This course is intended for technical professionals of all levels especially those involved in the design and manufacturing of products made from plastics, including designers, engineers and project managers. It is also useful for anyone involved in sales, marketing and technical support of plastic materials.

• Construct an understanding of plastic material behavior from molten resin to end-use performance
• Examine and calculate costs (including raw material costs, processing costs and costs of secondary operations)
• Identify key material families, including notable applications
• Recognize how to write a comprehensive material specification

Attendees will also be introduced to the world of commodity and engineering plastics. Using case histories and commercial examples, we will explore how these materials are used, and why they are used, and – most important of all – costs (including raw material costs, processing costs and cost of secondary operations). We will explore various methods for material selection and discuss when and how to apply a given method.

Day 1

• Material Science Refresher
  • Important Concepts
  • Polymer Chemistry
  • Polymer Characterization
• Performance
  • Key Mechanical Performance Criteria
  • Performance Killers
  • Performance Evaluation
• Key Thermoplastic Materials
  • An Overview of Key Plastic Materials
  • Commodity Plastics
  • Engineering Plastics
  • Specialty Plastics
• Key Plastic Manufacturing Processes

Day 2

• Selecting the Manufacturing Process
• Selecting Materials
• Finding / Evaluating Data on Plastic Materials
• Managing the Material Specification Process
• Evaluating Suppliers
• Working with Suppliers
• Troubleshooting
• Additional Resources