News Release
Laminated glass balustrades at Europe’s largest urban shopping mall demonstrate the structural benefits of DuPont™ SentryGlas®
GLS-EU-2009-02 Photo: © Kite Glass Around 2,000 free-standing panels of laminated glass, containing DuPont™ SentryGlas® structural interlayer, are used to form balustrades at the new Westfield London shopping centre, Europe’s largest urban shopping mall.
This image can be downloaded as a hi-resolution file at: http://uk.news.dupont.com under DuPont Platforms / DuPont Performance Materials / DuPont Glass Laminating Solutions
The use of the images (photos, slides, transparencies, etc.) granted by DuPont is authorised only in connection with the editorial material supplied by DuPont itself and cannot be used to illustrate material related to products and/or services given by companies other than DuPont.
Laminated glass balustrades at Europe’s largest urban shopping mall demonstrate the structural benefits of DuPont™ SentryGlas®
Photo: © Kite Glass 20 percent thinner than other glass laminate constructions of equivalent performance, the glass balustrades, manufactured by UK architectural glass supplier Kite Glass, provide a safe and secure shopping experience for all visitors to Westfield, while affording them unobstructed views of the more than 280 shops located there.
This image can be downloaded as a hi-resolution file at: http://uk.news.dupont.com under DuPont Platforms / DuPont Performance Materials / DuPont Glass Laminating Solutions
Laminated glass balustrades at Europe’s largest urban shopping mall demonstrate the structural benefits of DuPont™ SentryGlas®
Photo: © Kite Glass The laminated glass balustrades with DuPont™ SentryGlas® structural interlayer are subject to the highest category of British Standards and Building Regulations with regard to their load-bearing capacity.
This image can be downloaded as a hi-resolution file at: http://uk.news.dupont.com under DuPont Platforms / DuPont Performance Materials / DuPont Glass Laminating Solutions
Laminated glass balustrades at Europe’s largest urban shopping mall demonstrate the structural benefits of DuPont™ SentryGlas®
Photo: © Kite Glass The balustrades at Westfield London consist of around 2,000 free-standing, laminated glass panels, each measuring 1.1 by 1.3 meters and fixed by a cantilever support hidden in the flooring of the mall. There are no clips or connections between the panels apart from the handrail which is point-fixed to each of the panels.
This image can be downloaded as a hi-resolution file at: http://uk.news.dupont.com under DuPont Platforms / DuPont Performance Materials / DuPont Glass Laminating Solutions
Laminated glass balustrades at Europe’s largest urban shopping mall demonstrate the structural benefits of DuPont™ SentryGlas®
Stevenage, April 2009. Around 2,000 free-standing panels of laminated glass, containing DuPont™ SentryGlas® structural interlayer, are used to form balustrades at the new Westfield London shopping centre, Europe’s largest urban shopping mall, which opened for business on 30 October 2008. 20 percent thinner than other glass laminate constructions of equivalent performance, the glass balustrades, manufactured by UK architectural glass supplier Kite Glass, provide a safe and secure shopping experience for all visitors to Westfield, while affording them unobstructed views of the more than 280 shops located there. Europe’s largest urban shopping mall The Westfield London shopping centre, a £1.7 billion development designed, constructed and operated by the Westfield Group, boasts 150,000 square meters (1.6 million square feet) of space over two floors – the equivalent of 30 soccer pitches. In addition to its retail units, Westfield London will contain a cinema (due to open in late 2009), nearly 50 restaurants, leisure space and a library – and is expected to attract over 20 million visitors per year. Once inside the vast shopping complex, they will discover an atmosphere of spaciousness and calm, created in part by the influences of nature – water, light and earthy materials are recurrent themes in its architecture – and also by the integration of wide and expansive malls for a stress-free shopping experience. It was as a reflection of the architectural vision for Westfield London, that CMF Ltd. of Feltham, Middlesex (UK), conceived the transparent glass balustrades and handrails for the first floor of the centre, its staircases and sections of the external causeway leading to Westfield London. The glass panels for the balustrades were supplied by Kite Glass of
Weybridge, Surrey, a leading supplier and installer of toughened and laminated architectural glass. “The balustrades at Westfield London consist of around 2,000 free-standing, laminated glass panels (three quarters of which are flat, the rest curved), each measuring 1.1 by 1.3 meters and fixed by a cantilever support hidden in the flooring of the mall. There are no clips or connections between the panels apart from the handrail which is point-fixed to each of the panels as an additional safety measure for visitors, but provides no structural support to the balustrades,” explains Julian Clayton, senior design manager at Westfield. “Our decision to use laminated glass with SentryGlas® came out of discussions with CMF and Kite Glass, who advised us that its use would solve many important challenges regarding building control requirements, compliance with the fixing system and aesthetic appeal.” The structural benefits of SentryGlas® interlayers Cantilever glass panels, when used as shopping mall barriers and thus exposed to crowd loading, are subject to the highest category of British Standards and Building Regulations with regard to their load-bearing capacity. In such instances, according to standards BS 6180 and BS 6399-1, they are required to deflect less than 20 millimetres when subjected to a linear load of 3 kN/m. “CMF required a thinner, stronger and preferably more costeffective solution than standard PVB laminates,” says Leroy Reed, CEO of Kite Glass. “We were able to demonstrate, using results obtained from previous balustrade tests conducted at Kite Glass, that the enhanced structural performance of laminated glass panels, with SentryGlas® as an interlayer, would allow us to create a balustrade with a thinner glass system, an extended performance range in terms of its strength and deflection, and improved post-glass breakage performance.” The glass construction used for the balustrade panels consists of two 12 mm (0.5 inches) tempered glass sheets, with a 1.52 mm (60 mil) layer of SentryGlas® interlayer – a 20 percent thinner construction than the PVB laminate solution required to satisfy building requirements (involving two glass sheets of 15 mm). “Not only are the panels with a PVB interlayer heavier and more expensive to produce, but the reduced depth of the laminated
glass panels with SentryGlas® also means that they fit perfectly within the structural track fixing without sacrificing strength or performance,” adds Leroy Reed. Indeed, testing of the laminated glass panels at Kite Glass premises with SentryGlas® interlayer, intended for the Westfield development, was successfully taken to 1.5 times design load (4.5 kN/m – a test usually applied to steel barriers). Impressive post-breakage performance A further benefit of laminated glass panels with SentryGlas® interlayers are their excellent post-breakage safety: Following a sufficiently heavy impact the glass will break, yet the dangerous fragments of glass will remain adhered to the interlayer. The risk of injury to passers-by is thereby significantly reduced and, at the same time, the role of the glass balustrade as a barrier is maintained. “During transportation and installation of the panels at Westfield London, one or two of them cracked as a result of inappropriate handling, yet remained rigid and with the glass intact – providing us, and the site’s risk manager, with an impressive, first-hand demonstration of the interlayer’s post breakage performance,” confirmed Julian Clayton. “Overall, the end product has been first class. The glass balustrades and handrails, with their clean lines and simple design, conform perfectly with the light, spacious feel of Westfield London. At the same time they provide the many thousands of visitors to our centre with an unobstructed view of the exciting retail displays above and below them as well as a safe and secure shopping environment.” SentryGlas® was created by DuPont to provide a superior solution in the use of glass in architecture and construction; its superior strength and lasting clarity, even after years of service, has opened up a world of possibilities for both architects and structural engineers. Björn Sanden, development programs manager at DuPont Glass Laminating Solutions, explains: “SentryGlas® represents an economically advantageous solution: because of the mechanical properties of the interlayers, it is possible to reduce the weight of the glass and consequently of the supporting structure, as in the case of the Westfield London shopping centre building. As well as their high stiffness, SentryGlas® interlayers retain their original high transparency after years of usage and exposure to atmospheric conditions. Indeed, when used for external applications, as is the case for some of the balustrades at Westfield
London, the resistance of laminated glass made with SentryGlas® to moisture and the effects of weather comes into its own in terms of its edge quality and clarity.” DuPont™ SentryGlas® structural interlayer is used worldwide for architectural projects such as balustrades, flooring, stair treads, overhead glazing and innovative façade systems. For further information about DuPont™ SentryGlas®: www.safetyglass.dupont.com DuPont Glass Laminating Solutions provides materials, services and innovations to the laminated glass value chain for a better, safer world. The business operates within the DuPont Packaging & Industrial Polymers strategic business unit, part of DuPont's Performance Materials growth platform. DuPont is a science-based products and services company. Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by creating sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere. Operating in more than 70 countries, DuPont offers a wide range of innovative products and services for markets including agriculture and food; building and construction; communications; and transportation.
XXX The DuPont Oval, DuPont™ and SentryGlas® are registered trademarks or trademarks of E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company or its affiliates.
Editorial Contact: Horst Ulrich Reimer Tel.: +49 (0) 61 02/18-1297 Fax: +49 (0) 61 02/18-1318 Horst-Ulrich.Reimer@dupont.com
GLS-EU-2009-02 April 2009
Andrew Wilkins Tel.: +44 (0) 1353 663350 Fax: +44 (0) 1353 663350 dupont.press@btconnect.com
News Release
Strong and flexible arresters made of DuPont™ Delrin® secure medical storage trays
This image can be downloaded as a hi-resolution file at: http://uk.news.dupont.com under the category DuPont Platforms > DuPont Performance Materials > DuPont Engineering Polymers EP-EU-2009-Medtec Photo: DuPont The key role of angled liner tray arresters, moulded in Delrin®, is to securely retain the tray in the cabinet and avoid its accidental removal. The strength and flexibility of Delrin® was critical to the arrester’s reliable performance. The use of the images (photos, slides, transparencies, etc.) granted by DuPont is authorised only in connection with the editorial material supplied by DuPont itself and cannot be used to illustrate material related to products and/or services given by companies other than DuPont.
Strong and flexible arresters made of DuPont™ Delrin® secure medical storage trays Stevenage, March 2009. The performance of DuPont™ Delrin® acetal resin in terms of its strength, flexibility and fatigue resistance is critical to the reliable operation of tray arresters fitted in Medstor medical cabinets from Mailbox Mouldings International Ltd. (Stalybridge, England). Used in combination with two-way angled liners, the arresters prevent accidental removal of storage trays from the cabinet while, simultaneously, allowing them to be extended at an angle for easier retrieval of stock at high levels.
The Medstor two-way angled liners are fitted as standard throughout the Medstor cabinet range and are also available as separate panels for self-fit applications. They can be installed in two directions determined by contours moulded in the high-impact polystyrene liner – either to provide a drop-down angle for use above head height or, by turning them through 180 degrees, for smooth horizontal tray retrieval. Either way, the key role of the arresters, moulded in Delrin® and push-fit assembled to the liners (one is used for each side of the tray), is to securely retain the tray in the cabinet and avoid its accidental removal. This is achieved by a flexible arm as part of the arrester’s design, which presses against the edge of a moulded groove in the polycarbonate tray when it is fully extended. The flexibility and elastic memory of the arrester ensures its reliable operation at both the angled and horizontal tray position. “The performance of Delrin® was critical to the design and function of the arrester,” explains Allison Seabourne, sales director at the healthcare division of Mailbox Mouldings. “Its mechanical strength is sufficient to secure the tray in the cabinet, while it is flexible enough to allow the tray to be drawn out at the angle determined by the liner.” The intrinsically
good wear resistance and frictional behaviour of Delrin® acetal resins facilitate a smooth and virtually noiseless retrieval of the trays without lubrication. Rigorous in-house testing confirmed that the arrester would return reliably and effectively to its rest position without breaking after 15,000 cycles of extending and returning the tray at an angle. “As a result, we can confidently predict that the combined system of the arrester, liner and tray will comfortably outlive their life cycle of 15 years,” confirms Allison Seabourne.
The push-fit arresters, which work with all Medstor trays, do not require tools for assembly to the liners and can easily be removed by hand for cleaning or repositioning. Launched during November 2008, they are available for both left and right hand fittings and come complete with a universal blanking piece. For further information visit www.medstor.co.uk or contact the local reseller of Medstor products.
As a member of the Stamford Group of companies, Mailbox Mouldings International Limited offer one of Europe’s most comprehensive ranges of material’s handling products. All Mailbox quality products are designed and manufactured at its U.K. facilities. With over forty years of experience, the company’s healthcare division delivers a range of storage and logistic solutions, under the Medstor brand, to the healthcare market. The DuPont Engineering Polymers business manufactures and sells Crastin® PBT and Rynite® PET thermoplastic polyester resins, Delrin® acetal resins, Hytrel® thermoplastic polyester elastomers, DuPont™ ETPV engineering thermoplastic vulcanizates, Minlon® mineral reinforced nylon resins, Thermx® PCT polycyclohexylene dimethyl terephthalate, Tynex® filaments, Vespel® parts and shapes, Zenite® LCP liquid crystal polymers, Zytel® nylon resins and Zytel® HTN high-performance polyamides. These products serve global markets in the aerospace, appliance, automotive, consumer, electrical, electronic, healthcare, industrial, sporting goods and many other diversified industries. DuPont is a science-based products and services company. Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by creating sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere. Operating in more than 70 countries, DuPont offers a wide range of innovative products and services for markets including agriculture and food; building and construction; communications; and transportation.
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The DuPont Oval, DuPont™, The miracles of science™, and all products denoted with ® or ™ are registered trademarks or trademarks of E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company or its affiliates.
Editorial Contact: Horst Ulrich Reimer Tel.: ++49 (0) 61 02/18-1297 Fax: ++49 (0) 61 02/18-1318 Horst-Ulrich.Reimer@dupont.com EP-EU-2009-Medtec March 2009
Andrew Wilkins Tel.: +44 (0) 1353 663350 Fax: +44 (0) 1353 663350 dupont.press@btconnect.com
News Release
New over-moulding technology from DuPont unlocks design potential for cosmetic packaging
This image can be downloaded as a hi-resolution file at: http://uk.news.dupont.com under the category Trade Fair Press Kits > Luxe Pack 2008
PIP-Luxepack-2008-05 Photo: DuPont The new over-moulding technology from DuPont, introduced at Luxe Pack 2008, facilitates greater design freedom for rigid cosmetic packaging, while eliminating glass from its production for greater consumer safety.
The use of the images (photos, slides, transparencies, etc.) granted by DuPont is authorised only in connection with the editorial material supplied by DuPont itself and cannot be used to illustrate material related to products and/or services given by companies other than DuPont.
News Release
New over-moulding technology from DuPont unlocks design potential for cosmetic packaging Monaco, October 2008. DuPont Cosmetics Solutions presents a new and innovative moulding technology based on the over-moulding of polymer inserts with DuPont™ Surlyn®. It broadens the design freedom of thickwalled cosmetic and fragrance containers by enabling the production of contrasting geometries for the internal and external walls, decoration techniques such as the encasing of label and inserts, the simple colouring of the polymer insert using masterbatch, or the application of frosted and glossy effects on the exterior surface directly from the tool. “The multitude of design options made possible by this development is very exciting,” declares Prosper Zufferey processing expert at DuPont Cosmetic Solutions. “Intricate shapes and decorative effects, such as sophisticated colours, metallic and fantasy coatings, frosted and unusual tactile properties – most of which are extremely difficult to achieve in extrusion blow moulding, are easily produced by overmoulding with Surlyn®. And now, because glass has been entirely eliminated from the bottle’s design, it is safer and more robust, easier and more cost-effective to produce and, last but not least, easier to regrind.” The new, patented over-moulding technology has been developed by the DuPont affiliate in Japan, DuPont Mitsui Polychemicals (MDP), a joint venture between DuPont and Mitsui. It can be used for the scrap-free production of thick-walled bottles and containers with wall thicknesses of 10 millimetres and more. Due to the accuracy of the injection moulding process involved, used on standard machinery and with little extra investment required by the moulder, there is high control of neck diameter and wall thickness. Benefits of the new technology, as an alternative to extrusion blow moulding or the over-moulding of glass inserts, include the cost-effective production and decoration of visually-appealing and more durable containers, which are made entirely of polymer for easy recycling of waste.
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“This breakthrough technology involves the encasing, or over-moulding, of a hollow polymer insert with a thick, yet lightweight, exterior wall of durable Surlyn® PC 2000 - well-known in the packaging industry for providing the same transparency and feel as glass without its fragility,” explains Prosper Zufferey. “We are currently working with PET or PP as the material for the polymer insert, as they provide sufficient resistance to the chemicals found in cosmetic lotions. For more chemically-aggressive fragrances we are working on the development of multilayer polymer inserts produced by extrusion blow moulding.” Benefits of the use of a polymer insert, versus a glass one, include its ease of use in standard moulding tools, the material’s ability to absorb the high injection pressures of the overmoulding process without the risk of breakage and its consistent adhesion to the over-moulded Surlyn®. Moreover, because no glass is used in the packaging, there are no breakable parts (such as the neck) for greater user safety, while any waste may be reground for future use. DuPont Cosmetic Solutions brings DuPont’s "Miracles of Science" to the world of beauty and personal care by expanding the possibilities of its comprehensive range of materials and technologies, and by fostering partnerships focused on technology and consumer insight. Its primary aim is to dev elop new and differentiated cosmetic solutions that meet brand owners’ and designers’ needs for innovation while enhancing the consumer experience and bring more fun, emotion and well-being. DuPont Packaging and Industrial Polymers is a world-class manufacturer of highperformance resins and films for a variety of packaging and industrial applications. Its best known ethylene copolymer products include Surlyn® resins for packaging and industrial applications, Bynel® coextrudable adhesives, Selar® PA amorphous polyamide barrier resins, Nucrel® acid copolymers, Elvax® EVA copolymers, Elvaloy®, Elvaloy AC® , Entira™ and Fusabond® modifiers. DuPont is a science-based products and services company. Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by creating sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere. Operating in more than 70 countries, DuPont offers a wide range of innovative products and services for markets including agriculture and food, building and construction, communications, and transportation.
XXX The DuPont Oval, DuPont™, The miracles of science™, and Surlyn® are registered trademarks or trademarks of E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company or its affiliates.
PIP-Luxepack-2008-05 Editorial Contact: Horst Ulrich Reimer Tel.: ++49 (0) 61 02/18-1297 Fax: ++49 (0) 61 02/18-1318 Horst-Ulrich.Reimer@dupont.com
Andrew Wilkins Tel.: +44 (0) 1353 663350 Fax: +44 (0) 1353 663350 dupont.press@btconnect.com
On our website http://uk.news.dupont.com under the heading Trade Fair Press Kits > Luxe Pack 2008 you will find the 9 English text 9 Photo in printable resolution for downloading
News Release
New, renewably-sourced DuPont™ Biomax® Thermal extends use of PLA to higher temperature packaging applications
Photo: DuPont New DuPont™ Biomax® Thermal increases the temperature threshold of PLA, extending its use to non-chilled food packaging applications: (top) a PLA tray with 2 percent Biomax® Thermal 300, exposed to 70ºC for 1 hour, and (bottom) a PLA tray without modifier, also exposed to 70ºC for 1 hour. This image can be downloaded as a hi-resolution file at: http://uk.news.dupont.com under the category Sectors & Markets > Packaging The use of the images (photos, slides, transparencies, etc.) granted by DuPont is authorised only in connection with the editorial material supplied by DuPont itself and cannot be used to illustrate material related to products and/or services given by companies other than DuPont.
New, renewably-sourced DuPont™ Biomax® Thermal extends use of PLA to higher temperature packaging applications Stevenage, September 2008. DuPont Packaging has announced the expansion of its DuPont™ Biomax® packaging offerings to include renewably-sourced Biomax® Thermal 300, a proprietary heat-stabilizing modifier that allows polylactic acid (PLA) thermoformed packaging to withstand elevated temperatures during transport, storage and use. Its introduction extends the use of PLA, a bio-based alternative to petrochemicalderived products, to applications beyond chilled-storage packaging. New Biomax® Thermal 300 is a U.S. Food and Drug Administration-compliant polymer modifier that increases the dimensional stability of PLA packaging materials to temperatures of up to 95°C when used at recommended levels (between 2 percent and 4 percent by weight) and in two-stage forming processes, far above temperatures that packages could be exposed to during storage and shipping. The addition of Biomax® Thermal 300 to PLA at low levels has also been demonstrated to have a minimal impact on the material’s clarity, as well as to accelerate cycle times during two-stage thermoforming. Biomax® Thermal 300 contains 50 percent renewably-sourced content by weight. “Because it is bio-based, PLA has strong appeal in food packaging such as produce clamshells and deli trays, as well as selected industrial applications,” said Susan Homan, North American global marketing manager for sustainable materials at DuPont Packaging. “However, due to its tendency to deform at temperatures of 55°C and above, its adoption to date has been largely restricted to the packaging of chilled food and beverages. By offering a modifier that raises the working temperature of PLA, DuPont hopes to enable a broader range of applications for the material.” Biomax® Thermal is the second modifier for PLA to be introduced by DuPont. Biomax® Strong, toughening modifier launched in 2007, improves PLA by enhancing its processibility, durability, impact strength and flexibility in rigid structures, and acts as a process aid to improve extrusion productivity. Both of these modifiers hold the added benefit of being able to be added directly to the extrusion process (versus requiring masterbatching). The market introduction of Biomax® Thermal begins in the U.S., with rollout to Europe and Asia early in 2009.
“We are firmly committed to developing sustainable solutions, including solutions that improve the performance of other sustainable offerings in the market,” Homan said. “By improving the performance of bio-based and biodegradable products, Biomax® modifiers can help the packaging industry in achieving this mutually desirable goal.”
Now more than ever, consumers expect freshness, taste and convenience in packaged foods and beverages – and industry leaders such as DuPont continue to respond with innovations in materials and technology, including science-based solutions for improved sustainability. From renewably sourced materials such as Biomax® PTT resins and Biomax® TPS resins and sheets, to weight reducing DuPont™ Surlyn® resins, DuPont offers a wide line of high-performance polymers and additives to meet global packaging needs.
DuPont – one of the first companies to publicly establish environmental goals 18 years ago – has broadened its sustainability commitments beyond internal footprint reduction to include market-driven targets for both revenue and research and development investment. The goals are tied directly to business growth, specifically to the development of safer and environmentally improved new products for key global market. DuPont Packaging & Industrial Polymers is a world-class manufacturer of high-performance resins and films for a variety of packaging and industrial applications. Its best known ethylene copolymer products include Surlyn® resins for packaging and industrial applications, Bynel® coextrudable adhesives, Selar® PA amorphous polyamide barrier resins, Nucrel® acid copolymers, Elvax® EVA copolymers, Elvaloy®, Elvaloy® AC, Entira™ and Fusabond® modifiers. DuPont is a science-based products and services company. Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by creating sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere. Operating in more than 70 countries, DuPont offers a wide range of innovative products and services for markets including agriculture and food; building and construction; communications; and transportation.
XXX The DuPont Oval Logo, DuPont™, The miracles of science™ and Biomax® are registered trademarks or trademarks of E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company or its affiliates.
Editorial Contact: Horst Ulrich Reimer Telefon: +49 (0) 61 72/87-1297 Telefax: +49 (0) 61 72/87-1266 Horst-Ulrich.Reimer@dupont.com PIP-EU-2008-11 September 2008
Andrew Wilkins Tel.: +44 (0) 1353 663350 Fax: +44 (0) 1353 663350 dupont.press@btconnect.com
News Release
Smooth operator: Adjustment device for dishwashers relies on engineering polymers from DuPont
EP-EU-2008-05 Photo: DuPont
User-convenience: thanks to the performance of DuPont engineering polymers, the patented mechanism from Vestel allows users to smoothly adjust the height of the upper basket of dishwashers, regardless of where they hold it. http://uk.news.dupont.com under the category DuPont Platforms / DuPont Performance Materials / DuPont Engineering Polymers. The use of the images (photos, slides, transparencies, etc.) granted by DuPont is authorised only in connection with the editorial material supplied by DuPont itself and cannot be used to illustrate material related to products and/or services given by companies other than DuPont.
News Release
Smooth operator: Adjustment device for dishwashers relies on engineering polymers from DuPont Stevenage, March 2008. A mechanism, used to adjust the height of the upper baskets in dishwashers and developed by Turkish appliance manufacturer Vestel, relies on the smooth, functional performance of DuPont™ Delrin® acetal resin and DuPont™ Minlon® mineral reinforced nylon. Both materials were selected for the application due to their combination of strength and dimensional stability, as well as additional benefits such as their appealing surface finish and overall colourability. The patented device is used on dishwashers in both the Turkish domestic market and across Europe.
The adjustment mechanism allows consumers to simply adjust the height of the upper rack of dishwashers, even when full, for greater convenience. It consists of four principal parts, all made from DuPont high performance polymers. A base plate, which is securely attached to the dishwasher’s upper basket using snap-fits, is moulded in a particularly low-wear, low-friction grade of Delrin®. It interlocks with a rail plate, moulded in a strong and stiff grade of Minlon®, which has integral wheels – moulded in Delrin® – that fit within the dishwasher rails and enable the basket to glide in and out for easy loading. Between the two plates, which slide above each other in a vertical motion, is a fixing plate made of Delrin®. It contains a star-shaped, rotating cog – also moulded in Delrin® – which locks the basket in place at the desired height.
The DuPont materials are integral to the smooth running of the adjustment mechanism due to their functional properties, which are maintained despite multiple wash cycles of up to three hours. Testing of the adjustable basket mechanism included push-pull tests with full loads. “We had previously trialled some other polymers, but had encountered problems in terms of warpage, which hindered the mechanism’s operation,” comments Orhan Hülagü, research and development engineer at Vestel’s dishwasher factory. “The DuPont materials provided the right combination of strength and dimensional stability, as well as additional benefits such
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as their appealing surface finish and overall colourability. With a large degree of interaction between the two materials, their low noise and low friction performance when in contact with each other adds to the overall convenience of the system.” The DuPont Engineering Polymers business manufactures and sells Crastin® PBT and Rynite® PET thermoplastic polyester resins, Delrin® acetal resins, Hytrel® thermoplastic polyester elastomers, DuPont™ ETPV engineering thermoplastic vulcanizates, Minlon® mineral-reinforced nylon resins, Thermx® PCT polycyclohexylene dimethylterephthalates, Tynex® nylon filaments, Vespel® parts and shapes, Zenite® liquid crystal polymers and Zytel® nylon resins and Zytel® HTN high-performance polyamides. These products serve global markets in the aerospace, appliance, automotive, consumer, electrical, electronic, healthcare, industrial, sporting goods and many other diversified industries. DuPont is a science-based products and services company. Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by creating sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere. Operating in more than 70 countries, DuPont offers a wide range of innovative products and services for markets including agriculture and food; building and construction; communications; and transportation.
XXX The DuPont Oval Logo, DuPont™, The miracles of science™ and all product names denoted with ® are registered trademarks or trademarks of DuPont or its affiliates.
Note to the editor: This press release is based on information provided by: Vestel White Appliances (Dishwasher Plant), Manisa, Turkey. Contact: Orhan Hülagü, R&D Engineer Tel. : +90 236 226 30 00 Email: orhan.hulagu@vestel.com.tr www.vestel.com.tr Press contact (UK, Benelux, Scandinavia) Andrew Wilkins Tel.: +44 (0)1353 663350 Fax: +44 (0)1353 663350 Email: dupont.press@btconnect.com ulrich.reimer@deu.dupont.com http://uk.news.dupont.com EP-EU-2008-05 March 2008
DuPont press contact Horst Ulrich Reimer Tel.: +49 (0)6172 871297 Fax: +49 (0)6172 871266 Email: horst-