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 four consecutive four-hour days 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.
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 four consecutive four-hour days online. The cbegins 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.
Course Highlights
- Key performance characteristics of amorphous and semi-crystalline materials
- Molecular weight and its effect on performance properties
- Crystallinity and its effect on material properties
- Classifications of plastic shrinkage
- Advantages & disadvantages of common part design guidelines
- The impact the part design has on mold complexity and cost
- Mechanical properties of stress, strain, modulus
- Time-dependent behavior of creep, stress relaxation, and fatigue
- Environmental impacts of temperature and moisture
- Labs: snap fits, press fits, and beams.
- Methods for estimating part costs
What’s Included
- All course materials, including:
- Course book
- Calculators, pens, pencils, etc…
- Daily breakfast and lunch
- Certificate of Attendance
If interested in taking the Injection Molding + Part Design Combo Course, please register using this link.
There may be grant funding available to help you pay for our courses. Learn more.