SPE WEBINAR: Understanding Wear of Plastics 

$29 for SPE Members
$209 for Nonmembers

Summary

Wear can be defined as damage to a solid surface caused by the removal or displacement of material through mechanical action associated with contact with a mating surface. Plastic components are used in a wide range of demanding applications in which they are subjected to surface damage and wear. These commonly include:

• Gears
• Bearings
• Seals
• Valves and Pistons
• Fasteners
• Conveyor Systems
• Tanks and Hoppers

Wear of plastics is a relatively common failure mechanism that needs to be understood to avoid component malfunction and breakdown. This webinar will address the mechanisms of wear in plastics.

Plastic wear is affected by several factors that may be generally categorized into mechanical, environmental, and thermal aspects. These three groups of factors essentially determine the mechanism of wear of a plastic surface when it comes in contact with another surface.

The topics covered as part of this presentation will include:

• Mechanisms of wear in plastics
• Wear factors
  • Mechanical
  • Environmental
  • Thermal
• Wear resistant plastics
• Wear testing

About Speaker

Jeffrey A. Jansen
Engineering Manager
The Madison Group

Jeffrey A. Jansen is the Engineering Manager and a Partner at The Madison Group, an independent plastics engineering and consulting firm. Jeff is a proven plastic professional with more than 30 years of experience solving problems and addressing opportunities related to polymeric materials. He specializes in failure analysis, material identification and selection, as well as compatibility, aging, and lifetime prediction studies for thermoplastic materials. Jeff has performed over 5,000 investigations, both for industrial clients and as a part of litigation. He is a regular presenter on the SPE webinar series, covering a wide range of topics related to plastics failure, material performance, testing, and polymer technology. Jeff is a graduate of Carroll College and the Milwaukee School of Engineering.