Course description

Failures arising from incorrect material selection and grade selection are persisting problems in different industries. 

There are almost 100 generic “families” of plastics and 1,000 sub-generic plastic types, available at over 500 suppliers.

The end users are responsible to select the right polymer for the right purpose. 

I will show you how to select polymers in a systematic way using my polymer selection funnel method.

We will go over the entire selection process, from how to establish part requirements, gather material data, rank different polymers all the way to how to select a vendor after selecting the polymer.

We will cover:

  • How to prevent plastic part failure
  • How to outline product requirements
  • How to define material selection factors
  • How to search for proper material data 
  • How to create a decision matrix and weighting different polymers
  • How to set up prototype and part testing 
  • How to select the optimal polymer material
  • How to select the optimal material vendor

In a few hours, you will learn everything you need to select the optimal polymer material for your project, save thousands of dollars by preventing part failure, and have fun in the process.

Let’s do it!

Course curriculum

  • 1

    Module 1: Introduction

  • 2

    Module 2: Funnel Step 1

    • Part 1: The Polymer Selection Funnel

    • Part 2: Funnel Step 1: Material Selection Factors

    • Part 3: Check List “Requirements for Funnel Step 1”

    • Module 2 - Funnel Step 1 - Course Slides

    • Funnel Step 1 - Support Materials
  • 3

    Module 3: Funnel Step 2

    • Part 1: Funnel Step 2: Decision on thermoplastic or thermoset resin

    • Part 2: Decision tree for thermoplastic vs. thermoset resin.

    • Part 3: Overview most used polymers

    • Module 3 - Funnel Step 2 - Course Slides

    • Funnel Step 2 - Support Materials
  • 4

    Module 4: Funnel Step 3

    • Part 1: Funnel stage 3: Selection discussion with work sheet

    • Part 2: Basics of the decision matrix analysis

    • Part 3: Approximate part costing

    • Module 4 - Funnel Step 3 - Course Slides

    • Funnel Step 3 - Support Materials
  • 5

    Module 5: Funnel Step 4

    • Part 1: Funnel stage 4: Testing, selection of material and resin supplier

    • Part 2: Part and system component testing

    • Part 3: Resin manufacturer and supplier selection

    • Module 5 - Funnel Step 4 Course Slides
  • 6

    Module 6: Example Applying the 4 Step Funnel

    • Funnel step 1: Material Selection Factors

    • Funnel step 2: Decision on thermoplastic or thermoset resin

    • Funnel step 3: Selection discussion with work sheet

    • Funnel step 4: Testing, selection of material and vendor

    • Module 6 - Example applying the 4 step funnel - Course Slides
  • 7

    Module 7: The Final Checklist

    • Funnel step 1: Material Selection Factors

    • Funnel step 2: Decision on thermoplastic or thermoset resin

    • Funnel step 3: Selection discussion with work sheet

    • Funnel step 4: Testing, selection of material and vendor

    • Module 7 - The Final Checklist- Course Slides

    • The Final Checklist - Support Materials

Instructor

Herwig Juster

Herwig is an accomplished polymer engineering professional with a solid educational background. He holds a BSc. and a MSc. in polymer engineering and science from the University of Leoben, Austria as well as a Ph.D. in polymer injection moulding from Johannes Kepler University Linz, Austria. Since 2015, he is active in the plastics industry having worked in different roles such as application technology development and new business development at major material supplier companies. He helps part designers and plastics professionals to select the optimal high performance polymer material. He also lectures insights into high performance polymers to industry professionals. Herwig also holds the blog "Find Out About Plastics", where he shares his experiences and know-how gained in the world of plastics on a regularly basis.

FAQ

  • How can I access the free introductory videos describing the courses?

    The free introduction videos are embedded in the course as a free feature. To be able to watch the free videos you have to be registered on the platform, which is both free and totally risk free. You just have to sign-in with an email/name, create your password. There is no obligation to buy anything. If you find a course which you like you will then be able to buy access by following the instructions.

  • Can we order as a company multiple seats and pay later over a classic invoicing process?

    Yes, you can. I will invoice the customer later and comply with their accounting/payable processes. In the meanwhile, I can manually enroll those students as they identify themselves on the platform with their name, email, etc.

  • Do you offer "company wide logins" or "annual subscriptions"

    This learning platform offers several possibilities and company wide logins as well as annual subscriptions are possible. We would have to negotiate pricing based on extent, number of employees, etc.

  • Will the VAt be added to the amount shown as a price?

    The final total price will always be the one shown on the button. If you register as an individual or choose not to fill-in VAT code, I will take the VAT expense on my side (19%). But the final price for you will still be the amount shown, like 47 USD for instance.

  • Will I have access to the lessons and slides forever once I enrolled and paid?

    The slides are downloadable, so you'll keep them forever. The video material will be available for you to view and review for several weeks (typically three months), with no limits on number of replay. Leaving unlimited access would harm my business over the long term, allowing people to share the course. However, if large companies would like to negotiate an annual subscription fee, we can discuss that.