17 Jul 2006
GE Plastics Helps MEGADYNE Hone Performance of Reusable Electrosurgical E-Z Pen™ with an Array of Autoclavable Materials
BERGEN OP ZOOM, THE NETHERLANDS — July 17, 2006 — GE Plastics’ Noryl* and Ultem* resin grades were chosen for the new 12-use E-Z Pen™ electrosurgical pencil from MEGADYNE Medical Products. Lightweight and ergonomically designed with both 10- and 15-foot, kink-resistant cords for easier, more comfortable handling, E-Z Pen pencils are the only product on the market offering patented E-Z Clean® non-stick tips that allow surgeons to make cleaner cuts. The versatility and variety of GE’s portfolio of materials for medical device applications, combined with GE value-added services such as color-matching, enabled MEGADYNE to meet the specific requirements of this application.
12 Jul 2006
GE Plastics Provides Cost-Efficient Source for Diverse Resins Featured in Multi-Function Aisys® Anesthesia Delivery System
BERGEN OP ZOOM, THE NETHERLANDS — July 12, 2006 — The state-of-the-art Aisys® Carestation® anesthesia delivery system from GE Healthcare is a demonstration of sophisticated technology in a versatile device. It is the first GE anesthesia solution to integrate electronic gas and agent control as well as delivery with advanced ventilation, vital signs monitoring, and an Advanced Breathing System (ABS™). However, its success in the healthcare marketplace also rides on such practical factors as cost-effectiveness and durability. To achieve these goals, GE Healthcare sought a materials supplier that could efficiently meet diverse application requirements ranging from chemical resistance for work surfaces, light weight for drawer doors, and transparency for the gas scavenger system. GE Plastics was able to supply multiple materials from its diverse product portfolio to meet these needs while providing value-added services such as material selection and application development support.
6 Jul 2006
For Brilliant Auto Lighting Design, GE’s New Lexan* Xtreme Heat Resins Shine with Performance, Weight & Processing Advantages
BERGEN OP ZOOM, THE NETHERLANDS — July 6, 2006 — As space and weight constraints drive more compact, sleeker forward lighting components, automotive suppliers seek materials that can meet the challenges posed by these new designs, including higher temperatures from proximity to bulbs and thinner-wall parts for reduced mass. Addressing this demand, GE Plastics’ new Lexan* Xtreme Heat (XHT) resin portfolio, one of the company’s Signature Surfaces* solutions, now offers automotive lighting designers new material choices for their most demanding applications. Lexan XHT resins deliver excellent resistance to deformation and color shift under high-heat conditions, and surpass many competitive materials such as thermosets in recyclability potential, density, and flow characteristics. Further, when used for bezels and reflectors, new Lexan XHT resins enable direct metallization, which eliminates the costs and environmental impact from pre-coating the part with paint or lacquer.
4 Jul 2006
Ted Brewer’s Vivo2 Violins Hit a High Note with Stunning Color Effects, Courtesy of GE’s Lexan* Visualfx* Resin
BERGEN OP ZOOM, THE NETHERLANDS, — July 3, 2006 — Crystal blue, rich violet, and water-clear polycarbonate (PC) with a touch of diamond sparkle – these are not your traditional violins. Crafted by Ted Brewer, an established U.K. designer of transparent violins, the ultramodern Vivo2 line features GE Plastics’ Lexan* Visualfx* special effects resin for stunning visual impact combined with high performance. Ted, who originally hand-carved his instruments from acrylic block, turned to GE Plastics when increasing market demand prompted a move to injection molding. GE Plastics color experts helped Ted turn his vision for the Vivo2 into an eye-catching reality.
26 Jun 2006
GE Plastics’ New LiteDesign* Online Toolbox Offers Automotive Lighting Designers Signature Surfaces* Solutions
BERGEN OP ZOOM, THE NETHERLANDS — June 26, 2006 — With increasing consumer demand for differentiated vehicles, GE Plastics’ Automotive Lighting division today launched its new LiteDesign* (http://www.geplastics.com/gep/eng/automotive_tools.jsp) Web resource for Signature Surfaces*, the company’s newest offering for advanced exterior surfaces. The self-service LiteDesign resource offers eight online tools and calculators that can help simulate resin colors and effects, predict thermal performance and flow characteristics, and estimate the cost difference between two alternative materials. GE Plastics is currently the only engineering thermoplastic supplier to offer its customers predictive engineering design tools.
16 Jun 2006
GE Plastics’ New Custom Xpress Small-Lot Color Service Offers Delivery in Six Days or Less
BERGEN OP ZOOM, THE NETHERLANDS — June 16, 2006 — Made-to-order products and fast delivery used to be mutually exclusive. Now, with GE Plastics’ new Custom Xpress color service, customers can get the precise color of GE’s Lexan* or Cycoloy* resin they require in six business days or less. The service allows customers to avoid the drawbacks of self-coloring, such as investment in costly production equipment, while providing the world-leading color-matching capabilities of GE Plastics. The Web-based ordering system gives customers the flexibility to make changes up to eight hours prior to production. And GE’s fully digital global color database ensures consistency worldwide and from batch to batch.
12 Jun 2006
GE’s Flame Retardant (FR) Flexible Noryl* Resins Now Recognized Under UL1581 as an Acceptable Wire Coating Material Candidate for 80 °C, 90 °C & 105 °C Applications
BERGEN OP ZOOM, THE NETHERLANDS — November 14, 2006 — GE Plastics recently announced that various grades of its flame-retardant Flexible Noryl* resin for wire coating and insulation have been listed by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) under the UL1581 reference standard for electrical wires, cables, and flexible cords, for up to 105 °C end-use temperature rating. As a result, proposed wire and cable products incorporating high-performance Flexible Noryl resins only need to undergo short-term aging testing vs. a 150-day long-term aging test, speeding time to market. The new GE materials have already proven themselves in the automotive and consumer electronics industries, and, with this new UL listing, are poised for rapid growth in appliance wiring applications.
8 Jun 2006
Heiner Markhoff named General Manager, GE - Plastics, Europe
BERGEN OP ZOOM, THE NETHERLANDS – June 8, 2006 - Heiner Markhoff has been named general manager of GE - Plastics, Europe, reporting directly to Charlene Begley, President and Chief Executive Officer of GE - Plastics. In this role he will be responsible for business and commercial operations across the region.
6 Jun 2006
GE - Plastics and PetroChina Company Limited Agree to Cooperate on Polycarbonate Production in China
BERGEN OP ZOOM, THE NETHERLANDS — June 6, 2006 — GE and PetroChina Company Limited announced today that they would cooperate by creating a world-scale polycarbonate (PC) resin manufacturing joint venture in China.
31 May 2006
GE’s Xylex* Resin Helps William Levene Spice Up the Award-Winning Jamie Oliver Flavour Shaker with Custom Color
BERGEN OP ZOOM, THE NETHERLANDS — May 31, 2006 — As any chef will tell you, success in the kitchen depends on choosing the best ingredients. So when U.K. chef Jamie Oliver began work with William Levene Ltd. on the development of a brand new tool for mixing and crushing ingredients, the housewares supplier found the right material – Xylex* resin from GE Plastics. The wildly popular Jamie Oliver Flavour Shaker, which allows cooks to quickly crush, mix, and extract flavor from whole spices for rubs and marinades, takes advantage of the GE resin’s heat resistance, transparency, durability, resistance to staining, and custom colorability.
30 May 2006
GE Helps BMW Push the Design Envelope of Its Luxury 6 Series Cars with Plastic Fenders Featuring Aggressive Styling and Lower Weight
The 6 Series coupe and convertible from BMW (Bayerische Motoren Werke), one of Europe’s top automakers, represent the ultimate in automotive luxury and performance. The company, headquartered in Munich, Germany, places a strong emphasis on weight savings combined with industry-leading design to differentiate its cars and comply with legislative mandates. BMW sought a way to expand the use of plastics in its 2004 6 Series vehicles and turned to GE - Plastics for solutions.
