Overview
In this lab, students will work in groups (3-4 students per group) to produce plastic parts using injection molding and extrusion blow molding techniques. Final products will include a USD keychain, a screwdriver, and a threaded top plastic bottle. All parts will be produced from low-density polyethylene (LDPE) with different aluminum molds. One of the main foci in this lab is continuous process improvement. There are 4 teams within each lab section. All 4 teams will be collaborating to acquire the hands-on skills working with plastic molding equipment and operations, to transfer knowledge and experience from one group to the next on process challenges and potential solutions, and to optimize the processes to accomplish the final products with highest standards. Your group should receive a training plan prepared by the previous group no later than Tuesday of your scheduled lab week. On the day of your scheduled lab, your group will receive training and knowledge passdown from the first group who made their first attempt at the plastic molding processes last week. Your goal is to learn all you can from your trainers and experience making a new plastic injection molded part that was not tried last week (i.e. a screwdriver). Although perfect products were not expected at the end of the lab, your group’s mission is to incorporate lessons learned from group # 1 to improve the processes and achieve higher product quality, process efficiency and operational sustainability. You will only be provided with supplemental notes for making the screwdriver which your trainers did not have the opportunity to experiment with. Your group will have to rely on the training provided by your trainers on the day of lab to learn how to operate the Amatrol plastic molding unit and produce parts from raw LDPE pellets.