BAYER PLASTICS' MAGICORE™ BODY PANEL DESIGN MAKES DEBUT IN NEW RECREATIONAL VEHICLES

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BAYER PLASTICS' MAGICORE™ BODY PANEL DESIGN MAKES DEBUT IN NEW RECREATIONAL VEHICLES
27 November 2001 - Bayer MaterialScience AG

Today's outdoor enthusiasts don't want to spend their leisure time scrubbing and polishing their camping trailers. They want a camper with a high-gloss finish that is easy to maintain and durable enough to resist scratches and dents. That's why Viking and Coachmen turned to Bayer Plastics' new Magicore™ structural body panel system.

Magicore, a new proprietary layered composite system made of thermoplastic materials, extruded by Primex Plastics, provides the camping trailers with improved dent, scratch, and ultraviolet resistance needed to better withstand the rigors of the great outdoors.

Magicore will make its debut in the new Viking Legend GP and Coachmen Clipper GP camping trailers, which will be unveiled at the Coachmen Industries booth (No. 1012 in the South Wing) at the National Recreational Vehicle (RV) Show. The annual show begins on November 27th at the Kentucky Fair & Expo Center in Louisville.

'Magicore also gives the RVs an extremely smooth, high-gloss look,' said Clint Rumble, president of Viking Recreational Vehicles, a subsidiary of Coachmen Industries. 'Along with the durability requirements, we also needed a system that was more fade resistant and could better retain its 'new camper' look. This was critical and that's why we wanted to explore Bayer Plastics' Magicoretechnology.'

Magicore's application in the Viking and Coachmen trailers took more than three years to develop. Viking and Bayer, along with Primex Plastics which designed and developed the manufacturing equipment needed to produce Magicore's structured composite, conducted numerous environmental and physical tests.

'We made a prototype camper made of the Magicore system and tested it in various weather conditions. Without even being washed, the camper still had the same lustrous skin as when it was first manufactured,' added Rumble.

Bayer and Primex also played an important role in realizing some time- and cost-saving manufacturing process changes. For example, the Magicore system's high-gloss design eliminated the need for some laminating steps. 'This was another benefit that factored into our decision to use Magicore,' said Rumble. 'It's an easy choice for us when we find a solution that can improve our product's aesthetics, durability, and the process by which it's manufactured.'

Other benefits of the Magicore system are its high strength-to-weight ratio and its ability to be extruded in a range of colors.

Bayer Plastics' Magicore will be marketed as a replacement for other RV siding and cladding materials. In addition to RV industry applications, Magicore is designed as a fiberglass replacement option in truck and bus aftermarket applications.

http://www.bayermaterialscience.com

About: Bayer MaterialScience AG
Bayer Corporation, headquartered in Pittsburgh, is part of the worldwide Bayer Group, an international health care, nutrition and innovative materials group based in Leverkusen, Germany. Bayer employs 23,300 in North America with net North American sales of 8.8 billion euros in 2003. Bayer’s three operating business areas – HealthCare, CropScience and MaterialScience, improve people’s lives through a broad range of essential products that help diagnose and treat diseases, protect crops and advance automobile safety and durability.

Bayer MaterialScience AG is one of the world's largest producers of polymers and high-performance plastics. The main customers for Its innovative developments in coatings, adhesives, insulating materials and sealants, polycarbonates and polyurethanes are the automotive and construction industries, the electrical/electronics segment and manufacturers of sports and leisure goods, packaging, and medical devices.

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