Extrusion International 2-2020

29 Extrusion International 2/2020 Guill Tool & Engineering Co., Inc. 10 Pike Street,WestWarwick, RI 02893, USA www.Guill.com adapter should be cleaned by care- fully using a brass brush. Examine all surfaces for any irregularities such as burrs and scratches since these must be repaired before the head is reassembled. Most manu- facturers recommend using a hand polishing stone to remove the of- fending burr. Follow stoning with a light application of 600-grit emery cloth if necessary, but avoid round- ing edges that are intended to be sharp. Flat sealing surfaces can also be cleaned using a stone, followed by a 600-grit emery cloth. Place the cloth on a clean, flat surface, pref- erably a surface plate, then apply friction in a circular hand motion until the area is clean and even. The parts in question should all be hardened steel alloys and will not be adversely affected using these methods. Inconel, monel and Has- talloy ® are typically not heat-treat- ed, requiring special care and han- dling to avoid any damage. Don’t Overlook Repairs Tooling maintenance helps ensure a quality extruded product – one that meets dimensional specifica- tions, maintains the specified mini- mum tolerance and is economically produced. Dirty, neglected and im- properly adjusted tools contribute to excessive compound applications, which in turn complicate mainte- nance of minimum thickness toler- ance. Excess material results in un- necessary costs and these directly affect the profitability of your com- pany and the relationships with your customers. The Important Final Step – Reassembly Working from your dedicated tool cart, follow the manufacturer’s instructions for reassembly. Give each component a final wipe down with a clean rag before installing. Even the smallest amount of grit, dirt and residual material must al- ways be removed. Use mechani- cal or manual assistance for heavy and awkward components to avoid unnecessary mishaps. Reapply anti seize compound to all fasten- ers if required. Tighten fasteners to manufacturer’s recommended specifications as well as in the rec- ommended sequence. This fasten- ing sequence should be specified in the manual and is generally in a star pattern. Tighten gradually un- til the proper torque is achieved to prevent distortion of the tooling. One of a die manufacturer’s main goals is to form a concentric cone as quickly and accurately as possi- ble in the primary section of the die – when the extrudate first emerges from the die’s distribution capillar- ies. A properly designed and manu- factured die has even distribution close to the extrudate entrance point, but this effort is negated once the die is adjusted, shifting the extrudate off to one side. An eccen- tric cone is formed in the primary area, and a concentric cone exists at only one point in the pro- c e s s , rather than a smooth, continuous flow path with decreas- ing volume. A properly manufac- tured and aligned extruded head, along with well-maintained tool- ing should require little or no ad- justment. Another adverse affect of unnecessary die adjustment is the stress introduced to the extru- date caused by unbalanced flow. The net effect is the final product retains memory of this imbalance and unpredictable die swell occurs. Company Profile Guill Tool & Extrusion Co., Inc. has supplied quality extrusion tool- ing since 1962. First established as a freestanding support facility for the wire and cable industry, the company has expanded its prod- uct line to include fixed or adjust- able center crosshead and inline tubing dies for the demands of our customer markets, including medi- cal, electronics, defense and aero- space. All crossheads and inline dies are available for multi-layer applications.