There will be a series of eight of these, covering the scope of my traditional two-day seminar, no charge to attend, sponsored by IDES (www.ides.com). Each will be one hour in length, and attendees will be able to ask questions before, during and even after the sessions.  In addition, recordings of all the sessions will be available.

The first two of these were presented on May 12 and May 14.  They can be viewed and heard via the IDES website -- either find them on the site, or paste the links into your browser.  Links and contents are as follows:

May 12, The Ten Key Principles of Extrusion
Link: http://www.ides.com/webinars/2009/principles-of-extrusion.asp
 
These principles have been the basis for my seminars since 1986:

1. Why the material moves through the barrel .
2. Where the heat comes from, why we need it, and what happens when there’s too much.
3. Why speed must be controlled and how it’s done.
4. Why the real coolant is the resin itself.
5. The importance of sticking to the barrel in the feed zone.
6. The dominant role of resin cost.
7. The insignificant role of power cost.
8. The components of production rate and how to estimate an expected rate.
9. The special importance of melt pressure and temperature.
10. The meaning of shear-thinning, and
11. The counter effects of shear heating and barrel temperature controllers

May 14, Feeding the Hopper: Materials for Extrusion
Link: http://www.ides.com/webinars/2009/materials-for-extrusion.asp

Raw material is fed to the extruder, and is almost always the primary cost of the operation, so just as we must pay attention to the nutritional value of what we eat, we must also pay close attention to the material/feed -- its condition, form and properties. Discussion topics include:

Some definitions: plastic, polymer, compound, resin, olefin, elastomer, vinyl, styrenic, etc.
Formulation and "vitamins"(additives): stabilizers, fillers, tougheners, colorants, viscosity aids, etc.
The three densities (solid, bulk and melt).
Flow measurement: melt index, solution viscosities, actual flow tests, shear rate, melt strength.
Strength tests: reading a tensile curve and a report of multiple results.
Re-use of scrap and trim, contamination and degradation.
Importance of mixing, especially with blends, scrap and micro-additives.
Some quick and inexpensive tests that everyone can do.  

The other six sessions will take place in late summer and early fall, and will cover extrusion hardware, principles, operation and troubleshooting.

These are based on the seminar outline below, but adapted to individual needs and interests.  Charges for such a session are $2500 for the first day and $1500 for each additional day, plus expenses, plus travel time at $75/hour, no matter how many people attend.  Some sessions are focused on training of operators and technicians, others include trouble-shooting and consulting, and hours can be adapted to fit production needs.  In the future, it may be possible to do this by teleconference or videoconference, but the best training is still by direct encounter, plus my direct observation of the equipment and products.