BEIJING, Sept. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Owens Corning (NYSE:
OC), a leading global producer of glass fiber reinforcements for
composite systems and residential and commercial building
materials, today announced that its Uniconform® glass fiber
mat is now available globally.
Designed for advanced closed-mold processes and initially
launched in Europe,
Uniconform® continuous filament mat contains no chemical
binder, synthetic core or stitching yarns, delivering the following
performance benefits:
- Reduces mold dressing time by as much as 50 percent for
complex parts
- Increases tensile strength by up to 25 percent and
flexural strength by up to 10 percent compared to standard
conformable continuous filament mat reinforcements
- Good finished-part surface appearance and resistance to water
permeability
- Improved thermal stability and fire retardant properties.
Laminates can withstand temperatures up to 200 degrees celsius with
no permanent damage
- Unsurpassed clarity in translucent applications
"Since the product was introduced in Europe in 2006, the market has responded
positively to its ability to conform to complex mold shapes and
produce a good surface finish without compromising any mechanical
properties," said Marco Capelli,
global product manager, OCV™ Reinforcements. "We're now pleased to
be able to offer those benefits globally."
Made with the company's proprietary boron-free Advantex® E-CR
glass that combines the electrical and mechanical properties of
traditional E-glass with the acid corrosion resistance of E-CR
glass, Uniconform® mat is 100 percent glass reinforcement that
is mechanically needled. It is compatible with unsaturated
polyester, vinyl-ester and epoxy resins.
Eric Ball, vice president of
product development at Orenco Systems, Inc., Sutherlin, Ore., said Orenco benefited from
the product's transparency while developing an improved translucent
panel for residential and commercial construction. The new panel is
for higher-end projects where aesthetics are important.
"There is nothing else on the market that comes close to the
translucency of Uniconform® mat," said Ball. "While doing
market research for the new product, we collected lots of panels
that claim they are translucent but none of them come close to what
we are able to achieve with Uniconform® mat."
The use of closed-mold technology has steadily increased in
recent years for a variety of reasons including reduced emissions
and the ability to produce precision parts for applications
requiring close tolerances. Closed molding processes make it
possible to produce consistent parts in less time and with less
waste. According to the China Composites Industry Association, the
use of automated processes like the newer closed-mold technology
has increased in China from
28 percent of the total process mix in 2000 to 64 percent
of the total in 2008. The increase in automated processes from 2007
to 2008 was 10 percent.
About Owens Corning
Owens Corning is a leading global producer of glass fiber
reinforcements and engineered materials for composite systems and
residential and commercial building materials. A Fortune 500
company for 56 consecutive years, Owens Corning is committed to
driving sustainability through delivering solutions, transforming
markets and enhancing lives. Founded in 1938, Owens Corning had
sales of $4.8 billion in 2009 and
about 16,000 employees in 28 countries on five continents. OCV™
Reinforcements, OCV™ Technical Fabrics and OCV™ Non-Woven
Technologies are the three main business units that make up the
Owens Corning Composite Solutions Business. The business delivers a
broad range of reinforcement products that provide lightweight
alternatives to steel, wood and aluminum, thereby reducing weight
and improving energy efficiency. Additional information is
available at www.owenscorning.com.
SOURCE Owens Corning
Copyright . 15 PR Newswire