DSM APPOINTS VAN VEHMENDAHL AS LIGHTING SEGMENT MANAGER; SPEARHEADING FOCUS ON EUROPEAN LIGHTING MARKET

Francis van Vehmendahl is the new Electrical Lighting Market Segment Manager for DSM Engineering Plastics. As lighting segment manager, van Vehmendahl is responsible for sales and marketing relationships with lighting manufacturers and suppliers, as well as product development activities in tandem with consumers of plastics for electrical applications.

DSM Engineering Plastics offers a range of resins and formulations for the electrical lighting market—and for electrical/electronic in general—including Arnite® polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) formulations, Xantar® polycarbonate (PC), and Stanyl® and Akulon® polyamides (PA).

“We look to expand our lighting applications using Arnite PBT as well as Stanyl,” said van Vehmendahl. “In automotive, we’re developing headlight lampbases moulded with Arnite PET and Stanyl, and we’re able to provide the expertise needed to lower overall system costs for a broad range of other applications.”

Van Vehmendahl has been with DSM since 1989, filling increasingly responsible roles in application development; most recently, he was application development manager for the DSM Lighting Segment. Prior to joining DSM, van Vehmendahl worked for Philips Consumer Electronics. He holds a diploma in mechanical engineering from the Hogere Technische School (HTS) in Heerlen, the Netherlands.

DSM Engineering Plastics holds key supplier positions at major global suppliers of energy-saving lamps. Arnite PBT is used for lamp bases of energy-saving lights because it meets the toughness requirements for snap-fit designs, and it offers color-fast, high temperature performance throughout the life of the lamp. Xantar PC is used for light diffusers, housings and traffic light lenses, where high light transmission, stability of resin and colours, and resistance to vandalism, all are advantages. Stanyl and Akulon Polyamide provide heat resistance, high strength, and dimensional stability for housings, connectors & lamp bases, and other demanding applications. The focus for Akulon is on metal replacement and for Stanyl on high temperature fittings (T240 classification)