Plastic Material Selection and Testing

Course description
Time: 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Location: 240 South Forge Street, Akron, Ohio 44325
Classroom 217 (Located inside the National Polymer Innovation Center)
Cost: $1,800 USD
CEU's: 1.6
Instructor: David Russell

Course Overview

The scope of this course includes conventional elastomers, thermoplastic elastomers, general purpose plastics and engineering plastics and is intended for material specialists, design engineers, tech service personnel, procurement specialists and others who wish to broaden their understanding of polymeric materials and applications. The course provides a frame work for material selection and specification by first developing of basic concepts in polymer chemistry and technology from a structure property and applications perspective. Then selection, evaluation, and specification development processes are discussed in the contest of the fundamentals of ISO design processes, SAE and ASTM standards, recommended practices, and specifications.

Instructor Biography:

Dave is a graduate of The University of Akron where he studied math, chemistry, engineering and polymer science. He has 40 plus years of experience in the polymer, rubber, and plastics fields working  as; materials chemist, product engineer, R&D Manager, Quality Manager, General  Manager, and CEO in a range of industries including: tire, hydraulic hose, wire & cable, medical device, and consulting and laboratory services. Dave’s hands-on expertise includes: conventional elastomers, thermoplastic elastomers, TPUs, polyamides, polycarbonates, polyolefin, polyesters, ABS, PVC, medical latex, acetyls and others. Dave began his career at Goodyear then spent 15 years with Eaton Corporation’s Engineered Polymer Products Group. In recent years Dave was CEO of Akron Polymer Laboratory Inc, CEO of Akron Biomaterials Inc, and VP R&D for Biometrics LLC.

Topics treated include:

  1. Polymer chemistry and technology of common conventional elastomers, thermoplastic elastomers, and plastic materials with emphasis on typical applications, structure property relationship, and key strengths and weaknesses.
  2. Concepts of viscos-elasticity and the related effects on properties as a function of time, temperature, and ability to withstand stress.  
  3. The list of materials discussed includes but is not limited to polyethylene, nylon,  PPO, polycarbonate, polyester, TPU, TPE, TPV,  NBR, CR, NR, EPDM, Butyl and the like
  4. Principles and application of ISO 9000/ISO 13485 as related to Design Development and Controls used for candidate materials selection, evaluation, performance validation, and ongoing design control aimed at assuring initial and continuing end product performance, reliability, and safety.
  5. Principles and application of SAE and ASTM Specifications, Line Call Outs, and Recommended Practices. 
  6. Failure analysis; case examples and use of FEA, and predictive testing.
  7. ASTM rubber and plastic testing and analytical methods.
  8. Effects of processing.

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