"Market provocation" is the tool GE Plastics (European HQ: P.O. Box 117, NL-4600 AC Bergen op Zoom) is using to drive engineering plastics applications into the building industry. After introducing the "Living Environments Europe" concept at its headquarters in the middle of last year (see Plasteurope.com No 10 and 13, 1994), the company launched an integrated bathroom concept at the sanitary goods exhibition "ISH 95" (March 28 to April 1 in Frankfurt).

The heart of the presentation was "Enduran", a family of highly filled injection mouldable "Valox" (PBT) grades. Applications for "Enduran" include wash basins, shower cabins and a novel wall panelling system. "Nuvel", a highly filled Valox sheeting material, is used for the horizontal panels and surrounds and as vacuum formed sheeting for the bathtub. The glazing for the shower cabin door is made from a single sheet of gravitationally cast "Lexan" polycarbonate. The windows – the most exciting part of the concept – are structured from a liquid crystal film sandwiched between two polycarbonate sheets. By application of an electric field, the panels can be changed from transparent to opaque and back again.

The exhibition was completed by water heaters, central heating boilers and combined water heating units as well as gas meters, all based on engineering plastic parts.

READER SERVICE: Comprehensive press material (with photos) from ISH presentation: PIE-No. 37525.