Expert Details
Plastic Molding Processes
ID: 108426
Colorado, USA
From his extensive experience with plastics processing, he has expertise in locating and correcting design errors in products or tooling that would cause product failure if not corrected. He has been responsible for specification of materials, design feasibility, failure analysis, and compliance to CPSA and FDA for a variety of molded plastic parts.
Based on a product's design and market needs, Expert through his teaching and consulting practice, has the expertise to choose the proper material-process combination for the most cost-effective method of production. His skill in this area is based on familiarity with material selection, part design, purchasing, marketing, and product definition. He is knowledgeable of preventative maintenance scheduling to assure process and product stability.
Expert has worked extensively on injection molding machines that use computer analysis to assure consistency of process, both open loop and close loop. He is familiar with finite element analysis for modeling the flow patterns, stress levels, gate locations, and cooling patterns of molds.
Expert has worked on several projects where electrically conductive elastomers (stainless steel wire impreg, graphite filled, etc.) were used for the certification of business equipment to comply to FCC EMI/RFI protocols. He has used electro-conductive paints, fillers in plastics, and conventional methods of plating over plastics and vacuum metallizing.
More than 75% of Expert's experience in industry has involved the selection, use, processing, and testing of parts made from engineering thermoplastics for specialty applications.
He has worked on several projects involving the manufacture of EPS parts, design of the parts, and the construction of packing materials through hot wire cutting or die cutting of EPS.
Expert has worked with fiber-reinforced plastics on many projects. He has consulted on the design of parts, construction of tools, design critiques, flow patterns of fiber in the parts, and the maintenance of tooling to assure proper quality parts.
Expert's work associated with load-bearing applications for plastics includes the design of snap locks, screws, bolts, thread design, nut retention, and material creep applications where the robustness of the applications was paramount.
In the area of plastic color, he has extensive experience with dry color, color concentrate, liquid color, as well as color match analysis applications. He has used dyes as colorants and as part of the sublimation transfer process.
Expert has studied plastic component failure for his work in project engineering, expert testimony, and component design. He has gained the ability to predict failure and design tests to show failure mode. The forensic analysis of failed parts is a major component of his experience. The thermal/chemical/mechanical degradation of polymers all effect the choice of materials and product design. He has had significant exposure to plastic failure analysis tests and techniques.
Expert has experience with the design and tooling and equipment as well as the processing and techniques of plastic die cutting.
Expert maintains that one of the most common failures in plastics processing involves improper drying of plastics. He is familiar with the equipment and the time-temperature relationship required for each plastic materials to gain the optimum properties of each resin. Instructing clients on proper drying techniques, maintenance of equipment, and how to program equipment and read the outputs has been a large portion of his consulting practice.
In his work with the electronics industry, Expert has gained extensive experience with stress free molding, the chemical etchant or electro-conductive paint primer step, and the control and application of the plating process.
Expert has been involved with several projects where embossing has been used as a post process decorating method. He has had extensive experience with the photo engraving of extrusion dies where embossed sheet stock has been the primary feed stock for thermoforming.
Expert has participated with the design, prototype testing, tooling, qualification of tooling, and ongoing production of plastic medical devices under the protocols of FDA Good Manufacturing Practices. He has been involved with the design critiques, tooling construction, tooling qualification, and testing of plastic valves for the medical industry.
Expert has setup, implemented, and supervised a painting facility at Hewlett Packard's Northern Colorado Plastics Technology Center. He consults on the applicability of painting, paint durability testing, and quality control methods.
Throughout his career, Expert has been active in designing tooling and setting up processes using hot-plate welding, spin welding, ultrasonic welding, RF sealing, and electro-magnetic bonding.
Expert teaches seminars, presented papers, and published articles on the proper construction of tooling. He has helped with tooling deliveries, critiques of mold designs, and tooling qualifications.
Expert is knowledgeable of all phases of spin welding, heat welding (hot gas, infra red, and laser), ultrasonic, and vibrational welding. He had managed the project at Ford Motor Company that developed the original design optimization for the ultrasonic weld bead. He has had extensive experience with designing and setting up equipment as well as the qualification and testing of processes of all phases of ultrasonic vibrational welding of both plastic-to-plastic welds (in both similar and dissimilar materials) and insertion welding.
Over the course of his career, Expert has summarized his knowledge of plastics inspection in two books that cover injection molding. He has set up inspection protocols and quality programs, taught seminars, and presented technical papers on this subject.
Expert has consulted on the design of plastic parts (particularly when they mate with dissimilar material) on the effect of thermal expansion and the design techniques required to compensate for this effect
Expert has participated in several projects where scrap plastic was used as the primary component of the end product. He has consulted with several companies as to the proper use (or reuse) of scrap plastic to avoid the disposal costs of purgings and regrind.
Having extensive experience with the design of vinyl parts, he has particular knowledge of vinyl ester resin. He has built tooling, set up precision processes and inspection protocols for vinyl products that were injection molded, thermoformed, and extruded.
Expert has been involved with projects where he has set up processes for applying decals, pad printing, silk screening, and hot stamping on plastic parts.
Expert has assisted in material selection, manufacturing processes, tooling specifications and on-site troubleshooting. Expert has evaluated businesses for sale or purchase as to their business worthiness. Expert teaches seminars on injection. Expert is available as an expert witness.
Education
Year | Degree | Subject | Institution |
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Year: 1968 | Degree: BS | Subject: Chemistry | Institution: Syracuse University |
Work History
Years | Employer | Title | Department |
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Years: 1975 to Present | Employer: Undisclosed | Title: President | Department: |
Responsibilities:Consultant advice, expert witness to the plastics industry. Seminars on productivity improvement, process improvement, process documentation, Scientific Molding, Troubleshooting, Quality systems. |
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Years | Employer | Title | Department |
Years: 1980 to 1990 | Employer: FORT COLLINS SYSTEMS DIVISION OF HEWLETT PACKARD | Title: Principal Materials Specialist | Department: |
Responsibilities:Tool/project engineering on plastic parts. Consultant advice to designers on manufacturing processes. |
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Years | Employer | Title | Department |
Years: 1978 to 1980 | Employer: Mattel Toy, Inc. | Title: Senior Materials Specialist | Department: |
Responsibilities:Research and tooling specialist on molded products, FMEA product ID, R&D. |
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Years | Employer | Title | Department |
Years: 1975 to 1978 | Employer: Bentley Laboratories | Title: Production Manager | Department: |
Responsibilities:24/7 medical molding facility, 24 machines. P&L responsibility, all management duties. |
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Years | Employer | Title | Department |
Years: 1973 to 1975 | Employer: McGaw Laboratories | Title: Senior Manufacturing Engineer | Department: |
Responsibilities:Tooling project engineer, consultant advice on QA/QC, maintenance, vendor selection, mold qualifications, troubleshooting |
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Years | Employer | Title | Department |
Years: 1971 to 1973 | Employer: Ford Motor Company, Saline Plastics Plant | Title: Senior Manufacturing Engineer | Department: |
Responsibilities:Tooling engineer. Quoting, specifications, vendor selection, tool follow up tryout, qualification and production of parts. |
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Years | Employer | Title | Department |
Years: 1971 to 1971 | Employer: American Western Plastics | Title: Production Manager | Department: |
Responsibilities:Manufacturing Manager for 4, machine custom molder. |
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Years | Employer | Title | Department |
Years: 1968 to 1971 | Employer: General Motors, Inland Manufacturing Division | Title: Manager of Quality Control Laboratory, Manufacturing Engineer | Department: |
Responsibilities:Troubleshooting / floor engineering in an injection molding start up operation. Manager of a QC lab. |
International Experience
Years | Country / Region | Summary |
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Years: 1999 to 1999 | Country / Region: Milan Italy | Summary: Assisted client in El Paso in tryout of tools made in Italy before shipment to Mexican production facility. |
Years: 1999 to 1999 | Country / Region: Saudi Arabia | Summary: Taught two injection molding seminars on process and troubleshooting to molders in Saudi Arabia at the behest of the Saudi Arabian Government. |
Years: 2000 to 2000 | Country / Region: Saudi Arabia/Tunisia/UAE/Egypt | Summary: Taught seminars on troubleshooting, product design and cost reduction to molders. He also taught tech. Service Engineers for a resin company materials, processes, assembly, molding and troubleshooting. |
Years: 2008 to 2008 | Country / Region: New Zealand/Australia | Summary: Taught seminars on FUNDAMENTALS OF INJECTION MOLDING, SCIENTIFIC MOLDING, and TROUBLESHOOTING MOLDING DEFECTS, along with consulting with private companies. |
Years: 2007 to 2007 | Country / Region: Israel | Summary: Taught seminars on FUNDAMENTALS OF INJECTION MOLDING, SCIENTIFIC MOLDING, and TROUBLESHOOTING MOLDING DEFECTS, along with consulting with private companies in and around Tel Aviv. |
Career Accomplishments
Associations / Societies |
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He is a senior member of the Society of Plastics Engineers and the Society of Mechanical Engineers. |
Professional Appointments |
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Senior editor of EmployerMonthly newsletter, Past Editor of Product Design and Development (PD3) Division of SPE newsletter, Past President of PD3 Division, Past President of Rocky Mountain Chapter of PD3, Past Board of Director Member of PD3, Rocky Mountain Chapter and Los Angeles Chapter of SPE |
Awards / Recognition |
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Fellow of the Society of Plastics Engineers |
Publications and Patents Summary |
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He has made over 80 professional presentations, has 23 published books, two instructional videos, and more than 200 published articles. He has two pending patents. |
Additional Experience
Expert Witness Experience |
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Expert has been deposed more than 20 times and has testified on 15 occasions on product design, industry standards, and common practice issues. |
Training / Seminars |
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Expert teaches seminars in Scientific Molding, Troubleshooting Injection Molding along with providing the textbooks written on the subject. |
Vendor Selection |
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Expert has had extensive experience in potential vendor evaluation and job placement of molded products. He has experience locating vendors of plastic processing molds, tool makers and plastic processing equipment. |
Fields of Expertise
injection mold, injection mold design, plastic molding, plastic part, polymer processing, plastic component design, plastics mold, molded plastic part, plastic injection molding, polymer selection, plastic injection molding computer analysis, plastic injection molding computer modeling, electrically conductive elastomer, electrically conductive gasket, electrically conductive polymer, engineering thermoplastic, expandable polystyrene bead, fiber-reinforced plastic, plastic bearing, dry color, plastic color concentrate, plastic coloring process, plastic dye, plastic failure analysis, polymer degradation, plastic die cutting, plastic drying, plastic electroplating process, plastic embossing, plastic medical device, plastic valve, plastic painting, plastic pressure bonding, plastic tooling, plastic welding, plastic ultrasonic welding, plastics inspection, plastics thermal expansion, scrap plastic, vinyl ester resin, plastics printing, vinyl compound, medical polymer molding, medical polymer sterilization, nylon extrusion, plastics quality control, gas tank, lost core molding, open-cell foam, plastic material grinder, plastic stability, polyurethane processing equipment, plastic manufacturing, antimony trioxide, hand lay-up molding, plastic label, reactive resin, sterilizable plastic material, injection mold lubrication process, plastic lens design, molded screw thread, plastic engine manifold, degating, flexible mold, high-performance polystyrene, plastic wood, injection blow mold, plastic material pulverizing, plastic fastener, masterbatch, plastic plating process, nylon-6, thermoform plastic, polymer hardness, plastics industry, plastic resin, runnerless injection molding, hot runner molding, nylon-13, polymer process-engineering equipment, hot-melt fabric bonding adhesive, plastic product design, thermoplastics injection molding, polypropylene injection molding, engineering plastic, plastic forming, ram extruder, plastic container, plastic product, silk-screen printing, medical device manufacturing, die cutting, polymer corrosion, electroplating, extrusion die, high-density polyethylene, polymer extrusion screw, nylon, thermoplastic compression molding, material degradation, thermoplastic resin, vacuum molding, structural plastic, polymer, polymer process machinery, polymer machining, injection molding, hydrophilic polymer, cellular plastic, automotive plastic