Scientific Molding

What is Scientific Molding?

Scientific Molding is a data-driven approach to developing, documenting, maintaining, and troubleshooting an injection molding process. Unlike traditional injection molding, Scientific Molding separates — or “decouples” molding processes into First Stage Filling, Second Stage Packing/Holding, and Cooling/Recovery. By identifying and isolating separate molding phases, a Scientific Injection Molding process minimizes shot-to-shot variation, improves molded part consistency, reduces scrap, and improves energy efficiency.

Once a scientific molding process is established, the process outputs are meticulously documented and optimized, which greatly simplifies troubleshooting and allows injection molding processes to be easily transferred to different molding machines.

What benefits can my company expect from Scientific Molding?

The benefits of properly-implemented Scientific Molding principles are manifold and immediate. These benefits include:

Accurate & Reliable Documentation

Properly documenting an injection molding processes is much more involved than simply jotting down machine settings. A “scientific” approach to process documentation primarily focuses on machine-independent process outputs — allowing you to quickly establish a given process on virtually any molding machine. Scientific process documentation also makes it easy for technicians to compensate for material variations and changes in processing conditions.

Improved Troubleshooting & Quality Assurance

The concept of Scientific Troubleshooting is quite straightforward: Determine what has changed in the process and then return the process back to the documented standard. If the process cannot return to the documented standard, the technician determines the specific condition that’s preventing this and corrects it. This returns the process back to the standard — and allows the machine to resume making good parts for the customer.

Increased Profits

A scientific process is a more profitable process. By allowing technicians to quickly identify, isolate, and correct molded part problems, a properly maintained Scientific Molding process reduces scrap and eliminates unnecessary downtime. This results in an increase of efficiently-produced, defect-free molded parts — and happier customers.

What does my company need to implement Scientific Injection Molding?

Most injection molding facilities already have all the equipment they need to run efficient, repeatable Scientific Molding processes. What’s really needed is a Structured Training Plan. Ongoing employee training is essential for instilling a company-wide commitment to quality and creating a culture of excellence. A strong in-house training program equips your technicians and engineers with the advanced processing skills they need to establish, maintain, and document Scientific Molding processes.

Turning technicians into good scientific molders only requires a few basic steps. First, provide them with a strong foundation of scientific processing concepts. Next, help them develop accurate and repeatable documentation skills. Finally, they’ll need strong scientific troubleshooting skills to identify the problem, interpret the process documentation, isolate what’s changed, and ultimately return the process to the approved standard.

How can Routsis help my company profit from Scientific Molding?

It’s simple: Routsis’s extensive experience in Scientific Molding consulting and training uniquely positions us to help your company decrease scrap and downtime while improving molded part quality. For over 30 years, we’ve been helping injection molders develop robust and reliable processes — improving their parts and maximizing their profits.

SmartTech™ On-Site Scientific Molding Training

The Routsis SmartTech™ program is the most effective hands-on training program for plastic processors and technicians. This unique combination of face-to-face instruction, online training, and hands-on skill development focuses on the science of injection molding — not just on the workings of a particular injection molding machine. Two-thirds of the time is spent at the machine, making it a better way to help your company improve its efficiency, profitability and competitive position.

Online Scientific Molding Training

Routsis has the largest library of online Scientific Molding training courses in the world. With courses that include material drying, material purging, process parameters, troubleshooting, and robotics, our extensive catalog of Scientific Molding training programs will help your employees successfully establish, document, and maintain a robust Scientific Injection Molding process.

We also offer exclusive, modular training packages that group our most popular Scientific Molding training courses — at significant savings when compared to purchasing the courses individually.

Scientific SkillSet™ Training Labs and Worksheets

Routsis’s Scientific SkillSet™ Series is a unique learning experience that combines detailed, step-by-step online instruction with practical hands-on labs and worksheets. Each of the twenty-six course/worksheet combinations focuses on developing important processing skills related to troubleshooting, optimizing, and documenting an injection molding process.

This exclusive training approach allows companies to perform the same type of classroom learning found in popular seminars in the comfort of their own production environment.