Azdel Rail-Lite composite is a low-pressure, thermoformable, lightweight composite sheet that exhibits excellent flame, smoke, toxicity, and heat-release properties.

GE Advanced Materials has selected Schneller (USA), a leading manufacturer of engineered decorative laminates, to co-develop new grades of Indura GTform decorative laminate for interior rail vehicle applications formed with a AZDEL* Rail-Lite* composite from Azdel, a 50/50 joint venture of General Electric Company and PPG Industries. New Azdel Rail-Lite composite is a low-pressure, thermoformable, lightweight composite sheet that exhibits excellent flame, smoke, toxicity, and heat-release properties. It has been designed to help deliver outstanding, robust performance in combination with reduced weight and enhanced safety for a broad range of interior components for the global rail industry.

Interior rail structures formed with the new high-performance Azdel Rail-Lite composite can now tap the added benefits that Schneller's Indura GTform decorative laminate can help provide.

These include enhanced 3D formability, outstanding durability and in-mold decorating capabilities, and excellent stain, solvent, and graffiti resistance.

Like Azdel Rail-Lite composite, Indura GTform decorative laminate also meets strict regulatory standards for low flame, smoke, and toxicity.

Indura GTform decorative laminate - utilizing a tough, graffiti-resistant fluoropolymer surface layer - lends itself to many of the interior rail applications GE is targeting with AZDEL Rail-Lite composite.

These include window masks, ceiling panels, seat backs, arm rests, tray tables, stow bins, luggage racks, valances, and partitions.

The Schneller laminate can be customized to parts formed with GE's new composite in virtually any color or pattern and offers a high degree of design freedom to improve interior aesthetics for both new and refurbished passenger rail cars.

'Azdel Rail-Lite composite and Indura GTform decorative laminate represents two materials technologies from two global industry leaders that may offer tremendous potential to rail industry OEMs,' said Benny David, global industry manager of Transportation Composites, GE Advanced Materials.

'The potential of this new material for the interior rail sector may now be greatly multiplied by helping to give designers greater flexibility to create new high-performance, aesthetically pleasing components.' Matthew Miklos, general manager for Schneller's Transportation Products Group concurs.

'We have essentially thrown the door open to a wide range of application development possibilities through the greater design options the two materials technologies can help provide.

These complementary materials may offer a potential solution to the interior rail segment that goes beyond other currently available products,' Miklos said.

* About GE Advanced Materials - GE Advanced Materials is a world leader in providing materials solutions through engineering thermoplastics, silicon-based products and technology platforms, and fused quartz and ceramics.

Among its businesses are: * Plastics - which is a global plastics materials supplier and distributor, serving 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.

* Silicones - which includes GE Toshiba Silicones in the Pacific region and GE Bayer Silicones in Europe, offering 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.

* Quartz - which provides high-purity quartz and advanced ceramic materials for the semiconductor, telecommunications, lighting, electronics, personal care, water purification, and various other industries.

GE (NYSE:GE) is a diversified technology, media, and financial services company dedicated to creating products that make life better.

From aircraft engines and power generation to financial services, medical imaging, television programming, and plastics, GE operates in more than 100 countries and employs more than 300,000 people worldwide.

* About Schneller - Schneller is a global leader in the development and production of engineered decorative laminates and non-textile flooring for the transportation and architectural industries.

Schneller provides custom design and color matching, material selection, continuous roll, and sheet production from its ISO-9001 certified production facilities in Kent, Ohio, and Pinellas Park, Fla., with global sales and service support from its Paris, France facility.

Quadrant Engineering Plastics Products (EPP) is set to introduce a price increase of up to twelve per cent depending on the kind of product line or shapes this year.

Quadrant Engineering Plastics Products (EPP) is set to introduce a price increase of up to twelve per cent depending on the kind of product line like: cast, compression-moulded and extruded stock shapes this year. These increases apply to pricing in Europe and will take effect from March 1, 2005. This decision is a direct result of the significant increases which Quadrant EPP has incurred in raw material, energy and transportation costs.

In particular, the escalating cost of Benzene, the main feedstock of most engineering plastics, has been a primary cause of these price increases.

Although Quadrant EPP operates a company wide programme of continuous improvements and regularly implements new measures to improve productivity which help contain costs, the new price increases have been unavoidable given the substantial increases in materials and production related costs.

Quadrant does not foresee any relaxation of this cost situation in the near future.

* Quadrant Engineering Plastic Products (QEPP) is the world's leading manufacturer of engineering plastics in stock shapes (rod, plate, tube) for machining.

Other specialities include custom nylon castings and finished parts.

QEPP's catalogue of General and Advanced Engineering Plastics covers the broadest range (in terms of materials and dimensions) of standard and custom shapes for machining.

Products are available through a worldwide network of branch offices, technical support centres and authorized dealers.

German-based Harmonic Drive chose Victrex Peek for the bearing cages of its Harmonic Drive (HD) gear units because of the polymer's superior combination of properties.

German-based Harmonic Drive, a manufacturer of precision gears and drives, chose Victrex Peek for the bearing cages of its Harmonic Drive (HD) gear units because of the polymer's superior combination of properties. HD gears are engineered for highly demanding applications in aerospace and defense. Their extreme light weight and compact design sets them apart from traditional planetary and helical gears.

Depending on the design, HD gears have a transmission ratio of between 30:1 and 320:1 and a torque of 0.5 Nm to 9000 Nm with single-step gearing.

Backlash and maintenance free, they can be used over a wide temperature range and offer high repeatability and torque capacity.

According to Andrew Ragan, Victrex Global Leader Industrial, 'The gear's bearing cages have to withstand operating temperatures of -55C (-67degF) to 150C (302degF) and be non-corroding and lubricant-friendly'.

' Because of the way the gear operates, the bearing cages are not tightly guided, which means that very high sudden impact stress is generated'.

' The cage also suffers constant elliptical deformation during operation.' Victrex peek has a continuous service temperature of 260C (500degF), as well as excellent characteristics at sub-zero temperatures.

It has very good chemical resistance and is compatible with almost all the lubricants and fluids used in the aerospace industry.

In addition, its outstanding sliding friction properties as well as high strength significantly extend the life of the bearings cages.

Low outgassing is an important requirement for space applications'.

' 'Precipitation on the sensitive electronics and optics could have serious consequences,' explains Ragan'.

' 'Victrex peek has very low levels of ionic extractables, which is why it is often used in semiconductor production.' Aerospace applications include actuators for solar panels, antenna orientation systems, opening mechanisms and manipulator arms.

The drives for exploration robots (Lunar Rover, Mars Pathfinder, Odyssey, etc) are also based on HD gears.

HD gears are also used in passenger aircraft as sensors for reporting the position of the landing flaps and in active vibration dampers which reduce structural noise in the rear cabin section.

Hardcoated formable films and texture lacquers for the Film Insert Moulding process include Autoflex films and Aquatex formable texturing inks to enhance plastics components.

At this year's Plastics Design and Moulding 2005 exhibition, Autotype International will be promoting its latest range of hardcoated formable films and texture lacquers for the Film insert moulding process (also known as In-Mould Decoration). In particular, Autotype will be previewing its Autoflex films and Aquatex formable texturing inks, which are designed to enable significant improvements to be achieved in both the aesthetic and functional characteristics of plastics components. * The Autoflex range of formable polycarbonate films can be shallow or deep drawn, and incorporates a hardcoat surface to provide a durable, high gloss finish.

The range is available with polycarbonate, polyester or PMMA substrate bases and offers excellent chemical and solvent resistance.

The range is available with a variety of performance capabilities including Autoflex XtraForm, which is ideal for mobile phone applications.

The deep draw characteristics of XtraForm allow the front housing, lens and back housing of a mobile phone case to be integrated in one component part.

* Aquatex FPH is a range of four water based, screen printable and formable texturing inks that are specially designed for Film Insert Moulding applications.

The range includes supermatt, fine and coarse versions plus a gloss modifier.

The four inks, which are suitable for deep profile applications, can be blended together to enable a wide range of surface textures and gloss finishes to be achieved.

In addition, when selectively printed, Aquatex enables the integration of both gloss and textured areas to be incorporated on a single part.

* Film Insert Moulding is an innovative, flexible and cost-effective method of In-Mould Decoration (IMD) that produces high quality profiled or three dimensional plastics parts.

Typical components include fascia panels, lenses, keypads and mouldings for mobile phones and telecommunications equipment, consumer appliances and automotive trim and dashboard panels.

The process can significantly reduce the number of production stages and component parts, cutting both production time and cost, while improving the quality, complexity and durability of finished products.

Two Rapra Review Reports focus on key aspects of manufacturing with rubber, includes a thorough overview of how to successfully bond rubber to a given substrate.


Rapra has just published two new Rapra Review Reports focusing on key aspects of manufacturing with rubber. No single adhesive can provide the needed levels of adhesion and environmental resistance to all polymers. Even when bonding a particular elastomer, the adhesive of choice can vary depending upon the compounding of the rubber including the cure system, the environmental application of the bonded assembly, the substrate to which the rubber is going to be bonded, the moulding method and the geometry of the part.

Other factors affecting adhesive selection might include colour, conductivity, and means of application.

Bonding Elastomers: A Review of Adhesives and Processes offers a thorough overview of how to successfully bond rubber to a given substrate in the manufacture of quality rubber engineered components: substrate preparation, selection of adhesive, adhesive preparation, adhesive application, moulding conditions, testing and bond failure analysis, future trends Developments that have taken place in mixing equipment over the last eight or nine years have been significant, with almost all major machinery makers having made innovations of one type or another.

Some developments have been as small as re-profiling rotors of relatively conventional design.

Others have been the introduction of completely new rotor designs, both intermeshing and tangential.

Mixing of Vulcanisable Rubbers and thermoplastic elastomers provides historical background against which the latest developments are set.

The report considers batch and continuous systems, containing details of key developments by equipment manufacturers, with the different concepts discussed in layman's terms.

It also summarises the range of mixing techniques applied in the industry.

The quality of rubber mixing depends not only on the mixer itself, but also on control of the whole mixing process, from raw materials to the moment the compound leaves the mill room for further processing, and this review offers the relevant developments in drive, hopper arrangement, temperature measurement systems and discharge systems.

All Rapra Review Reports are supported by an indexed section containing several hundred key references and abstracts selected from the Rapra Polymer Library database.

The cooperation of a leading automotive equipment supplier and the leading international polycarbonate glazing specialist heralds a new era in automotive design.


The cooperation of a leading automotive equipment supplier and the leading international polycarbonate glazing specialist heralds a new era in automotive design. Czech Republic based Peguform Bohemia and Exatec, the PC Glazing Technology Joint Venture of Bayer MaterialScience and GE Advanced Materials, announced on March 8, 2005 their cooperation in a major effort to bring advanced Exatec PC Glazing Technology to the automotive market. Peguform Bohemia will build a new polycarbonate glazing facility based on Exatec's comprehensive glazing system technology.

This will make Peguform Bohemia the first company to use Exatec's advanced Glazing technology including Plasma technology to manufacture clear, light weight and impact resistant polycarbonate side and rear car windows as well as panoramic roofs for car manufacturers worldwide.

Exatec's advanced polycarbonate glazing solutions offer car manufacturers clear advantages with respect to design flexibility, functionality and weight, combined with extensive weathering and glass-like abrasion performance.

'The market opportunity for PC glazing is huge,' says Pavel Neuman, Peguform Bohemia's CEO.

'Over the past ten years, Peguform Bohemia has expanded aggressively as a highly specialized automotive supplier with a proven record of successfully adopting new technologies'.

'We see the use of Exatec technology in our new cleverGlass business as a natural extension of this strategy'.

'It is a strategic target of Peguform Bohemia for the years 2005 - 2010 to increase the turnover by 50%'.

'Besides the acquisition of new customers for the standard production this target can be reached by developing new applications'.

'The pre-development department of Peguform Bohemia is currently involved in many programs utilizing PC glazing which due to its properties is able to replace glass'.

'This offers great potential for future growth'.

'The production of the PC glazing systems with Exatec technology in the new cleverGlass business has become one of the most important steps in Peguform Bohemia's growth strategy,' adds Pavel Neuman'.

' 'Polycarbonate is about to become a major alternative to glass in future cars,' predicts Exatec CEO Clemens Kaiser'.

''The introduction of Exatec 900 Glazing Technology will open up entirely new construction and design options for automotive manufacturers which will help to transform the market.' With Peguform Bohemia, Exatec has found the forward thinking and technologically advanced partner needed for such an ambitious and significant development.

Kaiser added: 'With their automotive expertise, skills and economically competitive location, we are confident that Peguform Bohemia is ideally positioned to help establish polycarbonate as the material of choice in automotive windows.' Exatec's products combine an enhanced 10-year weathering layer with a glass-like Plasma topcoat that exhibits superior abrasion properties.

In addition, Exatec provides materials and processes for defroster and antenna functionalities.

Polycarbonate can be molded into almost any shape, accommodating today's most sophisticated automotive design trends and opening opportunities for future developments.

Peguform Bohemia, headquartered in Liberec, Czech Republic, will begin construction of its glazing facility this year.

The new business named cleverGlass will be designed specifically to meet polycarbonate glazing demands, utilizing the latest advanced optical molding technology as well as Exatec's high performance glazing systems.

This highly competitive cleverGlass operation will feature a purpose-built state-of-the-art clean room environment ensuring that automotive manufacturers around the world are supplied with PC glazing which meets the highest quality standards.

About Peguform Bohemia - Peguform Bohemia was founded in 1946.

Currently Peguform Bohemia operates three plants and a tool shop in the Czech Republic.

The plants are located in Liberec and Liban, the construction of the third state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in Nymburk was finished in 2004.

Production is focused mainly on the plastic parts and systems such as painted bumpers, instrument panels, door panels, center consoles and radiator grills.

The tool shop in Liberec produces tools up to the 50 tons of weight.

Company headquarters are located in Liberec as well as the engineering and advanced engineering centers.

Peguform Bohemia supplies a range of global manufacturers including Skoda, Audi, Toyota/PSA (TPCA), GM and Suzuki.

About Exatec - the company was founded in 1998 as 50:50 Joint Venture of Bayer MaterialScience and GE Advanced Materials with the mandate to develop polycarbonate glazing systems for the automotive market.

Headquartered at its state-of-the-art Technology Development Center in Wixom, Michigan, Exatec has developed patented polycarbonate coating systems, which ensure market leading weatherability and glass like abrasion performance.

Exatec operates an engineering design and development office in Bergisch Gladbach, outside Cologne, Germany, to support the European automotive market.

A high-performance thermoplastics, for overmolding the steel core of a cone valve, has replaced a fluoropolymer to withstanding continuous operating temperatures of 120 deg C.

Italy-based Fluorten chose Victrex PEEK, a high-performance thermoplastics, for overmolding the steel core of a cone valve used to process tomato paste. When compared to the fluoropolymer it replaced, Victrex PEEK not only extends the life of the valves, it also results in significant cost savings due to reduced downtime. During processing, the tomato paste is forced through a system of pipes and cone valves to obtain the right quality and consistency.

Because the valves are in contact with the paste, the valve material must be capable of withstanding continuous operating temperatures of 120 deg C (248 deg F) and have good non-stick properties.

It must also exhibit superior surface hardness due to the high processing rates and good adhesion to the steel core.

Victrex PEEK has a glass transition temperature of 143 degC (289 deg F) and can withstand continuous service temperatures close to the melting point of 340 deg C (644 deg F).

'The combination of thermal properties together with low wear properties and excellent adhesion of the polymer during overmolding were the major reasons Fluorten chose Victrex PEEK,' says Christine Karas, General Manager, Americas.

'The fact that Victrex PEEK is FDA approved for contact with foodstuffs and has excellent chemical and hot steam resistance were also a factor.' Victrex USA, a division of Victrex plc, is the sole manufacturer and supplier of PEEK polymer worldwide.

Rapra Technology has helped in developing a range of test methods and results for innovative materials used for packaging absorbents, bio-degradable, microwaveable and ovenable materials.

Rapra Technology, Europe's leading independent plastics and rubber research organisation, has been working with Telford, UK-based Sirane assisted by support from the Wolverhampton, UK-based Polymer Cluster. Sirane manufactures a range of packaging and other products including specialised absorbents, bio-degradable, microwaveable and ovenable materials and protective materials for a number of food and other applications. Rapra's involvement included developing a range of test methods and results for the innovative materials used by Sirane in developing its packaging solutions for clients worldwide.

Richard Walton, Rapra Technology marketing manager says that: 'We are delighted to be once more helping Midlands-based companies succeed - with help from the Polymer Cluster'.

'Our scientific and technology services help free up the creativity and innovation of clients such as Sirane'.

'They can focus on the marketplace and we can help ensure that all their materials and manufacturing are fit for purpose.' Sirane has been in business for just three years, and last year it successfully developed and launched over ten new products for the food packaging and processing industries.

Jointly founded by Simon Balderson and Ian Beardsall, Sirane now employs twenty people, with turnover approaching GBP 1.5million'.

Glass-reinforced PBT compounds are alternatives to short-fibre glass-filled PBT, polypropylene (PP) and nylon resins and deliver enhanced toughnessat wide temperature extremes.

GE Advanced Materials, Plastics has introduced two new grades of its glass-reinforced LNP Verton polybutylene-terephthalate (PBT) compound as alternatives to competitive short-fibre glass filled PBT, polypropylene (PP) and nylon resins. LNP Verton WF-7007 compound, with a 35% long glass fibre loading, and LNP VERTON WF-700-10 compound, with a 50% loading, deliver enhanced toughness, strength, and stiffness at wide temperature extremes. These properties, combined with light weight and exceptional UV and corrosion resistance, make the two new compounds excellent candidates for metal replacement in an array of outdoor applications, as well as for a variety of automotive, electrical, and consumer components where exceptional toughness and durability are required.

The use of long glass fibres instead of traditional short fibers enhances the performance and appearance of LNP Verton WF compounds in several important ways.

The low moisture absorption rate of these fibers helps improve the dimensional stability of molded parts, especially in exterior environments.

Long glass fibers further help contribute to excellent impact resistance and flexural modulus and also enhance part appearance by minimizing the migration of fiber ends to the surface of injection-molded parts.

Further, by delivering high performance in demanding applications that exceed the capability of short glass-fiber-reinforced resins, LNP Verton WF compounds can help to reduce costs through part consolidation.

The new LNP Verton WF compounds have been engineered to help meet the growing demand for materials that can replace metal while offering greater design freedom, lower cost, and lighter weight.

Manufacturers looking for new ways to differentiate their products through design or performance, or to reduce costs through part consolidation or simplified assembly and/or finishing, can benefit from the performance characteristics of these new GE products.

LNP Verton WF compounds offer the balance of high-performance properties required for exterior metal-replacement applications such as vehicle windshield wiper arms, side mirror housings, and handles for garage doors.

They are also excellent candidates for a range of other applications including electrical connectors and switches, appliance handles, and electronic motor housings.

According to David Cooper, LNP Verton product manager, GE Advanced Materials, Plastics, 'In today's competitive manufacturing environment, the right materials can provide a crucial strategic advantage in terms of cost reduction, greater design freedom, and shorter time-to-market'.

'GE Advanced Materials' wide array of innovative products, like our new LNP Verton grades, offer manufacturers a fresh approach to traditional compounds and greater process optimization that can help them compete more effectively worldwide.' * About GE Advanced Materials - GE Advanced Materials is a world leader in providing materials solutions through engineering thermoplastics, silicon-based products and technology platforms, and fused quartz and ceramics.

Among its businesses are: Plastics - which is a global plastics materials supplier and distributor, serving 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.

Silicones - which includes GE Toshiba Silicones in the Pacific region and GE Bayer Silicones in Europe, offering 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.

Quartz - which provides high purity quartz and advanced ceramic materials for the semiconductor, telecommunications, lighting, electronics, personal care, water purification, and various other industries.

GE (NYSE:GE) is a diversified technology, media, and financial services company dedicated to creating products that make life better.

From aircraft engines and power generation to financial services, medical imaging, television programming, and plastics, GE operates in more than 100 countries and employs more than 300,000 people worldwide.

High-performance engineering resin and sheet materials that have been designed to help enable development of next-generation aircraft interior components.

GE Advanced Materials showcased its latest product innovations for the aircraft interiors industry at the 'Aircraft Interiors Expo'. With the theme 'Imagination at Work', the company featured high-performance engineering resin and sheet materials that have been designed to help enable development of next-generation aircraft interior components. Beyond interiors, GE also offers an impressive portfolio of plastics, silicones, quartz, and ceramic products that deliver critical properties in aircraft applications ranging from windshields, structural components, door and engine gaskets, seals for passenger window assemblies, and brake systems to weather stripping, fuel cell coatings, and lighting and wiring components.

The increasing use of GE's plastics, silicone, quartz, and ceramic materials in the aircraft industry is being driven largely by the products' ability to help the industry meet its key challenges of weight reduction; resistance to impact, chemicals, and heat; flame retardancy; outstanding smoke and toxicity properties; and overall high-performance.

Supported by the exceptional depth and breadth of its renowned global research and development organization, GE is able to offer highly specialised materials that have been engineered with the specific combinations of properties required by different interior, exterior, mechanical, and systems components.

'GE provides a superior array of advanced materials solutions to the aircraft interiors industry and almost everywhere else on the plane,' said Melanie Cook, GE Advanced Materials' global marketing director, Transportation and Outdoor Vehicle Programs.

'By addressing the critical challenges of weight reduction, safety, and performance under high-stress conditions, as well as offering the latest materials innovations, GE can provide targeted products that help give our customers a competitive edge.' * GE's thermoplastics resin and sheet products - GE's Ultem and Lexan resin-based materials are finding ever-expanding use in aircraft interiors.

Ultem 9075 and 9076 amorphous thermoplastics polyetherimide (PEI) resins, in particular, offer excellent properties, including inherent flame resistance with low smoke emission, high strength, and broad chemical resistance.

These high-performance materials are already widely used in interior applications, such as personal service units, retractable video displays, window trim, and air valve panels.

They are available in custom colours.

At the Aircraft Interiors Expo, GE displayed several applications featuring Ultem 9075 resin.

These include a two-person passenger service unit and a two-person gasper air valve panel from the Airbus 340 aircraft, an air nozzle assembly, window trim, and an all-in-one personal service unit panel.

The use of GE's Ultem 9076 resin in aircraft interior extrusions is also being highlighted.

GE's extruded Ultem PEI sheet provides design flexibility, outstanding mechanical properties, and excellent flame, smoke, and toxicity performance.

At the expo, GE is showcasing Ultem 1668A sheet, which can be thermoformed, pressure-formed, twin-sheet formed, or used in flat or cold-formed applications.

In aircraft interiors, this material is used to mold aircraft window reveals, air ducts, seating and flight deck components, galleys, stow bins, and sidewalls.

Ultem 1668A sheet meets commercial aircraft interior requirements, including FAA smoke and flammability testing and toxicity standards BSS7239 and ABD0031, and has an OSU heat-release rate below 65/65.

This material is paintable and is available from GE in a range of colors.

Boeing selected GE's Ultem 1668A sheet for use in its C17 jetliner.

For this application, the thermoformed Ultem sheet forms the aircraft's entire cockpit.

Boeing chose the material for its flame, smoke, and toxicity performance; light weight; and exceptional impact strength.

Another popular GE material for aircraft interiors is Lexan polycarbonate sheet.

An extremely durable material based on GE's tough, virtually unbreakable Lexan resin, this GE sheet product offers unmatched impact strength, outstanding dimensional stability, excellent aesthetics, and high stiffness for a range of interior applications.

GE's Lexan F6000 sheet, which is being featured at the expo, is very durable yet easily formed into complex shapes using standard thermoforming equipment.

This material also provides high impact resistance and high heat performance, and is available in custom colors.

GE's Lexan F6000 sheet applications that are being shown at the Aircraft Interiors Expo include an airline literature rack, a window track and reveal, an emergency door light fairing, and seat cladding parts.

* GE's silicone adhesives and sealants - the ability to withstand exposure to UV light, ozone, heat and cold, moisture, and severe vibration is essential in many aircraft applications.

* GE's silicone products, with their exceptional resistance to stresses and harsh conditions, have long played a major and growing role in commercial aircraft environments.

GE's silicone adhesives and sealants are used to seal and protect doors, wings, fuel tanks, wing edges, vent ducts, electrical wiring, and black boxes from the elements.

They help seal passenger window assembly units and absorb noise-producing vibration.

They are also used in galleys to seal countertops and maintain cleanliness.

Because these products are inert, silicone sealants are effective for sealing air circulation ducts throughout the entire aircraft cabin.

GE silicone sealants, potting gels, and encapsulants are used in on-board aircraft computers to protect delicate electronic components.

GE silicone products also help seal light lenses inside and outside the plane and help protect hydraulic switches and controls.

Two high strength silicone adhesive sealants, GE RTV157 and RTV159 sealants, are on display at the expo.

These one component, ready-to-use materials cure to tough, resilient silicone rubber on exposure to atmospheric moisture at room temperature.

RTV157 and RTV159 sealants offer excellent weatherability and resistance to degradation from exposure to ozone and chemicals.

* GE's quartz and ceramic materials - GE's quartz and ceramic materials are used in several aircraft applications.

GE boron nitride (BN), for example, is used in powdered metal composites as a friction modifier for aircraft brake pads.

The material helps to maintain sliding friction with reduced noise and vibration.

GE boron nitride also helps to create abradable seals that are applied to engine casings for correcting clearances that are difficult to achieve mechanically.

For applications like this, BN powder is sprayed onto the engine housing to form a seal that is worn in by the blade rotation during service.

High performance quartz tubing from GE Advanced Materials is used in high-intensity lighting applications such as aircraft landing lights.

* An expanding product portfolio - in addition to showcasing its high-performance product portfolio at the Aircraft Interiors Expo, GE Advanced Materials will preview a new material under development for aircraft interiors based on its Azdel thermoplastics composite technology with Ultem resin.

Other recently introduced products and technologies in development are also on display: * Ultem 1668L sheet, an advanced, new material, derived from Ultem 1668A sheet, is targeted specifically at first class and business class seating.

This product retains an excellent low-gloss surface in complex geometric designs, provides over 10 percent weight savings versus polyvinyl chloride (PVC)-based sheet materials, and offers an OSU heat-release rate below 65/65.

* Ultem films - new GE film products, available in gauges from 50 micron to 500 micron.

These films are excellent candidates for a variety of electrical and electronics applications like flexible heaters, cable insulation, and insulation tapes.

When metal plated, GE's Ultem film can be used in parts where EMI shielding is required.

* Ultem fiber - new materials based on Ultem resin that can be spun into fiber by melt spinning, or that can be converted as a solvent-spun hollow fibre or membrane.

Because the threads are amorphous, this product has a significantly higher glass transition temperature (215 C) than traditional semicrystalline-based fibers, such as polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) or polyetheretherketone (PEEK).

GE's Ultem fiber can be an excellent candidate for carpeting and seating fabrics, fire-block layers, and insulation blankets.

* Colors and Coextrusion - new GE developments in colour/processing technologies for the aircraft industry.

Recent developments include eye-catching metalic effects in Lexan F6000 sheet and white/black two-layer co-extruded Lexan F5000 sheet, an excellent candidate for window shade applications.

* About GE Advanced Materials - GE Advanced Materials is a world leader in providing materials solutions through engineering thermoplastics, silicon-based products and technology platforms, and fused quartz and ceramics.

Among its businesses are: Plastics - which is a global plastics materials supplier and distributor, serving 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.

Silicones - which includes GE Toshiba Silicones in the Pacific region and GE Bayer Silicones in Europe, offering 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.

Quartz - which provides high-purity quartz and advanced ceramic materials for the semiconductor, telecommunications, lighting, electronics, personal care, water purification, and various other industries.

GE (NYSE:GE) is a diversified technology, media, and financial services company dedicated to creating products that make life better.

From aircraft engines and power generation to financial services, medical imaging, television programming, and plastics, GE operates in more than 100 countries and employs more than 300,000 people worldwide.

For more information, visit the company's website at www.ge.com.

* About GE Advanced Materials' specialty film and sheet - GE Advanced Materials' Specialty Film and Sheet business is a leading supplier of high-performance engineering film and sheet products to global industry.

Through this business, GE Advanced Materials offers a variety of film materials for display films, graphic films, coated products, electrical and electronics applications, specialty products, and a range of others.

The company's sheet product line includes an array of high-performance structures - from single- and multi-wall sheet, corrugated materials, and coated sheet products to laminates and combinations of each - to serve customers in several key global sectors.

A vast range of 'Detectamet' metal detectable plastics products plus many other products and services are detailed in a comprehensive and easy-to-use, revamped website.

A vast range of 'Detectamet' metal detectable plastics products plus many other products and services are detailed in a comprehensive and easy-to-use, revamped website. A comprehensive and easy-to-use website has been launched aimed at helping users and specifies to discover a vast range of 'Detectamet' metal detectable plastics products, plus many other products and services found within the food, pharmaceutical, bottling, canning and packaging industries etc E-Components and Chains of Pocklington UK has redeveloped the company's previous website. As well as details of ECC`s innovative products, the site also features full product information.

Details on ECC`s entire range can be accessed quick and easily and is supported by an excellent sales/ technical support team.

Electrically conductive thermoplastics compounds with 'controlled resistance' levels allow users to specify the electrical resistivity range required for a particular application.

Premix Thermoplastics announces the development of a new line of electrically conductive thermoplastics compounds with 'controlled resistance' levels. Called Pre-Elec CR, these new compounds allow users to specify the electrical resistivity range (either volume or surface) required for a particular application. Pre-Elec CR products are fully compounded and can be molded without concern for 'hot spots'.

For many applications, these new compounds offer a cost-effective alternative to the more costly inherently dissipative polymers (IDPs) for providing static dissipation.

Most compounds on the market follow the Electronics Industries Association's (EIA) 541 Standard for resistivity yet many applications require much tighter specifications.

Premix Pre-Elec CR compounds can be tailored to the applications requirements i.e when volume resistance is important, volume resistivity is specified, and when surface resistance is important, surface resistivity is specified.

PRE-ELEC compounds have carefully controlled conductive additive levels manufactured with precision compounding techniques, which means they can be electrically controlled to give the proper resistivity value for the application.

While the most common volume resistance range is 1 x 10e6 to 1 x 10e9 ohm-cm, Premix can manufacture virtually any resistivity range from <1 ohm-cm to 1 x 10e11 ohm-cm in most polymers using carbon black.

In many lower temperature polymers, the electrical resistivity ranges can be controlled with inherently conductive polymers (ICPs) alloys within 1 x 10e3 to 1 x 10e11 ohm/square, and with inherently dissipative polymers (IDPs) alloys from 1 x 10e6 to 1 x 10e12 ohm/square.

Premix Thermoplastics is a subsidiary of Premix Oy, a leading manufacturer of electrically conductive compounds in Europe.

Premix compounds provide EMI/RFI shielding, electrically conductive, static dissipative and antistatic properties for a broad range of applications.

Two thermoplastics products may signal advanced materials for automotive engineers who require weight reduction, improved moldability, and impact protection for large body panels.

Two new revolutionary thermoplastics technology platforms in the works at GE Advanced Materials introduce a new chapter in the company's tradition of enabling automotive exterior body panels that offer a balance of lightweight performance, reliable properties against impact, and competitive cost. High Modulus Ductile (HMD) and High Performance ThermoPlastic Composites (HPPC) may signal two advanced materials solutions for automotive engineers who require weight reduction, design flexibility, improved moldability, and impact protection for large body panels. These technologies were developed to help respond to the growing demand from consumers to produce more stylish automobiles with greater interior space, higher speed, and optimized performance.

For decades, GE's expansive portfolio of high-performance resins has provided the foundation for the industry to address conflicting demands in a single application.

GE's commercial launch for its HMD and HPPC materials platforms carries on this tradition, and represents the latest step in the evolution of higher gloss, sexier silhouettes, and safer, lightweight cars.

'Our role as a leading supplier of automotive thermoplastics has always been linked closely to our mission to be a world-class innovator of materials technologies,' said Mutsuo Aoki, market director, Body Panels and Glazing, GE Advanced Materials.

'As the commercial release approaches for HMD and HPPC technologies, GE looks forward to expanding its scope of solutions for this fiercely demanding industry.' GE's HMD technology offers the potential for new and improved design flexibilities, parts reduction and enhanced integration for body panel applications.

The new HMD grades were developed to help address technology and design limitations imposed by material flow restrictions, and to improve upon the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) seen from conventional materials used in current automotive body panels.

GE's HPPC also offers an excellent CTE performance, indicating that it will likely behave like aluminum and steel.

It is an excellent candidate for horizontal body panel applications, where it could deliver up to a 50% weight reduction compared to metals.

For the end consumer, this could represent a greater fuel efficiency, and higher performance in addition to excellent impact protection.

HPPC also offers a Class A finish and superb moldability for unique designs and modern curves.

HPPC's ability to be molded with low-pressure aluminum tools indicates that, compared to metal, the material could provide an excellent balance of cost and performance for horizontal body panel applications.

* About GE Advanced Materials GE Advanced Materials is a world leader in providing materials solutions through engineering thermoplastics, silicon-based products and technology platforms, and fused quartz and ceramics.

Among its businesses are: * Plastics, which is a global plastics materials supplier and distributor, serving 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.

* Silicones, which includes GE Toshiba Silicones in the Pacific region and GE Bayer Silicones in Europe, offering 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.

* Quartz - which provides high-purity quartz and advanced ceramic materials for the semiconductor, telecommunications, lighting, electronics, personal care, water purification, and various other industries.

GE (NYSE:GE) is a diversified technology, media, and financial services company dedicated to creating products that make life better.

From aircraft engines and power generation to financial services, medical imaging, television programming, and plastics, GE operates in more than 100 countries and employs more than 300,000 people worldwide.

In response to specific automotive industry needs, a glass-free composite brings the added benefit of improved post-consumer incineration waste management.

A further advance in composite sheet performance from Azdel comes with the introduction of glass-free reinforced Azdel 'VolcaLite' composite which brings the added benefit of improved post-consumer incineration waste management in response to specific automotive industry needs. Azdel VolcaLite composite is produced and distributed by Azdel, a 50/50 joint venture of GE Advanced Materials and PPG Industries established in 1986. A new product technology, Azdel VolcaLite composite is a low pressure, thermoformable thermoplastics composite of polypropylene and long chopped basalt fibre.

An excellent candidate for automotive interior systems such as headliners, Azdel VolcaLite composite offers excellent acoustic absorption properties, low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), a high strength-to-weight ratio and excellent ductility.

Together with light weight, good dimensional stability and high impact resistance over a wide temperature range, Azdel VolcaLite may help engineers to design components that may contribute to vehicle weight reduction, while complementing part performance or aesthetics.

As well as potentially making weight savings of up to 50% possible in some components, Azdel VolcaLite composite may also deliver production advantages.

In headliners for example, this versatile composite sheet can be molded directly in one step together with fabric, thereby eliminating the separate production steps required with traditional materials to add functional layers.

Moreover, because of its high strength-to-weight ratio, headliners can be constructed with ultra-thin profiles, down to 3mm thick, less than half the thickness of conventional systems.

This combination of versatile performance properties makes Azdel VolcaLite composite an outstanding material for pre-assembled modular headliners.

It can enable an entire system to be mounted within a vehicle as a single assembly.

Of key importance, its light weight and low pressure formability, often using existing tooling, means that Azdel VolcaLite composite offers the possibility to reduce system cost by as much as 20%.

Furthermore, with its low weight, high stiffness-to-weight and ultra-thin profile (3mm to 5mm), Azdel VolcaLite composite has the potential to extend its value beyond headliners to a range of non-structural interior panels and trims of varying thickness and stiffness.

Better moisture resistance and lower emissions of volatiles and gasses than traditional materials, reinforces the concept of its potential use for interior applications.

Azdel VolcaLite composite has been validated for headliner applications for incineration waste management and is available globally in four constructions and a range of GSM and sizes.

Currently, Azdel VolcaLite composite is under evaluation with a number of Tier 1 automotive suppliers.

Azdel VolcaLite composite customers are provided with support in design, testing, molding and prototyping to achieve excellent performance and weight reduction in automotive applications.

Further information can be found at: www.azdel.com GE's Automotive Application Development Center in Southfield, Mich.

U.S.A., and the European Design Center in Bergen op Zoom, The Netherlands, can help to provide the world's leading automotive manufacturers and tier suppliers with extensive technical support.

Expert staffs can assist with concept generation, complete pre-production consultancy, application and performance prediction, processing simulation, feasibility and cost studies, advanced processing capabilities, system solutions, and innovative automotive expertise.

Moreover, in the United States, GE Advanced Materials in collaboration with Fitch, leaders in industrial design, and GE Polymer Design Associates in Europe, can assist customers with a range of design and engineering services, or with helping to find an optimal solution to a specific task.

This support covers a wide range of automotive disciplines - styling, engineering design, CAD, finite element analysis, model and prototyping, tooling, testing and project management.

* About Azdel - Azdel is a joint venture of GE Advanced Materials and PPG Industries.

The Azdel business was established in 1972 by PPG, and the 50/50 joint venture was set up with GE in 1986.

Azdel is a global leader in the manufacture and supply of high-performance composite materials serving a wide variety of markets and industries including automotive, transportation interiors, large truck, materials handling, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), and building and construction.