HEERLEN,, Netherlands, April 27, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- This morning 11.30am (CET), the Airbus A380 containing an aircraft engine component made from DSM Stanyl(r) performed its maiden flight at Toulouse-Blagnac international airport in Toulouse with a six-member test flight crew on-board.
The Airbus A380 is the largest, but also one of the quietest airplanes ever built and the reason is its Rolls Royce Trent 900 engines which were developed to have the lowest possible environmental impact. A component made from 'Stanyl' -- a performance materials product developed by DSM, the Dutch performance materials, life science and industrial chemicals group -- played a role in achieving the targeted low noise levels. Stanyl is the first thermoplastic material to be used by Rolls-Royce in aircraft engines.
Stanyl delivers the high performance needed for aircraft engine panels. Extensive testing of candidate materials proved that Stanyl had the right balance between lightness and strength required for the infill panels on the Trent 900 engine. Infill panels are engineered with a highly complex shape to reduce noise and to minimize an aircraft's environmental impact. Engine infill panels are thin but large -- up to 40 cm in length, yet they may only be 0.8 mm thick in places and should be able to withstand the impact of bird strikes at temperatures ranging from -50 degrees C to 150 degrees C. Stanyl 46HF4130 was specifically developed for use in the infill panels. By using high-performance thermoplastic Stanyl, Rolls Royce was able to get the optimum solution regarding both performance and cost in this important application.
Today's maiden flight coincided with the announcement of DSM's Q1 results. Henk van Dalen, CFO of DSM, comments on this event as follows: "The performance materials cluster, in which Stanyl activities are based, contributed strongly to the result of DSM, with both higher sales volumes and selling prices. This new Stanyl application is yet another example of our strong focus on innovation that will build upon our leading position in performance materials."
Stanyl by Engineering Plastics Stanyl grades are widely used in automotive and electronic applications because it has proven that it can meet the critical demands of those industries and at the same time deliver value through more reliable performance and lower system costs. Applications for Stanyl grades include charge air coolers and chain tensioners, bearing cages, electrical connectors and components, electric motor end laminates and brush holders, and a variety of housings and shields for home appliances, lawn and garden tools, and building products. Produced by DSM Engineering Plastics, Stanyl is the most versatile high performance thermoplastic in the world. The product is marketed throughout the world and is manufactured in the USA, Europe, China, and Japan.
About DSM: DSM is active worldwide in life science products, performance materials and industrial chemicals. The group develops, produces and markets innovative products and services that are designed to raise the quality of life. DSM's products are used in a wide range of end-use markets and applications, including human and animal nutrition and health, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, the automotive industry, coatings, the construction industry and the electrics & electronics market. The group has annual sales of around Euro 8 billion and employs about 24,000 people worldwide. DSM is a leading world player in many of the markets in which it operates and has plants and facilities on every continent. The company's head office is in the Netherlands. For more information on DSM, please visit www.dsm.com.
For more information: DSM Corporate Communications Petra Meijers tel. +31 (45) 5782423 fax +31 (45) 5740680 e-mail media.relations@dsm.com
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