Kistler Instrument Corporation partners with FimmTech to boost injection moulding education. This collaboration will see Kistler’s cavity pressure sensors and process monitoring systems integrated into FimmTech's injection moulding seminars, providing practical, hands-on training of measurement-based process control.
Kistler
Kistler partners FIMMTECH Inc to promote injection moulding education
Manufacturers are pressured to reduce scrap, improve repeatability, minimise costs, and address workforce skill gaps, while meeting traceability and digitalisation requirements. This new training portfolio combines scientific moulding methodology with measurement technology, allowing moulders to achieve these goals more efficiently.
“We have seen first-hand how processors sometimes struggle when they have the equipment but not enough process knowledge to use it effectively, or when they have the knowledge but lack the tools. This partnership provides both simultaneously for deeper process understanding and effective use of the technologies,” said Suhas Kulkarni, President at FimmTech. “I think cavity pressure technology is a must-have technology, especially when it comes to precision moulding, such as in medical products, where there are several dimensions that need Cpks upwards of 1.33. Moulders struggle with parts where the process windows are very small because of the nature of the part or mould design. The use of cavity pressure technology is the perfect solution here.”
Integrating cavity pressure sensors and process monitoring systems from Kistler into FimmTech's training seminars and technical workshops is at the heart of the partnership. Participants will work directly with professional Kistler equipment, applying measurement-based process control.
“Cavity pressure monitoring has long been proven to reduce scrap and improve process stability, but our goal has always been to make it more than just a tool. We want it to become a fundamental part of how moulders think about their process,” said Kim Pfluger, General Manager at Kistler North America. “Through this partnership, we are also strengthening relationships within the plastics processing community, and that matters as much as the technology itself.”
The seminars are designed for anyone involved in the moulding process, including:
- Process engineers.
- Technicians.
- Tooling engineers.
- Quality personnel.
- Program managers.
- Production managers.
FimmTech's instructors teach a curriculum that covers the full spectrum of injection moulding: from scientific moulding and experiment design to polymer materials, melt preparation, part and mould design, and quality control.
“Partnering with Kistler allows us to strengthen our commitment to a data-driven approach to process control. Integrating live cavity pressure monitoring into our seminars gives participants a visceral understanding of what is happening inside the mould, and this understanding is transformative. This is how we enable the next generation of moulders to shift from reactive troubleshooting to predictive control,” concluded Kulkarni.
The seminars are offered mainly in-person in Southern California; they will be available in other parts of the US regularly, including at UMASS, Lowell, where Kulkarni is an adjunct faculty, while online and hybrid options are also available.