February 18, 19, 23, & 25, 2026 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM ET. Online
Summary
This 4-part workshop series will cover a considerable range of topics important in understanding, diagnosing, and preventing plastic component failure. The most efficient and effective approach to plastic component failure is by performing a systematic failure analysis. Someone once said, “If you don’t know how something broke, you can’t fix it,” highlighting the importance of a thorough understanding of how and why a product has failed. This workshop will cover information required to gain this understanding.
At the end of the workshop, the attendees will understand:
Essentials of how and why plastic components fail
The process for conducting a failure investigation and methods for understanding the mode and cause of product failure/li>
The five factors affecting plastic part performance/li>
The major plastic failure mechanisms/li>
The importance of ductile-to-brittle transitions and their role in plastic component failure/li>
The workshop will focus on practical problem-solving techniques and will utilize case studies to illustrate key aspects of plastic failure and prevention. Through the course we will explore efficient and effective methods for responding to a failed plastic component.
Jeffrey A. Jansen is the Engineering Manager and a Partner at The Madison Group, an independent plastics engineering and consulting firm. Jeff is a proven plastic professional with more than 30 years of experience solving problems and addressing opportunities related to polymeric materials. He specializes in failure analysis, material identification and selection, as well as compatibility, aging, and lifetime prediction studies for thermoplastic materials. Jeff has performed over 5,000 investigations, both for industrial clients and as a part of litigation. He is a regular presenter on the SPE webinar series, covering a wide range of topics related to plastics failure, material performance, testing, and polymer technology. Jeff is a graduate of Carroll College and the Milwaukee School of Engineering.
Target audience are those responsible for the design and quality of plastic components and equipment using plastic parts. This includes automotive, medical, appliance, aerospace, electronics industries. Typical titles would be plastic engineers, engineering managers, quality engineers, reliability engineers, and design engineers.
Why Should You Attend?
Are you dealing with an increasing number of product recalls that hurt your company’s reputation and bottom line?
Do you rely on plastic components whose unexpected failures interrupt production or damage customer trust?
Have you spent time and resources trying to fix recurring plastic part issues without lasting results?
Are you a designer, engineer, or consultant seeking to anticipate and prevent failures before they occur?
If you answered YES to any of these questions, this workshop is for you.
Everyday Problems You’ll Address:
Why do plastic parts fail unexpectedly—even when processed or designed within specifications?
How can I determine whether a failure was caused by design, material, processing, or service environment?
What are the key failure mechanisms in plastics and how can I recognize them in real-world cases?
How do temperature, stress, or environmental exposure contribute to ductile-to-brittle transitions?
What’s the best way to conduct a structured failure investigation that leads to clear, actionable results?
How can failure analysis prevent future issues, saving both time and money?
Why This Workshop Matters:
Understanding how and why plastic components fail is essential for preventing costly downtime, warranty claims, and reputational damage.
This 4-part workshop offers a structured, science-based approach to failure diagnosis and prevention, combining theory with real-world case studies.
Participants will strengthen their ability to interpret failure data, recognize common mechanisms, and apply systematic analysis methods to uncover true root causes.
By mastering these fundamentals, organizations can move from reactive problem-solving to proactive design and process decisions—ensuring reliability, performance, and long-term success.
This educational program is provided as a service of SPE. The views and opinions expressed on this or any SPE educational program are those of the Speaker(s) and/or the persons appearing with the Speaker(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the Society of Plastics Engineers, Inc. (SPE) or its officials, employees or designees. To comment or to present an opposing or supporting opinion, please contact us at info@4SPE.org.
Refund Policy
Full refund 30 days prior to the event start date. Please contact customerrelations@4spe.org for assistance with registration.
Copyright & Permission to Use
SPE may take photographs and audio/video recordings during the conference, pre-conference meetings and receptions that may include attendees within sessions, networking areas, exhibition areas, and other areas associated with the conference both inside and outside of the venue. By registering for this event, all attendees are providing permission for SPE to use this material at its discretion on SPE's websites, marketing materials, and publications. SPE retains ownership of copyright to all photographs and audio/video recording obtained at this event and attendees may request copies of any material in which they are included.
Anti-Trust Statement
No discussion among members, volunteers, or staff, which attempts to arrive at any agreement regarding prices, terms or conditions of sale, distribution, volume, territories, or customers;
No activity or communication which might be construed as an attempt to prevent any person or business entity from gaining access to any market or customer for goods or services or any business entity from obtaining services or a supply of goods;
No activity or communication which might be construed as an agreement to refrain from purchasing or using any materials, equipment, services or supplies of or from any supplier; or
No other activity which violates anti-trust or applicable laws aimed at preventing unfair competition.
