Outdoor Enclosures use Lexan sheet in solar shields.
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Press Release Summary:
Measuring 6 x 3 x 2.5 ft, Modcell outdoor enclosures house cellular equipment for service providers. Use of GE Plastics' matte-textured Lexan 9000 polycarbonate (PC) sheet with molded-in color in solar shields provides resistance to impact down to -40°F as well as flame and shotgun blasts. Weatherable Lexan PC sheet withstands outdoor environments and complies with requirements of Telcordia GR 489 standard. Fully recyclable sheet requires no welding and is non-brominated.
Original Press Release:
Alcatel-Lucent Achieves Environmental, Cost & Performance Benefits by Replacing Metal with GE's Lexan* Sheet in Modcell Solar Shields
Alcatel-Lucent Achieves Environmental, Cost & Performance Benefits by Replacing Metal with GE's Lexan* Sheet in Modcell Solar Shields
PITTSFIELD, Mass. - June 27, 2007 - Alcatel-Lucent Technologies, a leader in systems, services, and software for next-generation communications networks, has slashed material-related costs by 53 percent while reducing environmental impacts by replacing painted, chromated sheet aluminum with GE Plastics' matte textured Lexan* 9000 polycarbonate (PC) sheet in solar shields for cellular equipment housings.
"We chose GE's matte textured Lexan 9000 sheet to achieve several important corporate goals in our Cabinet Platform Initiative," said Jack Dispenza, technical manager, Design and Engineering Center of Excellence at Alcatel-Lucent. "We're saving about $400 in material and shipping costs per Modcell cabinet while ensuring a high level of protection for cellular equipment. But most important, the GE material supports our goal of continuous improvement in the environmental performance of our products. GE's Lexan sheet has hit all these targets and is giving us a competitive edge."
From a cost standpoint, GE's Lexan sheet is less expensive and lighter than sheet metal, and requires fewer secondary operations. As the result of a 78 percent (29-lb) weight reduction vs. aluminum, GE's matte textured Lexan 9000 sheet saves about $100 in shipping costs per cabinet. By moving to lighter-weight, high-performance Lexan 9000 sheet with molded-in color for the shielding of its Modcell outdoor enclosures, Alcatel-Lucent saved $1 million in material-related costs in just one year.
GE's weatherable Lexan PC sheet delivers high performance in demanding outdoor environments. It complies with the stringent requirements of the Telcordia GR 489 standard for cellular infrastructure equipment. Specifically, the GE material resists impact - particularly at low temperatures down to -40 F - as well as flame and shotgun blasts. Further, thermoformed Lexan sheet requires no welding, and its molded-in, custom gray color eliminates the need for painting.
Environmentally, the use of matte textured Lexan 9000 sheet instead of painted aluminum offers Alcatel-Lucent many additional advantages: for example, fully recyclable, non-brominated Lexan sheet eliminates human exposure to toxicity risks from anodizing aluminum with hexavalent chromium. According to Dispenza, "Alcatel-Lucent can produce 100 sets of solar shields with less pollution than one plated aluminum set. The environmental performance of Lexan sheet, expressed in global warming potential, is 98 percent better than chromated aluminum. Plus, it takes less energy to recycle plastics than to burn off paint. Finally, lower weight in shipping reduces fuel consumption."
Paul DiSciullo, application development specialist for GE Plastics stated, "Metal replacement with GE's Lexan sheet offers environmental benefits across the board - in manufacturing, transportation, and even recycling. We look forward to working with Alcatel-Lucent on other potential applications of this technology."
The GE material is thermoformed into panels attached to the top, sides, and door of the 6-ft x 3-ft x 2.5-ft Modcell enclosures, which house cellular equipment for service providers worldwide.
GE Plastics and Alcatel-Lucent collaborated closely on the Modcell solar shielding. GE provided a range of tests at its facilities in Pittsfield, Mass., including design compatibility, cold-impact resistance, chemical resistance, and high temperature resistance under load.
This is just another example of GE's commitment to helping improve the environment. The GE ecomagination* initiative was introduced worldwide to drive new business opportunities by helping customers solve their toughest environmental challenges.
For more information on GE Plastics' Lexan sheet, please visit GE Plastics' website at geplastics.com.
About GE Plastics
GE Plastics (geplastics.com) 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, ecomagination, and LNP are trademarks of General Electric Company.
Alcatel-Lucent Technologies, a leader in systems, services, and software for next-generation communications networks, has slashed material-related costs by 53 percent while reducing environmental impacts by replacing painted, chromated sheet aluminum with GE Plastics' matte textured Lexan* 9000 polycarbonate (PC) sheet in solar shields for cellular equipment housings. From a cost standpoint, GE's Lexan sheet is less expensive and lighter than sheet metal, and requires fewer secondary operations and delivers high performance in demanding outdoor environments. From an environmental perspective, this fully recyclable, non-brominated Lexan sheet eliminates human exposure to toxicity risks from anodizing aluminum with hexavalent chromium. Plus, it takes less energy to recycle plastics than to burn off paint. Finally, lower weight in shipping reduces fuel consumption.
