High Speed Tablet Press Mold Maintenance Plan

1、 Maintenance objectives

Ensure that the high-speed tablet press mold always maintains high precision, guarantees stable tablet quality, significantly reduces mold replacement costs, and extends mold service life.

2、 Daily maintenance (performed daily)

（1） Pre startup inspection (30 minutes before each startup)

Visually inspect the surface of the mold for any residual materials, scratches, or deformations, with a focus on the top of the punch and the inner wall of the mold hole. Manually rotate the mold and feel if there is any jamming or abnormal noise. If there is any abnormality, it is strictly prohibited to forcefully start the equipment. Use a specialized measuring tool to check the clearance between the punch and the die hole, ensuring that there are no foreign objects stuck. The normal clearance should be ≤ 0.03mm.

（2） Cleaning after shutdown (within 30 minutes after each shutdown)

Gently remove residual powder or materials with a specialized brush to avoid damaging the surface with hard scraping tools. Wipe the mold with neutral cleaning agents such as 75% alcohol to remove oil stains and residues, ensuring cleanliness without any dead corners. Place the cleaned mold in a well ventilated area and dry it. After drying, check for any corrosion marks on the surface and deal with them promptly.

3、 Regular maintenance

（1） Weekly maintenance (1 hour before the end of the last working day of each week)

Lubrication of punch and die hole: Use specialized food grade or pharmaceutical grade lubricants (such as magnesium stearate powder, silicone oil), evenly apply to the neck of the punch and the inner wall of the die hole, and be careful to avoid excessive lubrication on the surface of the material in direct contact to prevent contamination of the tablet. After lubrication is complete, manually rotate the mold several times to evenly distribute the lubricant.

Check the fitting accuracy: Use a feeler gauge to measure the gap between the punch and the mold hole. If it exceeds 0.05mm, it should be repaired or replaced in a timely manner. At the same time, check whether the connections of various parts of the mold are loose, and tighten loose screws and other components.

Clean the surrounding environment of the mold: Clean up scattered materials, dust, etc. around the mold to keep the working environment of the mold clean.

（2） Monthly maintenance (last working day afternoon of each month)

Dismantling inspection: Disassemble the mold into components such as punch, die ring, and middle mold. Check whether there are dents at the top of the punch, wear or deformation in the die hole, and pay special attention to the inner surface smoothness of the middle mold. If there is roughness, it needs to be ground. For components with wear, record the degree and location of wear.

Calibration parallelism: Check the running parallelism of the upper and lower punch heads with a level, and the deviation should be controlled within 0.02mm. If it exceeds the deviation range, calibrate and adjust it in a timely manner. After calibration is completed, conduct a trial run to ensure that the parallelism meets the requirements.

Check the guiding components: Check the wear of guiding components such as mold guide columns and guide sleeves. If there is excessive clearance due to wear, replace or repair them in a timely manner to ensure the accuracy of mold movement.

Clean the internal channels of the mold: For the air ducts, oil circuits, and other internal channels on the mold, blow them with compressed air to ensure they are unobstructed.

（3） Quarterly maintenance (last working day of the last month of each quarter)

Accuracy testing: Use a tool microscope to check the flatness of the punch working surface and the roundness of the mold hole. If the deviation exceeds 0.01mm, repair is required. At the same time, measure the key dimensions of the mold, compare them with the original dimensions, and evaluate the wear of the mold.

Coating inspection: If there is a wear-resistant coating (such as TiN) on the surface of the mold, check for detachment. If the coating is damaged, it should be promptly repaired to enhance the wear resistance and corrosion resistance of the mold. After electroplating, the surface of the coating needs to be polished and polished to make it smooth and even.

Comprehensive performance testing: Install the mold on the tablet press for small-scale trial production, test the quality indicators of the tablets (such as hardness, weight difference, disintegration time, etc.), and evaluate the comprehensive performance of the mold.

Replace vulnerable parts: Based on the usage of the mold and the service life of the vulnerable parts, replace the vulnerable parts that meet the replacement standards (such as springs, seals, etc.) to ensure the normal operation of the mold.

Lubrication system inspection: Check whether the mold lubrication system is working properly, including whether the supply of lubricant is sufficient, whether the pipeline is unobstructed, etc. Repair or replace the problematic components.