Summary

Selecting the right plastic material is a challenging task. While there are numerous online tools available for researching plastic materials, they do not provide any insight into the process of material selection. This workshop will provide a methodology to select materials effectively.

Using common language, we will translate general terms about a material's characteristics – such as stiffness, strength, and toughness - into specific technical properties that are relevant – and quantifiable – to the intended application. We will review industry standard tests that are used to quantify material properties, and discuss how to interpret the data and understand the behavior of the material to assess its use in an intended application.

  Agenda

  Who Should Attend?

• Are you a designer struggling to navigate the wide range of plastic materials and references, seeking to make well-informed selections for your projects?
• Are you experiencing failures in your plastic products? Did you know that 45% of these failures are due to the wrong selection of material?
• Are you interested in exploring material alternatives that could improve the performance and cost-effectiveness of your current products, but unsure where to begin?
• Do you heavily rely on your material suppliers to choose materials for your products, yet aspire to enhance your own capabilities in this area?
• Are you in the material supply business, aiming to assist your customers in selecting the most suitable materials for their projects?

  Why Should You Attend?

By participating in this workshop, attendees will:

• Develop an understanding of plastic material behavior from molten resin to end-use part performance
• Become familiar with key material families and notable applications
• Be able to effectively select and specify plastic materials
• Be able to calculate total manufacturing costs (including raw material costs, processing costs and costs of secondary operations)

  Registration Information

  Register Now

Not an SPE member? Join today and attend this workshop at a discounted rate!

  Instructor

Eric Larson
Owner & Founder
Art of Mass Production

Eric R. Larson has over forty years experience in plastics engineering. He is the founder of Art of Mass Production, an engineering consulting company based in San Diego, CA. He has worked on a diverse range of products, including disposable lighters, cell phones, office chairs, and hand-held medical devices. Eric has a keen understanding of materials, and knows the value of good design. He also writes and teaches about the effective use of plastics. His book Plastics Materials Selection: A Practical Guide was nominated for a PROSE Award. It is available on Amazon, and in over 600 university libraries in more than 20 different countries.

  Questions? Contact:

For questions, contact Iván D. López.