Naples, Fla. — Beaumont Technologies is working to fill the plastic engineering gap.
The Erie, Pa.-based firm, founded by John Beaumont, a Plastics Hall of Famer who taught at Penn State-Behrend for 25 years, is promoting the American Injection Molding Institute, a study program that can provide the technical skills needed for the injection molding field.
The AIM Institute is located at Beaumont Technologies' Erie headquarters. The two-year-old program offers certification in addition to a variety of development courses. Courses are designed for a wide range of skill levels, including classes for engineering, technicians and management, with a focus on providing foundational knowledge.
Although the United States has 17,000 plastic manufacturing facilities, technical sales manager Alex Beaumont said only 250 people earn degrees in plastic engineering each year. That's only one for every 68 plastics locations.
Alex Beaumont — John's son — spoke at the 2017 Plastics News Executive Forum, March 28-29 in Naples.
Beaumont cited plastic materials as an area where training can be improved. The AIM program includes materials.
"A carpenter has to know wood, so injection molders need to know chemistry," he said.
Beaumont added that the AIM program "can fill the gap between training and institutions."
Later this year, AIM will have its first class focused on medical injection molding.
“Quality Systems for Medical Injection Molding” will be a three-day course for both molders and their original equipment manufacturer customers, held in August at AIM's headquarters in Erie, Pa.
Topics include regulatory requirements, referencing FDA (21CFR and ISO (13485) standards. Included in the course will be details on the steps needed to achieve ISO certification.
The course material covers a review of documentation requirements for part and mold design, mold/process validation and document control requirements for injection molding.
The course will be taught by John Anes, an independent consultant with more than 30 years of management experience in medical device development, manufacture and quality systems.
Tel. 866-344-9694, www.aim.institute.
