Gaining Engineering Competence in Plastics

Plastics are largely regarded as commodity materials. However, they differ considerably from the materials which we became acquainted with during our college education. Although one can proceed to design plastic components and manufacture them without seriously considering a training program, the consequences can be substantial sacrifices to quality, development cost, part cost, and time to market, as well as adding a great deal of unnecessary stress to the workplace. This presentation explains why plastics are different and recommends a training curriculum that should be a part of strategic planning.