Training & Education
On-site Training for
Manufacturing Personnel
The Plastics Institute of America (PIA), in collaboration with Division of Continuing Education at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, offers a series of modules to provide employee training to enhance the knowledge, understanding and skills of mechanics and other technical staff working primarily with plastics. The training modules vary in length from 12-40 hours.
Most modules include hands-on experience using the equipment of the customer company. The customer will consult with the module instructor to individualize the module according to the customer's needs.
Procedure
In collaboration with the company-designed supervisor/manager a diagnostic test is formulated that accurately reflects the particular skills and knowledge contained in the module to be presented.
The test is administered to all those employees identified as requiring this set of skills and knowledge. Test results determine which employees should attend the training module.
The modules are normally delivered in 4 hour sessions, and there is a session-by-session paper feedback from the employees attending, on the value of the information presented and on the effectiveness of the instructors presentation.
Upon completion of the module, the diagnostic test is again administered to confirm that required skills and knowledge have been achieved.
Employees are awarded Continuing Education Units (CEU's) for the module hours at the rate of one CEU for each 10 contact hours. Academic credit will be established based on module content and length.
Instructors: Module instructors are drawn from the faculty of the University of Massachusetts Lowell - Departments of Plastics Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Engineering Technology and Manufacturing/MIS, adjunct faculty and selected industry experts.
Interested companies should contact Nick Schott, Director of Training at (978) 934-3404 or E-mail to: NickSchott@plasticsinstitute.org
On-site Training Contents
Click the link below to see the Schott/Pottle Antec '04 paper which describes the benefits accrued to industries that have the PIA Modules: INDUSTRIAL TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR PLASTICS MANUFACTURING
Control Systems (40 hour module)
This module consists of classroom and laboratory experiences. The material addresses overviews, basic understandings, principles and concepts, terminology, etc. laboratory practise supports the concepts discussed in the classroom. Students/employees receive training and hands on application of the concepts learned by machine-specific tasks. Using simulators, students look at analyzing problems, visual and audible cues, diagnostic tools and required responses.
Topic areas include:
Safety (Ohm's Law, lockout tagout importance, machine guarding schemes).
IO devices (operations, identification, advantages and disadvantages, purposes of encoders and resolvers)
PLC's (basic components, analog and digital domains, basic ladder logic instruction)
HMI (password protection, HMI functions and purpose)
Electronic Cam Switch Bank (function review)
Control Systems Evolution (definition, examples)
Troubleshooting and Diagnostics (mechanical and non-mechanical problems, determination of probable problem cause, mechanic's and operator's responsibilities)
Servo systems (concepts and purpose, type motors and variations, explanations and applications of direct, gearbox and screw motor-to-load coupling, motor and encoder shaft alignments, servo system concepts, servo tuning, servo profiles)
Engineering Drawing (20-hour module)
Instruction will include lecture and practical hands-on activities both in constructing drawings and interpreting completed drawings. Course module emphasizes the development and interpretation of typical engineering drawings used in a manufacturing environment.
Areas covered are:
Sketching
Print reading and interpretation
Standard notation and symbols
Assembly and part drawings
Surface finishes specifications
Basic machining processes and expected outcomes
Screw threads and fasteners
Basic shop technology
Computer Fundamentals (12-hour module)
This module is in lecture format with hands-on computer applications. Access to computer lab is required.
The module provides a basic knowledge of computers and databases including the following areas:
Overview of computer systems
Windows 95: help screens, mouse, pull down menus, icon, passwords, menu bars, etc
Introduction to database management and databases
Part One: Navigating through databases
Part Two: Interpreting screens produced by databases - Interpreting data base results - Databases
Part Three: Communicating with remote site
Industrial and Molding Hydraulics (20-hour module)
Lecture format with hands-on demonstration and exercises
The field of fluid power includes both hydraulics and pneumatics. This module covers the fundamentals of both areas in detail with the following topics:
Standards, basic fluid power law and terminology
Ansi/ISO circuit symbols, print interpretation
Circuit elements and their functions
Mechanical descriptions
Control concepts
Examples of molding circuits and automation circuits
Polymers (20-hour module)
The module is a lecture format with hands-on lab demonstrations and student exercises.
The module is designed to give an overview of the different plastics materials, processing methods and applications. Specific materials such as commodity resins, engineering thermoplastics, and thermosets are used to show their physical properties and processability are a direct result of their size and chemical structure. Individual examples are used to show why plastics are a natural choice for applications requiring lightweight, tough, easy-to-process materials, often leading to lower cost final products.
Topic areas include:
Markets for plastics
Commercial production of plastics
Physical properties of plastics
Fabrication of plastics
Applications
Rotational Molding (16-hour module)
The module is a lecture format with hands-on lab demonstrations and student exercises.
This plastics-specific module covers:
Molds
Equipment
Process parameters
Materials
Design guidelines
Secondary finishing
Troubleshooting
Blow Molding (16-hour module)
The module is a lecture format with hands-on lab demonstrations and student exercises.
This plastics-specific module covers:
Blow molding processes
Materials
Primary equipment
Mold design
Process controls
Auxiliary equipment
Troubleshooting
Testing
New Developments
Plastics Process Control (20-hour module)
The module is a lecture format with hands-on lab demonstrations and student exercises.
This plastics-specific module covers:
Principles of process control
Instrumentation
Data acquisition/monitoring
Servo control for injection molding
Control of extrusion processes
Blow molding/parison control
SPC/SQC
Integrated manufacturing
New developments
XY Mechanical Movements (40-hour module)
The module is a lecture format with hands-on lab demonstrations and student exercises.
This manufacturing technology-specific module covers
X, Y and Z coordinates, cartesian and polar
Safety considerations
Absolute and relative motions
Accuracy, resolution, and repeatability
Motors: DC, AC, Servo DC, Servo AC
Motor controllers (Types: across-line starters, DC, AC, Servo)
Basic servo operation
Types of servo motor systems
Motor-to-load coupling
Motor/encoder shaft alignment
Homing and home offset
Velocity curve mode
Position control using video systems, tooling and fiducials
Alignment and alignment tests
Optical and vision systems
Reference signals
Use of Z axis when appropriate
Machine performance at high and low speeds
Tool and part changeover
Job set-up vs. run operations
Introduction to Pumps & Vacuum Systems (20-hour module)
The module is a lecture format with hands-on lab demonstrations and student exercises.
This manufacturing technology-specific module covers:
Identify various types of pumps
Understand the applications of various types of pumps
Understand the function of mechanical seals and mechanical packing
Understand the advantages and disadvantages of packing vs. seals
Understand the basics of fluid flow in pipes
Interpret pump curves
Understand the basics of various types of compressors
Understand the basics of various types of valves
Understand the applications of various valves
Introduction to Engineering Drawing (20-hour module)
The module is a lecture format with hands-on lab demonstrations and student exercises.
This manufacturing technology-specific module covers:
Sketching
Print reading and interpretation
Standard notation and symbols
Assembly and part drawings
Surface finishes
Basic machining processes and expected outcomes
Screw threads and fasteners
Basic shop terminology
Measuring and Gauging (16-hour module)
The module is a lecture format with hands-on lab demonstrations and student exercises.
This manufacturing technology-specific module covers:
Measurement: the language of precision
Measuring with basic graduated instruments
Angle measuring instruments
Common comparison instruments and fixed size gauges
Surface plates, accessories and gauges
Mechanical comparators and indicating gauges
Metric Measurement (12-hour module)
Lecture format with hands-on lab demonstrations and exercises includes:
Topic areas include:
Linear Measurement (micrometers, dial calipers, surface plates, optical comparators, scientific rotation)
Temperature (thermometers, thermocouples, RTDS)
Hardness/Friction/Gloss/Color
Calibration
Measurement and inspection re: quality control
Overview of sizes (pins, holes, identification of sizes)
Pressure (strain gauges, piezoelectric transducers, Bourdon gauges)
Statistical Process Control (20-hour module)
This module demonstrates how Statistical Process Control (SPC) can aid production workers and quality personnel in improving processes and product quality. After establishing a foundation of some fundamental mathematical skill, the seminar develops the concepts of a target value and process variations. The construction of SPC charts is illustrated. These charts are used to show how the processes are monitored and when action should be taken to correct out-of-control conditions. The seminar also shows how SPC can be used to identify causes of process variation.
Topics:
Fundamental mathematical skills
Target values and variances
Process variability
Processes that are out of control
Use of SPC to improve the process
Introduction to Injection Molding (16-hour module)
This module is lecture format with hands-on lab activities using molding machine, molds, and auxiliary equipment.
Injection molding is the most common plastic manufacturing process for making 3D objects. In the US, industry uses about 20 billion pounds of plastics in this molding process with about 80,000 machines in use.
Module content includes:
What is injection molding?
Plasticating systems
Clamping systems
The electrical system
The injection mold
The molding process
Process conditions
Auxiliary equipment
Resins-processing
Troubleshooting
Batch Mixing
Profile extrusions
Mold Design and Maintenance for Diagnostics (20-hour module)
The module is a lecture format with hands-on lab demonstration and student exercises.
The module covers:
Design considerations
Mold Design Basics
Cavity and core construction
Heat transfer considerations
Cold runner molds
Hot runner molds
Freeing mechanisms/part ejection
Mold maintenance
Elastomers (16-hour module)
The module is a lecture format with hands-on lab demonstrations and student exercises
This module consists of classroom and laboratory experiences. The material addresses overviews, basic understandings, principles and concepts, terminology, etc. laboratory practise supports the concepts
This is a plastics-specific module covering rubber compounding, processing and testing and includes the following specific topics:
General classes of elastomers
Compounding and the rubber recipe
Vulcanization and vulcanizing agents
Fillers
Processing and processability testing
Physical testing
As a basic review of thermoplastics elastomers (TPE) technology, the module covers physical and chemical nature of the various class of TPE's with specific emphasis on how these relate to the processing and properties of the final product including:
Appropriate materials for a given application
How different TPE's process
The principle processing changes required when switching from traditional thermoplastics
Processing of TPE's via injection molding, extrusion, blow molding and liquid castings (urethanes, etc.)
Preventive/Predictive Maintenance (20-hour module)
The module is a lecture format with hands-on lab demonstrations and student exercises.
This plastics-specific module covers:
Injection molding plasticating unit
Heating units
Injection molding hydraulic maintenance
Care and maintenance of electrical components
Safety inspection and procedures
Storage maintenance of molds
Extrusion (20-hour module)
The module is a lecture format with hands-on lab demonstrations and student exercises.
This plastics-specific module covers:
Principles of extrusion
Description of single screw extruder
Smooth bore and grooved-feed extruders
Blown film process
Cast film process
Extrusion coating
Profile extrusion
Auxiliary equipment
Die design principles
Process Control
Troubleshooting
New developments
Thermoforming (20-hour module)
The module is a lecture format with hands-on lab demonstrations and student exercises.
This plastics-specific module covers:
Basic process/variations
Processing conditions
Materials
Mold design
Product design
Secondary operations
Twin sheet forming
Decorating
Trimming/Recycling
Machine Control Module (16-hour module)
The module is a lecture format with hands-on lab demonstrations and student exercises
This manufacturing technology-specific module covers:
General control theory: command signals, feedback, servo systems, error measurement
Positioning issues, Cartesian and polar coordinates, rotary vs. linear motion
Machine quality, calibration, accuracy, precision
Electronic manufacturing machines, including sequencing issues, motors, actruators, drive mechanisms, safety and emergency procedures
Sensors and control elements: such as switches, solenoids, actuators, etc.
Problem analysis and troubleshooting
Shop Math (16-hour module)
The module is a lecture format with hands-on lab demonstrations and student exercises.
This manufacturing technology-specific module covers
Fundamental mathematical skills
Equivalents
Conversion factors
Applications in the shop
Problem solving
Basic Fluid Power (20-hour module)
The module is a lecture format with hands-on lab demonstrations and student exercises
This manufacturing technology-specific module covers:
Basic fluid power laws and terminology
Pressure and vacuum - Bar, kPa, in, hg, suction cups
Circuit elements and their functions; pumps, compressors, single/double acting cylinders, valves, accumulators, boosters, etc.
Mechanical descriptions/details of various circuit components
Print reading - circuit standards in ANSI and ISO format
Control concepts; open vs. closed loop
Cylinder action/sequence controlled with electrical signals - relays, ladder diagrams
Typical circuit examples in sequential motion (clamp and work) using mechanical sequence valves and sequential motion using relay ladder logic
Study of some plant-specific machine prints
Instructors:
The module instructors are drawn from the faculty of the University of Massachusetts Departments of Plastics Engineering, Mechanical engineering, and the Department of Manufacturing/MIS of the College of Management, and industry experts.
Costs:
Charges to the customer company include a fee for customization, a fee for module delivery, administrative charges and $75 (estimates) book and materials charge per employee per module.
Should the module instructor be required to travel out of the commonwealth of Massachusetts, the customer company will pay travel and living expenses.
Contact:
Interested companies should contact should contact Nick Schott, Director of Training at (978) 934-3404 or E-mail to: nschott@plasticsinstitute.org