For more than 30 years, Dow has offered training to enable distributors to expand their knowledge and, in turn, help their customers become more successful. The Kent R. Larson Dow Electronics Protection & Assembly Academy was named in honor of the application specialist who has been instrumental in enhancing and promoting this silicone training program. He continues to be part of the training team today.
Previously, the Academy training was a weeklong session at a Dow location that included market-focused presentations, hands-on lab demonstrations and knowledge sharing with Dow silicone application specialists. The new Academy includes interactive, remote-learning modules that accommodate each student’s own pace and schedule.
“Basic and intermediate information will be shared with students in the weeks and months ahead of their scheduled in-person training,” said Jaime Rabell, Regional Commercial Director. “They can work through these prerequisite modules, review the information and prepare for their week at Dow. The online, self-paced learning allows us to free up time during the on-site training for even more valuable sessions and hands-on demonstrations. We’re excited about taking the training to new levels.”
The Level 1 modules are currently available for enrolled students. They cover application opportunities for electronic protection and assembly, the different degrees of protection, combining layers of protection, the comparison of protective materials (acrylics, epoxies, urethanes and silicones), and the advantages and benefits of silicones.
Level 2 modules are in development, with their availability expected in late 2021. Level 2 looks at five silicone product lines in electronics protection and assembly: gels and encapsulants, conformal coatings, adhesives and sealants, thermally-conductive materials, and compression gasketing. Each of these product lines are covered individually by looking at the product family’s purpose, when to use, how to use, equipment/processing, common applications, details on product selection, helpful tips and case studies.
After students successfully complete Level 1 and Level 2 training prerequisites, they are eligible to attend the in-person Level 3 training at a Dow facility.
“At Dow, we have a long history of engaging with our distributors and customers, making sure we share critical knowledge, answer questions and provide solutions,” said Kent Larson, principal TS&D scientist at Dow. “We don’t just innovate … we educate whenever we can. This Academy is another way we can support the electronics and advanced assembly industries. We are proud to offer an expanded curriculum and a richer experience with this new version of the Academy.”