Rotational Molding Workshop at Penn College Is First of Its Kind

The Rotational Molding Center of Excellence at Pennsylvania College of Technology hosted its first Rotational Molding Workshop June 10-11.

Penn College established its Rotational Molding Center of Excellence a part of its Plastics Manufacturing Center in 2000 as a technical resource for the North American rotomolding industry and continues to develop the hands-on rotational molding program, including the hands-on seminar, the first of its kind in North America. The center partnered with the Association of Rotomolders International, which promoted the workshop as one of its Regional Technical Events.

Twenty-four participants attended, coming from 14 companies and schools in Texas, Pennsylvania, New York, Minnesota, Tennessee, Iowa, Ohio, Georgia and Canada. The course combined practical experience with classroom training on high-level technology in rotational molding, under the helm of lead instructor Paul Nugent, well known in the plastics field as the world's top expert in rotational molding.

The two-day workshop highlighted the connection among material preparation, molding parameters and final part quality. In addition to sessions in Penn College's plastics and polymer laboratories, New Berlin Plastics opened its doors to the group for hands-on training in producing large-scale parts.

"This was the best seminar/hands-on workshop I've attended in years," said Terrance J Gillian, of Paladin Sales in Uniontown, Ohio. "Penn College's Plastics Manufacturing Center is a progressive, innovative learning center that is very well-equipped for this type of event. They have a laboratory-size rotomolding machine, pulverizer and more test equipment than the Vegas CSI."

Students pursuing bachelor's degrees in plastics and polymer engineering technology at Penn College assisted in hands-on sessions. The students are hired research assistants for the Plastics Manufacturing Center.

Tuition for participants from many of the Pennsylvania companies attending the seminar was partially subsidized (60-75 percent) by Workforce Investment Boards across the state.

The Plastics Manufacturing Center at Penn College is one of the top plastics technology centers in the country, with extensive material-testing laboratories, industrial-scale process equipment, world-class training programs and highly skilled consulting staff. The center assists companies with new product development, material selection, testing and analysis, custom compounding, process technology, and workforce development.

To learn more about the Plastics Manufacturing Center at Penn College, call 570-321-5533 or visit online .

For general information about Penn College, visit on the Web , call 800-367-9222 or e-mail .