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The Department of Plastics Engineering at UMass Lowell has a long history as a leader in the area of Plastics Engineering Education. Plastics materials are being used extensively in the design and manufacture of new products. As a result, there is a need for graduate education in this specialized area of study. The Department of Plastics Engineering now offers a stand alone, four course Graduate Certificate in "Plastics Design".
This certificate program is designed for students who have attained a Bachelor’s degree and want more plastics design background, but are not ready to commit to completion of a Master’s degree. Admission to the program is open to candidates with a B.S. in Engineering or a related field. The graduate record exam (GRE) is not required for admission. Courses previously used for another Plastics Certificate may not be used for a second Plastics Certificate. However, certificate courses may be applied to appropriate graduate degrees if students want to continue their education. The Plastics Engineering Department makes every attempt to offer many of these courses during the evening so that students having full time jobs can complete the certificate program. Graduates who have already completed these course requirements can receive a retroactive certificate. For more information, go to http://plastics.uml.edu. Go to www.uml.edu/grad to apply for this certificate program.
Required Courses:
26.503 Mechanical Behavior of Polymers (3 credits) Mechanical properties of bulk polymers. Linear viscoelasticity, creep, relaxation, dynamic and stress/strain response phenomena. Principles of time/temperature superposition. Rubber elasticity. Failure behavior of polymeric materials.
26.518 Plastics Product Design (3 credits) Theoretical principles and sound engineering practice involved in the design of new end products made from polymers, applying the total systems approach to the balance between product design, choice of materials, and process technique, as they affect competitive choice for commercial success.
Elective Courses (choose two of the following):
26.506 Polymer Structure, Properties, and Applications (3 credits) Relationships between polymer structure (chemical composition, molecular weight and flexibility, inter-molecular order and bonding, supermolecular structure) and practical properties (mechanical, acoustic, thermal, electrical, optical and chemical) and applications.
26.523 Plastics Process Analysis (3 credits) Analysis of batch and continuous processes. Dimensional analysis. Thermodynamic properties of thermoplastics, enthalpy, heat capacity, sensible heat, heat of fusion, and heat of reaction. Scale-up and modeling of processes. PVT analysis of injection molding. Heat transfer with phase change. Applications in plasticating screw design for extrusion and injection molding.
26.541 Computer Applications in Plastics (3 credits) Problem solving in plastics engineering has been dramatically influenced by the computer and innovative software packages. This graduate course will focus on the application and development of software packages for engineering analyses of plastics processes. Specially, the course will cover the basic CAD programs, Pro/ENGINEER, SOLIDWORKS, followed by basic Pre- and Post-processor software, FEMAP, meshing program HYPERMESH, FEMLAB multiphysics, and MATHEMATICA.
26.549 Design with Elastomers (3 credits) This course covers the basics of thermoset and thermoplastic elastomer product design. Topics include mechanical behavior, large deformation structural analysis, design for manufacturability, performance limitations, and end use applications for elastomers and assembly considerations.
26.551 Computer Aided Extrusion Die Design (3 credits) This is a project oriented course that uses basic principles of fluid flow and CAE programs to design extruder dies. A review of the extrusion process, die technology and flow behavior of plastics is studied. Prerequisite: Students should be proficient with a computer aided design program. SolidWorks will be utilized.
26.552 Design of Polymer Processing Machinery (3 credits) Hydraulics, machine logic, drives, pumps, motors, heating barrel and screw combinations, mechanical design. Hydraulic and electrical control circuits development. A semester project is required.
26.576 Advanced Mold Design (3 credits) A continuation of 26.376. Selected topics include new materials of mold construction, machining operations, developments in rapid tooling, methods of mold repair, new developments in hot runners, and special tooling. An advanced treatment will be presented on mold filling, heat transfer, and freeing mechanisms.26.585 Computer Aided Engineering and Design I.
26.585 Computer Aided Engineering and Design I (3 credits) Finite element programs to perform linear and nonlinear stress analysis. CAE programs for detailed simulation of various plastics engineering processes.
26.586 Computer Aided Engineering and Design II Continuation of 26.585.
TOTAL: 12 Credits
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Contact Information |
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Professor Department of Plastics Engineering UMass Lowell Ball Hall Room 207
Tel: 978-934-3417 Fax: 978-934-3065 Email: stephen_mccarthy@uml.edu Department of Plastics Engineering Main Office Ball Hall Room 204 Tel: 978-934-3420 Fax: 978-458-4141 |
The UMass Lowell Office Hours: Monday thru Friday 8:30AM to 5PM
TEL 978-934-2381 800-656-GRAD FAX 978-934-3010 TTY 978-934-2367 Admissions Office: TEL 978-934-2373 FAX 978-934-4058 Email: graduate_school@uml.edu |
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To apply for this certificate program, go to Graduate Admissions.
For courses and descriptions, go to the UML Graduate Catalog.
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