Short Courses

Thermoplastic Polymers 101 for Thermoset Scientists Pre-Course (Additional fee required to attend)
Presented By: Jeff Gotro, PhD, InnoCentrix

Monday, May 6, 2024 | 9:00AM-1:00PM

OVERVIEW:

Introduction to thermoplastic polymers

  • Types of thermoplastic polymers
    • Linear, branched, short chain branched, long chain branched 
  • Amorphous versus semi-crystalline
  • Liquid crystalline thermoplastics 
  • Molecular weight versus crosslinking
  • Melting point (Tm) versus Tg 
  • Modulus versus temperature and impact of crosslinking and molecular weight

Engineering Thermoplastics and Applications 

  • Polyamides (nylon) 
  • Thermoplastic polyesters (PET/PBT) 
  • Polycarbonates 
  • Acrylics (polymethyl methacrylate, polyacrylonitrile) 
  • Fluoropolymers 
  • High performance resins (polysulfones, polyaryl ether ether ketones (PEEK), thermoplastic polyimides, polybenoxazoles (PBO) 

Thermoplastic Processing and Applications

  • Compression molding 
  • Extrusion 
  • Injection molding 
  • Composite processing using thermoplastics 
  • Comparison with thermoset processing, i.e. gelation and vitrification impacts on curing 

Rheological Properties of Thermoplastics

  • Definition of rheology 
  • Thermoplastic Rheology o Rotational rheometry: Cone/plate, parallel plate 
    • Viscosity versus shear rate, impact of molecular weight 
    • Differences between thermoplastic and thermosets 
  • Thermoplastic viscosity versus chemorheology of thermosets 
ABOUT THE FACULTY:

Jeff has over thirty-eight years’ experience in thermosetting polymers used in electronics having held scientific and leadership positions at IBM, AlliedSignal, Honeywell International, and Ablestik Laboratories. During his corporate life, Jeff developed a deep understanding of polymer science and became a nationally recognized authority in thermosetting polymers. He has received invitations to speak at prestigious Gordon Research Conferences (Thermosetting Polymers and Composites) and has presented numerous invited lectures, along with technical presentations and short courses at national technical conferences. Jeff was an Adjunct Professor at Syracuse University in the Dept. of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science from 1986- 1993. Jeff has published 60 technical papers (including 4 book chapters, one with Dr. Prime) in the field of polymeric materials for advanced electronic packaging applications and holds 15 issued US patents, and have 6 patents pending. Jeff has a Ph.D. in Materials Science from Northwestern University with a specialty in polymer science. 

Visit the InnoCentrix website.
View Dr. Gotro’s Linkedin Profile.
Visit his blog to get tips and practical advice.

Strategic Market Analysis and Agile Stage-Gate Short Course (Additional fee required to attend)
Presented By: Nicki Vo, NIVO Innovations

Thursday, May 9, 2024 | 8:00AM-3:00PM

OVERVIEW:
Introduction to Strategic Market Analysis & the APEx Framework
  • Analyze – Review the different strategic analysis tools & market research methods
  • Plan – Developing North Star, metric indicators, resources, gaps, & the Execution Strategy
  • Execute – Communicating, implementing, & iterating on the Execution Strategy for success. 
Introduction to Project Management, Stage-Gate, & Agile
  • Stage-Gate fundamentals, roles & responsibilities, project charters, & priority matrices
  • Agile fundamentals, roles & responsibilities, tools & systems
  • Hybrid Agile Stage-Gate approach, implementation, best-practices, & challenges
  • Psychological Safety history, benefits, & best practices
ABOUT THE FACULTY:

Nicki Vo, an industry veteran with 18 years in Chemical Research & Development and an Executive MBA from a top-tier institution, is recognized for her exceptional achievements. She has led the launch of 65+ innovations, generating $45+ million in revenue, reduced product launch times from 2 years to 6-9 months, and transformed teams in several companies. With expertise in developing cultures of innovation, leadership training, project management, business development, market analysis, and strategy, she brings profound and practical insights.