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Plastics & Polymer Technology

School of Industrial & Engineering Technologies
Breuder Advanced Technology & Health Sciences Center, Rm. E134 · (570) 327-4520
Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology
Accredited by the Technology Accreditation Commission (TAC) of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET)
Plastics & Polymer Technology  Plastics the wave of the future

Plastics and Polymer Technology at Pennsylvania College of Technology is one of only five plastics programs in the nation that is recognized by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. This endorsement from the leading authority in technology education results from the department's extensive array of industrial-size plastics processing equipment, modern laboratory facilities, highly credentialed faculty with lots of real-world experience, and a comprehensive curriculum that balances classroom and hands-on time.

The department offers two degrees:

Graduates from these programs are in high demand to fill plastics industry career positions in manufacturing operations, process technology, supervision, research and development, product and machine design, and many more. Starting salaries range from approximately $40,000 to $50,000.

Graduates of the department are currently employed at companies across Pennsylvania and the country, including Honda, Toyota, General Electric, DuPont, Tyco, General Motors, Graham, Arkema, Truck-Lite, West Pharmaceutical Services, and Alcan. As opportunities like this continue with a bright future, consider a career in plastics.

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Plastics & Polymer Technology News

Plastics Students Visiting Northern Ireland

June 2009

Plastics students visit Northern Ireland Penn College's first group of plastics students to study abroad is in Belfast, Northern Ireland, through July 5. The seven students – Alan J. Tate, Williamsport; James C. Gorham, Mill Hall; Bradley J. Stroup, Mount Pleasant Mills; Ryan L. Newman, New Columbia; John E. Gudonis, Danville; Christopher E. Kohler, South Williamsport; and Brennan B. Wodrig, Hughesville – are accompanied by faculty chaperone Kirk M. Cantor, professor of plastics technology, second from left. The students will attend a workshop on extrusion and rotational molding techniques at the Plastics and Polymers Research Center, Queen's University, and enjoy beautiful Northern Ireland. They are seen here in the village of Bushmills.
Photo provided by International Programs Office

Rotational Molding Workshop at Penn College Is First of Its Kind

June 2009

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Innovative workshop held
The Rotational Molding Center of Excellence at Penn College hosted its first Rotational Molding Workshop June 10-11. The college established its Rotational Molding Center of Excellence – part of its Plastics Manufacturing Center – in 2000 as a technical resource for the North American rotomolding industry and continues to develop the hands-on rotational molding program, including the hands-on seminar, the first of its kind in North America.

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College's 'degrees that work' Series Draws Global Attention

June 2009

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Interviewer-turned-interviewee Thomas F. Speicher
Video production developer Thomas F. Speicher, attending this week's International Plastics Showcase in Chicago with Christopher J. Leigh, video production coordinator, was interviewed Wednesday by Plastics News – the leading source of information for the industry. The four-minute piece spotlights the team's preparation of Penn College's award-winning "degrees that work." series, the next episode of which focuses on "Plastics and Polymers."

Annual Extrusion Seminar Draws Industry Professionals

June 2009

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Popular plastics workshop returns
Penn College’s Plastics Manufacturing Center held its 11th Annual Extrusion Seminar & Hands-On Workshop on the college’s campus in early June. The seminar – led by well-known extrusion consultants Chris Rauwendaal, of Rauwendaal Extrusion Engineering in Auburn, Calif., and Kirk Cantor, professor of plastics and polymer technology at Penn College – attracted 35 participants from seven states, as well as Syria. Extrusion is a process for molding plastic parts by melting the plastic and either pushing or pulling it through a dye to make such products as tubing, drinking straws, weather stripping and window frames.

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Penn College Expands Study Abroad Offerings to Include Ireland

February 2009

Penn College again expanded its short-term study abroad options with the offering of an eight-day trip for the college's plastics and polymer technology students to Queen's University in Belfast, Ireland. The goal of the program is to immerse the students in a foreign culture and provide them with technology important to the plastics industry but not available at Penn College, explained Shanin L. Dougherty, international programs specialist.

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