Injection molding course held. (Meetings).

"Injection molding with thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs)" is the title of a conference and tabletop exhibits, sponsored by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, in cooperation with the Plastics Molders and Manufacturers Association, to be held December 10-11 at the Akron Polymer Training Center in Akron, OH.

Featuring molding demonstrations and a hands-on testing laboratory, this conference will examine the growing application areas, faster cycle times, ease of colorability, improved flow, recyclability and broad consumer appeal of TPEs.

Lower melt temperatures create faster cycle times and are said to often make TPEs the preferred choice over thermoset rubber for specific applications. This conference is said to provide a unique approach to training for TPE injection molding.

On the first day of the conference, the course instructor, Bob Digiantonio, a TPE consultant, will help attendees build a solid understanding of TPE materials, their efficient utilization in injection molding, and the processing parameters and costs involved.

The conference will include machine time where proper processing techniques will be demonstrated.

On the second day, attendees will hear from multiple speakers on the use of TPEs in various applications ranging from automotive to electronics to consumer products. Attendees will also be exposed to basic TPE testing procedures conducted in the laboratory.

This conference was developed to be of particular use to designers, operators, mechanical engineers, plastics engineers, project managers, materials suppliers, quality staff and management staff looking at developing or expanding TPE applications in today's market.

A process overview will include information on the fundamentals of TPE usage and materials selection, as well as process basics such as injection molding with TPEs, competitive processes for TPE applications and competitive products. An overview of injection molded TPE products will be presented.

Discussions on TPEs and the injection molding machine will examine clamp systems (hydraulic, mechanical, multiple clamp systems and safety), plastification units (ram injection, reciprocating screw, screw/ram, screw barrels, screw design, drive system, material feed and nozzles), controls (conventional and microprocessors), and miscellaneous components.

The molding process using TPEs will be examined, including raw material handling, plastification, mold filling, mold packing, curing, part removal and post molding operations.

Instruction on injection molds and basic mold design will include function, basic mold construction, non-traditional design and techniques, basic design requirements, and mold maintenance and storage.

Sizing product to mold and press will be discussed, including clamp force, shot size (shot capacity and determining necessary shot volume), injection pressure, gate and runner sizes, injection rate and temperature ranges.

Operating parameters examined will include pressure (screw plastication of TPEs, injection pressure and clamping pressure), injection speed and temperatures.

Processing parameters discussed will include process control (pressure, temperature and correlation modeling), microprocessor control (scorch and cure time) and CAE overview.

Also examined will be estimating costs (molds, presses, etc.) and typical injection molding mistakes (troubleshooting with TPEs).

Presenting new applications for bonding TPVs to various substrates, Kim Torti of Advanced Elastomer Systems will review a broad range of substrates to which TPVs can be bonded, including a variety of rigid plastics, aluminum, glass and textiles. Included in the discussion will be application case studies, design approaches to consider, processing considerations and future opportunities.

Stephane Morin of BASF will examine soft-touch applications with TPEs, including TPUs and other materials, discussion of new application areas, advantages/disadvantages of specific materials, and presentation of current data.

Hands-on demonstrations will illustrate mechanical properties (tensile test, flexural properties, compressive properties, abrasion and hardness testing), thermal properties (brittleness temperature and thermo-conductivity), conditioning procedures (conditioning of specimens and designation of specimens), general mechanical properties, flex testing, hardness checking, Izod testing and rheology.

All classroom and laboratory sessions will be held at the Akron Polymer Training Center in Akron, OH. Registration fees are $795 for SME members and $895 for non-members.

Further information is available from the SME [phone].