Jump to either day's schedule below.
Wednesday, June 11, 2025
| Time | Program |
|---|---|
| 7:30 a.m. | Registration and Continental Breakfast/Visit Exhibits |
| 8:10 a.m. | Welcome and Program Overview, 180 Burke Brad Johnson, Conference Chair, Penn State Behrend |
| 8:25 a.m. | Keynote—Capturing Industrial Expertise with Autonomous AI Agents Bryan DeBois, Director, Industrial AI |
| Time | Moderator Nick Vitelli | Moderator Xiaoshi Zheng | Moderator Kurt Duska |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9:20 a.m. | Pressure Drop Studies…Are Air Shot Pressures Accurate? David Hoffman, American Injection Molding Institute | VR (Virtual Reality) Learning Integrations Torsten Kruse, Kruse Analysis | Sustainable In-House Recycling Solutions Joe Platek, ACS Group |
| 9:55 a.m. | Shrinkage Compensation: When Cavity Size Really Matters Mason Myers and Trevor Thorwart, Autodesk Moldflow | Innovative Hybrid Molding Concepts for Cost-efficient Manufacturing of Multi-Material/Functional Components Saeed Farahani, Clemson University | Optimize Your Blending Operations: Achieve Peak Efficiency Michael Tuchalski, ACS Group |
| 10:30 a.m. | Advancement in Melt Delivery and Control Systems to help achieve Sustainability and Productivity Objectives Lisa van der Vorst, Mold-Masters Ltd. | Faster Product and Process Development with Real-Time Chemical Intelligence Christoph Pielen, Anton Paar | Introducing Regrind into your Molding Process Thomas Dunn, Wittmann |
| 11:05 a.m. | Invisible Weld Lines: Direct-Flo Hot Runner Systems with Heat-INject™ Technology Matt Robb, INCOE | Ultrasonic Welding of CYROLITE and other medical plastics Michael Zadrozny & Andrew Sneeringer, ROHM CYROLITE® | Recycling Gold Rush – How to use your “picks and shovels” Paul Martin, Krauss Maffei |
| 11:40 a.m. | Unlocking Innovation with Hot Runner Systems: Compact Solutions Paul Boettger, Technoject | Introducing Nitrogen and Carbon Dioxide to Molding Machine Kohei Shinohara, Sodick | Conveying: The Underrated Utility Powering Plastics Manufacturing Nick Paradiso, Conair |
| 12:15 p.m. | Optimizing Low Constant Pressure Molding through Simulation Alex Baker, Moldex3D | Crystallization Kinetics and Polymorphism in PA66/616T Blends: Influence of chain mobility and temperature Xiaoshi Zhang, Penn State Behrend | Two-Stage Process: The most environmentally friendly way to recycle Lukas Neunzig, Engel |
| Time | Program |
|---|---|
| 12:45 p.m. | Lunch and Visit Exhibits |
| 2:45 p.m. | Wednesday Tutorials (choose one):
|
| 5:30–7:00 p.m. | Networking Reception |
Thursday, June 12, 2025
| Time | Program |
|---|---|
| 7:30 a.m. | Registration and Continental Breakfast/Exhibits |
| 8:10 a.m. | Program Review, 180 Burke Brad Johnson, Conference Chair, Penn State Behrend |
| 8:15 a.m. | Overview of Behrend Research and New Initiatives Dr. Alicyn Rhoades, Vice Chancellor and Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies and Associate Professor of Engineering, Penn State Behrend |
| Time | Moderator Jason Williams | Moderator Brian Young | Moderator Gamini Mendis |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9:10 a.m. | Pack Pressure’s Influence on Gate Freeze Time Zach Morton, American Injection Molding Institute | Portable CMM’s for Shop Floor Quality Control Randy Biebel, Faro | The Role of Fiber Cross-Section: A Comparative Study on How Flat Fibers Affect Processing and Part Performance Hunter Beaumont, The Madison Group |
| 9:45 a.m. | Controlled Viscosity Molding Rick Fitzpatrick, X2F | Electric versus Servo-Hydraulic for Thermoplastic Molding Bill Saunders, Boy Machines | Unlocking the Potential of Polycarbonate used in Medical Molding Derrick Hennebicque, Husky |
| 10:20 a.m. | Smart Hot Runner for Autonomous Sequential Molding Jeremy Makohn and Dan Ward, Barnes Molding Solutions | Innovation and variety are key to success in product development and plastics Wayne Daniel, Canon | Troubleshooting Acrylics in Injection Molding Michael Zadrozny and Andrew Sneeringer, Rohm |
| 10:55 a.m. | Monitoring with Nozzle Pressure Sensors versus Cavity Pressure Sensors Jeremy Dworshak, 3M | Technology and Methods for Improving OEE in the Plastics Industry Kent Royer, Milacron | Design to Injected Part in a Single Shift with Ceramic Mold Inserts Rajeev Kulkarni, Axtra3D |
| 11:30 a.m. | Improving Part Quality: Key Design and Manufacturing Factors Eric Gerber, SigmaSoft | How AI-driven control capabilities advance efficiency and quality in the molding environment without overcomplicating its application Eric Anderson, Absolute Haitian | Lightweighting of Plastic Injection Mold Inserts, Scott Kraemer Xact Metal |
| 12:05 p.m. | Precision Cleaning for Plastics Manufacturing: Understanding Dry Ice Blasting Mike Henderson, Cold Jet | A Real User’s Experience in the Advancing Automation Age John Williams and Shawn Dailey, Plastikos | Plastificants – A different sort of plastic John Pinchek, Piab |
| Time | Program |
|---|---|
| 12:35 p.m. | Lunch and Visit Exhibits |
| 1:45 p.m. | Thursday Tutorials (choose one):
|
| 4:30 p.m. | Penn State Creamery Ice Cream and Prize Drawing, 180 Burke |