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IME 3500 - Production Thermoplastic Processing
Catalog Description:
Injection molding, blow molding, extrusion and thermoforming. Effects of thermoplastic melt characteristics on product design and part quality. Effects of machine design, set-up, and operation on part cost and profitability. Overview of processing machinery including take-off and sizing equipment.
Prerequisites & Corequisites: Prerequisite: IME 2500.
Credits: 3 hours
Lecture Hours - Laboratory Hours: (2 to 3)
Prerequisites by Topic:
- Knowledge of the elements of plastication. (IME 2500 - Plastics Properties and Processing)
- Basic understanding of extrusion, injection molding, and blow molding. (IME 2500)
- Ability to correctly differentiate independent and dependent process and product variables.
(IME 2500)
Course Objectives:
At the end of the semester the student should be able to:
- Understand the physical and chemical bases for plastication. (b & A)
- Understand the integrated systems within injection, extrusion, and blow molding. (a & K)
- Understand the role of different types of auxiliary equipment as related to plastics processing. (a & K)
- Identify the root causes of molding defects (faults) and how they can be corrected. (f & E)
- Know the importance of molding safety as it relates to mechanical and electrical safeguarding of manufacturing personnel. (i & F)
- Function as a member of a team to set up production equipment and collect process data. (e, c, D, & B)
- Collect and distill a large amount of technical information into a usable document. (g & G)
Lower case letters in the parentheses at the end of each objective refer to the
TAC of ABET 2001 criteria, upper case letters are EAC of ABET 2000
Performance Criteria:
The student should be able to:
Objective 1
- List the most critical elements of plastication. [4]
- Correctly identify stable plastication from a normal shear rate curve. [3, 4]
Objective 2
- Correctly identify key components, and their function, within injection, extrusion, and blow molding systems. [4, 5]
- Set up and operate injection molding and extrusion production equipment. [1]
Objective 3
- Set up and operate auxiliary equipment as an integral part of the primary processing system. [1]
Objective 4
- Correctly identify the root cause of a given molding fault, and at least one probable corrective action solely from the observation of a molded product. [6]
- Conduct experimentation to assess the effectiveness of appropriate corrective actions for molding fault discovered during production in the laboratory. [1]
Objective 5
- Demonstrate the safe operation of processing equipment by producing sample parts without causing injury to anyone present. [1]
- Demonstrate safe mold, die, and equipment set of procedures, as outlined in the appropriate operations manuals and procedure sheets. [1]
Objective 6
- Participate as an equal team member in the process of setting up equipment, gathering data and shutting down production. [1, 7]
Objective 7
- Use a comprehensive array of references drawn from sources, both inside and outside, current university library holdings to collect thorough information on a technical topic. [2]
- Present detailed written technical information, so that a professional from the plastics industry could use it to improve some element of thermoplastics processing. [2]
Numbers in brackets refer to the method of evaluation
as listed in the previous section.
Textbooks:
Engelmann, P. V. (2000). Production thermoplastics processing. (Lecture/lab manual).
Richardson, P. N. (1974). Introduction to extrusion. Brookfield, CT: Society of Plastics Engineers.
Course Coordinator:
Paul Engelmann, Ed.D.
Departmental Chair
Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering
Western Michigan University
F-259 Parkview Campus
Kalamazoo, Michigan 49008-5336
Phone: (269) 276-3350
Email: paul.engelmann@wmich.edu
Revision Date: Spring 2009