Beaumont & Thogus Establish Strategic Plastics Continuing Education Initiative

In order to help the industry continue to advance, Beaumont Technologies has made it a priority to educate the plastics community through its Plastics Continuing Education courses.

“Beaumont’s courses are distinctly different than more common industry trainings because they provide a deeper knowledge-based education. Education versus training—this is part of what we refer to as the ‘Beaumont Difference,’” said company President John P. Beaumont. “The scientific foundation of our courses provides the sound footing needed for students to establish a more creative thought process that enables them to be more effective problem solvers.”

In addition to teaching key plastics principles through seven different courses, Beaumont’s classes also debunk many molding myths that are prevalent in the industry, while encouraging professionals to trade dated mold-ing ideas for innovative techniques that work more efficiently.

“Molding and product expectations today have gone well beyond the early days of ‘squirting’ plastic into a mold; yet, many of today’s design and molding practices are based on 30+ year-old ‘know how,’ traditions, hearsay, and myths that have no scientific foundation,” said Beaumont. “The higher product demands and increased competition requires engineers, technicians, and managers to develop a deeper scientific- based knowledge of plastics and how they interact with the mold, process, and part design.”

David Hoffman, Beaumont Senior Instructor and Course Development Manager, agrees that it is imperative for the plastics industry to continue advancing, especially when it comes to education. According to Hoffman, through cont- inuing education, professionals are challenged to adopt

Beaumont & Thogus Strategically Establish Plastics Continuing Education InitiativeMAPP Members Support Each Other by Emphasizing Importance of Continuing Education in Plastics

Thogus Products Company, a reputable Ohio-based plastics injection molder, sent nine employees to Beaumont’s ‘Mold Design for Project Engineers’ course. Attendees included, from left: Russ Wolff, Blair Mumau, Matt Schmidt, Dana Foster, Chad Shumaker (red), Dave Bascone, Shane Amsler (black), Dave Williams, Brad Krupa (black). Beaumont looks forward to working with Thogus in the future to offer additional training to its employees.

Beaumontinc.com/training

Thogus Employees Sound off on ‘Mold Design for Project Engineers’ CourseI thought the content was very informative, and I would recommend this course to anyone in injection molding. I gained a much greater understanding of everything that was dis-cussed, including plastic flow characteristics and the importance it has in injection molding. Some of the points I noted included:u Consider creating water diagrams as part of APQPu Check the cooling lines on the bench as part of the initial inspection u Document cooling flow during initial trial u Stay within 20°F between mold halves u Published melt flow data is not a good indicator of actual viscosity of a material

What I learned from the course can be applied both internally at Thogus and externally with our customer base. It has helped me communicate better with our program managers and engineers with respect to part requirements. I found the section on molds to be very interesting. The “Mold vs. Machine” section was also very useful. Anyone given the opportunity to attend this course should do so!

Russ Wolff Business Development Manager

Blair Mumau Program Manager

My biggest takeaway was learning how intricate the mold design can be. It was astounding to learn that because plastic flows differently than, say water, the most minute changes must all be monitored and controlled very closely. I will now be a more valuable member of my team; what I learned will help me to ask more educated questions during meetings and troubleshooting sessions. It was a very well-rounded,educational, and useful course. It provided me the opportunity to gain a more educated perspective on the business. I believe attending this course is a must-have for anyone serious about working in the industry.

Dave Bascone Operations Engineer

I would 100% recommend this course to another plastics professional—it was very eye opening! Much of the plastic industry’s standards and/or conventional ways of think-ing are not entirely accurate. Instead, many practices are just based off of past knowledge. Beaumont disproves the effectiveness of many rules that people generally use when design-ing molds, challenging the plastic industry’s conventional way of thinking. This course offers a new way of thinking, with emphasis on understanding plastic flow and using new technology within the industry as it grows.

Shane Amsler Process Engineer

“Mold Design for Project Engineers” was designed as a direct result from industry feedback; it was requested that an edu-cation course be modeled specifically for project engineers who are responsible for managing products from start to finish. This course educates professionals on fundamental plastic part and mold design principles, as well as defines key industry terminology. After attending this course, a plastic professional is better equipped with a new skill set that allows them to better comprehend and question the decisions made during the part and mold review process.

“Since most companies these days have several project engineers in-house, and most of those companies face the same educational challenges, this course seems to have really struck a chord within the industry,” said Hoffman. “With Thogus sending several employees from various departments to the same training course, it is a testament to Beaumont’s belief that a solid education in plastic rheology, design, and processing is critical to the success and profitability of a company.”

Overall, Thogus has sent nine employees to the “Mold Design for Project Engineers” course, during which they learned about key plastic principles, including plastic flow, types of

melt delivery systems, how to size up a mold for a given molding machine, mold cooling design strategies, and common mold design pitfalls, among other topics. Beaumont looks forward to collaborating with Thogus further to meet any edu-cation needs the company and its employees have in the future.

“It is impressive to see a company like Thogus, who has not only recognized the value of investing in quality personnel, but acknowledges the need to continue developing through plastics education,” said Beaumont. “Too often a company becomes lost in today’s problems and forgets to invest in the future of its employees. There is a good reason Thogus is successful.”

For additional information regarding Beaumont’s courses, please visit Beaumontinc.com/training. Courses are available for most plastics professions, including, but not limited to: quality control, management, mold designers, engineers, apprentices and technicians.

“Education versus training—

the Beaumont Di�erence.”

new methods and ideas that shy away from the “If it’s not broken, don’t fix it” attitude.

“In the course of developing our business over the past 15 years, we have seen many people travel down the wrong path as a direct result of this mentality,” said Hoffman. “By building each course on the science of plastic rheology, we help companies better understand how their design, process strategy, material, and mold manufacturing deci- sions affect the quality of a plastic part and the overall profitability of the business.”

One such company, Thogus Products Company (Thogus), a reputable Ohio-based plastic injection molder, approached Beaumont shortly after introducing its fifth training course, “Mold Design for Project Engineers. ” Thogus expressed interest

in developing a strategic educational partnership —one that would support Beaumont’s mission to advance education throughout the plastics in-dustry; and, one that would also benefit Thogus’ employees and the company’s overall operation.

“As Thogus emerges as the leading injection molder in northeast Ohio, the one thing that stands out

is how quickly the industry is changing. Being engaged in the forefront of change is critical for our

success; and in doing so, we must push forward with continuing plastics education,” said Matt Hlavin, president of Thogus. “Just like physicians who must remain in front of medical breakthroughs, we must do the same with our engineers and program managers in this new industrial revolution. I encourage each member of our team to welcome these education courses at Beaumont as a way to keep our focus open to new advancements. Whatever the future may bring, Thogus will be prepared.”

‘Mold Design for Project Engineers’ Most Popular Course YetBeaumont Technologies’ ‘Mold Design for Project Engineers’ course is by far the most favored, attracting nearly 40 plastics professionals between the two classes that have been held recently. Senior Instructor and Training Development Manager David Hoffman, at left, said, ‘Since most companies these days have several project engineers in-house, and most of those companies face the same education challenges, this course seems to have really struck a chord within the plastics industry.’

Beaumontinc.com/training

Thogus Products Company 33490 Pin Oak Parkway PO Box 330 Avon Lake, OH 44012Phone: (440) 933-8850 Toll Free: (866) 933-8850info@thogus.com | www.thogus.com

Beaumont Technologies, Inc. 1524 East 10th Street, Erie, PA 16511 p: (814) 899-6390 f: (814) 899-7117 e: info@Beaumontinc.com www.Beaumontinc.com

This was a very informative class that covers a lot of detail and was well presented. I will be able to take all of the knowledge of tool design that I learned to help with RFQ’s, troubleshoot tooling, and water and design issues. The most significant, added knowledge that I gained extended from the different mold gating and design part sections, as well as the detailed lesson about tool design. This was an area that I did not have much experience with before this course.

Dave Williams Process Engineer

I will be able to contribute more advising tool drawing reviews based on what I learned at Beaumont’s course. Learning how plastic material moves and flows through a mold has changed the way I am going to approach plastic molding. This course is a MUST for anyone looking for formal, educational training in plastic injection molding.

Brad Krupa Program Manager of Strategic Accounts

As someone who does not have a plastics or tooling background, I learned a lot about what goes into building a tool. This class provided a lot of useful information and even if one does not have a background in tooling, the information is easy to follow. The instructor is willing to answer any questions! Anyone in plastics, from management to tooling, operations to processors, would benefit from this course. Dana Foster

Marketing Manager

The biggest takeaway for me was the calculations for troubleshooting, which will give me a sales advantage for new customers. It will help me give solutions to my customers rather than just saying, “Yes, we can do this,” like a typical sales person may say. This course is the perfect balance of technical theory and real-world application.

Matt Schmidt Project Engineer

By incorporating the lessons learned about mold design, plastic flow, and machine capabilities taught by Beaumont, the Thogus team now has this new understanding of what it takes to make a quality part. This will ultimately benefit our customers. This course will help any company that is in the plastics industry. Knowing the benefits and limitations of plastic flow will help drive any project to success.

Chad Shumaker Program Engineer/Manager