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Lesson 1: Polymer Material Overview

It is important for part and mold designers not only to understand design principles, but also to understand the fundamentals of plastics. The choice of a plastic, or polymer, has a strong impact on the outcome of a molded part. In this lesson, we will review the basic structures of polymer materials.

This lesson covers the different classifications of polymers and their key characteristics, the basics of polymer creation, including monomers, chain molecules and side branches, internal bonding mechanisms, both including both primary and secondary forces, and the micro-structures of amorphous and semi-crystalline materials.

Polymer Materials Play Screen

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Learn the fundamentals of polymer material behavior and how different plastics behave during the injection molding process. Build your own Circle of Knowledge lesson by lesson. 

Goals of Polymer Materials: Material Behavior (Level 1): 

  • Learn the fundamentals of polymer material characteristics and basic polymer categorizations
  • Get a basic understanding of how different material behaviors will impact the molding process and the final molded part
  • Analyze real-life molded parts and learn the cause and effect behaviors of design and process

Section Description: 
It is important for part and mold designers not only to understand design principles, but also to understand the fundamentals of plastics. The choice of a plastic, or polymer, has a strong impact on the outcome of a molded part. Having a general understanding of the basic properties and structures of polymers will help part and mold designers, as well as processors, make choices and decisions that will optimize the final part.

Explanations, simulations, cause and effect analyses, and the introduction of various polymer material properties are covered in this section. The relationship between various polymers and how they behave during the molding process are evaluated and analyzed. Selecting the optimal polymer material for each design is key to a successful molding project.

Recommended For: Entry Level Personnel, All Personnel

Length: Lessons are approximately 15-20 minutes long each

The Kruse Training platform delivers knowledge and expertise developed over two decades in the plastic injection molding industry. Now companies and individuals can access a state-of-the-art online training program, suited for all levels of knowledge.