Plastics Training Academy Workshops and Seminars:
Instructors
JOHN BEAUMONT
John Beaumont is an associate professor and chair of the plastics engineering technology program at Penn State Erie, where he is also the founder and director of the Plastics CAE Center. He is on the board of directors of the Injection Molding Division of the Society of Plastics Engineers and was the chairman in 1998-99. In 1998, John founded Beaumont Runner Technologies, Inc., which focuses on the design and development of hot and cold runner technologies, including his patented MeltFlipper technology. He is the co-author of Successful Injection Molding and a contributing author to the new Injection Molding Handbook. His past industrial experience includes positions as technical manager for Moldflow's U.S. operations and engineering manager for Ciba Vision Corp. John has numerous design and process patents, has authored dozens of technical papers and journal articles, and has served as an expert witness on mold design litigation.
JOHN BOZZELLI
John Bozzelli is a graduate of Marietta College (BS) and Ohio University (MS). His studies were interrupted for a stint in Vietnam (US Army, Purple Heart; Silver Star). Twenty years of Dow Plastics provided extensive experience in polymer synthesis, development, production, and processing. John has been a seminar leader with RJG Associates, Injection Molding Magazine, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, General Polymers and John Klees. Competent in resin characterization and analysis, his specialty is practical, hands-on injection molding training with both small and large machines. National recognition has come through 10 patents, over 60 papers covering plastics, processing, machine specifications, and over 12 years on the national seminar circuit.
DONALD DAY
Donald E. Day is professor emeritus at Monroe Community College in Rochester, New York. He served as a faculty member in the engineering department for more than twenty years, and in 1980 he received Monroe College's Distinguished Professor Award. Don is an award-winning designer, and a successful engineer, consultant, and trainer. He jointly holds three patents with Eastman Kodak. In 1993, Don received certification from Motorola University in Six Sigma concepts. His seminars are a mix of modern concepts, humor, and uncommon sense. His student evaluations consistently rate him as one of the best instructors they have ever had. He serves on five National Standards Committees: Y14, Y14.5M. Y14.5.2, Y14.8 and B89.3.2. Day is the president of Inter-Med, Inc., which produces an air clutch brake for the food packaging industry.
MARTY DROPIK
Marty Dropik brings nearly 25 years experience in the plastics industry to Penn State Erie, with a major share of his background in the toy industry at Fisher-Price, a leading manufacturer of children's products. He was formally employed with the Plastics Technology Deployment Center (PTDC) as a senior plastics engineer from 1997 to 2000. Dropik holds a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the State University of New York at Buffalo (SUNYAB), where he has taken additional courses towards his Masters Degree in Engineering. He is currently enrolled in the Masters in Manufacturing Systems Engineering at Penn State Erie. At Fisher-Price, Marty held a variety of plastics engineering positions, including Computer Aided Engineering, management, materials engineering, and processing. He most recently was a Senior CAE Staff Engineer in Product Development Engineering. Marty was also owner and president of Dropik Design Services, consultants geared towards providing flow analysis, product design, mold sourcing, and plastics engineering for companies in the automotive, medical, and consumer goods industries. Some of his computer experience includes Pro/ENGINEER, Moldflow, Ansys, Hypermesh and ADAMS software. He is currently a member of the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) and the Society of Mechanical Engineers (SME).
DR. DONALD HEANEY
Donald Heaney holds a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering and a Professional Engineering License in Metallurgy. He has held senior engineering positions at 3M in their Microelectronics Division and at Zimmer Orthopaedics prior to becoming the Associate Director of the Center for Innovative Sintered Products at the Pennsylvania State University. HIs research efforts focus on micro-miniature device fabrication utilizing tooling fabricated by micro EDM and lithography techniques, medical material (titanium, F75, 316LSS, ceramics, refractory metals) P/M processing, utilization/understanding of polymers for net shape fabrication, and alloy development for predictable fracture behavior and process independent strengthening. Dr. Heaney is also the President of Advanced Powder Products, Inc. (APP), a commercial venture that specialized in the prototyping and manufacturing of difficult to fabricate components. APP utilizes press and sinter, powder injection moding, and centrifugal investment casting technology for rapid prototyping, time critical manufacturing, and high volume manufacturing. APP practices batch atmosphere and vacuum sintering, as well as continuous hydrogen sintering. APP is ISO 9001-2000 certified and is currently active in the manufacture of medical, military, electromechanical, automotive, and hardware components.
DAVID HOFFMAN
David Hoffman holds an Associate Degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology and a Baccalaureate Degree in Plastics Engineering Technology. He has authored various published Antec papers in regards to mold filling variations and recycling thermoset phenolics. He also worked as the Engineering Manager for an automotive supplier of high precision plastic components and assemblies. While there, David was involved in part design, processing, mold design, quality control, quoting, and customer interaction. David then worked with Mack Molding in Vermont as a Sales Engineer with similar job responsibilities. He is currently Technical Director of Sales & Marketing for Beaumont Technologies, Inc. David is the co-inventor on BTI's MeltFlipper(R) MAX(TM) melt rotation patent.
BRAD JOHNSON
Brad Johnson has been teaching in Penn State Erie's plastics engineering technology program since 1994. Prior to joining Penn State, he accumulated eleven years of industrial experience, most of which were spent as program manager, design engineer, project/processing engineer, and production supervisor at OSRAM SYLVANIA, Inc. His primary expertise is in injection molding and process optimization. Along with developing some of the processing classes, he has also taught plastic materials and quality control classes while at Penn State. Brad holds bachelor's and master's degrees in chemical engineering from Virginia Tech. He is currently Injection Molding Division Chair for the Society of Plastics Engineers.
JAMES LADTKOW
James Ladtkow is a graduate of the University of Colorado with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and is currently pursuing an MBA. James has over twelve years of experience in medical product support and medical injection molding. During that time, he has successfully applied the theories of decoupled molding, design of experiments, and statistical process control to injection molding processes. He was awarded a patent for an insert molded surgical instrument and has applied for a process patent on a unique insert molding technique. He is currently employed by a major blood tubing set manufacturer, specializing in the areas of plastic part design, tooling design, and process validation. James is also responsible for in-house training for injection molding and process validation. He regularly consults for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on the topics of plastic processes used in medical devices and process validation for molding and extrusion.
NORMAN LEE
Norman C. Lee, a Blow Molding Consultant, is the author of textbooks and video that are used in his seminar courses. Norman received an HNC from Northampton College of Technology in England and has been involved in the plastics industry since 1950. During his career he has held various tooling, design, and research and development positions Carolina Enterprises, Inc., Fisher Price Toys, and Plastic Omnium Zarn. His main focus for the last 20 years has been in Blow Molding. Norman Lee has been granted 30 U.S. and foreign patents and has been and still is active in SPE in the Plastic Environmental, Blow Molding and Plastic Design and Development Divisions.
JERRY LORD
Jerry Lord is a professional adult educator with over thirty years of experience in field service engineering, process engineering, and maintenance engineering. Jerry uses a focused technical training approach, an educational and problem solving approach for identifying current performance gaps and providing timely instruction and support that enable learners to close those gaps. His educational style is directed toward the empowerment of learners: “Maintaining a competent, capable, and empowered workforce is the best way to secure a successful business environment which, in turn, will furnish the quality of work-life that all stakeholders desire. Training that focuses on these goals is an essential component of any business plan.” Jerry has designed and presented numerous successful training programs for the SUNY, BOCES, and Penn State systems, and he delivers technical training services and support to the industrial community. In addition to earning an A.A.S. degree in electrical engineering from Mohawk Valley Community College, Jerry earned a B.A. degree in liberal studies and an M.S. degree in adult education, both from Syracuse University. Jerry is continuing his study through Syracuse University, focusing on group behavior in industrial environments.
JONATHAN MECKLEY
Jonathan Meckley is a lecturer in plastics engineering at Penn State Erie's plastics engineering technology program. He was a senior plastics engineer with the Plastics Technology Deployment Center (PTDC) from 1994 to 1998. Jon holds associate and bachelor's degrees in mechanical engineering technology from Penn State Erie and a master's degree in plastics engineering from the University of Massachusetts—Lowell. After earning his undergraduate degrees, Jon worked with solids modeling and operated the stereolithography machine at Penn State Erie's Plastics Technical Center. From 1992 to 1994, he was a design engineer and co-owner of Innovation Design Services, Inc., a computer-aided engineering consulting firm for the plastics industry.
DR. ELDRIDGE MOUNT
Eldridge Mount is an independent consultant to the films and polymer processing industry in polymer extrusion, co-extrusion, and film converting. His career in plastics began in the summer of 1970, as a summer engineer at GE, working with Epoxy/glass filament winding and then at Rensselear Polytechnic Institute where he performed an experimental and theoretical study of the melting and extrusion behavior of solid polymers to earn his advanced degrees. From 1978 to 2000 he has worked for ICI Americas and Mobil Chemical Films Division in the area of extrusion, co-extrusion and film orientation technology and led the exploratory product development for BOPP packaging films. He has presented ANTEC papers in the areas of extrusion and co-extrusion of films. An SPE member since 1975, and a Fellow of SPE, Eldridge has been member of the Extrusion Division Board of Directors since 1981 and an Executive Committee Member (2001-2004). He is also the AIMCAL Metallizing consultant and currently; holds 8 US and two European Patents in the field of co-extruded PP films. Eldridge earned a BA in Chemistry and an ME and Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering.
DR. JOHN PERDIKOULIAS
John Perdikoulias is Vice President of Compuplast International in charge of the Canadian Office servicing our North American accounts. John is a Professional Engineer with over 15 years of "hands on" experience in the extrusion industry. Before joining Compuplast International Inc., John was responsible for research and development with respect to screw and die design for Brampton Engineering Ltd. He has designed numerous screws and over 200 dies for the tubular (blown) film process including the first commercially available 8 and 9 layer dies in the world. John has also designed numerous dies for pipe, tubing, blow molding, coating and profile applications. John has a B.Eng. (1985) and a M.Eng. (1988) from McMaster University and a Ph.D. (1997) from the University of Waterloo.
DR. JEFFREY PINTO
Jeffrey Pinto is the Samuel A. and Elizabeth B. Breene Fellow and Associate Professor of Management in the School of Business at Penn State Erie. His major research focus has been in the areas of Project Management, Information System Implementation, and the Diffusion of Innovations in Organizations. In addition to his faculty appointment at Penn State, he holds the title of Research Scientist with the National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis (NCGIA) through the Department of Spatial Information Science and Engineering at the University of Maine. He is the author or editor of ten books and over 100 scientific papers that have appeared in a variety of academic and practitioner journals, books, conference proceedings, and technical reports. He is also a frequent presenter at national and international conferences and has served as keynote speaker and as a member of organizing committees for a number of international conferences. He served as Editor of the Project Management Journal from 1990 to 1996. He sits on the editorial review boards or serves as an ad hoc reviewer for a number of professional journals, including IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, Journal of Management Studies , and Project Management Journal. Jeffrey has consulted widely with a number of firms, both domestic and international, on a variety of topics, including information system implementation, organization development, project management, leadership, and conflict resolution. A partial list of his consulting clients includes: General Electric Company, Aker Rauma Offshore Oy (Finland), GKN Plc. (England), Zurn Corporation, PPG Industries, Westinghouse Corporation, Repola Oy (Finland), Rhône-Poulenc Roher Pharmaceutical Co., Erie Insurance Group, Hamot Health Systems, and Erie Press, Inc.
DAVID ROSE
Prior to joining the Beaumont Technologies, Inc. staff five years ago, Dave worked for the Plastics Technology Deployment Center, at Penn State Behrend, as a Project Engineer for product development and tooling/process support. He has experience in project management, sales, and thermoset composite materials such as Kevlar and carbon fiber epoxies. He also worked as an Engineering Manager for Composiflex, which is also located in Erie, PA. Prior to Composiflex, he worked at Fisher-Price in New York as a Product Development Engineer, Plant Engineer, and a Tooling Engineer. Other experienced areas include injection molding, gas-assist molding, extrusion blow molding, and resin transfer along with tooling knowledge for each of these processes. He holds an Associate of Science in Mechanical Engineering Technology and a Bachelor of Science in Plastics Engineering Technology from Penn State Behrend in Erie, PA.
MICHAEL SEPE
Michael Sepe has worked in the plastics industry for thirty-three years in a variety of roles involving both manufacturing and research and development. Currently, he is an independent consultant based in Sedona, AZ. He provides analytical services, product and process development assistance, and training in a variety of industry-related topics to clients in a wide range of industries. He has presented over twenty-five Annual Technical Conference for the Plastics Industry (ANTEC) papers, has written several book chapters on the testing of plastic materials, and authors a monthly column for Injection Molding Magazine on the practical aspects of using testing to solve manufacturing problems. He teaches a variety of short courses for the University of Wisconsin and gives in-plant seminars to designers and engineers on material selection, processing, and failure analysis.
SEAN TUCKER
Sean Tucker is a graduate of the Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, with a BS in Plastics Engineering Technology. Sean has worked in the medical device industry for more than ten years in roles from process engineering including design and development, maintenance management, production management and quality/regulatory affairs. Sean has worked with various plastic processes including injection molding, injection blow molding, injection stretch blow molding, extrusion and thermoforming. He also has experience working with metal forming processes, casting processes, high speed assembly, manual assembly, and bio-processing. Sean currently works as a Corporate Validation Manager for a leading international medical device company. In this capacity Sean is responsible for the world wide implementation of molding validation throughout the corporation as well as ongoing improvements in both process and molding validation for internal and external processes. He has been teaching courses internally on process and molding validation, as well as externally being the lead facilitator for validation for AdvaMed. Sean is a certified Master Molder III and a seasoned Six Sigma Black Belt.
BRIAN YOUNG
Brian Young is an Assistant Professor in engineering at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College in the Platics Engineering Technology Program. He taught in the program part-time for 4 years before joining the department full-time in 2000. He accumulated 16 years of industrial experience as a processing/project engineer at Omni Plastics, Inc. His primary area of expertise is in the processing of thermoplastic materials. He holds a bachelor's degree in Plastics Engineering Technology from Penn State University and completed his masters degree in Manufacturing Systems Engineering in 2005.