July 14, 2010 Considering a Career in Engineering? Here Are Some Resources

Engineering is an excellent career choice even in this economy.  Engineers keep bridges standing, direct traffic flow and keep airplanes in the air. Without engineers we would not have landed on the moon, and there would be no roller coasters. An engineering degree in any of their many fields, promises a very rewarding career with excellent compensation.

The term engineer dates back to 1325 when engineer meant one who operates engines. However, the practice of engineering can be traced back to examples such as the pyramids in Egypt and the Parthenon in Greece. Engineering is the profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, and technical knowledge to design and implement structures, machines, devices and processes that realize a desired objective. Engineering is a broad discipline that is made up several different branches such as:

  • Chemical Engineering
  • Aerospace Engineering
  • Civil Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Agricultural Engineering
  • Software Engineering

A good career in engineering starts with a good education. A keen interest in math and science is important. Do you like to take things apart to see how they work? If so, then you could make a great engineer some day. Here is a list of the different kinds of engineering careers that may be of interest to you.

Please click on the link and it will bring you to the Connecticut Plastics Learning Center where you can learn more about each field of engineering. There are links to more information about each field, as well as links to organizations, associations and government websites. There are also links to some of the best engineering and technical colleges in the world.

IEEE Logo

www.tryengineering.org

Additional info can also found at:

The IEEE and IBM have created a new Web site that combines information on engineering careers with interactive activities.

Intended for pre-university students, parents, teachers, school counselors, and the general public, TryEngineering.org lets visitors explore how to prepare for an engineering career, ask experts engineering-related questions, play interactive games, and more.

Visit www.tryengineering.org today!

Our learning center was designed with parents and students in mind. It is full of information on the plastics industry, chemistry and engineering. We hope you find this information helpful.

  • Share/Bookmark
13 Comments Posted by Thomas Rohlfs in learning center
June 30, 2010 Connecticut Plastics Reduces Lead Time
Machined Polycarbonate Cube

Machined Polycarbonate Cube

There is intense pressure to remain competitive, flexible and cost-effective in today’s markets. OEM manufacturers constantly strive to increase market share while streamlining production and cutting costs.

The medical device market is a perfect example. According to Moody’s website, alliances between hospitals and doctors have reduced the influence medical device makers have in selling products directly to physicians. In the future it is hospitals that will be making the purchases. Hospitals operate under budgets and therefore have many reasons to demand price cuts.

The machine shop that can reduce lead times and produce quality parts will have an advantage in this competitive market. Scheduling is the critical link between ordering and execution. It represents a balance between demand, capacity and the supply chain. It is key to remaining economical.

Normal lead time for machine shops is four weeks or more. Customers always ask for better lead times. Here at Connecticut Plastics we listen to our customers. We are a state of the art CNC plastic machine shop that is always adding the latest in equipment in order to increase our capabilities. We can often supply components in 1-2 weeks to meet critical scheduling demands.

Plastic Bonded Manifold

Plastic Bonded Manifold

Visit our website to fill out our inquiry form, and upload your drawing. You’ll receive a response within 24 hours. Then call to discuss your delivery requirements. We’ll do our best to meet them.

  • Share/Bookmark
No Comments Posted by Thomas Rohlfs in Reduce Lead Time
Tagged , , , ,
June 17, 2010 Tensile Strength of Various Polymers is Important in Manifold Design

As plastic becomes more and more the material of choice for machined plastic manifold blocks, tensile strength becomes a very important mechanical property design criteria. Plumbing and component connections, typically utilize a threaded attachment mechanism.  This attachment can result in high tensile stress on the plastic manifold block and result in the failure of what could be a very expensive precision machined plastic component. We have seen these results when the wrong material is used in the design.

Various Medical Plastic Manifolds

Various Medical Plastic Manifolds

Acrylic offers a cost effective plastic with high clarity after machining and polishing. This makes it desirable for manifold applications. However other plastics offer significantly higher tensile strength properties, good clarity after machining and polishing and are far less brittle than Acrylic. See chart below. These materials should be considered along with full design parameters when selecting a material.

Tensile Strength (psi)
Acrylic 10,100
Polysulfone 10,200
Ultem 1000 16,500
PEEK 16,000

Connecticut Plastics has 30+ years of experience with the selection and precision machining of plastics, and we are always available to assist you with your application.

Please visit our website to learn more about our company, for contact info, or to fill out an inquiry form to request a quote. There you can also upload a drawing.

  • Share/Bookmark
6 Comments Posted by Thomas Rohlfs in fluidic manifolds
Tagged , , , , ,
Pages (11): 1 2 3 4 Next » ... Last »