Clear Panels provide hurricane protection.
Press Release Summary:
Letting in natural light, Lexan Clear Storm Panels provide impact resistance 4 times that of ½ in. plywood, and are 30-50% lighter than metal panels traditionally used. Single panel can completely cover window or door, and can be left in place for entire hurricane season. Panels will not rust or corrode and have UV protection on both sides. They can be installed by directly mounting with hardware or affixing panel to h-header and f-tracks.
Original Press Release:
GE Innovation Sheds Light on Hurricane Protection
GE Plastics' Lexan* Clear Storm Panel Helps Create More Light, More Security for Emergency Storm Preparation
PITTSFIELD, MASS. - Apr. 18, 2006 - Ready in time for the hurricane season, GE's Lexan* Clear Storm Panel protects windows and doors with advanced design and materials technology - and they enhance the attractiveness of the home. The Lexan* Clear Storm Panel has all the technologically advanced features of the company's signature Lexan material. The panels give windows and doors four times the impact resistance of half-inch plywood, and yet they're 30 to 50 percent lighter than traditional metal panels.
Last year's hurricane season, perhaps more than any other, embodied astonishing destruction with counties of shattered or leveled homes and buildings. Meteorologically speaking, the 2006 season is forecast to be no less devastating and maybe even more so.
Without question, a big part of damage mitigation is to protect the envelope of residential and commercial structures by protecting window and door openings. Taking that challenge, GE Plastics, a global leader in the plastics industry, has come up with a cutting-edge hurricane-protection solution, the Lexan Clear Storm Panel, which combines GE Plastics' enhancements with the inherent benefits of its Lexan resin.
"It is the GE culture to provide innovative solutions by exploring all features desired by the customer - plus those that will continue to define future industry trends," says Ruth Fleming, GE Plastics Americas industry manager for Building & Construction Emerging Markets. "Home and business owners who use the Lexan Clear Storm Panel will have a state-of-the-art protection alternative that offers advantages that are not available from most window and door shutter products on the market today."
The new GE Plastics Lexan panel sports all the technologically advanced features of the GE Plastics' signature Lexan resin material. The Lexan Clear Storm Panel armors windows and doors with up to four times the impact resistance of a half-inch of plywood, and yet it's up to 30-50 percent lighter than the metal panels traditionally used.
Most appealing is the fact that the Lexan panels are both highly effective and beautifully clear, letting in natural light and enhancing the attractiveness of the home. Buildings traditionally boarded up with plywood or metal panels can be unsightly, dark, and oppressive, and in that sense may invite vandalism or burglary. The Lexan Clear Storm Panel also has UV protection on both sides.
Unlike metal or plywood shutter panels, the Lexan Clear Storm Panel can be left in place for the entire hurricane season. They outperform metal in that they won't rust or corrode, and they retain their shape after impact. A single Lexan panel can completely cover a window or door, which eliminates the need for multiple panels and adds to the panel's attractiveness and ease of installation.
The Lexan panels are an excellent protective option for patio doors and windows where they can provide complete, visually clear coverage. For a variety of unique or wide openings, multiple panels may be aggregated, demonstrating the flexibility of this system.
The Lexan Clear Storm Panel is easily installed either by directly mounting the panel with simple hardware or affixing the panel to h-header and f-tracks. In instances where a home or business have multiple stories or require an egress, the panels may be installed from the inside.
Lookout Shutters Inc. in Calhoun, Georgia, has selected GE's enhancements for its Lookout Clear Storm Panel, which will be sold through the company's authorized dealers and installers. The same enhancements are used in the new GE Lexan Clear Storm Panel, The GE Lexan Clear Storm Panels come with a 10-year limited written warranty, and meet the applicable product approvals for sale in the entire state of Florida (including High Velocity Hurricane Zone), as well as from Texas to Maine.
About GE Plastics
GE Plastics is a global supplier of plastic resins widely used in automotive, healthcare, consumer electronics, transportation, performance packaging, building & construction, telecommunications, and optical media applications. The company manufactures and compounds polycarbonate, ABS, SAN, ASA, PPE, PC/ABS, PBT and PEI resins, as well as the LNP* line of high-performance specialty compounds. GE Plastics, Specialty Film & Sheet manufactures high-performance Lexan* sheet and film products used in thousands of demanding applications worldwide. In addition, GE Plastics' dedicated Automotive organization is an experienced, world-wide competitor, offering leading plastics solutions for five key automotive segments: body panels and glazing; under the hood applications; component; structures and interiors; and lighting. As a Worldwide Partner of the Olympic Games, GE is the exclusive provider of a wide range of innovative products and services that are integral to a successful Games.
*Lexan and LNP are trademarks of General Electric Company
Contacts
The Americas
Christopher Tessier
GE Plastics, Pittsfield, Mass.
Tel: +1-413-448-6926
E-Mail: christopher.tessier@ge.com
Europe
Banu Kukner
GE Plastics, Specialty Film & Sheet,
Bergen op Zoom, The Netherlands
Tel: +31 164 291 605
Email: banu.kukner@ge.com
