(NOTE: The generic outlines found on this website are provided solely as examples of what a particular individual course might offer. Remember, we will work with your company to custom design each course to fit your particular situation.)
Module 1- Safety
Safety Concerns:
Temperature
Electricity
High Speed
High Pressure
Pinch Points
Unclean work area
Fumes
Noise
Safety equipment
Safety glasses
Respirator
Clothing
Footwear
Hearing Protection
Head Protection
Hand Tools
Machine Safety Devices
Interlocking
Mechanical
Physical
Other Safety Issues
Lock-Out, OSHA, etc.
Lab Activity- Go out to injection molding machine and point out safety devices and functions on press.
Module 2- The material
Define Thermoset vs. Thermoplastic
Plastic forms- pellets, cubes, regrind, etc.
Plastic packaging- bags, gaylords, etc.
Semi-crystalline vs. Amorphous
Material Identification-COMPANY NAME,TRADE NAME,GRADE, GENERIC NAME, CHEMICAL NAME, ABBREVIATION
Lab Activity- Go out to floor and collect this information off gaylords.
Recycling symbols and abbreviations
Lab Activity- Identify products with recycling symbols.
Hygroscopic materials vs. non-hygroscopic
MSDS Sheets
Module 3- The mold
Injection Mold Components and Functions
Clamping Plate
Locating Ring
Sprue Bushing
Part-Sprue-Runner-Gate
Cavity
Leader Pins
Parting Line
Vents
Core
Leader Pin Bushing
Ejector Pins
Ejector Return Pins
Sprue Puller
Ejector Plate
Water Lines
Hot Runner System
Cams
Stripper Plate
Gears
Hydraulic Cylinders
Lab Activity- go to tool room and identify mold components and critical dimensions on mold.
Module 4-The machine
The Injection Molding Machine
Frame
Hydraulics
Control
Electric
Water
Machine clamp end components and functions
Hydraulic clamp
Toggle clamp
Moveable platen
Stationary platen
Machine ejectors
Tie rods
Machine Injection end components and functions
Hopper
Barrel
Heater Bands and Thermocouples
General Purpose Screw
Non-return Assembly
Nozzle
Lab Activity- Obtain Critical Machine Dimensions and Information From Shop Floor (Machine Description(Manufacturer, tonnage, machine number, shot capacity, microprocessor vs. relay logic)
Module 5- The Injection Molding Cycle
Clamping
Injection
Curing
Ejection
Importance of understanding, communication- technicians and maintenance, defects, components.
Lab activity- Cycle and machine break downs.
Module 4- Auxiliary equipment Basic Understanding/Source of Defects
Auxiliary equipment
Dryers
Feeders
Color mixers
Granulators
Robots
Conveyors
Fixtures
Degaters
Hot Runner Controllers
Chillers
Mold Temperature Controllers
Module 5- Defect Identification
Defects related to above information(components, cycle, auxiliary equip), regrind vs. scrap, material issues.
black spots
blush
brown streaks
bubbles
splay
compression burns
lamination/delamination
discoloration
ejector pin marks
flashing
flow marks
nozzle drool
sink marks
short shots
warpage
sticking parts
Probable cause
Who to call