China Array Plastics to Showcase High-Performance Thermoplastic Applications for First Time at ChinaPlas 2008

Pittsfield, Mass. – Feb. 25, 2008 – China Array Plastics, a full-service injection molder of high performance thermoplastic (HPP) materials, headquartered here, will showcase its newest high-end applications at Chinaplas 2008 in booth W1F59. Manufactured at the company’s state-of-the art molding facility in Wuhan, China, the applications will include components for the dairy and food service industries molded from new grades of Solvay Advanced Materials’ Udel P1700 NT® polysulfone (PSU), and Lexan* polycarbonate (PC) resin from SABIC Innovative Plastics. Also on display will be highly-filled proprietary compounds for EMI/RFI shielding components. China Array opened its injection molding facility in the Zhuankou Industrial Park in Wuhan in 2006.

The dairy applications, molded of Udel P1700 NT® polysulfone, are used on a continuous basis for gathering and distributing milk at dairy farms. To withstand this punishment, they require excellent strength, as well as clarity to observe milk flow. Udel PSU was selected for these performance requirements, as well as for its resistance to cleaning chemicals, exceptional toughness at extreme temperatures, and FDA compliance. For the food service industry, tough, virtually unbreakable Lexan PC resin was selected for the hinged cover of a food processing machine, weighing more than 1 kg. This large part also requires clarity, cleanability, and high impact strength. China Array provides this part completely assembled with stainless steel inserts, a liquid silicone molded gasket, and a stainless steel latch.

According to Carl Olson, vice president, Sales & Marketing, China Array Plastics, the dairy and food service industries are among the company’s core markets.

“We are seeing dramatic growth in dairy and food service applications, both of which require FDA compliant materials such as polycarbonate and polysulfone, which are also known for their outstanding strength and resistance to harsh cleaning conditions after repeated use. Working with global suppliers such as SABIC Innovative Plastics and Solvay Advanced Materials, we are at the cutting edge of new and enhanced grades of these materials, enabling us to deliver these material choices as value-added solutions to our global customers.”

With clamp tonnage from 50-150T, China Array Plastics is among the first in China to specialize in custom molding high-performance thermoplastics – such as PSU, polyetherimide (PEI), and polyetheretherketone (PEEK) – used in demanding, high-tech applications. China Array Plastics also offers multinational OEMs operating in China tremendous advantages vs. importing parts, including higher quality, faster delivery, lower manufacturing costs, and highly trained U.S. and local expertise.

China Array’s capabilities further underscore its growth strategy to differentiate itself as a market leader and innovator in the injection molding of high-performance thermoplastic materials in Asia. Recent developments demonstrate the value of such a specialized approach: China Array is now producing and delivering HPP products locally in China, to both domestic Chinese manufacturers as well as multi-national customers. The company is continuing to serve and target high-end niche segments where these materials are increasingly in demand, such as the medical, electronics, fluid-handling, and aerospace industries where high-value, low-volume applications are typical. In support of its world-class injection molding expertise, China Array Plastics also offers customers advanced engineering, mold design, application development, and testing services to further support customer growth and innovation.

“We are unique and different from other injection molding companies operating in China,” said Russell Johnson, president and founder, China Array Plastics. “Molders of commodity materials are everywhere in the country, but custom injection molders of high performance thermoplastics for global OEMs are almost non-existent.”

Johnson also points out that consumer demand is changing by the day as living standards improve across China, which is also driving the increased need for high-performance materials.

“The taste for milk and milk products, for example, is driving growth in the dairy products industry, requiring the use of HPP materials such as polysulfones,” Johnson said. “Our expertise insures that such parts will be produced efficiently, and with good quality on the proper equipment, so that the end user is satisfied. We have seen inferior replacement parts infiltrate the Chinese domestic market, obviously made without regard to proper material selection or design. We offer the solution to this problem.”

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China Array

www.chinaarrayplastics.com

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Notes for editors

About China Array

China Array U.S. was founded 28 years ago by Russell Johnson, who has been manufacturing industrial products to meet international standards continually during that time. Johnson has also served as an advisor to Harvard Business School's Asian Research Center on manufacturing in China. China Array Plastics is a full-service custom injection molder specializing in high-performance thermoplastics.

China Array Plastics selected Wuhan for its China headquarters due to the city’s historical position as the heartland of Chinese industry. Wuhan, which is home to several universities and technical institutions, offers skilled workers, a well developed infrastructure, and excellent distribution. The capital of Hubei Province, Wuhan straddles the Yangtze River at the nexus of main river, rail, and highway routes running north/south and east/west across China. Approximately equidistant from Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong, it is perfectly situated for supplying customers within China or for reaching coastal ports for export.

China Array Plastics is an American company. The new facility – technically called China Array Wuhan – is a wholly owned foreign enterprise in China. This structure allows China Array Plastics to protect its customers’ intellectual property rights and gives them the confidence of dealing with a firm that operates under the laws and business practices of the United States.

For more information on China Array Plastics go to: www.chinaarrayplastics.com