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THERMOSET RESIN HELPS SWITCH-ON TO FUTURE NEEDS
22 July 2004 - GE Advanced Materials
| In the electrical industry, the key to fulfilling environmental legislation is being manifested in trend to replace thermoset materials with recyclable ones in their production processes.
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Keeping pace with consumers’ desires for new styles and enhanced aesthetics is just one of the many demands faced by electrical manufacturers. A relatively new demand but one progressively growing in importance, is the requirement to ensure that their products comply with emerging EU Directives on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE). This obliges manufacturers to take responsibility for the end-of-life impact their products have on the environment. Choice of manufacturing materials provides the key to fulfilling both consumer criteria and environmental legislation. In the electrical industry, this is being manifested in a clear market trend for manufacturers to replace thermoset materials with recyclable ones in their production processes. As one of the industry’s global leaders, Schneider Electric España SA, has already been using engineering thermoplastics for some years because they offer a balanced combination of design freedom, ease of processing, excellent aesthetics and recyclability. To help find the material that could optimise Schneider’s ability to deliver the full range of properties required for a popular range of its electrical switch frames and sockets in Schneider’s special ‘Polar White’ colour, the company turned to GE Advanced Materials. Schneider chose Geloy resin as its solution for this ‘appearance’ part, where material colour stability, gloss and surface quality are key demands. “We were seeking an engineering thermoplastic that could provide colour stability in our special ‘Polar White’ colour,” explains Schneider’s Juan Vicente Carbonell. “And we wanted a solution that best met our performance, cost and aesthetics criteria for the parts. The GE Advanced Materials’ team worked with us to understand the application, helped identify the material and assist us through the colour matching and moulding fine tuning trials.” An upgrade on the standard Geloy resin was selected by Schneider as offering the balance of properties and characteristics, required by Schneider. Moreover, the new Geloy resins utilize GE Advanced Materials’ halogen-free flame-resistance technology to help meet growing eco-label application demand. Because the parts are wall-mounted and have a high visibility profile, the colour stability, quality surface and gloss of Geloy resin, together with its UV resistance, provided the required high level aesthetic finish. Moreover, to closely match performance specifications, two grades of the material were supplied: Geloy EXGY0009 resin for the frames and Geloy EXGY0010 resin for the higher temperature performance of BPT>125C, was specified for the electrical socket. With wide application in electrical systems for houses, apartments, offices, hotels and hospitals, white is the principal colour of choice for the switch frames and sockets among the largest percentage of end-users. Available from a full palette of colours, Geloy resin was supplied in the extreme Polar white specified by the customer, to satisfy the needs of the majority market, and in an Ivory colour to satisfy a smaller, specialized consumer segment.
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About: GE Advanced Materials
GE Advanced Materials is a world leader in providing materials solutions through engineering thermoplastics, silicone-based products and technology platforms, and fused quartz and ceramics. Among its businesses are:• Silicones, which includes GE Toshiba Silicones in the Pacific region and GE Bayer Silicones in Europe, offers silanes, specialty silicones, urethane additives, adhesives, sealants, resins, and elastomers for a variety of industries such as personal care, automotive, tire and rubber, construction, healthcare, electronics, household and institutional, agriculture, textiles, appliances, bedding and furnishings, foam control, and consumer (http://www.gesilicones.com/gesilicones/am1/en/home.jsp); • Plastics is a global plastics materials supplier and distributor, which serves customers in a variety of industries including aerospace, appliances, automotive, building and construction, data storage and optical media, medical, electrical and electronics devices, telecommunications, computers and peripheral devices, outdoor vehicles and devices, and packaging (http://www.geplastics.com/); • Quartz produces high purity materials for the semiconductor, fiber optic, lamp making and water purification industries. GE Quartz is a leading supplier of quartz materials to the semiconductor industry (http://www.gequartz.com/en/index.htm); Established in 1968, GE Advanced Materials’ Specialty Film & Sheet business is a leading supplier of high-performance engineering film and sheet products to the United States, Europe, Africa, India, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and operates a worldwide network of sales, research, manufacturing and technical services facilities. Today, GE Advanced Materials, Specialty Film & Sheet employs about 600 people, and manufactures engineering sheet and film products at 12 facilities in 9 countries worldwide. Recent investments:
• 2003 New Roofing Structures Line in Italy, Europe
• 2003 New Coating Lines in China & Malaysia, Pacific
• 2002 Acquisition of Plastech, China
• 2001 New Film Lines in USA and Europe
• 2001 Acquisition of Carboron, Malaysia
• 2000 Acquisition of Matraplast, Canada
• 2000 Acquisition of Nim Plastics, USA Products:
GE Advanced Materials offers a variety of film materials are to meet different type of applications such as graphic film, coated products, electrical & electronic products, and specialties. The key film materials available today include:
• Lexan* Polycarbonate film
• Ultem* film
• Lexan* SLX film
• Valox* film
• Lexan* Illuminex* film GE Advanced Materials’ sheet product line includes a wide range of structures from solid sheet, multi-wall sheet and corrugated sheet through to coated sheet and laminates and combinations of each of these. The key sheet materials available today include:
• Lexan* Polycarbonate sheet
• Lexan* Solar Control IR sheet
• Margard* coated sheet
• Lexgard* laminated sheet
• Ultem* sheet
• Lexan EXL* sheet GE Advanced Materials, Specialty Film & Sheet, serves customers in a variety of industries including aircraft, appliances, automotive, building and construction, business machines, electrical & lighting, furnishing, greenhouse, industrial roofing, medical, electrical and electronics devices, telecommunications and packaging. In January 2004, in line with GE Corporate’ new brand architecture, GE Advanced Materials has announced the change of GE Structured Products business naming to GE Advanced Materials, Specialty Film & Sheet. |
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• From GE Advanced Materials
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