GE Plastics Global Application Technology Centre Bergen of Zoom, The Netherlands and Global Capabilities Fact Sheet

with European Headquarters in Bergen op Zoom, The Netherlands.

services of its on-site Global Application Technology Centre. The Centre

was opened in 1978 and occupies 4200 square meters in laboratory

facilities.

the growth of GE’s product portfolio through advanced application and

process development and dedicated customer support around the world. The

GApT invents, validates, and translates applications and processes.

range of Customer support services. These services are provided through

six highly specialized Centres of Excellence that comprise this world-

class operation.

They include:

- A Fluid Engineering Centre of Excellence;

- A Cosmetic Packaging Centre of Excellence;

- A Vertical Automotive Body Panel Centre of Excellence;

- A Horizontal Automotive Body Panel Centre of Excellence;

- An Automotive Glazing Centre of Excellence;

- A Secondary Operations Centre of Excellence.

Global Application Technology Centre, Europe, have been made to upgrade

60 percent of the facility’s equipment, as follows:

- Powder Coating Technology (2004)

- Fluid Engineering Equipment (2004 and ongoing)

- 3D Measurement Machine (2004)

- Secondary Operations (2004 and ongoing)

- Parts Performance (2004 and ongoing)

- Processing Centre: KM 2700 tons injection molding machine (Dec. 2005)

- Processing Centre: Geiss twin-sheet thermoformer (April 2006)

- Processing Centre: KM 1600 tons 2K injection molding machine (planned

for Q4 2006)

Technology Centre and connects with GE’s application technology centres

around the globe to share and translate knowledge worldwide. This

laboratory offers global two-way audio and visual communications where GE

scientists, technologists, and market experts conduct trials and develop

customer solutions in real time.

Technology Centre include:

- Design and Engineering – focusing on customer needs analysis, concept

generation, application design development and Computer Aided Engineering

(CAE);

- Processing Development – including injection molding, compression molding,

and thermoforming;

- Part Performance – analyzing such performance properties as dimensional

stability, environmental compliance, thermal and impact performance, surface

appearance and aesthetics, durability, and structural stability;

- Secondary Operations – to analyze, how plastics perform during powder

coating, painting, vacuum metallization, welding, adhesive bonding, and

assembly techniques.

full- time application development technologists working with other GE

experts around the world to provide ongoing resin solutions to the

company’s worldwide customer base.

customer visits. In 2005 175 and over 20 customer visits have been hosted

to date in 2006.

Reader enquiries