PLSM.5580 - Plastics Engineering: Optimized Plastic Part and Product Design

Program Overview

Overview

Plastic part design guidelines and methods depend upon the manufacturing process. This seminar provides a comprehensive and pragmatic insight into design methodologies for injection molding, thermoforming, rotational molding, and rapid prototyping. Design guidelines for each process will be discussed based on industry standards and more importantly actual applications.  In addition, tooling investment, part cost, quality, lead time, and material limitations will be compared between each process.

All design presentations will include case studies based on actual projects. CAD files will be analyzed by demonstrating specific design details. In addition, case studies will also be referenced to explore cost comparative cost studies, prototyping methods, testing, failure analysis, and production startup.

Audience

This seminar is appropriate for applications engineers, new product development specialists, medical device designers, product designers and engineers, industrial designers and industrial engineers, mechanical engineers, manufacturing personnel and technicians, and anyone involved in the plastic part design or product development. 

Content

Day 1

Comparison of Major Plastic Manufacturing Processes
We will begin with an overview of plastic manufacturing processes plus a number of others based on affects on design, investment, part cost, quality, material selection, and many other parameters. 

Design Guidelines for Thermoforming 
Next, we focus on plastic sheet forming design guidelines, methods, and applications. Thermoforming processes including vacuum forming, pressure forming, and twin sheet forming will be covered. Numerous case studies will be included.

Day 2

Design Guidelines for Rotational Molding Part Design
We will discuss materials, part design guidelines, applications, and secondary applications, backed up with numerous case studies.

Day 3

Design Guidelines for Injection Molding Part Design
Injection molding part design will include a comprehensive review of all the accepted industry guidelines and actual case studies. Included are the interrelationships between part design and tooling as well as cost estimating and material selection. 
 
Prototyping, Testing and Failure Analysis
A critical phase of product design includes prototyping and failure analysis. We will delve into the pros and cons of various prototyping methods, their applications, limitations, costs, and lead times. Methods for resolving part failures will also be reviewed.

About the Facilitator

Michael Paloian is president of Integrated Design Systems, Inc. (IDS), located in Great Neck, New York. Since its inception almost 30 years ago, IDS has developed hundreds of products ranging from MRI machines to pool chlorinators for companies worldwide. Mr. Paloian received his undergraduate degree in Plastics Engineering from Lowell Technological Institute (which merged with Lowell State College in 1975 to form the University of Lowell) in 1972 and his Master's of Industrial Design from Rhode Island School of Design in 1976. His unique education as an industrial designer and plastics engineer has enabled him to design products from concept to production. Mr. Paloian has more than 30 years experience designing products in numerous materials, including plastics, metals and composites. Mr. Paloian's extensive experience in numerous markets as both an industrial designer and engineer provides him with a distinctive advantage in optimizing designs based on materials, process and cost.

Mr. Paloian holds more than 30 patents, has been committee chairman for the SPE and frequently lectures for numerous professional organizations internationally. Michael has also written numerous articles concerning design for publications such as Machine Design, Design News, Innovation, Rotation and Plastics Design Forum.