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International expertise abounds at rotomolding workshop

Scores of industry professionals gathered at Pennsylvania College of Technology’s Plastics Innovation and Resource Center this summer for advice about rotational molding from well-versed — and well-traveled — authorities in the field.

A total of 42 participants from 26 companies — representing 16 states, as well as Canada and Mexico — attended the ninth annual Hands-On Rotational Molding Workshop on the college’s main campus in June.

Attendees had the rare opportunity to absorb the insight of internationally known industry experts Paul Nugent, of MNOP Consulting in Reading, and Jerry Ramsey, president and owner of Akro-Plastics in Kent, Ohio.

Additional instruction was provided by Gary E. McQuay, PIRC engineering manager; Tom J. Van Pernis, instructor of plastics technology at the college; Brennan B. Wodrig, PIRC laboratory supervisor and project coordinator; and PIRC research assistants Casey A. Curtin and Jeremy M. Dorward.

“The workshop highlighted key principles that every rotomolder should know to be successful,” said Joey Morsi, project engineer for Formed Plastics Inc. in Carle Place, New York. “These principles are discussed in detail through lecture and reinforced through hands-on/visual learning.”

His colleague, Joseph C. Fusaro Jr., was so impressed that he emailed the workshop’s organizers shortly afterward:

“The facilities, class material, labs and hospitality were all top-notch,” he wrote. “Joey and I are on a ‘plastic information high’ from Paul’s entertaining information sessions. … I can’t refer to them as ‘lectures’ because that sounds boring and it wasn’t, in the least! … We really learned a huge amount, which is absolutely invaluable in troubleshooting, and machine setup and parameters. It was well worth the investment, and I will be sure to pass that along to as many people as I can!”

Their comments were echoed by a number of participants, who covered such hands-on topics as material preparation, molding with temperature and pressure control, and parts testing.

Penn College is among just a handful of institutions in the nation offering degree programs in plastics that are accredited by the Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission of ABET. For information on the majors within the School of Industrial, Computing & Engineering Technologies, visit www.pct.edu/icet or call 570-327-4520.

The PIRC is one of the premier plastics technology centers in the nation for research, development and education related to injection molding, extrusion, blow molding, rotational molding and thermoforming.

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