2 Apr 2009
SABIC Innovative Plastics Wins a 2009 Green Dot™ Environmental Responsibility Award for Co-development of the Hyundai QarmaQ ATDV
BERGEN OP ZOOM, The Netherlands – April 2, 2009 – SABIC Innovative Plastics has been honored with a 2009 Green Dot Award™ in Transportation for its pioneering work on the Hyundai QarmaQ Advanced Technology Demonstration Vehicle (ATDV). The company won second prize in the annual award program, which recognizes the products and services of environmentally responsible organizations. SABIC Innovative Plastics, which co-developed the QarmaQ with Hyundai Motor Company, incorporated next-generation composites and thermoplastics from its broad product portfolio throughout the vehicle to reduce weight and greenhouse gas emissions. The use of these materials in glazing, interior components, the Elastic Front* pedestrian safety system, fenders and hood led to weight reductions of up to 60 kg vs. traditional materials. According to an audit by GreenOrder, an environmental strategy firm based in New York, N.Y., this means the QarmaQ would require about 80 fewer liters of diesel per year, and would cut annual greenhouse gas emissions by more than 200 kg.
25 Mar 2009
3D Backlight of "ix-onic" Concept Highlights Newest Hyundai and SABIC Innovative Plastics Collaboration on Polycarbonate Glazing Technology
BERGEN OP ZOOM, The Netherlands – March 25, 2009 – Polycarbonate glazing has become an important tool for automakers to differentiate their vehicles. This technology offers greater design freedom, higher performance and lighter weight than traditional glass. To create a distinctive backlight for its new compact "ix-onic" SUV concept, recently on display at the 79th Salon International de L’Automobile, Hyundai Motor Company collaborated with SABIC Innovative Plastics to take advantage of Exatec* E900 glazing featuring Lexan GLX* polycarbonate resin. SABIC Innovative Plastics, having worked side-by-side with Hyundai on several projects including the recent Hyundai QarmaQ, is committed to helping its automotive customers achieve business success.
19 Mar 2009
SABIC Innovative Plastics Continues Collaboration with Hyundai with New i10 Energy Absorbers for Improved Pedestrian Safety
BERGEN OP ZOOM, The Netherlands – March 19, 2009 – A-segment cars, also known as city cars, are growing in popularity due to their fuel-sipping benefits. But the very small size of these vehicles poses challenges to designers, so when designers of the Hyundai i10 – a city car produced by Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL) and targeted for export – were tasked with creating an energy absorber (EA) that would meet stringent European safety regulations for pedestrian lower leg impact, they faced space constraints for the EA, which required an alternative to bulky expanded polypropylene (EPP) foam. Based on Hyundai’s collaboration with SABIC Innovative Plastics on the QarmaQ Advanced Technology Demonstration Vehicle and the development of its Elastic Front safety system concept, HMIL selected Xenoy* polycarbonate/polybutylene terephthalate (PC/PBT) alloy. Because of the superior energy absorption efficiency of Xenoy resin compared to EPP, the HMIL team was able to comply with the EU requirements within the allotted space.
6 Mar 2009
SABIC Innovative Plastics Helps PWB Health Ltd. Put the Spotlight on Breast Cancer Awareness at MD&M with Award-Winning Breastlight
BERGEN OP ZOOM, The Netherlands – March 6, 2009 – In the fight against breast cancer, women can perform self-examinations to note any changes in their breasts. Now, new life-sciences company PWB Health Ltd from Dumbarton, Scotland has introduced, here at MD&M West, the award-winning Breastlight, a home-use device that makes it easier to perform self-examinations by literally shining a light on breast tissue to illuminate internal changes. To optimize the performance and durability of the Breastlight, SABIC Innovative Plastics’ Lexan* and Cycoloy* healthcare resins are used in the housing and lens of the device. These medical-grade materials, combined with value-added technical and design services provided by SABIC Innovative Plastics, helped PWB Health bring the Breastlight to market quickly – giving women a powerful new tool as part of their regular breast awareness routine.
4 Feb 2009
SABIC Innovative Plastics’ New Expression 2010 Palette of Colors and Effects Combines Creativity with Sustainability
BERGEN OP ZOOM, The Netherlands – February 4, 2009 – Today’s product designs include an increasing focus on environmental responsibility, together with aesthetics, form and function. For its newest and most exciting Expression palette of colors, textures and effects for plastics, SABIC Innovative Plastics has chosen the theme, “Consider the future – create without paint." To contribute to air quality and enable recyclability, the Expression 2010 program gives customers new and trendy possibilities to create beautiful and functional applications using molded-in colors and effects instead of paint. Entering its third season, this highly successful program features several new ideas such as laser marking to create applications that are more easily recycled, offer new functionality and, as usual, dazzle with awesome aesthetics.
28 Jan 2009
SABIC Innovative Plastics Completes its Portfolio of Valox* SHF Resins, Enabling Electrical & Automotive Part Manufacturers to Go with the Flow
BERGEN OP ZOOM, The Netherlands – January 28, 2009 – Today electrical/electronic part designers are pulling their hair trying to shoehorn more functionality into ever-smaller spaces and reduce system costs. One way to do both is to relax and go with the flow. Super High Flow resins enable thinner-wall parts that accommodate more capabilities. They also speed up processing and cut costs while maintaining good mechanical and heat performances. SABIC Innovative Plastics has raised the bar with a complete portfolio of glass filled Super High Flow Valox* SHF resins offering twice the flow length of standard glass filled polybutylene terephthalate (PBT). With this comprehensive PBT product family, electrical and automotive part manufacturers have many choices when molding thin-wall parts such as connectors and excess voltage cut-off switches.
27 Jan 2009
SABIC Invests in Eastern Europe with expanded Moscow Sales Office and Dedicated Team to Support Regional Customers
BERGEN OP ZOOM, The Netherlands – January 27, 2009 – At the Interplastica 2009 show, the SABIC family of plastics businesses, including SABIC Innovative Plastics and SABIC Europe, is demonstrating its strong commitment to serving the Eastern European market by introducing its expanded and dedicated sales team, all based in a new SABIC sales office in Moscow. SABIC Innovative Plastics, in the region for over a year, together with the new resources of the SABIC Europe team can now offer customers regional expertise with a broad understanding of their unique needs. The activities of the new sales office will extend across the CIS states as well as the Baltic States.
15 Jan 2009
SABIC Innovative Plastics’ Resins Optimize Water Valves with Design Freedom, High Performance and Long Life
BERGEN OP ZOOM, The Netherlands – January 15, 2009 – Because of their exposure to static or fluctuating pressure, high temperatures and various chemicals, water valves have traditionally been made from metals such as brass. However, today’s engineering thermoplastics can replace metal, delivering not only high performance but also the benefit of enhanced design freedom. SABIC Innovative Plastics’ portfolio of advanced specialty materials, combined with the scientific expertise of its Fluid Engineering Center of Excellence in Bergen op Zoom, The Netherlands, offers customers new choices for water valves that can ensure a high level of efficiency, durability and performance.
12 Jan 2009
2009 North American Truck of the Year Award-Winner Ford F-150 Shines with Brilliant Direct-Metallized Rear Lamp Bezels Made with SABIC Innovative Plastics Resins
BERGEN OP ZOOM, The Netherlands – January 12, 2009 – Contemporary automotive design has seen the growing importance of the lamp bezel as a key styling feature. Whether the demand is for metallic, textured or body-color, SABIC Innovative Plastics' broad portfolio of special effects resins offers an expanding selection of materials to help designs stand out from the competition. Direct metallization of molded plastic parts are a widely used process for creating stunning lightweight lighting bezels. As Ford Motor Company was designing the direct metallized rear bezel for the 2009 North American Truck of the Year award-winning Ford F-150, the company together with Automotive Components Holding, LLC, selected SABIC Innovative Plastics’ Valox* V2000DM PBT resin for its stylish, metallic-looking rear lamp bezel.
9 Jan 2009
Discarded PET Bottles are Reborn as SABIC Innovative Plastics’ Valox iQ* Resin, Achieving Silver Cradle to CradleSM Certification
BERGEN OP ZOOM, The Netherlands – January 9, 2009 – The reincarnation of discarded polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic bottles into Valox iQ* resin from SABIC Innovative Plastics epitomizes Cradle to CradleSM design, an innovative paradigm from the internationally renowned sustainable design firm, McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry, LLC (MBDC). This approach, which replaces the less environmentally compatible “cradle-to-grave” model, aims to eliminate waste entirely by circulating safe and healthful materials within closed-loop systems of continuous reuse. To recognize Valox iQ 8280SF resin’s important contribution to sustainability and reduction of landfill waste, MBDC has announced that Valox iQ 8280SF resin is Cradle to Cradle CertifiedCM at the Silver tier. SABIC Innovative Plastics is committed to developing environmentally responsible solutions for its customers that offer high performance, high quality, and new material choices for achieving their sustainability objectives.
8 Dec 2008
Ford Cuts Weight with Innovative SABIC Innovative Plastics’ Noryl GTX* Resins for Kuga Fenders
BERGEN OP ZOOM, The Netherlands – December 8, 2008 – In order to help automotive OEMs meet key environmental challenges such as fuel economy and emission targets, high-performance Noryl GTX* resins from SABIC Innovative Plastics are moving from Ford concept vehicles into series production. The all-new Ford Kuga, Ford’s first entry into the crossover segment represents the first Ford-branded vehicle on the road with plastic fenders molded from SABIC Innovative Plastics’ lightweight, impact-resistant, and recyclable Noryl GTX resin. The Kuga also features the automaker’s first production energy absorber for pedestrian protection, molded of tough, lightweight, Xenoy* resin.
2 Dec 2008
Renault Utilizes the Weight and Design Benefits of SABIC Innovative Plastics’ Noryl GTX* Resin for Twingo and Kangoo
BERGEN OP ZOOM, The Netherlands – December 2, 2008 – The weight reduction and design freedom benefits from using high-performance Noryl GTX* resin in automotive fenders and other body panels have been proven in more than 12 million vehicles worldwide. Building on its many years of success using this SABIC Innovative Plastics resin, French automaker Renault has extended the technology to two of its newest models. The 2007 Twingo and 2008 Kangoo are the latest Renault vehicles to feature lightweight, durable and strong Noryl GTX resin for the fenders as an alternative to steel. This high-performance technology has enabled Renault to keep the fender weight down by as much as approximately 50 percent vs. steel, while delivering better low-speed impact durability than steel.
