SPE Library

iMFLUX's Novel Low, Constant Pressure Molding Technology Overcomes Traditional Barriers to Achieving A Truly Sustainable, Circular Operation - Sponsored by SPE Recycling Division

Gene Altonen, June 2020

One of the biggest challenges facing the plastics industry today, is the need for technology solutions that enable a Circular Economy. This is especially true for injection molded parts, where operational tradeoffs are often encountered when running many sustainable materials. iMFLUX, a wholly owned subsidiary of Procter & Gamble, offers a novel injection molding technology they refer to as the “Green Curve” which uses low, constant plastic pressure to fill an injection mold. Gene Altonen, iMFLUX’s CTO, will share how this new technology addresses the key challenges molders face to deliver truly sustainable, circular solutions for their customers. Examples will be provided illustrating how this new approach to molding offers the ability to efficiently run post-consumer recycle and composites, substantially reduce energy use, and enable more sustainable part designs and materials. iMFLUX is collaborating with machine makers, material suppliers, educators, mold designers, data platforms, and sustainability industry associations to enable molders to benefit from the unique advantages this new technology provides.”

Impact Failure of Plastics

Jeffrey A. Jansen, June 2020

While in service, plastic materials are subjected to many different types of mechanical stress. One common type of stress that is typically severe on plastics is rapid impact loading. The rate at which loading is applied, otherwise known as the strain rate, is a very important factor in the performance of a plastic component. Impact, together with snap fit assembly, and rapid pressurization are the most common forms of rapid loading or high strain rate mechanisms.

The response of plastics to impact and the ability of a plastic part to withstand the stress through absorption of the applied energy is dependent on many aspects, including the material, design, processing and the service conditions.

Topics covered as part of this presentation will include:

• Failure Mechanism of Plastics
• Strain Rate as a Ductile-to-Brittle Transition
• Impact Failure
• Factors Effecting Impact Resistance
• Impact Testing
• Case Studies

Impact loads are among the most challenging stresses that plastic component designers and manufactures must deal with. In many cases impact stress is not adequately accounted for. In may cases this leads to unnecessary premature or unexpected failure.

Fundamentals of U.S. Patent Law

Dr. Steve Grossman, June 2020

This seminar will focus on fundamentals of U.S. patent law with applicability to medical plastics, medical devices and pharmaceutical technology.  Issues considered will include: (1) what is patentable subject matter; (2) pros/cons of provisional patent applications; (3) novelty and non-obviousness; (4) sufficiency of disclosure to enable an invention; (5) the importance of providing “reasonable certainty” in patent claims to optimize claim scope (some interesting recent cases);  (6) a primer on the U.S. first-to-file system; and (7) the relatively new “prior user rights” defense providing more security to trade secret holders.

Plastic Failures Associated with Metal Fasteners

Jeff Jansen, May 2020

The need to secure plastic components is prevalent in the manufacture of assemblies in many industries. Joining plastic components to other plastic parts or metal parts often involves the use of mechanical fasteners, such as screws, inserts, or rivets. The joining of plastic parts is inherently more complicated than assembling two metal components because of the fundamental differences in physical properties, including strength, chemical resistance and susceptibility to creep and stress relaxation. Case Studies will be presented to illustrate failures associated with the interaction between plastic components and metal fasteners. The presented cases will illustrate how the failure analysis process was used to identify the failure mechanism as well as the primary factors responsible for the failures. The cases depict representative failures involving varied designs and service conditions.

A MultiDrive Rheo-DMA Platform for Extended Polymer Analysis

Abhishek Shetty, March 2020

Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) is a well-established technique for characterizing mechanical properties of all kinds of materials, particularly polymers or polymer-based products such as thermoplastics, thermosets, elastomers, adhesives, paints and coatings, films and fibers, as well as composites. A new measuring device concept is introduced which combines an electronically commutated (EC) motor as rotational top drive and a moving magnet linear drive or another EC motor, as bottom drive to enable rheological measurements and DMA on one single device. The concept enables various modes of operation by using different combinations of the bottom drive. Besides working in the rheological modes such as separate motor transducer (SMT), combined motor transducer (CMT), counter-rotation and counter-oscillation the device is suitable to perform dynamic mechanical analysis in bending, tension, compression, and torsion. DMA can provide quantitative and qualitative data regarding:     Viscoelastic moduli and damping
    Material structure and morphology
    Relaxation behavior (Primary, secondary)
    Influence of fillers and fibers in polymers
    Crystallization/melting processes
    Curing behavior In this webinar, you will learn how DMA can be used to gain a better understanding of the viscoelastic and thermal properties of your material. The theoretical basics of DMA measurements will be covered along with the test methods and the information gained from those. Various DMA applications ranging from polymer plastics, rubbers to composites will be discussed and the flexibility and versatility of such a 2 in 1 device concept will be demonstrated for extended polymer characterization.

UV Effects on Plastics

Jeffrey A. Jansen, March 2020

If you work with plastic components that include outdoor exposure, then "Ultraviolet (UV) Effects on Plastic Materials" will provide you with information that will enhance your understanding of the interaction between UV radiation-based weathering and plastic resins, and help prevent premature failure. Topics covered during this session include an introduction to UV degradation and an explanation of the failure mechanism characteristic of UV radiation/plastic interaction. Case studies associated with UV radiation exposure will be presented.
You will learn…

• The mechanism of UV degradation
• The materials susceptible to and most affected by UV degradation
• The effects of UV degradation on plastic materials
• How the use of stabilizers can improve UV resistance of plastic materials
• How testing can be used to determine whether plastic materials are susceptible to UV degradation.

Biocompatibility of Raw Materials for Medical Devices

Audrey P. Turley, March 2020

Starting with a biocompatible material is important for medical device manufacturers. However, regulation is pushing the manufacturer to ask for more information and more support from their suppliers. Biocompatibility on materials is critical to stay competitive and provide your clients with the needed information. Topics covered include:

• An overview of ISO 10993-1 • MDR regulation regarding carcinogens, mutagens, and reproductive toxins (CMRs) for raw materials
• Where is the line in responsibility for material supplier and device manufacturer?
• What information and testing on raw material is useful for the biocompatibility of a final device?

Introduction to Plastics

Jeffrey A. Jansen, February 2020

Plastics are the most versatile materials ever invented, and have become a universal material, used for everything from water bottles to wings on combat aircraft. Plastic materials display properties that are unique when compared to other materials and have contributed greatly to quality of our everyday life. At this moment, you are almost certain to be touching plastic. Yet, while plastics play such an important role, we do not always understand the fundamental concepts of their production, compounding, end properties, and use.

If words such as polymer, thermoplastic, creep, amorphous, and modulus are outside your normal vocabulary, this presentation is for you.

This webinar will provide people not extensively familiar with plastics an understanding of the basics.

The usefulness of plastics is attributed to the fact that they provide a wide range of properties and can be changed into and products by relatively simple and inexpensive fabrication means. In order to take full advantage of these materials, it is important to have a clear understanding of their composition and elementary properties.

ANTEC® 101 - Conveying Value to Management

Jason Lyons, February 2020

Are you someone that fears going into your supervisor’s office to request permission to attend ANTEC®? Have you ever been greeted with a hasty “no way, your time is better spent in the lab” when asking for funding to travel to any conference? If so, this webinar is for you. In this webinar, Jason will guide you through several strategies that he has used over his career to not only obtain funding to attend ANTEC®, but to support other SPE initiatives along the way.

The 9 Keys to Creating and Enhancing Relationships

Paul Axtell, January 2020

Many of us are production oriented and not relationship oriented.  Yet, we work in organizations where our ability to influence, collaborate, work on teams, and be effective is often determined by our ability to build a network of colleagues who we can trust and with who we enjoy working. Fortunately, even if relationships skills are not our passion, we can be really good at creating relationships that will improve our results and add to the organization’s sense of engagement and community. This session will provide both perspectives and actions that you can implement quickly.

Compensation of Plastics Professionals: Perspective, Trends, and Forecast

Dennis Gros, January 2020

The program will look at salary trends and the factors that affect your money. Dennis will provide an overview of the past five years of employment in the plastics industry. Specifically, he will analyze the growth curve of compensation for roles in manufacturing, engineering, sales, supply chain, and general management.

Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy in Failure & Compositional Analysis

Jeff Jansen, January 2020

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) is a fundamental analytical technique for the analysis of organic materials. It provides critical information in the evaluation of polymeric materials, including material identification, contamination, and degradation. The webinar will present a fundamental understanding of the technique and the following topics will be covered:

1. Theory of Infrared Spectroscopy
2. Test Result Interpretation
3. Application to Polymeric Materials
   1. Material Identification
   2. Contamination
   3. Degradation
4. Sample Preparation
5. Supplementing FTIR With Other Techniques
6. Cases Studies

Failure Associated With Injection Molding

Jeff Jansen, December 2019

The injection molding process is one of the key characteristics that determines how a plastic part will perform in service. Manufacturers certainly attempt to avoid failure, but often unanticipated factors result in unexpected problems. The chances for a successful application can be significantly increased through preventative measures, including appropriate material selection, proper mold design, and process development. Even when appropriate actions are taken, failures can still occur. The evaluation of these failures provides an opportunity for learning. By understanding how and why a plastic component is failed, steps can be taken to prevent future occurrences. Case Studies will be presented to illustrate failures associated with the deficiencies from the injection molding process. The presented cases will illustrate how the failure analysis process was used to identify the failure mechanism as well as the primary factors responsible for the failures.

Managing Difficult People Without Becoming One of Them

Patricia Simpson, October 2019

Being an effective and positive communicator at work is vital to every role. When we work with other people, however, communication styles don’t always work well together. This webinar will share ideas about how to be a successful communicator as well as how to deal with people whose communication styles don’t always complement yours. While this webinar is not a ‘conflict management how-to,’ the communication etiquette tips shared will help make some of those situations easier. First setting a positive foundation can assist with making negative communication situations easier to handle. Additionally, learning how to provide a sincere apology without overdoing it - and communicating personal responsibility and credibility - can help calm impassioned interactions. In truth, we can’t change others…but we can manage ourselves and thus mitigate negative situations.

Giving High Impact Feedback

Rick Lepsinger, October 2019

Bumps & Bruises: Starting Your First Real Job

Jeremy K. Dworshak, October 2019

However you finished in academia, your first job is a clean slate. You’ll start to develop who you are professionally. How do you want to be? What do you want to be? These are all questions that time mindful thought to answer … and only you can answer them for yourself!

This webinar will cover:

• Retirement prep: start right away, even with just a little bit (<5%).
• Drama in the workplace: avoid it!
• Fresh new step – let go of any preconceived knowledge
• Do some work, then ask questions.
• No re-takes. You can only turn in your work one time.
• Understand your role. Ask questions from your supervisor if you are unclear.
• Empower your peers.
• Your new team!
• When in doubt, hold hands and get thru it together.

Introduction to Design for Rotational Molding

Michael Paloian, September 2019

This one-hour seminar is an introduction to the rotational molding process, applications and basic design guidelines. The presentation will be forty-five minutes followed by a 10-15 minute Q&A.

Rotational Molding Process — A brief description of the process will be discussed to acquaint the attendees with the equipment, processing overview and tooling requirements. Approx. 10 mins.

Applications — Rotational molding applications will be highlighted within market groups. A brief description of the market, design overview and advantages of the process will be discussed to familiarize attendees with suitable applications of the process. Approx. 10 mins.

Design Guidelines — The remainder of the presentation will be focused on fundamental design guidelines for the rotational molding process. The focus is on basic design, due to time constraints; the speaker will highlight major parameters associated with the process which distinguish it from other plastic molding processes. Although the design guidelines will be constrained to essential considerations, attendees will learn about the basics of designing for the rotational molding process. Approx. 25 mins.

Understanding Failure Rate in Plastic Components

Jeff Jansen, September 2019

When a plastic part fails, a tough question is often asked, “Why are a limited number of parts failing?”. This is particularly true with seemingly random failures at significant, but low, failure rates. Two aspects are generally linked to such low failure rates, multiple factor concurrency and the statistical nature of plastic failures. Failure often only takes place when two or more factors take effect concurrently. Absent one of these factors, failure will not occur. Plastic resins and the associated forming processes produce parts with a statistical distribution of performance properties, such as strength and ductility. Likewise, environmental conditions, including stress and temperature, to which the resin is exposed through its life cycle is also a statistical distribution. Failure occurs when a portion of the distribution of stress on the parts exceeds a portion of the distribution of strength of the parts. This webinar will illustrate how the combination of multiple factor concurrency and the inherent statistical nature of plastic materials can result in seemingly random failures.

Meetings from Ordinary to Extraordinary

Paul Axtell, September 2019

Effective meetings are a competitive advantage for organizations. The ability to set up a conversation, manage the conversation, and wrap it up effectively is usually the missing piece in most organizations. Meetings continue to be a source of frustration—especially when people end up taking work home to make up for time lost in unproductive meetings. Make your meetings a welcome part of your week with this workshop on process skills, which can also expand your influence in the organization. While most people think that passion, knowledge, and drive are all they need to succeed, your meeting skills are what will set you apart.

Strategies for Flexible Package Integrity and Seal Inspection

Oliver Stauffer, August 2019

The field of flexible packaging continues to evolve with new and unique packaging designs. With the shift into new materials and formats, the means for assuring package quality and integrity introduce unique challenges. Creative application of new technology allows for more effective inspection of seal quality and the detection of microleaks. The webinar will cover technologies deployed for on-line seal inspection of pouch seals as well as off-line microleak detection. Practical case studies of implementation of each technology will be presented with key factors of success for deploying each solution. The path to assuring seal quality and package integrity requires multiple strategies to achieve the necessary results. The webinar will cover:

• Principles behind flexible package integrity.
• Questions to ask of you package and process.
• Strategizing around practicality and requirements.
• Two ISO recognized test methods to assure quality.
• Cases for effective implementation.