AlliedSignal Fibers: developing fiber technology for the global tire industry.

For more than three decades, AlliedSignal Inc.'s Industrial Fibers Division has been a global leader in industrial fiber technology. A strong commitment to R&D reinforces our significant market position in industrial fibers, through the development of new products that meet customers' ever-changing needs.

AlliedSignal has been particularly active in product development for the tire industry, where advances in automotive technology demand higher performance tire yams.

Today, tire cord is the largest single market for AlliedSignal Fibers' industrial yams. Type 6 Caprolan[R] Nylon helps bias-ply truck tires to run cooler. Polyester fibers are integral in helping passenger radial tires retain their strength at high speeds and absorb impact shocks.

Through cooperative R&D efforts with tire companies, AlliedSignal has made major advances in tire technology and reinforcement materials.

The development of AlliedSignal's DSP[TM] tire yams is the most recent example. These dimensionally stable polyester yams improve tire uniformity, reduce sidewall indentations and minimize tire rolling resistance.

DSP fibers have enabled the tire industry to meet the requirements of major industry trends such as:

1) Growing popularity of mono-ply tires.

2) Replacement of bias-ply construction with radial

design, especially in passenger car and light truck tires.

3) Employment of heavier-denier, lower-twist fibers -- better

engineered to reduce production requirements

for tire-reinforcement fabrics.

4) Reduced need for post-cure inflation (PCI) during the

tire manufacturing process, enabling production

economies.

5) Replacement of rayon for tire-reinforcement material

with DSP fibers, especially in Western Europe. In

addition to their quality and performance

characteristics, DSP fibers offer significant

environmental benefits over rayon.

DSP fibers account for a substantial share of AlliedSignal's total polyester tire yam production. By 1994, advanced polyester fiber use should increase to more than 80% of the radial passenger and light truck tire market. To meet the demand, AlliedSignal has been expanding capacity for this product every year, and will continue to do so in accordance with industry demands.

In 1991, AlliedSignal introduced the most advanced generation of DSP fibers -- 1X30 and 1X40 -- with improved properties over previously available DSP fibers. In addition to their growing use in the U.S., these newest DSP fibers are helping increase the popularity of polyester fibers in the European tire market, where polyester is rapidly replacing rayon. At the same time, new polymers with properties for improved tire performance are under active development. Corporate Profile Section

Research, Development, Engineering and Manufacturing

AlliedSignal's Technical Center, located in Petersburg, VA, is the focal point of the Industrial Fibers Division's testing and R&D efforts. This facility provides state-of-the-art development and testing of fibers for use in tire cord and other industrial applications, such as in-rubber uses, broad and narrow wovens, and cordage.

The technology and applications developed at the Technical Center are largely responsible for the highly efficient operations at the division's three major production facilities: an ultra-modern polyester fibers facility at Moncure, NC and high-technology nylon plants at Hopewell, VA and Columbia, SC.

The Moncure plant is renowned as the most efficient facility for producing high-quality, high-strength industrial polyester in the world. As an ISO 9002 registrant, it was recently named one of the top seven maintenance operations in the country by an independent study.

Serving the EC - A New State-of-the-Art Polyester Plant

Stimulated by the gradual replacement of rayon with polyester as the tire reinforcement of choice, the European Community's market for industrial polyester continues to rapidly expand -- 6% a year during the last decade. AlliedSignal will serve the growing demand with a new state-of-the-art US $200 million polyester plant in Longlaville, France. Moreover, through ISO 9002 registration, the facility will ensure future compliance with demanding quality requirements of new EC trade policies.

The initial start-up of the Longlaville plant is scheduled for late 1993, with a full capacity of 19,000 metric tons of polyester. The plant, representing the most advanced production facility of its kind in the world, will help to alleviate the polyester shortfalls currently being experienced in the European Community.

TQM: Total Quality Management

In 1991, AlliedSignal rededicated its commitment to quality and service under a new Total Quality Management Policy that places even greater emphasis on customer satisfaction and production efficiency. This policy is now being applied to every level within the AlliedSignal organization. To the tire industry, this will ensure a continuous flow of performance-/cost-effective products and services during the 1990s and beyond. The ultimate goal is to provide end-use customers with the most performance- and cost-effective product available, while maintaining environmental and conservation integrity.