This package is intended to provide the participant with a well-rounded understanding of injection molding with a knowledge-based certification once all the training is complete. The process is a proven and effective system designed to combine a variety of training techniques into an effective learning experience.
Injection Molding Basics
Learning Objectives
- Understand safety precautions around the molding machine
- Introduces the molding machine, process, mold, & material
- Identify machine components and understand their functions
- General injection molding machine startup and shutdown
- Common polymers types and their general classifications
- Understand the purpose and importance of a process log
- Visual injection molding defects and their typical causes
- Identifying basic injection mold components and functions
- Hot and cold runners systems and common gating methods
- Basic injection mold maintenance during production
Day 1 : Classroom Discussion Topics
- Scientific Molding – Safety
- Scientific Molding – Rules of Processing
- Scientific Molding – 1stStage Injection
- Scientific Molding – 2ndStage Packing
Day 1 : Practical Skill Development
- Scientific Molding – Melt Temperature Measurement
- Scientific Molding – 1stStage Injection Speed Optimization
- Scientific Molding – 1stStage Injection Transfer Optimization
- Scientific Molding – 2ndStage Packing Pressure Optimization
- Scientific Molding – 2ndStage Packing Time Optimization
Day 1 : Skills & Learning Objectives
- The importance of good housekeeping and machine safety
- Machine guarding and personal protective equipment
- Industry best practices for processing andtroubleshooting
- 5 rules of effective and efficient scientific processing
- Understanding process parameters for 1ststage injection
- Basic optimization of 1ststage injection and transfer
- Fundamental scientific (DII or short shot molding) methodology
- Proper setting of maximum 1ststage injection pressure
- Correct and incorrect uses of injection velocity profiling
- Transferring 1ststage injection to 2nd stage pressure by weight
- Understanding process parameters for 2ndstage packing
- Properly compensating for material shrinkage with pressure
- Effective 2ndstage packing pressure establishment techniques
- 2ndstage packing time determination using part weight
- Proper cushion sizing techniques to compensate for variation
- Establishing a 90 to 95% 1ststage fill based on part weight
- Determination of upper and lower acceptable packing pressures
- Optimization of final packing pressure to compensate for variation
- Practical gate seal time determine techniques
- Manual graphing of part weight vs. 2ndstage packing time
- Selection of optimal 2ndstage packing time for variation compensation
- Techniques for obtaining the optimal final cushion sizing
- Adjustments to shot size and transfer position for proper cushion sizing
Day 2 : Classroom Discussion Topics
- Scientific Molding – Screw Recovery
- Scientific Molding – Part Cooling
- Scientific Molding – Process Documentation
- Scientific Molding – Intro to Troubleshooting
Day 2 : Practical Skill Development
- Scientific Molding – Mold Temperature Measurement
- Scientific Molding – Coolant Temperature Optimization
- Scientific Molding – Cooling Time Optimization
- Scientific Molding – Screw Recovery Optimization
- Scientific Molding – Process Documentation
Day 2 : Skills & Learning Objectives
- Understanding process parameters for screw recovery
- Screw decompression both before & after screw recovery
- Minimizing the stresses imposed on the material
- How to reduce screw flex and breakage during recovery
- Reduction of energy consumption during shot generation
- Proper uses for back pressure during screw recovery
- Melt and mold temperature measurement technique review
- Proper melt temperature matching troubleshooting techniques
- Difference between mold, coolant, and controller temperatures
- Optimal mold temperature determination techniques
- Review of the steps to determine the most efficient cooling time
- Proper machine independent process documentation techniques
- Effective machine independent process documentation techniques for:
- 1st Stage Injection
- 2nd Stage Packing
- Part Cooling
- Material Recovery
- Mold Clamping
- The definition and role of a scientific troubleshooter
- Scientific vs. non-scientific process documentation techniques
- The difference between conventional and scientific troubleshooting
- An introduction to proper scientific troubleshooting techniques
- The 7 steps to the effective scientific troubleshooting
- The role of scientific documentation in proper documentation
- Performing a cooling time study to determine minimal cooling time
- Calculating the optimal cooling time which compensates for variation
- Practice setting of screw recovery to minimize material degradation
- Performing effective machine independent process documentation
Post-Requisite Online Training
- Understanding Plastics Materials
- Material Drying Technology
- Establishing a Scientific Molding Process
Post-Requisite Learning Objectives
- Material properties which are affected by processing
- Basic material handling and drying techniques
- How hydrolysis causes increased polymer chain degradation
- Uses for material drying including effective pre-heating techniques
- Basic operation of hot air, compressed air, desiccant, and vacuum dryer systems
- Different methods for removing both absorbed and surface moisture
- Explanation of drying concepts including relative humidity and dew point
- Effective and reliable portable dew point measurement techniques
- Establishing an efficient scientific molding process
- Scientific process optimization strategies for:
- 1st Stage Filling
- 1st Stage to 2nd Stage Transfer
- 2nd Stage Pack
- Screw Delay
- Screw Recovery
- Screw Decompression
- Cooling Time
- Mold Opening, Part Ejection, Mold Closing , Clamping
