Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • Sustainable Plastics
  • Rubber News
Subscribe
  • Sign Up Free
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • Processor News
    • Suppliers
    • More News
    • Digital Edition
    • End Markets
    • Special Reports
    • Newsletters
    • Resin pricing news
    • Videos
    • Injection Molding
    • Blow Molding
    • Film & Sheet
    • Pipe/Profile/Tubing
    • Rotomolding
    • Thermoforming
    • Recycling
    • Machinery
    • Materials
    • Molds/Tooling
    • Product news
    • Design
    • K Show
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Sustainability
    • Public Policy
    • Material Insights Videos
    • Numbers that Matter
    • Automotive
    • Packaging
    • Medical
    • Consumer Products
    • Construction
    • Processor of the Year
    • Best Places to Work
    • Women Breaking the Mold
    • Rising Stars
    • Diversity
    • Most Interesting Social Media Accounts in Plastics
  • Opinion
    • The Plastics Blog
    • Kickstart
    • One Good Resin
    • Pellets and Politics
    • All Things Data
    • Viewpoint
    • From Pillar to Post
    • Perspective
    • Mailbag
    • Fake Plastic Trees
  • Shop Floor
    • Blending
    • Compounding
    • Drying
    • Injection Molding
    • Purging
    • Robotics
    • Size Reduction
    • Structural Foam
    • Tooling
    • Training
  • Events
    • K Show Livestream
    • Plastics News Events
    • Industry Events
    • Injection Molding & Design Expo
    • Livestreams/Webinars
    • Editorial Livestreams
    • Ask the Expert
    • Plastics News Events Library
    • Processor of the Year submissions
    • Plastics News Executive Forum
    • Injection Molding & Design Expo
    • Plastics News Caps & Closures
    • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum
    • Plastics in Automotive
    • PN Live: Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Polymer Points Live
    • Numbers that Matter Live
    • Plastics in Politics Live
    • Sustainable Plastics Live
    • Plastics Caps & Closures Library
    • Plastics in Healthcare Library
    • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum Library
  • Rankings & Data
    • Injection Molders
    • Blow Molders
    • Film Sheet
    • Thermoformers
    • Pipe Profile Tubing
    • Rotomolders
    • Mold/Toolmakers
    • LSR Processors
    • Recyclers
    • Compounders - List
    • Association - List
    • Plastic Lumber - List
    • All
  • Directory
  • Resin Prices
    • Commodity TPs
    • High Temp TPs
    • ETPs
    • Thermosets
    • Recycled Plastics
    • Historic Commodity Thermoplastics
    • Historic High Temp Thermoplastics
    • Historic Engineering Thermoplastics
    • Historic Thermosets
    • Historic Recycled Plastics
  • Custom
    • Sponsored Content
    • LS Mtron Sponsored Content
    • Conair Sponsored Content
    • KraussMaffei Sponsored Content
    • ENGEL Sponsored Content
    • White Papers
    • Classifieds
    • Place an Ad
    • Sign up for Early Classified
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. News
September 11, 2006 02:00 AM

GE Plastics, Allen take PC in new direction

Michael Lauzon
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Reprints Print

    GE Plastics and Allen Extruders Inc. have teamed up to push polycarbonate sheet into new markets.

    The firms have developed the Alextra family of PC sheet that they said provides new material solutions in the transportation, agriculture, recreation and marine industries. Alextra sheet delivers a Class A surface and long-term strength, according to the developers.

    Key to Alextra is the coextruded capstock of GE's Lexan SLX, a weather-resistant PC resin. Lexan SLX, which constitutes about 10-15 percent of the sheet thickness, helps Alextra compete against thermosets like polyesters and reaction injection molded materials. The copolymer blend complements other PC resins in the sheet to impart toughness, weatherability, depth of color and recyclability, the companies said.

    Chris Willis, GE Plastics industry manager for recreational vehicles and buses, said in a telephone interview that the first commercial application for Alextra is at a nonautomotive transportation company. The undisclosed firm began using it last fall. Several others are evaluating the sheet for transportation, industrial equipment and road construction products, Willis said.

    GE Plastics had early success with Lexan SLX in nonauto injection molding applications and decided to apply it to extruded uses by marrying it with other PC resins, Willis said.

    ``We had an eager customer,'' he added.

    Allen Extruders joined the effort, chipping in its extrusion expertise, said Allen Extruders Chief Executive Officer and President Sam Angell.

    ``We worked with GE, and from idea to commercial close was about nine months,'' Angell said.

    Alextra performs well in thermoforming applications and in some cases a 14-inch draw is possible, the officials said. Willis said the sheet might need to be dried before it can be formed in conventional equipment, including in temperature-controlled and composite tooling. Small marks or scratches on the sheet surface are easily buffed out, he said.

    Willis and Angell said it requires expertise to make Alextra sheet. ``The processing intellectual property resides in Allen Extruders,'' Willis said.

    Allen Extruders does not have exclusive rights to making the sheet, but Angell said, ``We believe there are enough meaningful barriers to allow us to react to any competition.'' He said Allen dedicated a capital program to Alextra's development, but he declined to provide information about equipment or cost.

    The sheet comes in three major grades. Alextra MV, the most versatile grade, outperforms ABS, the firms said. Alextra TS has increased stiffness with superior low- and high-temperature performance. The ET grade shows robust performance, such as low-temperature impact strength to minus 76° F, chemical resistance, low coefficient of friction, heat distortion temperature of 275° F and bondability.

    ``These combined characteristics produce a unique balance of aesthetics and performance, which can enable our customers to decrease system costs and offer a more environmentally friendly alternative to painted, in-mold-coated or gel-coated material systems,'' said Mike Ringquist, Allen sales manager.

    Allen Extruders is selling Alextra sheet directly from its Holland, Mich., head office. It is available in a range of solid colors and can be matched to painted components. Sheet width ranges up to 100 inches and available gauges are from 0.06-0.5 inch. Lead times are three to four weeks, the company said.

    Allen Extruders also extrudes a variety of ABS/PC, acrylic and polystyrene sheets on its five extrusion lines. It also offers laminating services. The firm logged 2005 sales of $42 million.

    RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
    Berry sees growing health care demand in India; new plant to open soon
    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Do you have an opinion about this story? Do you have some thoughts you'd like to share with our readers? Plastics News would love to hear from you. Email your letter to Editor at [email protected]

    Most Popular
    1
    OSHA: Worker died at plastics firm after duct tape covered safety guards
    2
    Tornadoes, severe weather impact Texas resin plants
    3
    Plastics firms work to eliminate PFAS use as pressure mounts
    4
    Material Insights: Nasty weather knocks some chemical plants offline
    5
    MAPP survey shows ‘struggling' plastics processing sector
    SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE NEWSLETTERS
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    Get our newsletters

    Staying current is easy with Plastics News delivered straight to your inbox, free of charge.

    Subscribe today

    Subscribe to Plastics News

    Subscribe now
    Connect with Us
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram

    Plastics News covers the business of the global plastics industry. We report news, gather data and deliver timely information that provides our readers with a competitive advantage.

    Contact Us

    1155 Gratiot Avenue
    Detroit MI 48207-2997

    Customer Service:
    877-320-1723

    Resources
    • About
    • Staff
    • Editorial Calendar
    • Media Kit
    • Data Store
    • Digital Edition
    • Custom Content
    • People
    • Contact
    • Careers
    • Sitemap
    Related Crain Publications
    • Sustainable Plastics
    • Rubber News
    • Tire Business
    • Urethanes Technology
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Copyright © 1996-2023. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • Processor News
        • Injection Molding
        • Blow Molding
        • Film & Sheet
        • Pipe/Profile/Tubing
        • Rotomolding
        • Thermoforming
        • Recycling
      • Suppliers
        • Machinery
        • Materials
        • Molds/Tooling
        • Product news
        • Design
      • More News
        • K Show
        • Mergers & Acquisitions
        • Sustainability
        • Public Policy
        • Material Insights Videos
        • Numbers that Matter
      • Digital Edition
      • End Markets
        • Automotive
        • Packaging
        • Medical
        • Consumer Products
        • Construction
      • Special Reports
        • Processor of the Year
        • Best Places to Work
        • Women Breaking the Mold
        • Rising Stars
        • Diversity
        • Most Interesting Social Media Accounts in Plastics
      • Newsletters
      • Resin pricing news
      • Videos
    • Opinion
      • The Plastics Blog
      • Kickstart
      • One Good Resin
      • Pellets and Politics
      • All Things Data
      • Viewpoint
      • From Pillar to Post
      • Perspective
      • Mailbag
      • Fake Plastic Trees
    • Shop Floor
      • Blending
      • Compounding
      • Drying
      • Injection Molding
      • Purging
      • Robotics
      • Size Reduction
      • Structural Foam
      • Tooling
      • Training
    • Events
      • K Show Livestream
      • Plastics News Events
        • Plastics News Executive Forum
        • Injection Molding & Design Expo
        • Plastics News Caps & Closures
        • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum
        • Plastics in Automotive
      • Industry Events
      • Injection Molding & Design Expo
      • Livestreams/Webinars
        • PN Live: Mergers and Acquisitions
      • Editorial Livestreams
        • Polymer Points Live
        • Numbers that Matter Live
        • Plastics in Politics Live
        • Sustainable Plastics Live
      • Ask the Expert
      • Plastics News Events Library
        • Plastics Caps & Closures Library
        • Plastics in Healthcare Library
        • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum Library
      • Processor of the Year submissions
    • Rankings & Data
      • Injection Molders
      • Blow Molders
      • Film Sheet
      • Thermoformers
      • Pipe Profile Tubing
      • Rotomolders
      • Mold/Toolmakers
      • LSR Processors
      • Recyclers
      • Compounders - List
      • Association - List
      • Plastic Lumber - List
      • All
    • Directory
    • Resin Prices
      • Commodity TPs
        • Historic Commodity Thermoplastics
      • High Temp TPs
        • Historic High Temp Thermoplastics
      • ETPs
        • Historic Engineering Thermoplastics
      • Thermosets
        • Historic Thermosets
      • Recycled Plastics
        • Historic Recycled Plastics
    • Custom
      • Sponsored Content
      • LS Mtron Sponsored Content
      • Conair Sponsored Content
      • KraussMaffei Sponsored Content
      • ENGEL Sponsored Content
      • White Papers
      • Classifieds
        • Place an Ad
        • Sign up for Early Classified