Injection Molding

Registration

Course Number: PLSM.7160 - 001.SU24

Tuition: $2,250

June 10-14
Dr. Stephen Johnston
8:30am-5:00pm

August 12-16
Dr. Stephen Johnston
8:30am-5:00pm

For more information about registering, click here.

What Our Participants Are Saying

What did you like most about the seminar?

"Incredibly informative. My overall understanding of molding, identifying processes, and how defects are formed is significantly improved. Very impressed with the depth of content. The hands-on opportunities helped greatly."

"Being able to touch molds, change molds, look at mold parts of different manufacturing processes."

"Hands-on work (lab, samples) and real-life examples. The material was delivered animatedly and engagingly, with many stories that made concepts stick. Also, the collapsible dovetail core was sick!"

What are a few things you learned that you’ll bring back to your work?

"The advice regarding DFM for PIM, along with the rule of thumb guides for cooling time, etc. The general knowledge of DOE and how parameters affect part quality will also be very helpful in troubleshooting problems with often short-staffed suppliers."

"Understanding molding processes and tool capabilities will help me identify where issues with our parts could come from and a better idea of what/if countermeasures are feasible."

"Understanding basic terms and definitions regarding the injection molding process will be beneficial moving forward in my career in polymer distribution. Ninety-95% of my customer base falls within the injection molding category. This course taught me their everyday processes and struggles."

Overview

This seminar provides comprehensive information about the injection molding process, and covers both the underlying engineering principles as well as their application in the molding environment. Classroom lectures cover the basics of the injection molding process and provide practical analyses that yield results and can be applied in the molding shop.

Injection molding workshops supplement the class material to provide experience with actual machine operation and practical molding techniques. Machine start-up, operation and shutdown procedures are demonstrated. Molding trials that show the relationships between processing variables and part quality are conducted.

Workshop emphasis is on practical setup procedures that optimize molding cycle and product requirements. Troubleshooting techniques and solutions to practical molding problems are also addressed.

Audience

This course is appropriate for sales managers, account managers, sales and applications engineers, new product development specialists, product marketing professionals, product designers and engineers, industrial designers and industrial engineers, mechanical engineers, materials purchasing managers, manufacturing personnel and technicians, plant managers, production supervisors, quality assurance and quality control personnel, and anyone involved in plastic part or mold procurement.

Content

Overview of the Injection Molding Process

Molding behavior of thermoplastics; molding functions: plastication and injection, forming and solidification; machine and mold operations; machine sequence; process sequence and variables: plastication, injection, packing and holding, cooling

Plastics Materials and Their Molding Requirements

Molecular structure: polymer types, amorphous vs. crystalline; thermal characteristics: transitions and energy requirements; flow characteristics: non-Newtonian effects

Plastic Melting, Filling, Holding and Cooling

Processing mechanisms: feeding, melting and mixing; screw problems and solutions; special screw options: mixing, multi-stage
Isothermal cavity filling: filling modes, filling problems; thermal effects: flow length, orientation, stresses; runner and gate flows; flow balancing; pressure requirements: pressure traces; packing/holding and cooling-heat transfer effects; pvT applications

Elements of Injection Molds

Mold types and configurations: 2-plate, 3-plate, stack, etc.; ejection systems; cooling systems; thermal systems/hot runners