Highly effective seminars and hands-on workshops held several times throughout the year
Injection Molding: A Short Course
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 course taught by Anne Soucy is similar to the 5-day Injection Molding seminar that has historically been offered by Stephen Johnston.