The Calendar Mistake: Scheduling mold maintenance by "Date" destroys your tooling. You are either over-cleaning (causing wear) or under-cleaning (causing quality defects).
The "Shot" Standard: The only accurate way to maintain a tool is by actual usage (Cycle Counts).
The Fabrico Solution: How to automate the "Shot Count" using OEE data to trigger maintenance exactly when it’s needed.
In Injection Molding and Metal Stamping, the most valuable assets in the building aren't the machines. They are the Molds and Dies.
A high-cavity mold can cost €50,000 or more. Yet, many factories maintain these critical assets using the same logic they use for the office air conditioner: The Calendar.
"Mike" (Maintenance Manager) schedules a mold cleaning every month.
Scenario A: The mold ran 24/7. It hit 100,000 shots. By the time the "Monthly" PM comes due, the mold is dirty, the vents are clogged, and you are producing flash. Result: Scrap.
Scenario B: The mold sat on the shelf for 3 weeks. It only ran 500 shots. You clean it anyway because the calendar said so. You disassemble it, scrub the parting lines, and risk scratching the surface. Result: Premature Wear.
To extend tool life, you must stop looking at the calendar and start looking at the Counter.
Here is how to build a Usage-Based Maintenance strategy for tooling, using Fabrico to automate the math.
Everyone agrees that "Maintenance by Shots" is better. The problem is execution.
In most plants, the process is manual. An operator looks at the mechanical counter on the mold at the end of the shift and scribbles "45,201" on a clipboard.
They forget to write it down.
They write it illegibly.
They guess.
The Maintenance Manager never gets accurate data, so he defaults back to the calendar.
You don't need a clipboard. The machine already knows the count.
The Fabrico Solution:
Fabrico connects to the Injection Molding Machine (IMM) or Press via the PLC. It acts as a digital odometer.
Tracking: Fabrico counts every cycle (shot) in real-time.
Association: It links that count to the specific mold currently installed in the machine.
History: Even if the mold moves to three different machines in a month, Fabrico tracks the cumulative life of that tool.
Once you have accurate data, you can automate the maintenance trigger.
The Workflow:
Set the Rule: "Trigger 'Level 1 Clean' every 10,000 shots. Trigger 'Major Service' every 100,000 shots."
The Countdown: Fabrico monitors the count.
The Alert: At 9,500 shots, Fabrico sends a "Upcoming Maintenance" notification to the Planner.
The Work Order: At 10,000 shots, the system generates the Work Order automatically.
You are no longer guessing. You are servicing the tool exactly when the manufacturer recommends it.
The most dangerous moment for a mold is when it is taken out of the machine.
If a tool is pulled because of a defect (e.g., "Burrs on Cavity 4") but nobody tags it, that tool will sit on the rack for weeks. Two months later, Production will put it back in a machine, only to rediscover the defect. Downtime ensues.
The Fabrico Fix:
When a production run ends, Fabrico triggers a "Last Shot Inspection" checklist for the operator.
Question: "Was there flash/burrs?"
Question: "Are water lines blown out?"
Action: If they mark "Defect," Fabrico instantly flags the tool as "Do Not Use" (Red Tag) and generates a repair ticket.
The mold never goes back on the shelf broken.
Sophisticated tooling requires sophisticated tracking.
Cavity Management: If Cavity 3 is blocked off, you need to know. Fabrico allows you to log notes and photos against the specific asset record so the next setup technician isn't confused.
Insert Tracking: If you swap interchangeable inserts, Fabrico tracks the life of the Insert separately from the Frame.
Your molds are your checkbook. If they degrade, your product quality degrades.
Moving to automated, shot-based maintenance is the single fastest way to improve OEE Quality scores and extend the capital life of your tooling.
Stop scrubbing clean molds.
Book a Demo with Fabrico to see how we automate cycle counting and tool maintenance.
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