Educational Symposium

The training is designed for those individuals who are seeking an increased degree of knowledge related to the science behind the design and creation of rubber parts. The course is designed to give practical assistance in answering day-to-day questions related to shop floor issues and customer questions. By applying the principles outlined in this training, the participant should expect to be able to improve the quality of their rubber fabrications.
Course content includes:
 What is rubber
 Why do engineers use it
 Differences between rubber and plastic
 Types of rubber; how are they different
 How to select the type of rubber for the application
 How rubber compounds are formulated basic overview of constituents
 How rubber compounds are mixed; overview of mixers and mixing methods
 Rubber curing and its relationship to properties
 How to test rubber
 Rubber bonding
 Rubber molding
 Improving rubber part quality
Instructor: Joe Walker, Elastomer Technologies
CEUs: 0.4

If you are new to the industry, working in Engineering, Sales, Administration, Human Resources or any other non-technical area, and you’d like a very basic, easy to understand introduction to the jargon of the trade and what goes on in the factory and lab, then this one-day course is perfect for you. You won’t come out a rubber expert, but you will understand all the basics of the technology and the language of the business.
The course material will cover:
• What polymers are, how rubber is different from plastic
• How recipes for rubber compounds are created and why
• What’s involved in mixing, processing and vulcanizing rubber
• Testing, specifying and quality control of rubber products
CEUs: 0.7
Instructor: Eli Miller Hexpol Compounding
 

The focus of this training session it to provide the attendee an increased level of insight into the silicone rubber family of polymers. The course will take the participant through the process of making silicone polymer, selecting the polymer architecture, cure systems, formulating and fabrication.
Course content includes:
• How silicones are made
• What makes silicone a specialty polymer; when to use it over other polymers
• The influence of polymerization on suitability of manufacturing process
• Essential differences between high consistency (millable), RTV and liquid silicone rubber
• Influence of filler types
• Cure systems
• Mixing/manufacturing compounds
• Fabrication technologies; how to set up the process
• Adhesion
• Troubleshooting guide
Instructor: Joe Walker, Elastomer Technologies
CEUs: 0.4

This course is designed to provide the attendee an in depth understanding of the influence of the mixing process and the characteristics of the mixed compound. The focus of the training will be on reducing the batch to batch variation commonly associated with batch mixed rubber compounds. The use the Association of Rubber Products Manufactures Compound Consistency Guideline will be used to walk each aspect of rubber compound manufacture.
Course content includes:
• Raw material specifications
• Storage of raw materials
• Error proofing
• Weigh-up controls
• Batch sizing
• Integrated power mixing
• In process mixer data and analysis
• Two roll mill controls
• Compound properties vs. the mix fingerprint
• Testing the compound
Instructor: Joe Walker, Elastomer Technologies
CEUs: 0.4

This presentation covers many topics dealing with Internal Mixers and Mixing Parameters (the things that affect rubber mixing). It starts off with a brief history of mixing equipment, goes into what an internal mixer is and some of its different options, covers the different types of rotors and how they differ, then spends a great deal of time looking into the influence of various mechanical and non-mechanical parameters and the effects they have on rubber mixing, production uniformity, wear and damage, the mixing process and finishes with actual examples of problems encountered in the field, what caused them and how they were resolved.
CEUs: 0.7
Instructor: Richard J. Jorkasky II, Consultant

This program is designed to show how to establish a rubber molding process based on cross link density. The course is designed to show the influence of cross link density on mechanical properties as well as its influence on de-molding. The overall focus is the design of a rubber molding process that yields the most consistent properties.
Course content includes:
• Selection of the correct polymer characteristics to match the molding process
• Understanding curing of rubber
• How to measure cure state
• Relationship between cure state and physio-mechanical properties
• Role of mold temperature and it variation reduction
• Heat transfer models in predicting cure time
• Insert molding
• Selecting mold release
• Post mold curing
• Verification of the molding process
Instructor: Joe Walker, Elastomer Technologies
CEUs: 0.4

This course will cover the following topics:
• Silicone Characteristics and Benefits
• Different Types (I would focus on primarily VMQ, not fluro or phenyl)
• How it is made
• Why it is different than other materials
• Curing
• Silica Powders
• Additives for different properties and applications
• HCR Processing
• LSR Differences – properties and processing
• Q&A
CEUs: 0.4
Instructor: Todd Kamyszek, Silmix