Advanced Tooling & Rheology

Catalog description

Tooling design strategies are developed considering a material's physical and rheological influences on processing and part formation. PL ET 330 Advanced Tooling & Rheology (4) This course is intended to allow the student to develop an understanding of the critical relationship between the physical and rheological properties of plastic materials and their influence upon processing and part formation. The course objective is to establish this relationship since it is the basis of establishing tooling design strategies for optimizing part quality, moldability, and productivity. Upon completing the course, the student will have proficiency in the use of injection molding analysis software (Moldflow) and be able to develop strategies for its efficient and effective application. The software is used as a means to accelerate and enhance the students understanding of the injection molding process. Students will learn how software usage can be interwoven with knowledge of polymer melt rheology, shrinkage, warpage, residual stresses and their relationship to tooling to enable proper process and molded part design. Student competency is assessed by graded quizzes, examinations, homework, and special assignments. The course is offered once per year with an enrollment of 40 to 50 students.