WASHINGTON - May 10, 2005 - In its first application for the global automotive industry, GE's Flexible Noryl* resin was selected by Delphi Corporation as a wire and cable coating for the company's vehicle electrical systems. Delphi's Packard Electric Division chose GE's Flexible Noryl resin to meet a global automotive manufacturer's need for high-performance cable that also addressed the requirements for halogen-free parts. Flame-retardant Flexible Noryl resin may now offer the auto industry a new wire coating solution that provides superior properties compared to polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) and is an excellent candidate for thin- and ultra-thin-wall coatings that significantly reduce weight and size and meet halogen-, chlorine-, and lead-free part requirements.
"Delphi's collaboration with GE Advanced Materials has been strong. Our combined efforts allowed Delphi Packard to meet a customer's need for a better environmental alternative to current offerings, one that also provides benefits in weight and bundle size, without compromising durability," said Lynn Long, business line manager for Specialty Wiring, Delphi Packard Electric. "GE worked closely with our team to help us understand the range of options and find the right formulation, and provided at least 20 different options to ensure all of our requirements were met. GE's product engineers have been very responsive in this development, which we feel will strengthen our ability to provide differentiating technology within our electrical/electronic systems business."
As consumers demand ever more sophisticated and feature-loaded vehicles, the global automotive industry faces growing challenges to balance these expectations with space constraints and weight concerns. Every component receives scrutiny to determine if it can be made smaller and lighter to promote fuel efficiency and performance and help fit more content into the available space. In addition, vehicle manufacturers and suppliers must increasingly consider environmental concerns such as recyclability, as well as overall performance.
GE's Flexible Noryl resin provides the key properties that Delphi Packard Electric sought, including excellent temperature and flammability performance, and less size and weight compared to other materials. For example, GE's Flexible Noryl resin is rated at 110 C while PVC is rated at 85 C and further developments should boost the GE resin's rating to 125 C. Using the GE material to replace traditional cable insulation also helps reduce weight by an average of 25 percent, helping to address vehicle space limitations.
To help reduce weight in support of better vehicle fuel efficiency, the new Delphi cable utilizes GE's Flexible Noryl resin for ultra-thin-wall insulation, which enables smaller wire/cable size. For example, replacing standard 0.4 mm thin-wall cable insulation made of XLPE with 0.2 mm ultra-thin-wall insulation made of Flexible Noryl resin results in a size reduction of approximately 25 percent. Delphi is validating the use of GE's Flexible Noryl resin as insulation on cable as small as 26 gauge (0.13 mm2). Another benefit of smaller cable bundle size and mass for automotive OEMs is the opportunity to use less tape and secondary covering, potentially leading to lower costs.
In addition to meeting the requirement for halogen-free parts, wire coating made with GE's Flexible Noryl resin helps meet international standards for recyclability; the European Union's Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) and End-of-Life Vehicle (ELV) directive; the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) standards; and Japan's Automotive Recycling Law of 2005. This is an important consideration for Delphi, which is committed to supporting environmental initiatives, as demonstrated by its leadership role in eliminating heavy metals in colorants used in cable production. Using less material to achieve the same or better performance also supports environmental initiatives aimed at reducing waste.
The new GE material offers additional performance advantages, including better abrasion resistance than XLPE, excellent chemical resistance, and lower specific gravity (1.03) than either PVC or PE. They meet the requirements of Class A and B wire heat aging, with Class C requirements in the final stages of development. For wire and cable manufacturers, these resins also offer easy processing and faster throughput, as they do not require cross-linking.
"Our new Flexible Noryl resin materials are a perfect example of GE's development innovation," said Keith DuPont, market director, Under the Hood, GE Advanced Materials, Automotive. They offer our customers an entire spectrum of advantages over traditional materials - not just performance enhancements, but also answers to tough design challenges and environmental issues. We're pleased to be working with Delphi Packard Electric to explore the tremendous potential of this material."
About Delphi Packard Electric
Delphi Packard Electric is a leading producer of automotive cable and wiring harnesses in North America. Its two cable facilities in the United States produce roughly 20 billion feet of cable annually. The company has more than 100 years of experience in design and manufacture of cables to the automotive industry, and a history of innovation in vehicle electrical systems.
About GE Advanced Materials
GE Advanced Materials (www.geadvancedmaterials.com) is a world leader in providing high-technology material solutions. Headquartered in Pittsfield, Mass., its businesses include Plastics, Silicones, Quartz, Automotive, Specialty Film & Sheet, Polymershapes, and Sealants and Adhesives.
GE (NYSE: GE) is Imagination at Work - a diversified technology, media and financial services company focused on solving some of the world's toughest problems. With products and services ranging from aircraft engines, power generation, water processing and security technology to medical imaging, business and consumer financing, media content and advanced materials, GE serves customers in more than 100 countries and employs more than 300,000 people worldwide. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.ge.com.
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* Noryl is a trademark of General Electric Company.
Contact: The Americas
Christopher Tessier
GE Advanced Materials, Pittsfield, Mass.
Tel: +1-413-448-6926
Email: [email protected]
Doug Hoy
Delphi Packard, Warren, Ohio.
Tel: +1-330-373-7647
Email: [email protected]
Europe
Anne Rohinsky
GE Advanced Materials, Bergen op Zoom,
The Netherlands
Tel: +31 164 29 31 48
Email: [email protected]
Asia
Cecilia Siu
GE Advanced Materials, Shanghai, China.
Tel: +86 21 6288 1088 327
Email: [email protected]
Agency Contacts: The Americas
Jim Allison
AH&M Marketing Communications, Pittsfield, Mass.
Tel: +1-413-448-2260, Ext. 25
Email: [email protected]
Europe
Folke Markus
Marketing Solutions, Bergen op Zoom,
The Netherlands
Tel: +31 164 317 038
Email: [email protected]
China
Jefferson Hou
Weber Shandwick, Shanghai, China.
Tel: +86 21 6322 6024
Email: [email protected]
Japan
Mitsu Sugino
Tokyo PR Inc., Tokyo, Japan.
Tel: +81 3 3256 5691
Email: [email protected]
Corporate Communications
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