April 12, 2019
Jim Plaunt (right) has more than 40 years of SMC and composite materials experience.
This May 22 – 23, 2019, IACMI will host the two-day workshop, “SMC 101: From What to Why,” at IACMI SURF in Detroit, Mich., which is open to anyone interested in discussing the benefits of application and learning about SMC.
“SMC 101: From What to Why” is led by industry expert, Jim Plaunt. Plaunt has more than 40 years of SMC and composite materials experience. Having worked at Ford Motor Company, Owens Corning Fiberglas and AOC and been a faculty member at Bowling Green State University, Plaunt combines industry knowledge with effective teaching methods to create a relevant and robust learning experience.
Plaunt appreciates the importance of understanding not only what a new manufacturing process entails, but also why it is done in the required process. “Manufacturing and SMC have always been an exciting part of my life. However, in this industry, I quickly learned that we do many important actions (the what to do) in SMC, but we don’t always know why we’re doing them. Although it’s good to find out how to do things properly, it’s more important to have the knowledge of why.”
As SMC applications continue to grow in the automotive industry – which is focusing on developing more fuel-efficient vehicles – new opportunities for SMC growth should arise in the automotive manufacturing sector. Advancements such as low-density SMC provide benefits to several Tier One suppliers and automotive OEMs.
Within the automotive industry, SMC is recognized as an alternative to aluminum and other lightweight material options; SMC stiffness properties are comparable to these other materials when properly designed. As alternative powertrain vehicles, such as electric, become more accepted by the general public, SMC will continue to provide an outstanding material option.
Join the “SMC 101: From What to Why” workshop on May 22 – 23, 2019 to learn more about best practices and techniques to create and repair SMC. Topics covered in the workshop include standard and low-density SMC, shrinkage control, SMC formulating, SMC compounding, compression molding SMC, and more. Workshop training fees for non-IACMI members are $650; IACMI members, $550; and students, $325. To learn more about the details of the workshop, click here to register by May 17, 2019.
For more information, visit iacmi.org/smc.