Injection molding certificate program offered by University of Akron Polymer Training Services

Akron, OH – The University of Akron (UA) Polymer Training Services (APTS), in collaboration with ConxusNEO, an organization in Summit County, OH, engaged in workforce development by supporting world class, demand driven and data informed talents, is offering an injection molding certificate program (IMCP). The five-day program will be held June 27 through July 1, and again October 1 through November 4. The course instructor is Professor Emeritus Erol Sancaktar of the University of Akron՚s School of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering.

For this purpose, APTS partners with companies, regional and nationwide, to identify the skills they need to thrive, and align with education and economic development of public sector and community partners to transform the way people are prepared for successful careers. Specifically, northeast Ohio (NEO) local industry, as well as the Greater Akron Chamber, has emphasized the unmet need for training in injection molding operation and process knowledge, and the UA IMCP has been constructed to serve similar needs nationally and worldwide.

The IMCP has been designed to impart basic understanding of the process variables and how they impact the part, as well as quality control processes and the ability to troubleshoot the process.

As required for any certificate program, competency tests for each module/course will be administered, and a certificate will be issued upon successful completion of the program.
The IMCP involves one week (eight hours per day) of web based instruction. A quiz is given at the end of each day of instruction to assess participants’ comprehension of the material covered, and fill in any perceived weaknesses the following day (until the last day). A comprehensive quiz is administered on the last day of instruction. Such assessment of enrichment is necessary to be able to award a certificate.

The topical coverage for the IMCP can be summarized as follows:

Days 1 and 2: Introduction to Poly-mer Materials and Their Behavior. This portion of the program is designed to introduce engineers, engineering students and technicians to the basic concepts of polymer science and processing. It provides an overview of polymer materials, thermoplastic and thermoset polymers, polymerization methods, mechanical properties and morphology of polymers in glassy, rubbery and viscous melt states, and the relationship between polymer molecular structure and glass transition and melting temperatures. Polymer blends, fillers, plastics compounding and rheological behavior of polymers will also be covered.

Day 3: Injection Molding Basics. This portion of the program is designed to introduce engineers, engineering students and technicians to processing extrusion and injection molding; environmental and occupational health and safety; and machine/mold/material troubleshooting. Topics covered will include extrusion technology, single screw extruders, basic screw geometry, screw temperature control, temperature and pressure profiles. melting progression, basic flow processes in an extruder, pressure flow, drag flow, a mathematical model for screw extrusion, screw characteristic equation. flow patterns in single screw extrusion, extrusion flow rate, effect of melt viscosity on output rate, die characteristic equation, operating pressure of the extruder, channel depth effects, factors affecting extruder output, mixing effectiveness, special screw designs for improved mixing, die swell distortion, coextrusion, advantages of injection molding, functions of the screw injection unit, hydraulics, clamping specifications, ejection actuator, types of injection molding, machine sizing, clamping force, shot (injection) capacity, auxiliary equipment, material dryers, material loaders, blenders, granulators, mold temperature controllers, parts handling, machine/process control and settings, and more.

Day 4: Mold Design and Engineering. This portion of the program is designed to introduce engineers, engineering students and technicians to mold design and engineering, with the inclusion of case studies and troubleshooting. Topics covered will include an overview of molds and molding processes, compression molding, fan gates, transfer molding, injection compression molding, injection transfer molding, injection molding, molding methods comparison, injection mold design basics, typical shot, runner systems, runner balance, runner geometry, gates, venting system, ejection system, sprue pullers, ejector action, pin marks, strippers, ejecting parts with undercuts, core pins, three-plate mold ejection, draft, cooling systems, cooling layout, mold cooling, core cooling, channel location, die sets, newer developments, hot runner improvements, temperature based process control, fan gates, non-crystallizing polymers, mold flow simulation programs, steps in the injection molding process, and more.

Day 5: Product Design for Injection Molding. This portion of the program is designed to introduce engineers, engineering students and technicians to product design for injection molding, with the inclusion of case studies and troubleshooting. Topics covered will include product design, design flow chart, cost breakdown, design guidelines, design examples, troubleshooting, material selection, material properties/performance, material properties/processing, causes of field failure, tensile stress, strain, effect of strain rate, impact, creep strain, creep stress, heat aging, effects of elevated temperature, effects of drying temperature, melt index, fatigue failure, part design for environmental stress cracking (ESC) and fatigue, part cooling behavior, effect of mold temperature, effect of melt and mold temperature, crystallization effect, effect of cooling rate, shrinkage, warpage, mold temperature control, case studies, material modifications and their effect, application environment checklist, process considerations, effects of elevated temperature, enthalpy relaxation, material property modification, effects of fillers and reinforcements, effects of impact modifiers, flame retardants, colorants, heat stabilizers/antioxidants, prototyping, design/failure analysis, relevance of material properties, failure assessment, statistical method, root cause analysis and materials testing.

For more information, visit https://www.uakron.edu/apts/courses/injection-molding-certificate-program.