Smithers Rapra produces Short Courses, Seminars, Web Seminars , e-learning programmes and 'in-company' training programmes about plastics and rubber materials, their use and processing technologies, to meet the professional development needs of people working in any sector of manufacturing industry.  We also address the legislative issues relating to the use of these materials.

Participants in our courses may be involved with the production, conversion or design of products made from, or incorporating, polymer materials.

These courses have been developed from our collective experience in industrial research and problem solving and are delivered by presenters who understand the issues faced by people working in industry, as such the courses provide pragmatic information that is relevant to time-pressured professionals.

Courses about polymer processing technology include: injection moulding technology, injection mould design, extrusion: single and twin screw, co-extrusion and multilayer extrusion.

Materials awareness courses include introductory courses in plastics technology and rubber technology, plastics materials appreciation for designers, the principles of rubber bonding, silicone elastomers and thermoplastic elastomers, 

Smithers Rapra’s list of plastics and rubber technology courses has been extended to include courses and seminars which discuss the legislative issues that impact upon users of plastics and rubber, whether these be Intellectual Property issues, EU directives, such as the Medical Device Directive, or wider legislation such as the Regulation, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals (REACH) or other environmental legislation.

All courses are supported by extensive course notes - many have been, or are in the process of being recognized by IOM3 for Professional Development purposes.

Whilst all of our short courses are provided as ‘stand-alone’ many also offer a pathway to a Postgraduate Certificate in Polymer Engineering through the University of Wolverhampton. This means that people who are interested in attaining a further qualification can opt to undertake further study and assessment, at the University of Wolverhampton, based on attendance on certain Smithers Rapra courses. See the Postgraduate Certificate in Polymer Engineering for more details.

Seminars
In addition to our regularly featured training courses which have limited numbers of participants, Smithers Rapra also runs training seminars; these special ‘one-date’ events cover areas of special interest or newer emerging technologies. Seminars cater for a larger number of delegates than a training course and offer the added attraction of creating a forum for delegates from companies throughout the supply chain to come together.

'In-Company' and ‘Bespoke’ Training
These courses can be adapted to your company’s needs and delivered at your company’s premises or at a venue of its choosing. Please contact Gill Tunnicliffe on +44 (0)1939 252408 or e-mail to training@rapra.net to discuss your needs and receive a full quotation.