Sato Parts Co., Ltd. is a manufacturer and distributor of electrical and mechanical parts that have supported the electronics industry for more than 70 years, manufacturing terminal blocks and other products used in social infrastructure equipment. The company responds to customer needs with a flexible sales structure that allows for quick delivery from stock and a large selection of products with no lot size restrictions. We also offer screwless terminal blocks in a wide variety of colors to match the color of the wiring in the field. We offer proposals that are useful for preventing wiring errors and identifying circuits.
Sato Parts factory
Mr. Ogata, Mr. Yuki, and Mr. Sato (from left)
Nylon is highly hygroscopic, and corrosive gases are easily generated due to insufficient drying. In addition, Sato Parts also uses a resin that is prone to wear, which causes corrosion and wear to the heating tube, screw, and three-piece set.
Screwless terminal block
Resin: Nylon
We proposed a non-collapsible 3-piece set that includes a screw assembly that exhibits the best corrosion and wear resistance in the SHI lineup, as well as a backflow prevention ring that has a pawl-less shape and is difficult to wear on the outer circumference, and is resistant to wear on the inner surface of the heating cylinder.
Non-rotating type non-return valve
Due to corrosion and wear of screw parts, molding was not stable, causing short shots due to backflow.
To solve the problem, the person in charge had to make adjustments in the molding conditions, such as the metering completion position, the screw switching position during injection, and the holding pressure setting.
However, these adjustments changed the way pressure was applied to the molded product. As a result, the allowable range of conditions became narrower, and as wear progressed, the person in charge was required to make more severe adjustments, which became a burden.
The screw parts we proposed eliminated corrosion and wear, and increased the repeatability and stability of molding.
The occurrence of short shots has also been reduced, and "we were able to complete the molding process under the same molding conditions that were initially set, and the person in charge was no longer called by the on-site person in charge. This has also prevented the responsible person from being called by the on-site person in charge.
Due to corrosion and wear, the three-piece set had to be replaced every six months, and the heating cylinder and screw had to be replaced once a year, resulting in high parts and replacement service costs.
It has already been about three years since the system was introduced, and the screw parts have not been replaced once.
When the logging data exceeded the monitoring standard values, the molding staff had to make adjustments to the conditions. In addition, screw parts replacement had to be planned in consideration of the impact on delivery dates due to production stoppages.
After the introduction of the new system, the above-mentioned tasks have been reduced, leading to the elimination of manpower shortages.
Mr. Yuki, whom we interviewed this time, was aware that "the Clamping Force should be set high" to prevent the occurrence of defects such as burrs.
SHI injection molding machines are equipped with "Zero-molding" functions and performance to reduce defects and save energy with low mold Clamping Force and injection pressure. In particular, the Flow Front Control function enables smooth filling at low injection pressure by controlling the screw before and after V-P switching, utilizing the viscoelasticity of the resin.
The minimum Clamping Force detection function uses a Clamping Force sensor to automatically detect the minimum Clamping Force when the mold parting surfaces are completely adhered, making it easy to determine the minimum required Clamping Force as a guide.
In order to utilize these functions, our molding engineers assisted in machine operation in an actual molding environment. As a result, gas burning as well as burr generation was reduced.
The Clamping Force has been halved from 400 kN to 200 kN, which has also had the effect of reducing electricity costs, which have been rising recently, and the customer has commented, "The molding situation is going in the right direction.
We are currently testing a service that allows us to check the molding machine screen with our customers online in real time and provide molding support.
Currently, Satoh Parts is cooperating with us in the verification process and supporting us in adjusting conditions.
As a specific example, when we were checking the quality control logging screen together online, we found a shot with a long filling time.
When we checked the waveform screen, we found that the injection pressure had increased from the beginning.
Since it was thought that the screw was not advancing due to a clog caused by a flap, we advised the customer to set a reduced pressure distance in the latter half of the metering process, and the molding process was stable thereafter. This kind of situation is difficult to find during a telephone consultation.
Sato Parts appreciates that we were able to work with them from the point of finding the problem, which led to an early solution.
We will continue to promote manufacturing with a "sense of security" more than ever so that we can deliver domestically produced, high-quality products to our customers.
In addition, we would like to contribute to the field of education, for example, by having our products used as teaching materials for experiments at universities.
In addition, we will continue to offer our products for use in various other fields, such as food processing machines, relay parts for various sensors, and parts for maintenance work.
