NEWS
A New Paint Job
2011/4/26 7:08:28
Nearly every car that rolls off the assembly line has at least one thing in common: the exterior1 is painted steel, but General Electric says plastic covered with its new extra-durable colorized film is the way to go. You can sneak a peek at it on the fenders of the Segway Human Transporter. This polymer film called Lexion-XLS was invented in 1998 to make plastic more resistant to scratches2, chemicals, and UB rays. GE hopes the auto industry will drive the sale of Lexion. The company says the long lasting coated plastic can be used on any auto panel, making cars lighter and more fuel-efficient. But there is a catch3, the price of plastic is much higher than painted steel. And automakers like cost efficiency. But General Electric isn’t given up yet. Its scientists are working on combining this new film with plastic to form one substance. If successful, durable, paint-free vehicles may be just down the road.
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