Florence, Ky., Sept. 24, 2007 – Injection molded LED packages for high-brightness lighting applications must withstand temperatures above 260°C during lead-free soldering and be produced in fine detail with great precision. To gain these abilities for the millions of LED open-cavity packages it produces each year, Spectrum Plastics, a business of Barnes Group Inc., turned to the Vectra® S series liquid crystal polymers (LCP) from Ticona, the engineering polymers business of Celanese Corporation.

The high-flow of Vectra S grades produces LED packages having complex geometries and tight tolerances in packages with typical outline dimensions of 2 to 7 mm square. These resins also withstand temperatures well above 300°C, undergo minimal dimensional change in molding and end use, and have negligible outgassing so their volatiles do not fog lenses or degrade contacts.

“Polymer performance is critical for our high-brightness and ultra-high-brightness LED cavities, which are often used in applications such as automotive lighting, consumer electronics and mobile phone handsets and must perform reliably for the life of the product,” says Rob Zimmerman, manager new technology development at Spectrum Plastics.

“Vectra S resins give us a unique set of capabilities,” he says. “Unlike most other materials, including other LCPs, they provide a wide thermal margin during lead-free reflow soldering. They also give us high yields at high volumes for they have a wide processing window, rapid cycle time and create almost no flash.”

Spectrum Plastics fabricates LED packages in a continuous molding process using its proprietary reel-to-reel technology, which overmolds open cavities onto strips of lead frames in a multi-station line using multi-cavity tools. The customer then populates the cavities with dies that serve as the light source, wire bonds the unit, adds a lens (also molded by Spectrum), and stamps the completed package out of the strip.
Spectrum molds the lenses from an optical grade of silicone rubber that withstands reflow soldering. In a process it innovated, it overmolds lenses on metal rings on a stainless steel strip. The ring supports the lens when the customer assembles it to the LCP cavities. The use of lead-frame molding principles provides for a high-volume, automated process that minimizes part handling and enhances quality.

About Ticona and Celanese
Ticona, the engineering polymers business of Celanese Corporation, produces and markets a broad range of high performance products , and achieved net sales of $915 million in 2006. Ticona employs approximately 2,000 individuals at production, compounding and research facilities in the USA, Germany and Brazil. As a global leader in the chemicals industry, Celanese Corporation makes products essential to everyday living. Our products, found in consumer and industrial applications, are manufactured in North America, Europe and Asia. Net sales totaled $6.7 billion in 2006, with over 60% generated outside of North America. Known for operational excellence and execution of its business strategies, Celanese delivers value to customers around the globe with innovations and best-in-class technologies. Based in Dallas, Texas, the company employs approximately 8,900 employees worldwide.

About Spectrum Plastics and Barnes Group Inc.
Spectrum Plastics, an operating unit of Barnes Group Inc., was founded in 1967 and is headquartered in Ansonia, Conn. It employs nearly 100 people and operates a 66,000-ft2 production facility. It is the largest U.S. reel-to-reel molder. As a global supplier of precision injection molded thermoplastic parts, it provides design, tooling, prototyping and full-scale production. Celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2007, Barnes Group Inc. (NYSE:B) is an international aerospace and industrial components manufacturing and distribution company focused on achieving consistent, sustainable and predictable results. Founded in 1857, it consists of three businesses: Barnes Aerospace, Barnes Distribution and Barnes Industrial. Nearly 6,500 employees at more than 65 locations worldwide contribute to its success. The company has paid cash dividends to stockholders on a continuous basis since 1934.