Combining thermally conductive polycarbonate with polyurethane offers advantages for electronics manufacturers

ORLANDO, Fla., March 24, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- While the LED lighting market continues to grow, the relatively high price of LED bulbs has forced manufacturers to explore ways to reduce costs. Since electronic component costs are usually fixed, other components, such as the heat sink, offer an opportunity to reduce costs and improve performance through unique assembly processes.

In-mold electronic component assembly and encapsulation is possible by combining two polymer technologies – thermally conductive polycarbonate and insulating polyurethane. Doing so reduces the number of components while creating a finished part in a mold without additional manual assembly. Compared to traditional manufacturing, this process lowers labor costs and improves thermal contact by eliminating relatively low conductivity thermal interface materials (TIM).

Nicolas Sunderland, senior scientist, and Terry G. Davis, principal engineer, both of Bayer MaterialScience LLC, will present Thermally Conductive Polycarbonate for Electronics, 10 a.m., Wednesday, March 25, during the Society of Plastics Engineers' ANTEC^® conference, March 23-25 in Orlando. Jim Lorenzo, principal engineer, and Dave Rocco, senior engineer, also authored the paper.

According to Sunderland and Davis, the benefits of combining thermally conductive Makrolon^® TC8030 polycarbonate with polyurethane encapsulation technology utilizing Bayflex^® polyurethane reaction injection molding (RIM) technology include:

• reducing the bill of materials
• increasing manufacturing flexibility, and
• reducing the weight for many electronic components

As part of the presentation, they will also detail the assembly process – with a particular focus on in-mold encapsulation – and offer results of temperature and durability testing.

About Bayer MaterialScience:
With 2014 sales of EUR 11.7 billion, Bayer MaterialScience is among the world's largest polymer companies. Business activities are focused on the manufacture of high-tech polymer materials and the development of innovative solutions for products used in many areas of daily life. The main segments served are the automotive, electrical and electronics, construction and sports and leisure industries. Bayer MaterialScience has 30 production sites around the globe and employed approximately 14,200 people at the end of 2014. Bayer MaterialScience is a Bayer Group company. Sustainability is central to the company's business and is based around the key areas of innovation, product stewardship, social responsibility and respect for the environment.

Contact:
John Skabardonis, Phone: 412-777-7444
Email: [email protected] 
General media inquiries can be directed to 412-777-5200.

For more information about Bayer MaterialScience LLC polycarbonate materials and technologies, call 1-800-662-2927, email [email protected] or visit www.plastics.bayer.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
This news release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer Group or subgroup 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 Bayer's public reports which are available on the Bayer website at www.bayer.com. 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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SOURCE Bayer MaterialScience LLC

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