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Houston, Texas, October 13, 2014
Railway coach manufacturers can now meet key safety regulations while also making the production and operation of carriages more cost and energy efficient thanks to two new polycarbonate solutions from SABIC’s Innovative Plastics business. LEXAN™ KH6500 and LEXAN™ H6500 sheets, both on show today at the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) Expo in Houston, Texas, further expand SABIC’s offering, currently one of the broadest portfolios of regulatory-compliant thermoplastics in the rail industry.
These new high-performance material solutions are well positioned to help railway interior designers and manufacturers create attractive components that are resistant to graffiti and vandalism, helping to lower maintenance cost. The overall fuel efficiency of mass transit systems can also be improved, as the materials help manufacturers to reduce the weight of railway interiors.
“As the upward trends continue for global population growth and urbanization, the demand for modern mass transit systems will continue to rise. Due to this, railway coach manufacturers are facing challenges not only to comply with new regulations and deliver passenger safety and comfort, but also to increase the efficiency and cost effectiveness of their operations,” said Kim Choate, Director of Mass Transportation for SABIC’s Innovative Plastics business. “By offering our customers the robust, compliant solutions they need, our new LEXAN products provide a great alternative to address these challenges. This is an example of the specialized expertise that SABIC brings to its customers to help them meet rail industry requirements and achieve their design objectives and business goals.”
New Sheet Materials Enhance Graffiti Resistance; Expand Cost Options
SABIC’s two new sheet solutions – LEXAN KH6500 sheet and LEXAN H6500 sheet – meet the requirements of The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for passenger rail car regulation, offering customers non-chlorinated and non-brominated materials that support their sustainability efforts.
Compared to polyvinyl chloride (PVC), thermosets, and sheet moulding composite (SMC), the two new LEXAN materials are significantly lighter in weight and can lead to decreases in system costs by enabling the consolidation of parts, streamlined production and the avoidance of secondary operations such as painting, coating, machining and polishing.
The LEXAN KH6500 sheet is resistant to the repeated use of some of various anti-graffiti cleaning agents used today. The new product is a cost efficient choice to replace PVC, polyester, vinyl ester or phenolic fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) materials used in many interior train applications including interior wall panels, window frames, ceilings and other large interior parts.
LEXAN KH6500 also has high stiffness, enabling excellent impact performance while offering a low gloss surface finish after thermoforming. The new solution also complies with the US rail fire safety standard FRA for passenger rail car walls and ceilings.
LEXAN H6500 sheet is an opaque, solid, low-gloss polycarbonate/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (PC/ABS) solution that can be used for interior walls, ceiling components and for back and base shells of passenger seats. LEXAN H6500 is also compliant with the US Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) fire safety standard for passenger rail car interior walls, ceiling, seat frames and table trays.
LEXAN H6500 can be thermoformed at a lower temperature than traditional PC materials, which has the potential to lower manufacturing costs and shorten cycle times by minimizing both the amount of heat required to melt the material and time required to cool. Its molded-in color capability can help avoid the cost and environmental hazards of secondary painting and provides excellent aesthetics to help customers in their quest to create a differentiated passenger experience.
More information about SABIC’s Innovative Plastics business and the range of broad and relevant solutions it offers for its customers in the railway sector can be found on the website (www.sabic-ip.com. For technical product inquiries, please contact us at www.sabic-ip.com/prtechinquiry.
PHOTOS
DESCRIPTION:
LEFT: The LEXAN KH6500 sheet, shown above in white and grey, can be used to make rail seats, tables and carriage walls that are resistant to the repeated use of some of the strongest anti-graffiti cleaning agents used today.
RIGHT: LEXAN H6500 sheet, an opaque, solid, low-gloss polycarbonate/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (PC/ABS) solution, can be used for interior walls, ceiling components and for back and base shells of passenger seats. Show above as a thermoformed component XX format, the LEXAN H6500 can be used to create parts with sharp edges and complex forms, while still providing a low gloss, high-quality surface. LEXAN H6500 can be thermoformed at a lower temperature than traditional PC materials, which has the potential to lower manufacturing costs and shorten cycle times by minimizing both the amount of heat required to melt the material and time required to cool.
NOTES TO EDITORS
DESCRIPTION:
LEFT: The LEXAN KH6500 sheet, shown above in white and grey, can be used to make rail seats, tables and carriage walls that are resistant to the repeated use of some of the strongest anti-graffiti cleaning agents used today.
RIGHT: LEXAN H6500 sheet, an opaque, solid, low-gloss polycarbonate/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (PC/ABS) solution, can be used for interior walls, ceiling components and for back and base shells of passenger seats. Show above as a thermoformed component XX format, the LEXAN H6500 can be used to create parts with sharp edges and complex forms, while still providing a low gloss, high-quality surface. LEXAN H6500 can be thermoformed at a lower temperature than traditional PC materials, which has the potential to lower manufacturing costs and shorten cycle times by minimizing both the amount of heat required to melt the material and time required to cool.
NOTES TO EDITORS
- SABIC and brands marked with ™ are trademarks of SABIC or its subsidiaries or affiliates
- High-resolution photos are available upon request
- SABIC should be written in every instance in all uppercase
