Ferris State University’s Plastics Engineering Technology Lab recently received a Haitian Zhafir Zeres electric injection molding machine. The machine’s consignment agreement was facilitated by Jason Holbrook, Absolute Haitian’s Midwest regional sales manager and a member of the school’s Plastics Engineering Technology advisory board.
Ferris, located in Big Rapids, Mich., added the machine, a 44-ton ZE 400/120, to accommodate social distancing requirements. It has enabled the university to add a new lab section for applied learning, so it can assign one student per machine instead of two.
Because the Zeres is an electric machine with a hydraulic circuit, students get the opportunity to see both technologies in action.
“In my classes, I typically review the ins and outs of the molding machines first, focusing on the controller,” said Tom Van Pernis, assistant professor at Ferris State University. “Students in the advanced class were all familiar with our existing machines. This semester, I’ve been able to simulate an actual work situation with the new Zeres.”
“As our students graduate, they become plastics processors who may influence machine selection at their companies,” Van Pernis said. “It is a win for our students as well as for Absolute Haitian.”
