posted September 19, 2004 08:30 PM               

Course Outline

Day 1
Morning:
Polymer Rheology
Afternoon:
The Extruder

Day 2
Morning:
Mono-Layer Flat
Afternoon:
Mono-Layer Annular

Day 3
Morning:
Profile Die Design
Afternoon:
Coextrusion
This seminar has been developed to help train extrusion process personnel and equipment designers on the application of polymer rheology towards process understanding, design and improvement. The availability of powerful CAE tools for extrusion is rapidly changing extrusion equipment design from what once was an intuitive craft into a science. Upon completing this course, the attendees will have a good understanding of practical rheology and what can (and cannot) be applied to the quantitative study of an extrusion process. The physical interpretation of quantifiable process characteristics is a major overall theme during this seminar, which is presented from an industrial point of view. The "Hands-On" portion of seminar will show the attendees how to use state-of-the-art simulation techniques to apply the concepts that they will learn.


Who Should Attend
This course is intended for anyone or who is currently (or training to become) responsible for the design or performance of an extrusion process. Extrusion screw and die designers, process engineers, technical service personnel, research and development personnel and particularly, those responsible for troubleshooting extrusion processes will obtain the most benefit from the information presented. The topics that will be covered will be applicable to all areas of extrusion including pipe and tubing, film and sheet, wire and cable coating, blow molding, profile extrusion, etc. The attendees are urged to bring along some of the extrusion problems that they are currently faced with and would like to have addressed during the course.

What You Will Learn
This seminar will show attendees how to properly evaluate and analyze extrusion equipment using sound engineering principles. Process Engineers will learn how to properly analyze and troubleshoot their equipment in order to optimize performance. Designers will learn about the most important design criteria that should be used for extrusion equipment. Attendees will also gain valuable "Hands-On" experience with the most advanced set of CAE tools available for extrusion.

The seminar will introduce practical rheology (polymer flow behaviour) in a clear and straightforward manner as it applies to the process operations that will be presented. The focus is on the rheological characteristics of the polymers that are most important to the understanding of the extrusion process and to the design of the equipment. After this seminar, the attendees will be better qualified to select materials and to differentiate between equipment design, which can be a big benefit during future product development or equipment specification and selection.

Some Comments from past short course participants:

"This course was so useful for my job. These are the types of courses we need more of. This was money well spent."

"I believe this was the most interesting, well organized, and valuable internal course I've had the pleasure of attending. Thanks"

"Excellent instructor. Well-organized course."

"Very well organized, very practical. Better than the previous Rheology course I took!"

"One of the best courses I have attended in years. Application of Rheology was very practical in this course."

"I really enjoyed this course. It was very relevant and provided a lot of useful information and insight. The speakers were excellent!"

"Very good! I learned a lot about "real world" applications of rheology for PE."

"Found course very useful, liked that it was very application related (I.e. extruder, dies, screw) and that there were many real world (practical) examples given. Presentation slides were excellent. Windowed extruder slides very useful."

Course Outline
Nov 8
Hotel check In
5 - 7 pm registration
7 - 9 pm reception

Nov 9
Day 1 Morning: Polymer Rheology

The attendees will learn about the most important rheological measurements (such as shear viscosity), what they mean, how they are obtained and, most importantly, how they affect the extrusion process.

Attendees will be shown how to use the FLOW 2000Ô , Material Tools module to fit viscosity data to models and then use the data for calculations. The attendees will also be shown how to use the CompuplastÒ ExtrusionCalculatorÔ to perform many useful calculations and analyze and troubleshoot a wide variety of extrusion equipment.



Day 1 Afternoon: The Extruder

This part of the seminar will describe the functions and the requirements of an extruder using both a combination of theory and videos of experiments performed on glass window extruders.. The main principles of operation are reviewed and design parameters explained from a CAE point of view.

Attendees will learn how to use the FLOW 2000, Extruder Module to simulate single screw extruders. They will also be shown how the simulation can be used to analyze or troubleshoot existing screw designs and extruder operating conditions or to evaluate new design proposals.


Nov 10
Day 2 Morning: Mono-Layer Die Analysis and Design

This section of the course will focus on the requirements of extrusion dies. Design parameters and criterion will be provided for a wide variety of processes and materials. Topics will include flat die design, spiral die design, pipe and tubing die design and coating applications The attendees will be shown how to use the FLOW 2000, Flat Die Module for analyzing flat dies commonly used to sheet and film production

Day 2 Afternoon: Mono-Layer Die Analysis and Design Continued

The attendees will continue with mono-layer die analysis and design. The attendees will be shown how to evaluate spiral mandrel type dies, commonly used for blown film, pipe and blow molding applications, with the aid of the FLOW 2000, Spiral Die Module. The emphasis will again be on how to quantify the performance of these dies and why good polymer distribution is not necessarily the best criteria to use. Video presentations of visualization experiments will be used to help explain the concepts.

Nov 11
Day 3 Morning: Profile Die Design
One of the most challenging aspects of extrusion is the efficient design of profile dies. Compuplast has developed a unique approach to the problem that has been proven to reduce most profile die development time by at least 50%. The attendees will be shown the Compuplast® Cross Flow Minimization MethodÔ for profile die design and how to apply the CFMMÔ using the FLOW 2000Ô, Profile Die module.


Day 3 Afternoon: Co-Extrusion Die Analysis and Design
The final topic in the seminar will be about coextrusion. An overview of the most common problems associate with coextrusion flow fields will be presented along with their possible solutions. The attendees will be shown how the FLOW 2000, Multi-Layer and 2D FEM modules can be used to study virtually any coextrusion flow field with any combination of layers.

Bonus Simulation and Consultation Workshop on Nov 12

Short course attendees are invited to bring along some of their current problems and challenges for consultation with our experts and simulation software.

Short Course Cost:
The price for the Short Course is US$900/CDN$1200 for all 3 days. The price includes all course materials, software, computer rentals, breaks and a welcome reception on the evening before the seminar.

The registration fee also includes a 1-yr license of the FLOW 2000, Material module so that attendees can apply their knowledge to their work immediately upon completing this course. This is a $500 value.

As a special bonus, attendees will also qualify for a 50% discount on a 6-month trial license of any FLOW 2000 module.

Location and Hotel Information
The seminar will be held at the Boardwalk Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada).

3750 LAS VEGAS BLVD S
LAS VEGAS NV 89109

A block of rooms have been reserved until Oct 9, 2004 at a the special rate of US$59 plus tax.

Reservations can be made by contacting the hotel directly at:

Guestservices@boardwalklv.com
Fax - 702-730-3166
Phone - 702-730-3100
Toll Free - 866-595-3097

Hotel Phone Number:
702-735-2400

Registration
To ensure maximum benefit and adequate "Hands-On" computer time, registration will be limited so book early. Registration and payment must be received by October 9th. After this date there is no refund but substitutions are accepted.
To register of for more information Please Contact:

Tom Cunningham
Extrusion Technical Services
570-992-0961
tomcun@ptd.net