Injection Molding + Part Design Combo

Injection Molding and Mold Design Combo combines two of our Development Courses. These courses run back-to-back in-person or online over the course of four days, giving students the opportunity to save time and money.

Injection Molding

Those working in a plastics environment should have a well-rounded view of the core pillar of the plastics industry.

Through the use of a research-backed approach to injection molding process development, attendees will gain an in-depth understanding of injection molding machines and common practices used to establish and troubleshoot a molding process.

Course Structure

The Injection Molding course is taught over two consecutive eight-hour days in-person or online. The course begins with a discussion of the various types of molding machines and considerations when utilizing each type of machine.

From there, the course dives into plastic materials and the influence that material properties have on the molding process. This discussion progresses into additional processing considerations including melt temperature and mold cooling.

Attendees will then learn AIM’s scientific molding process development methods for both first stage and second stage process settings. These concepts are reinforced through an instructor-led demonstration in our injection molding lab.

The course concludes with unique strategies for troubleshooting variations in mold filling and part quality through AIM’s Flow Grouping methodology used to reduce mold debug and qualification times.

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Course Highlights

Lab demonstration: AIM’s process development strategies
Machine clamping systems
Different types of injection units
Understanding intensification ratio
Plastic material’s influence on process development
Material drying and measurement of moisture
Methods for measuring melt temperature
Plastic variables vs. machine variables
First & second stage process development methods
Clamp tonnage estimations
Use of Moldflow simulation in process development
How to determine a safe start-up shot size
Machine capacity versus shot size discussion
Issues with the in-mold pressure loss study
Mold cooling strategies
Using Flow Groups to troubleshoot part quality variations

What’s Included

All course materials, including:
- Course book
- Calculators, pens, pencils, etc…
Daily breakfast and lunch
Certificate of Attendance

Part Design

Gain an understanding of the relationship between part design, mold complexity, and product cost.

This course is structured to improve your ability to design for manufacturability and for performance over your product’s lifespan.

Course Structure

The Part Design course is taught over two consecutive eight-hour days in-person or online. The class begins with a review of fundamental plastic material characteristics – including shrink and warp – that are essential in understanding the complexities of both mechanical and dimensional performance.

Next, there are discussions on common plastic part design guidelines and why these guidelines exist so that attendees understand the consequences of deviating from, and in some cases abiding by, those guidelines.

Participants will dive into strategies you can use when designing for mechanical performance, covering topics including stress, strain, and modulus. This is followed by education on the impact that time, temperature, moisture, strain, and stress concentrations have on the final part design.

There are practical applications, including snap fits, press fits, and beams, incorporated into the course to bolster the attendee’s opportunity for learning.

Part Design concludes with a discussion on the key aspects of part cost estimation and methods for quickly evaluating cost based on the performance properties vs. the traditional method of dollars per pound.

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