OCTOBER 1997
Volume 3 • Number 2
ON-THE-JOB
AIN'T ENOUGH TRAINING FOR TODAY'S TECHNOLOGY
You know technology is changing. But is your training changing
with it? It should, according to a new PTDC team charged with
shepherding the Center's many educational offerings. "I'd say
that 80 percent of plastics manufacturers have not offered the
kind of comprehensive technical training their employees need,"
says Dave Baird, a Penn State Erie lecturer in engineering. "The
problem is compounded because the plastics industry is newer,
and continues to grow at an enormous rate, so the number of qualified
people available is inadequate."
A
new hire, Baird will split his time between teaching plastics
processing to undergraduates enrolled in Penn State Erie's Plastics
Engineering Technology Program (PLET), and coordinating plastics-related
training through the PTDC and the College's Division of Continuing
and Distance Education. PTDC Technical Director Larry Partch and
Continuing and Distance Education area rep Mike McDavid round
out the new training team.
WHO'S
READING THE MANUALS? One problem, Baird says, is that microprocessors
now rule the shop floor. These are machines loaded with sophistication
-- and mystery. "A lot of people are running new machines like
the old ones, ignoring fine-tuning features that help you make
parts better and faster," he explains. "Why? Because most people
are resistant to change, and they don't have the motivation to
grab an inch-thick manual and read it on their own."
Compounding
this challenge is a lack of formal training . "When you learn
on your own, or learn on-the-job, you tend to expect one solution
to fit every problem. It doesn't," Baird laments. Partch concurs.
"People on the floor usually learn by trial-and-error which is
time consuming and wasteful," he says. "With training, you can
shortcut the learning curve on these high-technology machines."
THEORY
WITHOUT FEAR Knowing the scientific theory behind the whys
and hows of plastics behavior is key to keeping pace with changing
technology. "When you understand the molecular changes a plastic
will undergo during processing, you're better able to trouble-shoot,
no matter what system or process you're using," Baird says. "The
principles of temperature, pressure, and other machine parameters
can be scientifically approached to create good parts."
The
science of processing isn't scary, Baird promises. "Process optimization
is one of our strengths at the PTDC," he says. "There will be
no test tubes or complicated formulas. It's theory without fear."
NEW
SCHEDULING STRATEGIES To better help its clients rise to the
challenge of advanced technologies, the PTDC/PLET is developing
a comprehensive schedule for its 1998 training seminars and workshops.
Custom
in-house workshops continue to be an option for employers with
a large number of trainees, or who want employees to learn right
on the machines they operate. Workshops and seminars held at Penn
State Erie, however, have a new twist. In addition to training
sessions scheduled around breaks in the College's academic schedule,
new weekend sessions are planned. "Weekends seem to be catching
on around the country; more and more programs are spilling into
them," Baird says. "Giving up a Friday or a Saturday is a way
for the employee to contribute to his or her training."
Schedule
suggestions are welcome, adds Mike McDavid. "Our job is to make
training convenient for employees and employers alike."
Multiweek
credit and non-credit coursework, as well as a two-year associates
and a four-year Bachelors degree in plastic engineering technology,
continue to be available, also.
EXPECT
A SURVEY Because it's been two years since the PTDC last attempted
to formally gauge plastics companies' training needs, a new survey
will be sent to CEOs this fall. Look for it in your mail, and
please take the time to return it. It will help us better help
you.
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CURRENT
SEMINARS
Injection Molding Workshop
This 32-hour intermediate-level workshop on the injection molding
of thermoplastics is taught by Brad Johnson, a Penn State Erie
lecturer in engineering, who is affiliated with the PTDC. Cost
is $1065 per student.
The
Mold Designer's & Molder's Guide to Part Design
John Beaumont, assistant professor of engineering, teaches this
popular 16-hour workshop on design of injection molded parts.
Cost is $460 per student.
Injection
Mold Filling Analysis: An Overview
This is a 16-hour workshop on molding filling analysis technologies
delivered by John Beaumont. Cost is $480 per student.
Applying
Design of Experiments and Other Process Improvement Techniques
to Plastics Processing
Brad Johnson teaches this 32-hour overview of basic statistics,
experimental design, and other problem solving tools. Cost is
$1,145 per student.
Basic
Injection Molding
This 16-hour program covers basic injection molding theory, as
well as some processing instruction. It is delivered by PTDC staff
only at the customer's site; 15 students is the maximum per session.
Plastic
Product Design: An Overview
In 16 hours, an instructor will provide an overview of selecting
a process and material for a product, along with design considerations.
Students will also learn the different materials and their properties;
plastics processes; as well as prototyping and assembly techniques.
Cost is $3,200 per on-site session, including instructor travel
expenses within 150 miles of Erie. Other distances can be quoted.
Introductory
3D Solids Modeling
A PTDC instructor spends three days offering one-on-one instruction
in introductory Pro/ENGINEER 3D solids modeling. Maximum two students
per session. Cost is $995 per student.
For
schedule information, phone Mike McDavid, Penn State Erie Continuing
and Distance Education rep, at (814) 898-6103.
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TRAINING
MONEY AVAILABLE
The Erie County Technical Institute supports PTDC training for
employees of plastics manufacturers and suppliers to plastics
manufacturers. Tuition reimbursement varies, but can reach as
high as 50 percent for each eligible employee. To find out what
kind of reimbursement you can expect for PTDC training, call Mike
McDavid at (814) 898-6103.
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WANT
TO KNOW MORE? COURSE CATALOG AVAILABLE NEXT MONTH
A
brochure that details all PTDC seminars and courses to be offered
between January and summer 1998 will be available the first week
of November. To make sure you receive a copy, phone Mike McDavid
at (814) 898-6103.
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MEMO
TO MANUFACTURERS: WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT A NECESSARY EXPENSE AND
A CRITICAL INVESTMENT
No
matter where we turn these days - national experts, manufacturing
leaders and key customers all agree that the future of the plastics
industry in our region depends significantly on the quality of
the workforce at all levels of the enterprise. In the words of
GE's CEO, Jack Welch, "The job of the enterprise is to provide
an exciting atmosphere that's open and fair, where people have
the resources to go out and win. The job of the people is to take
advantage of this playing field and put out 110 percent."
The
pace of technological change in our plastics industry is growing
at unprecedented levels. Those of you attending the NPE '97 clearly
recognize that our industry is advancing at an exponential rate,
fueled in part by a strong economy, customer demands, as well
as the programs being advanced at a number of area colleges and
universities, such as Penn State Erie. But, our people and our
customers are demanding more -- opportunities to achieve more,
to be more productive, to reduce waste and variability. Our manufacturing
leaders need to continually identify and promulgate opportunities
for the enterprise and its most important asset, its human resource,
to keep up with the pace of change, to give 110 percent and as
a result win in the marketplace.
Of
course, this means that our workforce from entry level shop floor,
to senior engineer, to operations manager, to the executive level
must grow to meet these ever increasing demands. How do we do
this? One answer may be in developing human resources that adapt
readily to change, work well as individuals or as a team and understand
and use current technologies. But, as we know, workforce development
through training, education, learning teams, seminars, workshops,
etc. require an ongoing resource commitment which manifests itself
in an expense - time, dollars and lost production.
A
training and education investment is difficult to justify. While
our industry leaders know it is the right thing to do, workforce
development does not have a straightforward return- on-investment
or payback. Many times the return on developing our human resources
cannot be realized until months or even years pass and it is often
made more difficult by our uncertainty in applying traditional
financial means to identify the dollars saved or revenue growth.
With this uncertainty comes risk. Risk in getting the right training,
the right resources and providing an environment which is conducive
to learning. Then, further risk comes through applying the learning
in the workplace to initiate change and improvement.
- You
will be hearing more from the PTDC in the very near future through
two exciting workforce development efforts. The PTDC is bringing
Penn State Erie's successful Computer-Aided Engineering Consortium
to Northeast Ohio. More than just exposure to the technology,
this series of workshops and hands-on learning experiences help
plastics designers and processors understand the science of
injection molding and what many of today's technologies can
do to enhance your productivity and profitability. Space is
limited, please call PTDC's George Anthony at 216/432-5366 for
more information.
-
In concert with Penn State's Plastics Engineering Technology
and Continuing and Distance Education Divisions, the PTDC is
initiating an important industry survey to better understand
your current and future needs for workforce training and education
in plastics and plastics- related technologies. We need your
participation as it is critical to our applying our resources
in a way that most benefits that plastics industry in our region.
For more information, please call me at 814/898-6132.
The
PTDC and its resource partners CAMP, Inc. and Penn State Erie
stand ready to assist you in evaluating the risks and benefits
of workforce development. We want to help you make the most of
your human resource investment and minimize your risk whether
it be through training in the latest plastics design and processing
technologies or softer skills such as teambuilding, group problem
solving or communication. We are committed to helping you and
the plastics industry in our region -- WIN!
-
David Thomas-Greaves, Director
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