29 Mar 2005

GE’s LEXAN* EXL Resin Helps Make BSH Water Kettle Appliance a Hot Item for Consumers

BERGEN OP ZOOM, THE NETHERLANDS — For BSH Group, a leading manufacturer of consumer appliances, a major design concern is ensuring each product continues to perform well and look great over an extended lifespan. In the case of water kettles, that lifespan is about 10 years and is characterized by repeated cycles of cold and heat as the kettle turns icy tap water into boiling liquid. To meet the rigorous demands of this application, BSH turned to GE’s LEXAN* EXL 1443T resin, which proved its temperature resistance by successfully completing 12,000 test cycles of heating and cooling. LEXAN EXL resin easily surpassed the closest competitive material, which lasted only through 7,500 test cycles, by a wide margin.

As a result of the tests, BSH chose LEXAN EXL resin for its sleek BOSCH TWK8SL1 electric water/tea kettle. However, the resin offered BSH much more than resistance to wide temperature swings. It delivers a wide spectrum of opaque colors, which can be custom-matched to specific requirements. Further, its outstanding surface finish allows the creation of visually appealing designs that meet consumer demand for striking and beautiful appliances. Finally, the GE resin meets today’s European standards for food contact, as well as US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) requirements.

“When we considered the requirements of the water kettle application, we knew that the material we chose would have to withstand more than 10,000 uses over the life of the appliance and still look like new,” said Mark Heier, product manager, BSH Group. “GE’s LEXAN resin clearly stood out from the competition after passing demanding tests simulating years of use. It gave us not only the durability we required, but also superior aesthetics for a very attractive finished product.”

One of the new products in GE’s X GEN* portfolio, LEXAN EXL resin builds on the strength of standard LEXAN resin – one of the toughest plastics available – with even greater impact performance and low-temperature ductility. The copolymer structure of LEXAN EXL resin combines the best of polycarbonate (PC) and siloxane properties, resulting in a significant upgrade to the PC and PC blend materials available in the market today. The low-temperature ductility of the silicone provides outstanding impact performance. And because silicone is relatively unaffected by heat or humidity, these materials retain their properties for a longer time than standard polycarbonate resins.

“Consumers today want more than functionality in their household appliances,” said Günther Grüner, application development specialist, GE Advanced Materials. “They also expect great design. Companies like BSH depend on GE materials for both the durability and the superior aesthetics that make a product a hit with consumers. Design engineers can use our resin to create innovative products with greater reliability, even over years and years of constant use.”

Reader enquiries

GE Plastics
Plasticslaan 1
4600 AC Bergen op Zoom
Netherlands

Helen Vandebovenkamp
helen.vandebovenkamp@ge.com

Tel: +31 164 29 20 97
Fax: +31 164 29 10 66
Netherlands

+31 164 29 20 97

helen.vandebovenkamp@ge.com

www.geplastics.com

Notes for editors

About GE Advanced Materials

GE Advanced Materials (www.geadvancedmaterials.com) is a world leader in providing materials solutions through engineering thermoplastics, silicon-based products and technology platforms, and fused quartz and ceramics. Among its businesses are:

• Plastics – which is a global plastics materials supplier and distributor, serving customers in a variety of industries including aerospace, appliances, automotive, building and construction, data storage and optical media, medical, electrical and electronics devices, telecommunications, computers and peripheral devices, outdoor vehicles and devices, and packaging (www.geplastics.com).

• Silicones – which includes GE Toshiba Silicones in the Pacific region and GE Bayer Silicones in Europe, offering silanes, specialty silicones, urethane additives, adhesives, sealants, resins, and elastomers for a variety of industries such as personal care, automotive, tire and rubber, construction, healthcare, electronics, household and institutional, agriculture, textiles, appliances, bedding and furnishings, foam control, and consumer (www.gesilicones.com).

• Quartz – which provides high-purity quartz and advanced ceramic materials for the semiconductor, telecommunications, lighting, electronics, personal care, water purification, and various other industries (www.gequartz.com).

GE (NYSE:GE) is a diversified technology, media, and financial services company dedicated to creating products that make life better. From aircraft engines and power generation to financial services, medical imaging, television programming, and plastics, GE operates in more than 100 countries and employs more than 300,000 people worldwide. For more information, visit the company's website at www.ge.com.

About BSH

BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH, a joint venture between Robert Bosch GmbH Stuttgart and Siemens AG Munich, is a multinational group posting annual sales in excess of six billion euros. BSH produces domestic appliances tailored to local markets in its worldwide development and manufacturing network. The product range marketed under the various brands encompasses large and small home appliances, and also includes a line of connectable household appliances. BSH is the market leader in Germany and is one of the three world’s leading domestic appliance manufacturers. Additional information can be found at www.bsh-group.com.

* LEXAN and X GEN are trademarks of General Electric Company.

Related images

BSH’s BOSCH TWK8SL1 Water Kettle Made With GE’s LEXAN* EXL Resin

For BSH Group, a leading manufacturer of consumer appliances, a major design concern is ensuring each product continues to perform well and look great over an extended lifespan. In the case of water kettles, that lifespan is about 10 years and is characterized by repeated cycles of cold and heat as the kettle turns icy tap water into boiling liquid. To meet the rigorous demands of this application, BSH turned to GE Advanced Materials’ LEXAN* EXL 1443T resin, which proved its temperature resistance by successfully completing 12,000 test cycles of heating and cooling. LEXAN EXL resin easily surpassed the closest competitive material, which lasted only through 7,500 test cycles, by a wide margin. LEXAN EXL is one of the new products in GE’s X GEN* portfolio.

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