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Course dates - click register to view and book
- 20-21 May 2026
- 21-22 October 2026
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Course overview
Injection moulding affects product quality, costs, and lead times. This two-day classroom course gives you the technical insight and commercial understanding to reduce risks, communicate effectively with suppliers and colleagues, and add value to your role.
What You'll Learn
- Process theory made clear – understand the moulding machine and cycle so you can better manage time and cost drivers
- Plastics materials explained – link polymer behaviour to performance and design outcomes
- Design principles – avoid shrinkage, flow and thin-wall issues with early design decisions
- Injection moulds demystified – appreciate mould types, costs, cooling, and how they impact cycle times
- Fault finding skills – recognise the root causes of moulding problems and how to address them
- Innovative techniques – explore in-mould decoration, gas/water injection, and other advances
- Working with suppliers – know what to ask for in trials and sourcing to ensure quality and reliability
Course content
Process Theory- The injection moulding machine and moulding cycle explained
- Advantages and disadvantages
- Categories
- Plastic flow – investigation and forces required
- Processing effects on different polymers
- Limitations and sources of information
- Polymer orientation
- Shrinkage
- Unique issues encountered in “Thin-Wall” design and manufacture
- Flow simulation to analyse and optimise designs
- Mould costs analysis
- Mould terminology
- Explanation of mould types and reasons for their choice
- Mould cooling
- Reducing cycle times and mould costs
- Cause and cures
- Fundamental problems
- Faults caused by inappropriate machine selection
- Faults caused by poor mould and product design
- In-mould decoration
- In-mould assembly
- Gas injection/water injection
- Advances in Injection compression moulding Exatec
- Issues encountered when sourcing product
- Investigative steps – what documents to request
- Moulding process and machine choice issues
- Mould trial procedures
Who will benefit?
This course is ideal for:- Product Designers/Engineers
- Production/Process Managers and Supervisors
- Quality and Technical Services Personnel
- Purchasers of injection moulded components
- Newcomers or those with no formal training
Presenter information
This course is presented by- David Jeavons - Consultant
- David has spent his whole working life in the Injection Moulding industry. After leaving engineering college in 1969 he served a four year indentured apprenticeship with GKN Sankey's Plastic Division. At the time the company was one of Europe’s technology leaders - using robotic take out devices and developing thermosetting technologies as well as structural foam techniques. On completion of this apprenticeship his career moved to materials technology, primarily thermoset resins and polyether foams.
What our delegates say
"Very useful, will be recommending"Adam Nevin (Trelleborg)
"Dave’s enthusiasm is second to none, he kept the course down to earth, interesting and enjoyable"
Matt Delahaye (Honda)
Gain CPD credits
Smithers is an IOM3 Quality Assured training provider and our courses are approved towards professional development.