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The American Injection Molding (AIM) Institute, a subsidiary of Beaumont, is bringing updated Mold Maintenance courses in-house to its new Mold Maintenance Center of Excellence classroom at its Erie, Pennsylvania, headquarters. The AIM Institute acquired the training assets from Steve Johnson, owner and founder of MoldTrax, in July 2023, with classes previously conducted in Ashland, Ohio.

Featuring a four-bench operation, the new classroom can accommodate the training of up to eight technicians in Mold Maintenance, Troubleshooting & Repair, and Hot Runner Troubleshooting & Repair. It can also teach up to 12 technicians simultaneously in the Mold Component Welding, Polishing & Repair, and Mold Texture Repair courses.

The Mold Maintenance Center of Excellence features a variety of equipment and technologies, including ultrasonic cleaning, media blasting, waterline cleaning, TIG and laser welding, electrical diagnostics of hot runners, leak detection, manifold cleaning and ultrasonic polishers.

AIM Institute’s Director David Hoffman says his organization had a vision for The Mold Maintenance Center of Excellence almost immediately upon acquiring the assets. “We wanted to carry on the legacy that Steve had put together by creating top-notch mold maintenance courses where the lecture area resides alongside our state-of-the-art hands-on bench area,” Hoffman says. “This way, the students don’t ever have to leave the shop environment, which is where they are most comfortable.”

Current course offerings at the Mold Maintenance Center of Excellence include Mold Maintenance, Troubleshooting & Repair, Hot Runner Troubleshooting & Repair, Mold Maintenance Strategies, Mold Component Welding, Polishing & Repair and Mold Texture Repair, with Glenn Keith working as an instructor of Mold Maintenance. An Open House for the new center will be held on April 22 at 4 pm.