Bachelor’s degree courses at IKV

With a wide range of topics covered – from macromolecular chemistry and materials science through to the different plastics processing methods and the design of parts suitably tailored to plastics – plastics technology is a particularly extensive yet also clearly defined specialist field within mechanical engineering. Students come into contact with all aspects of plastics technology at bachelor’s degree level already and are familiarised with and gain an understanding of materials and processes, starting with the basics.

In their plastics technology studies, students learn how to selectively exploit the specific, variable properties of plastics in order to produce cost-efficient and innovative products that are sparing on resources.

Key topics covered in the bachelor’s course:

• Plastics and their specific material properties
• Processing methods (injection moulding, extrusion and a whole range of special-purpose processes)
• Mould and die technology
• Rubber technology

RWTH Aachen currently offers six specialisations (“professional fields”) for its bachelor’s course in Mechanical Engineering. Students select one of these (to match their particular interests) after the 4^th semester in most cases. The Plastics and Textile Technology” specialisation is organised and drawn up by IKV in conjunction with the ITA (Institute of Textile Technology). Both Institutes are responsible for a number of lectures and supervise student dissertations on many interesting topics.

The course curriculum for the specialisation includes a number of compulsory modules from both plastics and textile technology. Students also opt for one of these two subjects, however, and then focus either on plastics technology or textile technology for the rest of the course. 

On the bachelor’s degree course in Business Administration & Engineering (Mechanical Engineering) Plastics and Textile Technology is one of five specialisations offered, and students also generally start this specialisation in the 5^th semester. Business Administration & Engineering students also focus on either plastics technology or textile technology within this specialisation. The course curriculum sets out the compulsory modules to be attended in each of the semesters.