PLSM.7170 - Plastics Engineering: Injection Molding: A Short Course

Program Overview

Seminar Overview

This seminar* is designed for those who are interested in an introductory course about the injection molding process. Topics include material behavior, the major components of the machine and the mold, part design, the steps of an injection molding cycle, a method to establish a reliable process, and ways to troubleshoot common molding defects. Time will be spent in the laboratory disassembling/assembling different types of molds, installing a mold (including the clamp setup), and establishing and troubleshooting a molding cycle.

Content

MATERIAL
Polymer classifications
Viscosity
Effects of heating and cooling
Flow characteristics
Hygroscopic materials
Orientation

MOLD
Components
Types: 2 plate, 3 plate, stack
Runner design: cold runner, hot runner, insulated runner, artificially balanced, naturally balanced
Cooling
Ejection
Venting

PART DESIGN
Wall thickness
Radii
Draft angle
Gate location

MACHINE
Injection unit: screw and barrel components and important set points
Clamp unit: types, components and important set points
Safety

PROCESS SETUP
Cycle sequence: plastication, injection, pack and hold, cooling
Process setup: scientific and decoupled molding approaches
Clamp setup

TROUBLESHOOTING
Common defects: Flash, short shots, jetting, sinks and voids, burn marks/air traps, non-uniform fill, weld lines, gate blush, splay, warpage

*This 3-day Injection Molding seminar taught by Anne Soucy is similar to the 5-day Injection Molding seminar that has historically been offered by Stephen Johnston.

About the Facilitator

Dr. Anne Soucy is an Assistant Teaching Professor and the Associate Chair for the Plastics Engineering undergraduate degree program at UMass Lowell, where she earned a bachelor's degree and a doctoral degree in Plastics Engineering. Prior to joining the UMass Lowell faculty, she was a faculty member in the departments of Plastics & Polymer Engineering Technology and Engineering Design Technology at the Pennsylvania College of Technology. Courses she has taught include blow molding, rotational molding, product and mold design for injection molding, Moldflow®, 2D CAD applications, print reading, and 3D parametric solid modeling. She has also taught injection molding and product design for injection molding industrial seminars.