GE Advanced Materials, Automotive Offers Five-Segment Structure Geared Toward Specific Industry Needs

Body Panels & Glazing

For automotive manufacturers seeking to differentiate themselves with top technological advancements for automotive exteriors, GE Advanced Materials, Automotive offers a variety of innovative weight-reducing and cost-out solutions in body panels, glazing, and no-paint solutions.

In the body panels segment, GE is helping drive cost out by eliminating the need for secondary paint operations with “no-paint” solutions. Advanced LEXAN* SLX film provides automakers with a ‘paint-free’ option that can deliver a Class A surface finish with deep gloss consumer appeal. Furthermore, the film has the ability to withstand prolonged exposure to UV rays with minimal fading, and it offers greater scratch and chemical resistance when compared to similar films.

GE Advanced Materials products also allow customized painting options through all three traditional paint methods. Off-line solutions include paintable – or molded-in-color – XENOY* resin panels. On-line and in-line painted body panels can also be manufactured from NORYL GTX* resins.

In the glazing area, wrap-around glazing takes design to a new level, helping to give drivers and passengers a better all-round view, while offering outstanding impact resistance. GE Advanced Materials turned imagination into reality with LEXAN resin glazing that can provide panoramic roof systems with integrated features in complex shapes that glass materials cannot deliver. LEXAN resin glazing can offer weight savings of up to 50 percent vs. glass and metal systems, while helping to lower the center of gravity for greater stability.

Components

From bumper to bumper, GE Advanced Materials offers a wide variety of high performance engineering thermoplastics and composites for exterior and interior component applications. GELOY* XTW resin, for example, is a game-changing material that may deliver three- to five-times better color and gloss retention than conventional acrylic-styrene-acrylonitriles (ASAs), and comes in a spectrum of colors. More than additives, this revolutionary resin uses new polymer building blocks to dramatically improve weatherability in exterior applications. While molded-in color eliminates paint and hard coat, automakers can also achieve blacks that are deeper and darker, whites that are brighter and cleaner, along with an excellent depth of image that will be noticed and appreciated by auto consumers.

Reduction of total systems costs may also be achieved by replacing secondary paint operations with a “no paint” alternative to metal. This is also possible for exterior components with the help of GELOY XTW resins and Visualfx* resin solutions. Visualfx resin is GE’s premium resin formulated with a variety of effects (i.e. luminescent, diffusion, and many more) inherent in the pellet to create colorful and exceptionally rich looking parts. Visualfx resins help designers to explore new boundaries without costly secondary paint and coating operations.

Lighting

Automotive lighting systems made from GE Advanced Materials’ resins have proven to be tough, stylish, and durable against the high heat of projector and fog lamps. Millions of vehicles worldwide already rely on standard LEXAN resin grades to help provide high impact resistance and clarity in headlight lenses and bezels. LEXAN 4401R resin today presents an improvement in the balance of flow and heat resistance previously available and may optimize flow and heat for bezels that require direct metallization and high surface quality, while permitting faster cycle times and higher productivity.

ULTEM* XH6050 resin, also delivers extraordinarily high modulus, plus outstanding heat resistance to 225 C. It also offers exceptional dimensional stability, strength and durability, and it is 100 percent recyclable using standard equipment. The lighting segment at GE continues to help light the way for the automotive industry of today and tomorrow.

Structures & Interior

The experience of GE Advanced Materials, Automotive in structures and interiors is broad, enc

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