Plastics Technology an Introduction ONLINE


Online

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Course dates - click register to select dates

Course details and format

  • 5 hours of recorded modules available
  • ​Live Q&A after course completion

Online training: How it works

  • Same high quality content as our in-person course.
  • (Our in-person course features additional interactive sessions and live demonstrations)
  • 5 hours of expert training delivered via recorded modules hosted online - allowing you to study at a time that suits you
  • 28 days access to recordings allowing you to learn at your own pace
  • Same high quality Smithers' training experience
  • No travel costs or complexities
  • Live Q&A with course tutors - ask questions and consolidate learning
  • Electronic copies of course notes

Course overview

This online course will build your understanding of plastics materials and processing - helping you avoid common causes of product failure, which often result from a lack of material knowledge. 

Learning outcomes

As a result of attending this course, participants will be able to:

  • Distinguish between the different generic and sub-generic types of plastic and have a basic knowledge of their relative advantages and disadvantages
  • Understand the methodology associated with the effective selection of plastics for specific applications
  • Understand the physical characteristics of plastics, the effects of time, temperature and stress and the implications of those characteristics on the design process
  • Identify and rectify existing or potential product failure regions
  • Identify and rectify potential or existing processing problems
  • Identify and rectify potential or existing joining problems
  • Understand how to better use material data for more effective design through the use of relevant testing and software tools.

Gain CPD credits

Smithers is an IOM3 Quality Assured training provider and our courses are approved towards professional development.

Course content

Plastics Materials
  • Classification (thermosets, thermoplastics, semi-crystalline, amorphous), major modifications (fibre reinforced, impact modified, etc.).
  • Properties, characteristics advantages and disadvantages of common plastics.
Common Manufacturing Problems
  • Extrusion
  • Injection moulding
  • Blow moulding
  • Thermo-forming
  • Roto-moulding
Materials Selection
  • Navigating though the many plastics types and thousands of grades available
  • How to understand and use data sheets
  • Advice on drawing up the specification including the hidden requirements, often overlooked, which can result in failure.  
Design for Performance
  • Structural performance of plastics (creep, stress relaxation, fatigue, effect of temperature, ageing, chemical attack), allowable design stresses and strains.
  • Differences betwen short and long term mechanical properties and their impact on application. 
  • Introduction of methodologies to use long term materials data to improve confidence in the performance of a design and minimise the risk of product failure in the long term.
Failure Diagnosis
  • Common causes of failure, brittle fracture (stress cracking, embrittlement, effect of notches, uv degradation, hydrolysis), impact, fatigue

Who will benefit?

Those new to the plastics industry or moving to a new position who need to gain a better understanding of design and development of new products. This course will also benefit anyone responsible for the plastics supply chain and will equip them with the know-how and confidence  necessary in order to work efficiently and effectively and to manage change.
  • Product Designers
  • Product Development Engineers
  • Technical services
  • Quality assurance
  • Component procurement
  • Others involved in the design or development of new products and who need an understanding of the engineering capabilities of plastics
  • Little or no knowledge of plastics materials and processes is assumed.

Presenter information

This course is presented by: Read more about our presenter by clicking on their expert profiles. 

What our delegates say about the course material

"Extremely informative, a lot of great knowledge in two days, I would recommend this course to all plastic component design engineers"
Thomas Morrice (NCR)

"Very well prepared and communicated​"
Stephen Joyce (Freudenberg Sealing Technologies)

Questions and queries

Please contact:

Plastics Technology an Introduction ONLINE

Date
Length 29 days
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