Plastics engineering encompasses the processing, design, development, and manufacture of plastics products. Plastic Machinery is the general term for all types of machinery and devices used in the plastics processing industry. The nature of plastic materials poses unique challenges to an engineer.
In India, several Institutes offer plastic technology courses and these courses can be pursued at different levels, including diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
Especially in India, a steady and speedy growth has been noticed in the plastic industry, which has created more job opportunities for trained professionals. You can pursue a course in plastic technology, which ensures a good career growth in the future. After obtaining their diploma in Plastic Engineering, the candidates become experts of producing their desired plastic materials by altering various properties of plastic such as barrier, chemical, thermal, electrical and mechanical properties. A Plastic Engineer is also responsible for keeping the cost of manufacturing of plastic under check.
Eligibility
Those students who have completed their 10+2 in science stream with the subjects including physics, chemistry and mathematics can eye various courses related to plastic technology. Pursuing several undergraduate programmes including BE in chemical or polymer engineering, B.Tech in plastic technology, chemical engineering, rubber technology or mechanical engineering can pave the way for a bright future in the plastic industry. Even more, those students who have done B.Sc. in chemistry can also choose plastic industry as their career path; however they have to purse a B.Tech or diploma course in plastic or polymer technologies after graduation.
What do they do?
Plastic engineers deal with plastic materials and plastic machineries. Plastic machineries include devices, tools and machines used to make plastic products. Like other engineering disciplines, in plastic engineering too, economics play an important role.
Plastics engineers engage in the manufacture, fabrication, and end use of existing materials, and in the development of new materials, processes, and equipment. The term, plastics engineering, encompasses a wide variety of applications and manufacturing processes.
Key Skills
Plastics technicians are skilled professionals who help engineers, scientists, research groups, and manufacturers design, develop, manufacture, and market plastics products. Plastics technicians may work in research and development or manufacturing. In these settings, they function at a level between the engineer or scientist in charge of a job, and the production or laboratory workers who carry out most of the tasks. Other plastics technicians handle mold and tool making, materials and machinery, sales and services, and related technical tasks. Plastics are a $427 billion industry in the United States. Plastics products manufacturing workers mold, cast, and assemble products made of plastics materials.
Career Growth
Quality Control manager Research and Development Officer Design and Manufacture Engineer. Students who have completed their B.Tech in Plastic Engineering can either opt for a job or they can go for further studies. Students can enrol themselves for ME /M.Tech.
The objects they make include dishes, signs, toys, insulation, appliance parts, automobile parts, combs, gears, bearings, and many others. There are approximately 60,140 moulding, core making, and casting machine setters, tenders, and operators employed in the plastics products manufacturing industry.
Top recruiters
Ministry of Petroleum
Natural Gas
Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC)
Oil India Laboratories
Petrochemicals Engineering Plants
Indian Institute of Petroleum
Polymers Corporations