9 PT-100 AND CLIXON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
9.9.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
9.9.2 PT-100 connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
9.9.3 Checking the resistance of the PT-100 and clixon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
9.9.4 Exchanging the PT-100 and clixon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
9.10 AUTOMATIC TOOL IDENTIFICATION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
9.10.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
9.10.2 Using an xxy mold in an xMS-i . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
VERSIONS
Version Changes
V1.0 First release. (June 16, 2003).
V1.1 Changed lay-out; several minor text and figure changes; end position
calculation changed (July 23, 2003).
V1.2 Changed to Besi-layout. Top mold information extended. Minor text
changes (February 18, 2004).
V1.3 Heater element, tool-ID and Transfer end position calculation information
changed (June 18, 2004).
V1.4 Changed heater connection pin lay-out (January 7, 2005).
V1.5 Added DTC option (July 20, 2005).
V1.6 Added all possible machine and mold heater configurations (September
20, 2005).
V1.7 Removed the return spring bottom mold information, as it is not used in
the AMS-i molds with clamp ejector system. Added information about the
teflon plunger ring and rewrote the assy/dis-assy procedure of the
plunger. Added exchange info about xMS-i/xMS-xx-M2 molds. (January
31, 2005)
Liability and Copyright: See page ii of the Main Table of Contents of this manual.
1. GENERAL INFORMATION
1.1 INTRODUCTION
This manual describes how to clean, pack and store, disassemble and re-assemble the top
and bottom mold halves. It also gives information on the various mold parts including the
heater elements, PT-100 temperature sensor, mold identification and the mold connectors.
This manual applies to a standard mold on the Fico xMS-i molding machine. For
information on non-standard mold types (BGA), refer to other manuals. The following
standard xMS-i mold designs are present:
• Mold design 2: solid cavity plate without cull strip (bottom mold) and top strip (top
mold). This design has no wedges, but only dowel pins, and is fitted with mold
vacuum.
• Mold design 5: separate cavity strips with cull strip (bottom mold) and top strip (top
mold). This design has both wedges and dowel pins.
• Mold design 5-2: a combination of design 5 and 2. The bottom mold is design 5 and
the top mold is design 2.
In this manual, mold design 5 is described and visualized in the figures. Keep in mind that the
exact configuration of a mold depends on the product, which is why the illustrations should be
taken as reference only. The same applies to the (dis)assembly actions. Due to configuration
differences, they may slightly differ from the procedures described in this document. In case of
doubt, consult your Fico Service engineer.
The Table Of Contents and the Index are useful aids to find relevant information.
1.4 TOOLS
Unless specified differently, all tools and materials below are present in the standard Fico
tool kit.
• screw driver no. 2
• set of metric allen keys
• dowel pin puller (M5) - to remove the dowel pins
• whet stone (red, 100 x 25 x 10 mm)
• punch, copper (Ø 14 x 60 mm)
• punch, copper (Ø 20 x 150 mm)
• plug, brass - to loosen the sleeves
• strip, brass (flat, 20 x 3 x 150 mm)
• pin, brass (square, 6 x 6 x 60 mm)
• pin, brass (round, Ø 4 x 150 mm)
• brush (flat, width 25 mm)
• brush, steel (round, Ø 3 mm)
• brush, copper (round)
• brush, bronze (flat)
• brush, steel
• cavity strip holder - to loosen the gate inserts
• brackets - to place the mold on for mold (dis)assembly
The following items are required, but are not included in the Fico tool kit:
• pincers
• dry-cleaning naphtha
• cloth
• plastic bags
• wooden blocks - to (dis)assemble the ejector pin bed
During molding the plunger groove is filled with compound material. This ring of epoxy is
used as a seal to prevent compound flowing into other parts of the mold. Before placing a
dismounted plunger into the sleeve again, remove this compound ring with the plunger seal
cracker. This cracker can be ordered at the Fico spare parts shop. Please indicate the
plunger diameter (∅).
The plunger springs are fitted under tension. To disassemble and assemble the plungers
use this tool. When assembling the plunger, the plunger spring needs to be put under a
certain tension, called preload tension. This tension comes very precise as the product
quality depends on it. The tool is available for different spring diameters and can be
ordered at the Fico Spare parts shop.
To lift up and remove the top mold half from the bottom mold half, use the Fico top mold
removal tool. This tool is screwed into the top mold half with two screws. Make sure the
screws are attached properly and lift the top mold with two persons. This tool can be
ordered at the Fico spare parts shop.
To exchange and transport the mold and plunger beam (mold conversion), a mold carrier is
needed. To transport the mold, the carrier can be lowered. For more information on this
carrier, refer to its manual. This carrier can be ordered at the Fico spare parts shop.
1.4.7 Multimeter
Figure 8 Multimeter
To measure the tension (in Volt) or resistance (in Ohms) of the heater elements and
PT100, a suitable temperature meter is required. This meter can be ordered at the Fico
spare parts shop.
To measure the temperatures of the mold surfaces, a suitable temperature meter with
probe is required. This sensor can be ordered at the Fico spare parts shop.
The RBS cleaning set is needed when cleaning the disassembled mold parts with RBS-25
solution. The set can be ordered at the Fico spare parts shop.
The mold halves, plunger beam and plungers are precision tools and should be handled
with care. Take the following general remarks into account:
• Only use qualified and suitable tools to handle the mold (see paragraph 1.4).
• When (dis)assembling the plunger springs, always use the Fico plunger removal
tool.
• When removing the epoxy seal ring at the plunger top, always use the Fico plunger
seal cracker.
• Make sure that the mold is cool before (dis)assembling or handling it.
• When working on the mold, make sure to work in a clean room with sufficient space and
always place the mold with the surface down on a soft surface to prevent damages.
• The bottom mold weighs approximately 45 kg (99 lb) and the top mold 55 kg (121 lb).
Always lift the mold with two people to avoid dropping, or use a suitable carrier or tool to
handle the mold and plunger beam.
• When replacing the top mold half on the bottom mold half again, make sure that the
mold is placed correctly and that the mold surfaces cannot be damaged.
• The front side of the mold halves and parts can be recognized by the engraved mold
code. When assembling the mold parts again, make sure that the engraved mold code
is positioned at the front side.
• Never use tools - not even copper ones - on the cavities, runners, gate inserts,
clamping area, sleeves and plungers. This damages the material (layer). If these parts
are heavily polluted, use brass tools, but be very carefully and never use excessive
force.
• When (dis)assembling, work in a logical sequence and follow the step-by-step
instructions in this manual.
• When (dis)assembling the plunger beam and plungers, be careful not to damage the
carbide plunger top and the spiral shaped shaft. Carbide easily chips off or breaks.
• When (dis)assembling the mold remove all personal jewelry (rings, watch, etc.) as this
may scratch and damage the mold surface, or may cause personal injury.
1.7.1 Possibilities
An xMS-i mold can be used on an xMS-xx-M2 machine provided that some changes have
to be carried out. These changes fall apart in once only changes and changes that have to
be carried out each time a mold is switched over from one machine type to the other.
After that, each time you switch over from an xMS-xx-M2 to an xMS-i, the ejector cams
need to be exchanged (see paragraph 2.2.5) and the return springs of the bottom mold
must be removed (refer to the xMS-xx-M2 mold manual).
After that, each time you switch over from an xMS-i to an xMS-xx-M2 , the ejector cams
need to be exchanged (see paragraph 2.2.5) and the return springs of the bottom mold
must be mounted if applicable (refer to the xMS-xx-M2 mold manual).
2. BOTTOM MOLD
2.2.1 Precautions
Do NOT mix up the various parts of the mold. When disassembling the mold, store the parts in
a logical sequence. If needed, name or number the separate parts.
When the ejector pins stick out, push the ejector pin bed back in by gently tapping down the
return pins with a copper tool.
Before starting dissassembly, take notice of the general notes in paragraph 1.5.
2. Attach the top mold removal tool (see paragraph 1.4.4) with two screws to the top
mold. Make sure the screws are tightened correctly. Lift up and turn the top mold until
the cavity surface faces upwards (position for disassembly). Always handle the mold
half with two persons and always place it on a clean soft surface.
3. Turn the bottom mold with mold slide until the mold cavity surface rests on a clean soft
surface. While turning, cover the bottom mold surface with a thick cloth to prevent
damaging.
Always handle the mold half with two persons and always place it on a clean soft
surface.
4. Remove the mold slide.
Never take out the plunger beam and plungers together. The plunger tops are made of
carbide and can break easily . When taking out the plungers one by one, turn the
plungers clockwise and pull them out in a straight line. Do not rock the plungers from
side to side.
Be careful not to damage the wires and electrical components when removing the
mold covers.
Figure 15 Components
A: Heater elements D: PT-100
B: Earthlead E: Vacuum strips
C: Clixon
There are different types of PT-100:. The used PT-100 depends on the mold design. Some
mold types do not have a clixon.
4. Unscrew the PT-100 (D) screws and pull out the sensor. Remove all heatsink
compound from the sensor and clean the surface around the hole with a clean cloth.
The sensor is connected to the PT-100 connector.
5. Remove the clixon (C) by unscrewing the two socket screws. This clixon is an over-
temperature protection switch which is screwed to the mold plate. The sensor is
covered with a white plastic cover and is connected to the PT-100 connector.
6. Twist the connector wires in such a way that the heater connector fitting can be pushed
through its housing.
The front cover with the PT-100 connector (and attached elements) can now be
removed.
8. Remove the spring clips and carefully pull out the heater elements without bending or
damaging them. In some cases (no heater problems, no long-term storage), there is no
need to remove the heater elements. The heater connector can stay attached to the
mold plate. Remove all heatsink compound from the elements and clean the
surrounding.
9. Remove the earthlead (green/yellow cable (B)) by unscrewing its socket screw.
The heater connector can now be removed.
The heater connector and the attached elements need NO further disassembling
unless a heater (wire) problem has occured.
When taking out the center pins, be careful not to bend or damage them. Store the
pins by pinching them into foam or wrapping them carefully.
This type of center pin is fitted in the cavity strip. The pins can only be removed when
disassembling the cavity strip.
The bottom plate assembly consists of three layers, i.e. the push plate, the isolation plate and
the bottom plate. Support plugs are screwed into the bottom plate. The three layers are
removed together and need NO further disassembling. The isolation plate is made of a
composite material that acts (shrinks, bends, etc.) which makes it difficult to assemble again.
1. Unscrew the M6 socket screws (A in figure 20) at both sides of the bottom plate. These
long socket screws are countersunk in the bottom plate, run through ’loose’ support
plugs and are screwed into the bottom plate.
2. Lift up and remove the bottom plate assembly (A in figure 21). Do NOT disassemble
the bottom plate assembly any further unless this is necessary. The isolation plate
material acts which makes it difficult to reassemble again. There is no need to loosen
the support plugs (B) either, unless they are damaged.
3. Remove the ’loose’ support plugs (C). The plugs rest freely on the ejector plate.
The ejector set consists of the ejector plate and the ejector holder plate. The last one holds the
ejector pins. The pin bed needs NO further disassembling unless the ejector pins are bent or
damaged.
When taking out the ejector pin bed, be careful not to bend or damage the pins. Store
the pin bed in a safe place with the pins facing upward.
If tapping is needed to loosen the mold plate, make sure to tap carefully and always
use brass or copper tools. Tap the mold plate loose from the backside, through the
screw holes. NEVER tap at the plate surface or edges.
At the bottom mold plate, unscrew all socket screws and remove the cavity plate from the
mold plate.
If tapping is needed to loosen the mold parts, make sure to tap carefully and always
use brass or copper tools. Tap the mold parts loose from the backside, through their
screw holes. NEVER tap at the part surface or edges.
Remove the strips one-by-one. Beware that the strips cannot fall and get damaged.
When removing, never use force or rock the strips too much as the strip edges may
get damaged.
not covered. It is also possible to remove these socket screws before attaching the
brackets.
2. Unscrew the socket screws of the upper cavity strip (A) and remove the strip.
When short center pins without insert are used, take these pins out of the cavity strip.
3. Use the brass pin in the Fico tool kit to remove the location keys/ wedges (A) in the
slots (B). The keys are fitted into the mold plate slots by pins.
4. When the cavity strip inserts are worn-out or damaged, remove the gate inserts in the
cavity strip. See paragraph 7.
When removing the cull strip, make sure that the sleeves and (if present) the location
pins do NOT fall out or get damaged.
5. Unscrew the socket screws of the cull strip and remove the strip and sleeves.
6. Under the cull strip a third dowel pin (A in figure 25) (in some cases a location key) is
mounted. Use the dowel pin puller or otherwise the brass pin and copper punch (in the
Fico tool kit) to remove this one.
7. Carefully remove the locations pins (A in figure 26) in the cull strip. If needed, use the
brass pin and copper punch to tap the pin out of the strip. The location pins are
inserted to position the leadframe correctly.
8. Remove the sleeves from the cull strip. See paragraph 6.
9. Remove the lower cavity strip. See step 2 to 5.
If fill plates are present under the cull strip, record their location. This information is
required when assembling the mold again.
10. Remove the small and large fill plates (A) under the cull bar. Fill plates are used to fill
up the minor irregularities between the sleeve holes. In most cases, the fill plates are
placed loose.
11. To clean the mold parts, refer to paragraph 10.1.
2.3.1 Precautions
The different mold parts have engraved codes. If the mold is assembled properly, all codes
should be at the same side.
When screwing screws or bolts back in, always use NeverSeez when metal touches
metal and always use Loctite no. 646 when metal touches non-metal materials. In the
mold, the vacuum strips and the isolation plate are made of a non-metal material, i.e. a
composite material.
Wear toolmakers gloves when assembling the mold halves. This will prevent the
moisture on your hands from contaminating the mold. Moisture may cause rust.
Always tighten the screws diagonally and evenly to prevent pulling mold parts out of
alignment.
If tapping is needed to fit the mold parts in place, make sure to tap carefully and always
use brass or copper tools. NEVER tap at the part surface or edges. The parts should
fit without force. Clean the area afterwards with the brush available in the Fico tool kit.
NEVER use a whet stone (not even the red one) on the cavities and clamping area of
the cavity strip, or on the plungers and sleeves.
Before starting assembly, take notice of the general notes in paragraph 1.5.
2. Refit the middle dowel pin (A in figure 29) (in some cases it is replaced by a location
key). The two outer dowel pins are fitted later on.
3. Refit the leadframe location pins (A) in the cull strip.. See figure 30.
4. Refit the sleeves in the cull strip. See paragraph 6.
5. Refit the cull strip with sleeves in the mold plate and make sure that the cavity strip
makes contact with the mold plate surface. When inserting the sleeves, be careful not
to damage them. Hand tighten the M4 socket screws of the cull strip.
6. Refit the fill plates and location keys. Make sure to position them correctly. If needed,
tap the keys in place with the copper punch.
7. If needed, refit the gate inserts in the cavity strip. See paragraph 7.
8. If short center pins without insert are used, insert the pins in the cavity strip.
Short center pins with insert and long center pins are refitted later on. See
paragraph 2.3.8.
9. Place the cavity strip on the mold plate and make sure that the cavity strip makes
contact with the mold plate surface. Hand tighten the M4 socket screws.
10. Do the same for the other cavity strip.
11. Place the mold on a soft cloth with the surface downwards and remove the brackets.
12. Verify if all (M4) socket screws are fitted, and fully tighten the screws diagonally and
evenly from the outside to the inside.
13. Check at the mold surface if the strips are correctly placed, i.e. no level differences and
gaps.
NEVER rotate the bed. The correct positioning of the bed can be traced back to the
engraved code on the pin bed. The bed’s engraved code should be at the same side
as the mold plate’s code.
2. Carefully lower the ejector pin bed into the mold plate. Be careful not to damage the
pins and the sleeves.
3. If the ejector pin bed does not fit easily, disassemble the ejector set (see paragraph 4)
and clean the pins. If needed, push the pins in one-by-one before reassembling the
ejector pin bed again.
2. Place the loose support plugs (C in figure 34) on the bottom plate in the openings of
the ejector plate.
3. Place the bottom plate assembly (A) on the ejector plate. Make sure that the plate’s
engraved code is at the same side as the ejector bed’s code.
3. Insert the M4 set screw (C) and hand tighten the screw to lock the pin.
4. Adjust the center pin height. See paragraph 8.2.
Except for the Cull Bar Heater (CBH) element in the top mold, all other heater
elements need to be rubbed with heatsink compound. As the CBH element is pressed
between two mold parts, the heatsink compound may flow between the parts when
heated.
2. Rub the heater elements with heatsink paste and carefully insert them in the mold
plate.
Make sure that enough heatsink paste is used to ensure a good contact. Clean the
surface around the hole.
3. Refit the spring clips that secure the heaters.
4. Rub the PT-100 with heatsink paste and carefully insert the sensor in the mold plate.
Tighten the screws. Make sure that enough heatsink paste is used to ensure a good
contact. Clean the surface around the hole.
5. Refit the clixon and tighten the screws.
6. Refit the earthlead to the covers by tightening its socket screw.
7. Refit the vacuum strips by tightening the socket screws. Start with the long sides, and
next the short sides. One strip has an opening for the PT-100 sensor.
Be careful when refitting the plungers. The tops are made of carbide and can easily
break. Only turn the plungers clockwise and fit them in a straight line. Do not rock the
plungers from side to side and NEVER use tools (not even brass or copper ones) to
tap the plungers back in.
Do not grease the transfer beam assembly and make sure that no grease is present on
the outside. Mixed grease and pellet dust may clog on the parts and obstruct the
movement.
3. TOP MOLD
Do NOT mix up the various parts of the mold. When disassembling the mold, store the parts in
a logical sequence. If needed, name or number the separate parts.
Be careful not to damage the wires and electrical components when removing the
mold covers or turning the mold.
4. Place the connector beside the mold. The electrical components are still attached to it.
Figure 41 Components
A: Clixon (optional) C: Earth terminal
B: PT-100 sensor D: Vacuum strip
In case the top mold contains DTC mold components, remove the heater elements, PT-100
and fuse as follows:
1. Remove the two center nocks (E) at the front and back side of the mold.
2. At one side, remove the heater elements and the PT-100.
At the other side, remove the fuse.
3. Continue removing the other components as described in paragraph 3.2.2.
To remove the top plate assembly from the mold, proceed as follows:
1. Remove the shoulder bolts (A) from the mold:
The following steps are only needed in case of damaged or worn-out parts. In all other cases,
skip this paragraph.
The top plate assembly consists of several layers, i.e. the push plates (C), the isolation
plates (H) and the top plate (B). On top of the top plate, four support plugs (A) and two
centre rings (E) are attached to position the mold correctly in the top block. One centre ring
has a slot hole and the other a round hole. To secure the top mold in the press, two hooks
grip behind the two blocks (F) mounted at each side of the top mold.
If removal of parts is not necessary, leave them on the assembly. The isolation plate is made of
a composite material that works (shrinks, bends, etc.) which makes it difficult to assemble
again.
When lifting the ejector set, be careful not to bend or damage any of the ejector pins or
return pins.
Store the ejector set in a safe place with the return pins facing upward. There is NO
need to disassemble the ejector set any further unless the ejector pins are damaged
(see paragraph 4.2 for the disassembly procedure).
If tapping is needed to loosen the mold parts, make sure to tap carefully and always
use brass or copper tools. Tap the mold parts loose from the backside, through their
screw holes. NEVER tap at the part surface or edges.
3. If necessary remove the wedges or dowel pins from the mold plate.
4. Turn over the vacuum plate (see figure 47).
5. Remove the vacuum O-ring (A) out of its slot (if applicable).
6. If necessary, remove the center nocks (B) and vacuum strip (C).
Before refitting the ejector set, check the pins. If necessary, replace damaged pins and/or clean
them. The pins should fit without force in their holes in the mold plate.
Be careful not to bend or rock the pins, as these are extremely delicate and get
damaged very easily.
Figure 51 Components
A: Clixon (optional) C: Earth terminal
B: PT-100 sensor D: Vacuum strip
3. Refit the earth terminal (C) and connect the earth lead to it.
4. Refit the clixon (A) (if applicable).
5. Apply heatsink paste to the PT-100 (B) sensor and insert it into the mold.
6. Refit the vacuum strips (D) at the front and back of the mold.
7. Refit the plastic block that is mounted behind the connector and install the connector.
8. Check the electrical connections and adjust them if necessary (refer to paragraph 9,
"Electrical system", on page 72).
9. Refit the covers around the mold.
10. Carefully put the mold on its side.
11. Insert a new rubber vacuum O-ring in the groove of the vacuum plate (if applicable).
4. EJECTOR SET
All ejector pins are fitted in a specific pattern. During disassembly, always mark their
place or record the pattern to ensure that they are refitted at the correct place. When
they are numbered, their individual length and thickness may differ. When they are not
numbered, the pins (or groups of pins) have the same length and thickness.
5. PLUNGERS
The head of each plunger has an epoxy groove (H), which fills with molding compound
during the first molding stroke. Every time the bottom mold is disassembled for
maintenance, the epoxy groove must be cleaned before re-assembly. The plungers are
fitted under a pre-defined tension (preload tension) by means of the compression spring
(D). Different spring diameters (recognizable by their color) are used, depending on the
required spring force and transfer pressure. The higher part of the plunger (plunger spiral
(G)) is screwed to the lower plunger part (shoulder pin (F) and spring (D)) by means of a
long socket screw (E). Information on the
and process can be found in the Press general information manual.
The plunger spring is set under tension, which is why the Fico plunger removal tool (see
paragraph 1.4.3) must be used to disassemble or assemble the plunger compression
spring. Use the correct split center bush (B) in the removal tool. The split center bush must
correspond with the spring diameter which is indicated by the spring color. Adjusting the
spring preload tension is a precise job and the product quality depends on it.
2. Place the two bush halves over the end of the plunger.
3. Place the plunger in the bottom piece and turn the plunger so that it falls into the slot in
the bottom.
4. Fasten the cap of the tool to relief the tension from the plunger spring.
5. Stick an allen key through the hole in in the cap and loosen the long plunger screw.
While unscrewing the long plunger socket screw, hold the plunger to make sure that
the carbide plunger cannot fall out of the tool. The plungers are very brittle and can
break easily.
5.5.1 General
The desired transfer pressure is a setting in each MMI recipe. The actual transfer pressure
is only measured in the machine if the option FTPC is available and activated. In all other
situations a calculation is used to convert the desired transfer pressure to a transfer end
position. Understanding the calculations used for the transfer end position is important for
process engineers.
The plunger beam moves up from position "cull height" to the calculated "End
Position". The plungers themselves can NOT go higher because the culls are blocking
this.
The plungers springs are the flexible connection between the transfer beam and the
plungers. Since the plunger tips are blocked by the culls the springs will be
compressed by the up movement of the transfer beam.
4. The end position.
The transfer beam is at the position where the springs apply the pressure to the epoxy.
Since the transfer beam movement stopped, the plungers keep the desired transfer
Hardware determines parameter settings like spring constant and plunger diameter.
Your product determines parameter settings like cull height and transfer pressure.
The parameters can be found and modified in the MMI Recipe screen, and differ per
product.
5.5.3 Parameters
• SPRING CONSTANT: This parameter is the spring constant, i.e. the force needed to
compress the spring 1mm. This parameter is determined by the material and
dimensions of the spring. See the table below.
Spring color Spring diameter (mm) Spring constant (N/mm) Free spring length (mm)
• SPRING PRELOAD: This parameter is the force the spring produces when it is fitted to
the plunger. The spring’s free length is longer than the plunger’s shoulder pin. When
assembling the plunger spring, the spring is therefore compressed. This compression is
called the mounted spring length (in mm). To calculate the spring preload, measure this
mounted spring length.
Calculation: Pre-load = (Free spring length - Mounted spring length) x spring constant
Example: if the mounted spring length for the yellow spring is 63mm,
the pre-load becomes: (68.8 - 63) x 95 = 551 N
• PLUNGER DIAMETER: Standard plunger diameters are used, i.e. either 15mm or
11.6mm. Check by measuring the diameter. The plunger area (mm2) is derived from the
plunger diameter.
Calculation: (PI / 4) x plunger diameter^2
Example: 0.785 x 11.6^2 = 105.63 mm2
• MOLDSURFACE TO CULL TOP: The mold surface to cull top is the distance between
the top strip and the surface of the parting line (i.e. the cull strip). This parameter is
expressed in mm.
• CULL HEIGHT: The thickness of the cull. A correct cull height value is essential when
FTPC is not used. Measure several culls and calculate the average height. When the
cull height parameter is set lower than the actual cull height, this may transform your
product and deform the dambar. When changing the end position, make sure that its
height is always lower than the cull height. If not, the maximum transfer pressure can
not be attained.
• TRANSFER END PRESSURE: When raising the transfer pressure, the transfer end-
position becomes higher. The transfer pressure is a software parameter that can be
changed in the MMI Recipe screen. Different transfer end pressure ranges can be
reached depending on the used spring type. In general, three ranges are identified: from
40 to 70 Bar, from 70 to 120 Bar and from 120 to 150 Bar. When calculating the transfer
end position, convert the value into MPa (e.g. 70 Bar = 7 MPa). When the transfer
pressure is too low, this may cause an incomplete fill and air in the package. When the
pressure is too high, this may cause die damage or compound leakage.
The MMI calculates how far the transfer must move up to reach the pre-set transfer
pressure. This transfer end position indicates the plunger tip position (above) the mold
surface if no cull would be present. To check if the pre-set transfer pressure is reached,
read the realtime values in the Process Monitoring screen (graph pressure vs. transfer
position). The transfer time can also be read here.
5.5.4 Calculation
Example 1: end position calculation:
• Desired transfer pressure: 8.4 MPa = 8.4 N/mm^2
• Measured cull height: 6 mm
• Plunger diameter: 15 mm
• Spring preload: 922 N
• Spring constant: 159 N/mm (green spring)
If Final Transfer Pressure Control (FTPC) is present on your machine, and is switched ON, the
plunger end position is not calculated. Instead, load cells read the actual transfer pressure and
the transfer movement stops when the desired final transfer pressure is reached.
6. SLEEVES
The cull strip (steel) and the sleeves (carbide) are made of different materials, and when
heated they expand differently. As a result, the tolerance between the sleeves and the cull strip
hole is maximum which makes the disassembly easier.
The sleeves are made of carbide, which is very brittle and can easily break. Be careful
when handling the sleeves.
NEVER use a copper punch to force the sleeves into the cull strip and NEVER rock the
sleeves from side to side. This may damage or break the carbide sleeves.
7. GATE INSERTS
Only disassemble the gate inserts when they are worn out or damaged.
The cavity strip (steel) and the gate inserts (carbide) are made of different materials, and when
heated, they expand differently. As a result, the tolerance between the inserts and the cavity
strip is maximum which eases the disassembly.
If needed, use the brass tools of the tool kit to tap the inserts. Always tap very
carefully. Never use other tools - not even the copper tools - on the cavities, clamping
area, runners and gate inserts.
4. Use heat resistant gloves to place the cavity strip (with cavity facing upwards) on a
holder with space underneath the gate inserts.
Make sure that the gate inserts fall on a soft surface, e.g. a cloth or rubber mat.
Always tap the gate insert from the top to the bottom as shown in figure 68. If not, this
can damage the cavity strip and the gate insert
5. Use the brass punch to carefully tap the gate inserts out of the cavity strip
Before assembling the strip, the cavity strip and gate inserts must be thoroughly cleaned.
6. Insert the new gate insert in the cavity strip from the side as shown in figure 69. The
insert is made to fit without using much force.
7. If present, insert the pin which locks the gate inserts.
8. CENTER PINS
A: the center pin is correctly adjusted when the tapered part (A) of the center pin begins at
75% of the leadframe thickness (B).
B: the center pin is too low when the tapered part (A) of the center pin is inside the cavity
hole (C). If so, the leadframe can move on the mold surface, which might cause off-center.
C: the center pin is too high when the parallel part of the center pin is visible above the
cavity hole (C). If so, this will damage the leadframe when the pick & place wagon removes
it from the mold surface. After the leadframe has been ejected it also shrinks slightly due to
cooling down.
9. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
To check which heating systems is used on your machine, select the MMI maintenance
screen and press on the Machine Config button on the soft key bar.
To check the heating system version of the mold, the mold must be in the press (use
operation mode conversion to enter the mold in the press).
Proceed as follows:
1. In the MMI maintenance screen, press the button of the press in which the mold was
entered.
2. Press the General button.
The tool number buttons appear in the command list.
3. In the command list, press on one of the buttons with the tool number.
4. In the tool parameter screen, check the value of parameter Major version number.
For a V1 mold this can be either 0 or 1.
For a V2 mold this is 2.
The bottom mold contains 6 heater elements. The top mold contains 5 heater elements
and an element above the cull bar, called the ’Cull bar heater element’ (CBH). This CBH
element (600 W) is not controlled by the PT-100, but is switched on for a specified time by
the parameter "Cull bar heating time" in the Recipe tab of the MMI.
The individual heater elements all have two wires which are connected to the mold
connector (see figure 74). The properties of the heater elements are stored in the tool-ID.
The heater elements are set by specifying their "P-factor follow channel ’x’" in the MMI
Maintenance screen. The time the CBH is switched on is specified in seconds.
*Cull bar heating is controlled by the recipe parameter Cull bar heating time.
Always check the Mold electrical drawings for the correct colors and connector pin numbers.
The bottom mold contains 6 heater elements. The top mold contains 5 heater elements
and an element above the cull bar, called the ’Cull bar heater element’ (Z). This Z element
(600 W) is not controlled by the PT-100, but is switched on for a specified time by the
parameter "Cull bar heating time" in the Recipe tab of the MMI.
The individual heater elements all have two wires which are connected to the mold
connector (see figure 76). The properties of the heater elements are stored in the tool-ID.
The heater elements are set by specifying their Duty cycle channel ’x’ in the MMI
Maintenance screen. The time the cull bar heating is switched on is specified in seconds.
Z * ET1Z 600
*Cull bar heating is controlled by the recipe parameter Cull bar heating time.
Always check the Mold electrical drawings for the correct colors and connector pin numbers.
The DTC bottom mold contains 6 heater elements. The top mold contains 7 heater
elements.
The individual heater elements all have two wires which are connected to the mold
connector (see figure 78). The properties of the heater elements are stored in the tool-ID.
The heater elements are set by specifying their Duty cycle. These factors are stored int he
ToolID of the mold.
Always check the Mold electrical drawings for the correct colors and connector pin numbers.
Always check the Mold electrical drawings for the correct colors and connector pin numbers.
Power Resistance
Watt Ohms
100 513 ± 51
250 205 ± 21
600 86 ± 8
Always check the electrical drawings of the mold for the correct power (in Watt), and connector
pin numbers.
9.9.1 Introduction
To measure the mold temperature a Platinum (PT-100) sensor is mounted just below the
surface of the mold. Each mold half has a PT-100 in the mold plate. The PT-100 signal is
used to switch on and off the heating elements in order to keep the mold at target
temperature, and within the allowed deviation range. The PT-100 has four wires which are
connected to the mold PT-100 connector.
To prevent overheating, an optional Clixon bimetal safety switch is attached to the mold.
This device switches off all heating elements when the temperature exceeds a preset
value. The Clixon is interconnected to the mold PT-100 connector by two wires. Mold with
special DTC heating have a fuse in series with the clixon. The fuse is mounted in the top
strip behind the center nock. If the fuse is blown, it has to be replaced.
Figure 80 PT-100 connector for the standard (left) and special DTC (right) mold
A: MIC D: ToolId
B: PT-100 E: PT-100 DTC
C: Clixon
Each PT-100 connector has three (A, B, C) rows of pins (25 pins in total). The pin numbers
are marked from 1 to 9, except for row B which has seven pins which are numbered from 2
to 8.
In general, the pin numbers in row A and B are used for Mold Identification Code (MIC). Pin
numbers 1C up to and including 4C are used for the PT-100, and 5C and 6C for the Clixon.
If ToolID is present on the mold, the remaining pin numbers are used for this feature, and
one from MIC (i.e. 9A). For more information on MIC and ToolID, see paragraph 9.10.
Special DTC molds have no MIC code. As these molds have an extra PT100, it is
connected to pins 1A through 4A.
Always check the electrical drawings of the mold for the correct connector pin numbers.
Always check the electrical drawings of the mold for the correct connector pin numbers.
9.10.1 Introduction
Two different Automatic Tool Identification systems can be present on the xMS-i mold. This
means that xMS-i molds can be used in both xMS-i and xMSxx-M(2) (shortly xxy) press
stations. Depending on the machine type, one of the systems is activated and read. If
needed, xxy molds can also be made suitable for use in both the xMS-i and xxy press
stations. This requires some changes.
The xxy system uses a unique binary code in the range of 0 to 2047 that is checked during
mold exchange. No further validations or parameter downloading takes place. This system
is called Mold Identification Code or shortly MIC.
In the xMS-i system, the mold parameters are stored in an EEPROM memory chip. This is
referred to as ToolID. ToolID streamlines a product change over. It allows to exchange
molds between press stations and machines without having to adjust the MMI parameters
manually. Instead, the MMI software is informed on the hardware change by the EEPROM,
and the parameters are automatically downloaded to the machine. When the mold is
inserted in the machine, the mold parameters are checked by the software. If the mold
parameters do not match the machine parameters, the MMI software will ask the user to
remove the mold. Mold parameters that are changed are automatically stored in the
EEPROM or can be stored manually. For information on how to read and modify the
EEPROM parameters, refer to the MMI Maintenance manual.
The ToolID EEPROM (A) is mounted on the PT-100 mold connector. The EEPROM is
connected to a printed circuit board (PCB) (B) in the back of the press station. This PCB is
at its turn connected to the Berghof module by means of an I2C bus cable. One PCB
serves one mold half, except for the bottom molds where one PCB serves two bottom
molds. This means that in a three press configuration, five PCBs are present: three for the
top molds, one for one single bottom mold and one for two bottom molds. Each PCB has a
unique hardware code which is set by means of the switches (jumpers) on the PCB itself.
Information on these hardware codes, the PCB lay-out and the PT-100 connector pins can
be found in the Electrical manual (drawings "I/O-temperature control Bottom / Top mold
Station x").
In general, the PT-100 connector pin numbers 1A up to and including 9A, and 2B up to and
including 6B are used for MIC (see figure 80). These pins are connected to each other at
the back of the connector to produce the unique binary code. Pin numbers 7B and 8B
detect if the MIC mold is present. These 2 pins are connected to each other at the back of
the connector. In general, pin numbers 7C, 8C, 9C and 9A are connected to the ToolID
EEPROM. This means that PT-100 connector pin 9A is shared by the two systems, which
serves as Ground for ToolID and as one bit for MIC.
Always check the electrical drawings of the mold for the correct connector pin numbers.
In general, the four digits of the MIC code correspond with the last four digits of the mold
electrical drawings.
ALWAYS consult your Fico service engineer for these change overs. Only then full
warranty can be given.
10.1 INTRODUCTION
The molds must be regularly cleaned and conditioned. Cleaning and conditioning can be
done with the mold still in the machine (MMI program) or by taking out the mold. In the
latter case the mold needs disassembling. The following cleaning and conditioning
methods are present:
• By MMI program ON the machine:
• Transfer cleaning : this cleaning program is used to clean the surfaces of the mold
that are directly affected by the production process, i.e. the sleeves, the gates, the
cavities, etc. Like in Normal Production leadframes and pellets are used. The used
leadframes may be dummy ones. The cleaning pellets are however made of a
combination of melamine, wax and epoxy.
• Compression cleaning : this cleaning program is used to clean a larger surface of
the mold than is done in Transfer cleaning. It includes the clamping area and the
lower surfaces around the cavities. Melamine tablets or rubber sheets are used as a
cleaning medium.
• Conditioning: this program is used to wax the mold chases surfaces and must be
done each time a press station has been cleaned, either by transfer or compression
cleaning. The pellets that are used in conditioning are made of wax (in combination
with other materials).
• By a cleaning solvent OUTSIDE the machine:
• RBS-25 cleaning: for very dirty molds with difficult stains. All mold parts and
surfaces are cleaned.
• Manual cleaning. To remove thick layers of compound.
It is better to keep the mold clean by frequent cleaning, rather than let the stain build up to such
a level that a major cleaning operation is required.
Compression cleaning and transfer cleaning are complementary to each other as they clean
different mold parts. It is therefore best to run both programs. Start with transfer cleaning and
finish with compression cleaning as during compression cleaning the left particles of transfer
cleaning will be removed.
The cleaning and conditioning material that can be used depends on the compound
type used in production. Consult your compound supplier to find out what type(s) give
the best results.
For the process settings of conditioning, transfer and compression cleaning, refer to
the data sheet of the cleaning/conditioning compound supplier.
Condition the mold after each cleaning action. If this is not done, the leadframes and
culls may stick to the mold surface. Before starting conditioning or resuming
production, verify if all traces of the cleaning compound are removed. Any small
pollutions may result in staining. Small particles in gates can lead to incomplete fillings
and associated problems.
Before starting production, make sure that the mold surface is free of compound
particles. Cured compound particles in the cavities or on the clamping area make
bumps in the surface which may result in product problems.
10.2.1 Introduction
To run the Compression Cleaning program on the MMI, refer to the Operating Procedures.
The parameter settings for compression cleaning should be determined by running trials. In
general, the temperature should be close to the molding temperature and the clamp
pressure should be reduced. Overcuring should be avoided as this can result in a very dry
mold. See also Operating Procedures manual.
Advantages
• less cleaning shots required.
• cleans the mold quickly.
• used material can be removed in one piece.
• mold does not have to be conditioned after cleaning.
• material is less toxic than melamine.
Disadvantages
• does not always remove all dirt and stains, in which case the mold also has to be
cleaned with melamine.
• produces an unpleasant smell.
• the rubber sheets are more expensive.
Disadvantages
• requires more cleaning shots than the rubber sheets.
• takes longer to clean the mold.
• produces small particles which can be difficult to remove from the cavities and
runners.
• the mold must be conditioned after cleaning.
• melamine is more toxic than the rubber sheets.
10.3.1 Introduction
To run the Transfer Cleaning program on the MMI, refer to the Operating Procedures. In
general, the settings for Transfer cleaning should be as close to production as possible,
only with an increased cure time. See also Operating Procedures manual.
Disadvantages
• uses leadframes as well as cleaning compound
• does not always clean the vents thoroughly
• a greater chance to sticking plungers after cleaning
• more expensive than compression cleaning
When using cleaning pellets, the best results are achieved with the following settings.
- high transfer speed of 4 to 4.5 mm/s
- high transfer pressure of 90 to 120 bar
Check the leadframes for flash when using these high transfer pressure values.
10.4 CONDITIONING
10.4.1 Introduction
During cleaning, the stains and dirt are removed from the mold surface. This leaves the
mold surface very dry and may cause the leadframes and culls to stick during product
ejection.
Therefore, after the mold has been cleaned it needs to be conditioned. The conditioning
shots leave a release agent on the mold surface which prevents the leadframes from
sticking. When the mold has been cleaned and conditioned, preferably make a number of
dummy shots before starting with the production. This will ensure that there is no excess
wax on the mold surface.
Disadvantages
• It is difficult to see if all corners of the cavities are correctly waxed.
• Wax conditioning leaves more wax in the mold than with conditioning compound.
Therefore you will have to process more dummy leadframes to make sure that all
excess wax is removed.
• The mold will soon become dirty because a lot of spray wax will cover areas where
it is not required.
The use of solid wax may eliminate these disadvantages, but solid wax has other
complications, e.g. an uneven wax distribution.
In case of very dirty molds, increase the RBS-25 solution percentage with maximum 50%. The
higher the RBS-25 concentration, the lower the required soaking time.
In general, only the parts that come into contact with compound (e.g. mold plate, ejector pins,
cavity strips, center pins) need to be cleaned with RBS-25.
PREVENT CONTACT BETWEEN RBS-25 AND EYES AND/OR SKIN AND NEVER DRINK
THE SOLUTION. IN CASE OF CONTACT WASH THE SKIN WITH PLENTY OF WATER.
ALWAYS WEAR RUBBER GLOVES WHEN WORKING WITH RBS-25. RBS-25 IS A FULLY
BIODEGRADABLE, NON-TOXIC SOLUTION AND CAN BE DISPOSED OF IN THE SEWAGE
SYSTEM. ALWAYS REFER TO THE SUPPLIER INSTRUCTIONS.
Clean parts with the RBS-25 solution according to the following procedure:
1. Disassemble the mold. See paragraph 2.2.
2. Make sure that there is no thick epoxy on the mold parts because this will not be
removed by the solution. See paragraph 10.5.
3. Add approximately 1 part RBS-25 to 50 parts tap water at a temperature of 50°C into
the stainless steel tray.
Example: add 20 grams of RBS-25 to 1 liter of tap water.
NEVER set the temperature of the heater plate higher than 60°C. This results in
unnecessary vapors of the cleaning solution.
4. Place the tray on the heater plate and set the temperature to 60°C.
Place a cover over the tray to prevent excessive evaporation.
NEVER immerse the non-metal parts (e.g. isolation plate, vacuum strips), the heater
elements, the electrical parts (e.g. sensors, connectors) in the RBS-25 solution.
5. Immerse the mold part(s) in the solution. Make sure that they are completely immersed
and use gloves when handing the parts.
Always rinse the parts carefully and thoroughly after a RBS-25 cleaning job. If not, dry
RBS-25 particles may form on the parts. This may trouble mold assembly and may
cause damage when the mold is heated.
7. Take out the parts and rinse them immediately and thoroughly with hot water. Repeat
the rinsing job several times. A final rinse with distilled or de-mineralized water is
recommended.
8. Dry the part(s) with compressed air and visually inspect them for remaining dirt.
Only spray wax on the mold parts. Never use oil or oil containing products as this
produces unnecessary vapors when the mold is heated for the first time.
The two mold halves (top and bottom) must always be wrapped SEPARATELY to
prevent damaging the mold surfaces.
Before using the mold again, clean it thoroughly with RBS-25 (see paragraph 10.6) as
left wax particles on the mold surface may cause product problems and stains.
The two mold halves (top and bottom) must always be wrapped SEPARATELY to
prevent damage to the mold surfaces.
Make sure that the mold surfaces do not face each other or touch the side walls of the
wooden box. This could cause damage to the mold surfaces.
Page 100 of 106 xMS-i Standard Mold - V1.7 January 31, 2006
xMS-i Packing the mold for transport 10.8
4. Wrap the plungers and the transfer beam in a thick cotton cloth and place them in the
box as indicated (A) in figure 83. Additional spare parts should also be stored here -
packed separately.
5. Place moisture absorbing material (silicon gel) in the wooden box.
6. Place filling material besides the packages to prevent the mold and spare parts from
moving. Make sure to fill up all empty holes in the box.
7. Seal the box.
January 31, 2006 xMS-i Standard Mold - V1.7 Page 101 of 106
10.8 Packing the mold for transport xMS-i
Page 102 of 106 xMS-i Standard Mold - V1.7 January 31, 2006
xMS-i Troubleshooting 11
11. TROUBLESHOOTING
The table below lists a number of molding problems and/or product defects, with possible
causes and solutions.
Wire sweep Transfer speed too high / Too stiff in flow Incorrect shape of gate
low
January 31, 2006 xMS-i Standard Mold - V1.7 Page 103 of 106
11 Troubleshooting xMS-i
Page 104 of 106 xMS-i Standard Mold - V1.7 January 31, 2006
xMS-i Index 12
12. INDEX
B G
Bimetal safety device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 Grinding plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Bottom plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Brass plug . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 H
Heater element . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11, 86
C cull bar heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Cavity strip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17, 18 Heater elements
Centre pin special DTC mold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
height . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 standard mold (ToolId v1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
long . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 standard mold (ToolId v2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
short with insert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Heatsink compound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
short without insert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Heatsink paste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35, 39, 86, 88
Cleaning compound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Cleaning material I
melamine cleaning pellets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Isolation plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
melamine tablets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
RBS-25 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91, 96
rubber sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 L
Clixon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15, 39, 87 Leadframe off-center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Compression cleaning program . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 Leadframe thickness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Conditioning material Loctite no. 648 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
conditioning compound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
solid wax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 M
spray wax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
MIC (Mold Identification Code) . . . . . . . . . 89, 90
Conditioning program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Mold handle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Mold plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
heater elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76, 80
heater elements DTC mold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
PT-100 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 N
Copper brush . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Never seez paste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Copper punch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Cull strip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28, 65, 66 P
Parameter
D cull height . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Dowel pin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16, 19 moldsurface to culltop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
DTC mold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40, 82 P-factor channel x . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
plunger diameter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
E spring constant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
spring preload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Earthlead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Plastic strip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Ejector cam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11, 16
Plunger
Ejector cams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
sticking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Ejector holder plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11, 20, 52
Plunger area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Ejector pin bed . . . . . . . . . . 11, 20, 21, 31, 36
Plunger beam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Ejector plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11, 20
Plunger holder ring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Ejector stroke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Plunger lock ring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Epoxy groove . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Plunger shoulder pin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Plunger sleeve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
F Plunger spiral . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Final transfer pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
January 31, 2006 xMS-i Standard Mold - V1.7 Page 105 of 106
12 Index xMS-i
Problem
dull spots on surface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
flash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
incomplete fill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
knitted lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
leadframe off-centre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
package off-centre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
package off-set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
side rail pinching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
sticking compound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
sticking culls/leadframes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
voids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
wire sweep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
PT-100 DTC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
PT-100 sensor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15, 87, 88
Punch
copper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Push plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
R
RBS-25 cleaning set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Return pins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
S
Safety device, bimetal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Sleeve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Special brass plug . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Sticking plunger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Support plugs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
T
Temperature sensor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
ToolID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
EEPROM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Transfer cleaning program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Transfer end-position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
type plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
V
Vacuum strips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11, 15
Page 106 of 106 xMS-i Standard Mold - V1.7 January 31, 2006