Purpose & Overview:
This one-day seminar is designed to provide a basic understanding of material behavior in thermoforming, sheet extrusion, and part performance. It will provide an overview of ASTM and other laboratory tests, the specific material property tested and how it relates to thermoforming. An understanding of the applicability of tests and its importance will be presented. The attendee will understand material properties, what properties to test, how it relates to thermoforming and why it's important for quality management. Additionally, a typical QA/QC laboratory scenario will be presented for open discussion.

About the Instructor: Donald Hylton
Donald Hylton has 25 years in industrial and academic experience in polymer testing, testing method development, polymer processing and product development for thermoforming applications. He is one of the few Fellows of the Society of Plastics Engineers. As a Polymer Scientist with General Electric he helped to develop proprietary instrumentation that successfully predicted thermoformability of forming materials and developed many new test procedures. He later joined Exxon where he was a Product Development Specialist for thermoformable polypropylene. He also provided technical service and troubleshooting to the thermoforming industry. He developed several tests for evaluating formability including a sag test that is used extensively for polypropylene product development. As a Testing Technology Scientist at Exxon, he became the focal point for laboratory testing, procedure development and quality assurance. He also served as chairman of ASTM's Subcommittee on film and sheeting. In 1995 he joined the staff at Clark Atlanta University as Associate Director of the Science Research Center where he is responsible for center operations, safety and quality assurance. In addition, he has continued research in test method development and thermoforming process and material development. He has many publications and has given numerous lectures on material behavior and test methods for thermoforming.

Seminar Content:
Opening • Introduction • Scope of seminar
Introduction to Viscoelasticity • What is viscoelasticity • Why is it important
What Affects Viscoelsticity • Polymerization: definition, molecular structure, molecular weight and molecular weight distribution • Morphology: definition and why is it important • Heat Histories: sources and why is it important • Blending/Alloying: additives, pigments, modifiers and why is it important • What polymers are best for thermoforming and why
Role of Viscoelasticity in Thermoforming • Sheet Extrusion • Forming • Final Part Properties
Affect of Material Properties in Thermoforming • Principle of Accountability • Flow Diagram • Polymerization • Compounding • Sheet Extusion • Heating, Cooling • Sag Characterization • Part Formation • Part performance
Overview of Material Testing • Why Testing is Important • ASTM Testing: explanation, illustration, applicability • Other Tests: explanation, illustration, applicability
What Test are Most Important • Identification of Critical Characteristics • Applicable Tests: Thermoforming, sheet extrusion, end use • How to Test • What Does It all Mean
Material Testing as a Quality Control Tool • Quality Scenario: outline, model, expected outcomes • Specifications: What are they, accessing capabilities, statistical process control • Partnering
Forum on Thermoforming Technology • Computer Simulation • Thermal Analysis • New Technologies