A beverage closure producer needed more capacity but had no room for another press. Fixing core cooling cut the cycle from 14.2 to 10.8 seconds and added about three million closures a month.
Key numbers
A beverage closure producer had won a new contract and needed roughly 30% more output from a line that was already running around the clock. There was no floor space for another press, and a new machine would have taken months to arrive anyway. The only way to make more closures was to make each cycle shorter.
The situation
The tool ran at 14.2 seconds per cycle, producing about 9.6 million closures a month. Previous attempts to shorten the cycle had caused ovality and dimensional problems, so the team had settled for the existing cycle as "the best the tool can do".
What the data showed
A breakdown of the cycle showed that cooling made up 62% of the 14.2 seconds, so cooling was the place to look. Thermal imaging of the tool immediately after mould opening showed core temperatures 18 °C higher than the cavity side. Investigation found a partly blocked baffle and core cooling that had been undersized from the start.
Hot cores meant the parts had to stay in the tool longer to avoid distortion on ejection. The cycle was being set by the hottest spot in the tool, not by the part's wall thickness, a pattern explained in why wall thickness matters and in our eight-cavity balancing case study, where thermal balance also turned out to matter.
What changed
- Cores fitted with beryllium-copper inserts and bubblers to pull heat out of the hottest areas far faster.
- Chiller capacity increased and water flow balanced across all circuits, with flow meters fitted.
- Cooling time reduced step by step, with dimensional and ovality checks at each stage, so the gain was proven before it was locked in.
Results
Cycle time fell from 14.2 to 10.8 seconds. Monthly output rose from about 9.6 million to 12.6 million closures, an increase of roughly three million a month, without a new machine. Energy per 1,000 parts also fell, from 3.1 to 2.5 kWh, because the press was producing more parts for the same running time.
Lessons for your operation
- Break down the cycle before trying to shorten it. Cooling is usually the largest part.
- Thermal imaging finds hot spots in minutes. A blocked baffle can cost seconds on every shot.
- High-conductivity inserts can transform cycle time on deep or hard-to-cool cores.
- Reduce cooling time in steps with dimensional checks, so you know exactly where the limit is.
Before buying capacity, find out how much is hidden in your tools.
