Sheffield, MA—May 29, 2007—The many benefits and uses of VIVAK® Sheet, a product of Sheffield Plastics Inc., a Bayer MaterialScience Company, are highlighted in a new voice-over CD. As this CD explains, currently only five percent of fixtures and displays incorporate plastic sheet goods. However, a display made from VIVAK, a high quality specialty copolyester resin, demonstrates greater thermoforming capabilities, design options and impact strength than many traditional materials. This handy and easy to use CD, full of helpful information and color photos and illustrations, offers industry professionals the opportunity to learn more about this superior material’s versatility, uses and advantages.
This voice-over CD begins by offering a company overview of Sheffield Plastics and the Bayer Group, including information on Sheffield’s status as a global leader in PETG and polycarbonate sheet production. It then continues to describe the wide market available for in-store and point-of-purchase displays, describing attributes of materials used in both applications. The CD also describes how raw materials from Sheffield Plastics are converted into displays, following up with a section describing how knowledge of VIVAK’s superior qualities could help decision-makers determine future in-store displays. This background both informs and enlightens industry professionals about the possibilities of VIVAK Sheet in manufacturing.
VIVAK, a thermoplastic sheet in the PETG family of plastics, surpasses other display materials by being easy to fabricate, form and finish. It also offers higher impact strength and durability than acrylic. The CD elaborates on this in the following sections, describing the traits that make VIVAK Sheet such an extraordinary tool. Engineers appreciate the ways it can be formed and fastened, while designers like its many fabrication and finishing options. In addition, higher performance compared to acrylic translates into thinner gauges and higher rates of production through easy die cutting, deeper draws, punching, and low-temperature forming. It also has a forgiving nature, meaning less breakage during production and oftentimes, higher margins with lower costs.
VIVAK’s high impact strength reduces manufacturing and packaging costs while allowing for down gauging for cost effectiveness. Also, unlike many competitive materials, VIVAK offers a level of chemical resistance suited for harsh industrial environments. It is resistant to many common cleaners, offers excellent optics, and is FDA compliant for use in food partitions or containers. With these many beneficial attributes, VIVAK can be applied to a wide variety of display needs.
In the following section, the CD goes into further detail about the many ways in which VIVAK can be manufactured for display purposes. It first describes how VIVAK Sheet is well suited for manufacturing. Depending on its thickness, VIVAK can be manufactured using cold bending, punching, shearing, solvent bonding, rivets and welding. It can be thermoformed by vacuum forming, free blown forming and line bending on standard equipment. Several guidelines for usage are also included.
Because of its superior construction, resulting in lighter and stronger parts, VIVAK is an ideal material for many display needs. Sheffield Plastics’ helpful voice-over CD highlights this, along with the many design options that VIVAK allows. In its color varieties, VIVAK utilizes Bayer’s color infusion process, in which the color becomes completely integrated into the plastic. It also features encapsulated image layer technology that may allow for the inclusion of textile fabrics, plastic films, natural products and more in displays. VIVAK Sheet is available in clear, UV, color, matte or satin surfaces and thicknesses ranging from .020” to .500”, depending on the surface. The CD provides further ordering information, including a list of standard sheet sizes and masking options. In addition, a 12-page VIVAK Fabricating, Forming and Finishing guide is provided on the CD in PDF form.
Sheffield Plastics, a Bayer MaterialScience Company, is the global leader in high performance plastics. Sheffield continues its leadership in polycarbonate technology with new processes, product innovations and superior optics. For more information, contact Sheffield Plastics, Inc. at 1-800-254-1707, fax 1-800-457-3553, visit www.sheffieldplastics.com, or write 119 Salisbury Road, Sheffield, MA 01257.
This news release contains forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer Group management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in our public reports filed with the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (including our Form 20-F). The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.
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