Owens Corning partners with BASF and TenCate for thermoplastic automotive composites

TOLEDO, Ohio, March 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Owens Corning (NYSE: OC), the leading global producer of glass fiber reinforcements for composite systems, today formally announced its inclusion in a strategic alliance with BASF and TenCate Advanced Composites. The goal of the alliance is to develop optimal solutions in thermoplastic composites for automotive mass production.

According to Owens Corning Group President Arnaud Genis, "There is a critical and growing need in the automotive industry to have lighter, stronger and more environmentally efficient products.  Glass fiber solutions are not fully leveraged and by combining the talent and resources of Owens Corning, BASF and TenCate - all industry leaders - we will be able to take significant weight out and find the optimum solutions for our customers quickly, and with the highest quality design and structure."

Strategic alliance

In this strategic alliance:

• BASF contributes comprehensive knowledge in the production and formulation of thermoplastic resins,
• TenCate Advanced Composites brings its expertise in composites manufacturing, and
• Owens Corning brings the technology to develop superior and tailor made fabrics and glass reinforcement solutions.

"A dramatic reduction in processing cost will be essential for the success of composite materials in automotive lightweight construction," explains Dr. Martin Jung, Head of Structural Materials Research and spokesman for BASF Research toward the automotive industry.  Jung continues, "Continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites, such as tapes and laminates used in thermoforming processes, have huge potential for structural parts. By working together with Owens Corning and TenCate we form a strong alliance for the development of these thermoplastic composites."

Dave Clark, Global Group Director of TenCate Advanced Composites, states:  "The alliance with Owens Corning, BASF and TenCate combines leading glass fiber, resins and thermoplastic prepreg technology which is essential for enhancing innovation power and building a reliable supply chain for automotive composites."

Global emission standards for vehicles continue to increase the need for lighter vehicles that maintain strength and durability.   Compared to metal parts, fiber reinforced plastic composites can be 30 to 50 % lighter. Thermoplastic composites help increase fuel efficiency in automobiles and reduce costs for consumers. Thermoplastic processing also dramatically reduces production cycle times.  Additionally, these products have no limitations in shelf life and can be recycled.  

Owens Corning (NYSE: OC) is a leading global producer of residential and commercial building materials, glass-fiber reinforcements and engineered materials for composite systems.  A Fortune^® 500 Company for 58 consecutive years, Owens Corning is committed to driving sustainability by delivering solutions, transforming markets and enhancing lives.  Celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2013, Owens Corning is a market-leading innovator of glass-fiber technology with sales of $5.2 billion in 2012 and approximately 15,000 employees in 27 countries on five continents.  Additional information is available at www.owenscorning.com.

TenCate Advanced Composites is a leader in the development and production of thermoplastic and thermoset prepreg composites for various industries. Its product portfolio is incorporated into automotive products, medical equipment and numerous other applications. TenCate Advanced Composites has production facilities and operations in North America, Europe and Asia.

Additional information is available at www.tencateadvancedcomposites.com

Royal Ten Cate (TenCate) is a multi-national company that combines textile technology with related chemical processes and material technology in the development and production of functional materials with distinctive characteristics. Products of TenCate are sold worldwide. Systems and materials from TenCate come under four areas of application: safety & protection, space & aerospace, infrastructure & the environment, and sport & recreation. TenCate occupies leading positions in protective fabrics, composites for space and aerospace, anti-ballistics, geosynthetics and synthetic turf. TenCate is listed on the NYSE Euronext (AMX).  Additional information is available at www.tencate.com

About BASF
BASF is the world's leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products to oil and gas. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Through science and innovation, we enable our customers in nearly every industry to meet the current and future needs of society. Our products and solutions contribute to conserving resources, ensuring nutrition and improving quality of life. We have summed up this contribution in our corporate purpose: We create chemistry for a sustainable future. BASF posted sales of €78.7 billion in 2012 and had more than 113,000 employees as of the end of the year. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (AN). Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.

SOURCE Owens Corning