This second edition serves as a foundational guide to plastics thermoforming, covering the essential topics of the industry today. The authors take a process application approach to the topic, rather than focusing on theory. The book explains materials and processes, as well as part and tool design. This second edition includes thorough discussion of green plastics within an expanded chapter on environmental issues. The authors also cover quality control, which is critical to any operation. The book provides information about actual products and processes with the intent of understanding practical issues in the industry, which makes the book a valuable resource for students and professionals in the field of thermoforming, including manufacturing, managers, process engineers, and quality engineers. This second edition expands upon the original book and brings it up to date with additional data and key updates.
Introduction.- Plastics Materials.- Thermoforming Process Overview.- The Forming Process.- Part Design.- Mold / Tool Design.- Quality Control Issues.- Lean Operations.- Environmental Issues.
Peter W. Klein, Ph.D., is a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Engineering Technology and Management at Russ College of Engineering and Technology at Ohio University. Dr. Klein developed and taught a variety of courses including: Plastics Forming and Fabricating, Industrial Plastics, Plastics Molding Processes, Composites, Quality Assurance, and Introduction to Manufacturing Processes. He also taught Operations Management for the College of Business at the undergraduate, graduate, and executive MBA levels. Prior to joining the faculty at Ohio University in 1990, he held various management positions in the manufacturing operations areas at Hewlett Packard, IBM, and AMPEX Corp. Dr. Klein has authored numerous publications in the areas of plastics processing, operations management, and quality assurance.
Michael Kennedy, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Engineering Technology and Management at Ohio University. His M.S. thesis in Mechanical Engineering focused on composites. He continues to study plastics materials and processes.
