PlasticSolutions^™ Newsletter - Web Version

From the Industry Experts

Ultem™ Polyetherimide Resins

If you could take steps to design planes that are safer, use less fuel, and carry larger payloads, would you consider them?

You now have a choice. GE's high-performance engineering Ultem™ polyetherimide resins and sheet materials are designed to help the development of next-generation aircraft interior components. This pioneering material is set to revolutionize the interiors of aircraft as it addresses a full range of customer needs. In addition to satisfying regulations worldwide for flame, smoke and toxic emission, the material delivers exceptional cleanability, durability and vandal resistance.

Ultem™ resin and sheet are excellent candidates for aircraft seating, service units, storage bins, and galleys to help create a healthier, more aesthetically pleasing environment for passengers and flight crews.

In addition to the existing line of Ultem™ sheet products, GE Plastics is now offering a new grade, low-gloss Ultem™ 1668L sheet.

Compared to traditional materials such as PVC/acrylic, which require toxicity waivers from the air framer, Ultem™ 1668L sheet fully complies with industry combustion toxicity standards, high flame retardant (FR) capability, and meets OSU 65/65 heat release.

GE's Ultem™ 1668L sheet is also 10 - 26 percent lighter than PVC/acrylic, is six percent lighter than PPS and provides superior stiffness that allows the use of thinner gauges that can further reduce weight without sacrificing performance. A lighter aircraft means consuming less fuel and having less impact on the environment.

From an aesthetic standpoint, GE's Ultem™ 1668L sheet provides color consistency across gauges and may lower costs by eliminating painting. It is easy to clean and resists chemicals found in cleaning products.

If you like to receive more information about Ultem™ resin and sheet products, please contact Modern Plastics at toll free 800-243-9696 or customerservice@modernplastics.com.

- Paul DiSciullo,
Transportation Manager
GE Plastics

Click here to download an Ultem™ fact sheet.

Testimonial

   “Our company is a global Fortune 500 firm and although we are 3,000 miles away from the corporate location of Modern Plastics (and also have multiple choices of local plastics distribution), they are simply leaps and bounds ahead of the industry with customer service, technical know-how and their unmatched quality control/inspection measures. Modern Plastics knows how to ship product all over the world, get it there on-time, intact and with shipping rates that are hard for even local suppliers to meet. It’s a rarity to find such a supplier and our company highly recommends Modern Plastics to the rest of the world!”

  - Senior Procurement Buyer Global,
        Anaheim, California

View Testimonials Here

In this Issue...

• Ultem™ Polyetherimide Resins
• Aircraft (Ultem™ Resin and Sheet, Lexan™ Sheet)
• Railway (Ultem™ R16SG29)
• Mass Transit (Lexan™ Polycarbonate, Margard)

Aircraft Industry

GE Advanced Materials' high-performance engineering resin and sheet materials from Modern Plastics are excellent candidates to help the development of next-generation aircraft interior components.

Ultem™ resin and sheet - an inherently flame-retardant (FR) material with low smoke emission. Ultem™ resin and sheet grades for aircraft interior applications are FAA compliant. Different forms of the Ultem™ resin and sheet are used for different interior elements, but all are held to the highest standards.

Ultem™ resin and sheet meets requirements for the following:

• TCO99
• Blue Angel
• White Swan
• EU regulations
• Fire safety criteria of Underwriters Laboratories (UL®), Inc.

Lexan™ sheet - an exceptionally tough material based on GE's Lexan™ polycarbonate (PC) resin. It meets the aircraft interiors industry's standards. Using tough, virtually unbreakable Lexan™ resin, this product can be draped and thermoformed in complex 3-D shapes. Its low density of 1.2 g/m3 gives Lexan™ sheet a weight advantage of over 15% versus PVC-based materials.

Lexan™ sheet has the following properties:

• Unmatched impact strength
• Outstanding dimensional stability at elevated temperatures
• Aesthetics - a broad color palette for a wide range of applications
• High-heat, flame, and UV resistance

Download an aircraft fact sheet.

Have a salesman contact me immediately.

Railway

The GE Advanced Materials products offered by Modern Plastics include a broad portfolio of advanced engineered thermoplastic resin, sheet, and film materials. These include products developed for both interior and exterior use.

GE's Ultem™ R16SG29 Sheet - a growing material of choice in train window masks, cladding, walls and seating, and other interior parts due to its design flexibility in three dimensional shapes, outstanding mechanical properties, and flame, smoke, and toxicity capabilities. Especially important for this sector is this product’s excellent cleanabilty and chemical resistance. Ultem™ sheet gives formed parts lighter weight and consistent through-part color versus traditional materials such as metal and PVC blends. It is also making significant gains against other traditional materials such as metal, fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP), and sheet-molding compound (SMC) in several application areas.

Ultem™ R16SG29 has the following properties:

• Exceptionally cleanable
• Durable
• Vandal-resistant
• Inherently flame-retardant
• Low smoke emission
• Complies with toxicity standards
• Addresses growing eco-label application concerns:
  • TCO99
  • Blue Angel
  • White Swan or EU
  • Fire safety criteria of Underwriters Laboratories (UL®), Inc.

Download the Ultem™ R16SG29 fact sheet.

Have a salesman contact me immediately.

Mass Transit

Modern Plastics carries Lexan™ polycarbonate sheet products which offer over 100 times the impact strength of laminated glass (at half the weight) and nearly 30 times the strength of acrylic and are virtually unbreakable. With Lexan™, your passengers are safer, and you, under normal conditions, can reduce operating costs. The Lexan™ family of sheet products was created in response to the demanding glazing requirements of transportation authorities around the world.

Lexan™ polycarbonate sheet has the following properties:

• High impact strength
• Outstanding clarity
• Weathering-resistance
• Abrasion resistance

Download the Lexan™ Polycarbonate Sheet fact sheet.

Lexan™ Margard™ sheet from Modern Plastics offers excellent optical clarity with a unique combination of properties, which can make it an excellent candidate for safety and security glazing to suit a wide range of applications. Available clear or bronze tinted, it can be used for both flat and curved glazing. Like all Lexan™ sheet products, Lexan™ Margard™ sheet offers extremely high impact resistance, minimizing the risk of breakage - even when subjected to violent blows by heavy objects. This impact resistance does not vary significantly over a wide temperature range (-40°C to +120°C) or after prolonged outdoor exposure. Lexan™ Margard™ sheet has a unique, hard surface coating which provides a high level of protection against unsightly scratching, so it's ideal for use in applications where frequent contact is likely. Its unique surface coating also resists graffiti, enabling easy restoration to a 'good as new' condition.

Lexan™ Margard™ Sheet has the following properties:

• Extremely high impact resistance
• High resistance to abrasion
• High resistance to the effects of weathering
• High resistance to chemicals
• Superior fire performance
• Safe and easy to handle and install
• Comprehensive warranty
• Anti-vandal glazing

Download the Lexan™ Margard™ Sheet fact sheet.

Have a salesman contact me immediately.