St. Clair County Community College 2004-2005 Catalog

PLASTICS TECHNOLOGY

Industrial Technology Department 810-989-5754

PLT 110 Properties of Plastics. Students will be introduced to the basic chemical structure of common polymers used in industry today. Students will study the characteristics of thermoplastic and thermosetting polymers. This course will also help the student develop knowledge of chemical and physical behaviors as they relate to their applications in industry. Note: PLT 110 requirement is only for Plastics majors. Does not apply to Quality Assurance majors.

Prerequisite: None

2.5 credits, plus .5 contact hours* = (2 lecture, 1 laboratory)

PLT 115 Plastics Manufacturing Processes. Students will study the major plastic processing techniques used in industry today. Manufacturing processes such as injection molding, thermoforming, blow molding, rotational molding, compression/transfer molding, and extrusion will be studied and evaluated.

Prerequisite: None

2.5 credits, plus .5 contact hours* = (2 lecture, 1 laboratory)

PLT 125 Injection Molding Processes I. The student will learn the basic setup of the injection molding machine, machine functions and settings, and the injection molding cycle. The main parts and function of an injection mold will also be included in this course.

Prerequisite: PLT 115

3 credits, plus 1 contact hour* = (2 lecture, 2 laboratory)

PLT 130 Physical Properties & Testing Methods of Plastics. This course provides the student with the opportunity to learn the physical properties of plastics. Students learn to perform the A.S.T.M./I.S.O. and plastics industry tests that are used to determine physical properties of plastics.

Prerequisite: PLT 110

2 credits, plus 1 contact hour* = (1 lecture, 2 laboratory)

PLT 210 Secondary Operations in Plastics Manufacturing. This course provides the student with basic knowledge of secondary processes associated with plastics product manufacturing. Common processes used in the assembly, decorating, and packaging of plastic parts will be covered. Emphasis will be placed on the complete plastic manufacturing process.

Prerequisite: PLT 110 and PLT 115 and PLT 130, or permission of instructor/department chairperson

2.5 credits, plus .5 contact hours* = (2 lecture, 1 laboratory)

PLT 225 Injection Molding Processes II. This course focuses on in-depth analysis of plastic injection molding processes with special emphasis placed on experience and knowledge in solving common production problems while running plastics injection molding presses. Students identify the interaction of the mold, machine, and customer requirements so that the process is optimized to produce capable parts.

Prerequisite: PLT 125

3 credits, plus 1 contact hour* = (2 lecture/laboratory)

PLT 235 Introduction to Mold Design. This course is designed to give students an understanding of the design, construction, and terminology involved in designing and building plastic injection molds. Specific emphasis will be placed on standard design procedures used in designing injection molds today. This class will use computer aided drafting software.

Prerequisite: DR 162 or consent of instructor

3 credits, plus 1 contact hour* = (2 lecture, 2 laboratory)

PLT 245 Computer-Aided Engineering Applications. This course will cover computer-aided engineering (CAE) applications used by the plastics industry. Areas of study will include plastic product design requirements, injection mold analysis, and new rapid prototyping techniques. Hands-on experience using "Moldflow" Flow Analysis software will be a major portion of this course.

Prerequisite: PLT 225

2.5 credits, plus .5 contact hours* = (2 lecture, 1 laboratory)