Master Molder® I
Course Description
There’s a reason why Master Molder has been the premier standard of excellence in molding for decades and continues to be a sought after qualification.
This 10-day certificate course focuses on the best practices of DECOUPLED MOLDING® II process development, documentation, and duplication for any mold in any capable machine. To help students apply scientific molding principles, the schedule offers a blend of hands-on time with the molds and machines and participative classroom time. The goal is not necessarily to be able to “run machines” but to achieve an understanding of the “whys” behind the manipulation of key processing variables from the plastic’s point of view.
During the last 2 days, participants are assessed on process development, process matching, and general molding theory and methodology through timed final exams to confirm the effective transfer of the critical knowledge and skills.
Anyone who is responsible for implementing a processing strategy in their plant or who is held accountable for quality issues are prime candidates for this training.
Students earn points through a combination of assessments:
- Quizzes
- Final Exams:
- Theory and Methodology
- Graphical Data
- Final Processing Exams:
- DECOUPLED MOLDING II Process Development for two different machines/molds
- Evaluate injection molding machine performance
- DECOUPLED MOLDING II process match on a different molding machine
A minimum of 80 out of 100 points is required to earn a Master Molder I Certificate of Completion.
Course length: 2 weeks
Course Objectives
- Use a proven sequence of data-driven studies to systematically develop DECOUPLED MOLDING II processes that meet given production and quality standards
- Duplicate established DECOUPLED MOLDING II processes on other target machines utilizing Machine Independent Variables to document and facilitate transfer
- Explore the process from the plastic’s point of view through the lens of the 4 plastic variables to better understand the implications of adjusting processing variables and as a means of troubleshooting processing inconsistencies and part quality issues
- Evaluate machine and non-return valve performance
Course Recommendations
It is strongly recommended that the participant has prior machine operation experience, has successfully completed the following courses, or has equivalent knowledge/experience:
Delivery Format Options
This course is available publicly or in-plant. Please contact us for requirements.
Daily Schedule Overview
(Subject to change at instructor discretion.)
Week 1
| Day | Theory & Methodology | Hands-on Lab Opportunities (Small group & Individual practice) |
| 1 | – The Molding System – The Injection unit – Safety | – Machine Familiarization – Machine Comparison – data gathering – Dynamic Check Ring Repeatability Study |
| 2 | – The clamping unit of the molding machine, terminology and tasks – Clamp force (tonnage) calculations and requirements – The mold components and terminology – Sinks, voids, and bubbles | – Clamp Force Calculations – Dynamic Cavity Imbalance Study |
| 3 | – Fundamentals of Hydraulics – Intensification Ratio and what it means – Process transfer calculation practice – Instrumented molding (Sensor types and placement strategies) | – Load Sensitivity Study – Injection Speed Linearity Study |
| 4 | – Polymer basics – Polymer behavior in injection Molding – Injection fill speed selection – Polymer shrinkage and stresses | – Fill Flow Study (Selecting an appropriate fill speed) |
| 5 | – Plastic Temperature – Screw geometry – Screw surface speed vs. RPM – Back pressure – Measuring melt temperature – Plastic Flow – Polymer flow behavior – Dynamic and static pressure losses | – Measuring Melt Temperature – Build and document a DECOUPLED MOLDING II process |
Week 2
| Day | Theory & Methodology | Hands-on Lab Opportunities (Small group & Individual practice) |
| 6 | – Plastic Pressure – Molding Techniques – DECOUPLED MOLDING II – DECOUPLED MOLDING III – Gate seal – Plastic cooling – Heat transfer – Plumbing water to the mold – Turbulent flow – Causes of warp | – Hold Time/Gate Seal Study – Build DECOUPLED MOLDING II processes – Match a DECOUPLED MOLDING II process in a different machine |
| 7 | – Economics – Graphical data interpretation | – Practice building and matching DECOUPLED MOLDING II processes |
| 8 | – Lab Practice Day | |
| 9 & 10 | – Testing | – Testing |