Where the growth is in major appliances.

OPPORTUNITIES: There are several promising areas for plastics in large appliances.

* Washing-machine drive-train components - Gears, pulleys, and transmission housings are ripe for plastics, reports Kevin Beck, appliance industry manager for Ticona in Summit, N.J. Maytag Corp. of Newton, Iowa, recently adopted Ticona's glass-reinforced, heat-stabilized nylon 66 for the drive pulley of its Neptune washing machine. This 14-in.-diam. part needs high strength to withstand torque loads at its hub, and it is molded to tolerances of a few thousandths of an inch.

Maytag uses acetal copolymer in washing-machine gears for a transmission that has 42 fewer parts. It weighs 13 lb less than one with steel gears.

* Structural bases - An example of new structural parts (many of them still confidential) being developed with thermosets is a polyester TMC compressor base for a refrigerator. Premix Inc. in North Kingsville, Ohio, has molded the base for over a year. "TMC was selected due to its high strength and excellent flammability," says Kevin Casey, sales and marketing director of Premix's molding division. Thermosets also provide dimensional stability and very low shrinkage. Because the refrigerators are shipped on their side, the base has to support the heavy compressor in a cantilevered load, not just a compressive load. It also must pass the stringent UL 94-5VA flame test.

* Refrigerator interior parts - Thin-wall crisper trays are a fresh opportunity for injection molding, says Jeff Pembroke, industry manager for appliances at GE Plastics, Pittsfield, Mass. Typical trays have wall thicknesses around 0.09 in. But Pembroke says thin-wall technology and a high-flow Lexan PC could trim it down to 0.06 in., cutting cost through shorter cycles despite a potential material cost premium.

Other refrigerator projects are still in the conceptual stage. GE Plastics has developed ideas for injection molded, spill-proof shelves as replacements for glass. GE and Arcelik, a Turkish appliance maker, have teamed up in Europe to develop an injection molded refrigerator door that could be on commercial models within a year. Molded from a proprietary material blend, this oval door offers both parts-consolidation and a distinctive design.

* Range knobs - Thanks to a proprietary pigment package, GE developed a new Valox PBT/PET alloy that helps "appliance white" range components like knobs and handles resist color shift, reports Pembroke. Premix's Casey says thermoset polyester BMC range handles also offer color and dimensional stability, despite frequent blasts of oven heat.

GROWTH OUTLOOK: According to the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers in Chicago, annual growth in large-appliance shipments is typically no more than 1-2%. But there is a brighter side of the story for plastics molders.

Because appliance makers jockey for position within mature markets, they look long and hard for ways to profit by reducing their manufacturing costs. Appliance makers also seek an edge in differentiating their products from competitors' in the hope of gaining a bit of precious market share. Using plastics supports both these strategies through opportunities for parts consolidation and aesthetic innovation.

MATERIALS USED: Appliance makers have tough requirements for flame resistance, chemical and stain resistance, dimensional stability, color stability, and strength. Those challenges are being met with engineering thermoplastics - nylon, polycarbonate, ABS, and engineering alloys - as well as thermoset polyester molding compounds. Beck reports that Ticona's sales of engineering plastics for appliances grew more than 20% last year and he believes they will grow another 10% over the next three to five years. "Most of that growth is from direct metal replacement," he says.

PROCESSING SKILLS: In thermoplastics, several advanced injection molding capabilities are coming into play for appliances. GE's Pembroke sees potential for thin-wall molding to cut costs not just of refrigerators but also of other large-appliance parts such as dishwasher consoles. Gas-assist molding is already used in some washing-machine impellers and on the doors of some Whirlpool dishwashers. Maytag's experience with acetal gears highlights the role of high-precision molding. And Ticona's Beck speculates that multi-material co-injection, which already creates parts with integral gaskets in other industries, has the same potential for appliances.

Decorating processes that cut costs and aid product differentiation will play a bigger role. One example is laser marking as a more durable and economical alternative to other decorating methods. Another is in-mold decorating (IMD) with preprinted films, which consolidates manufacturing steps. David Reis, an appliance industry manager at GE Plastics for IMD, reports that some appliance makers have eliminated secondary operations and adhesives with IMD, thereby achieving decorating cost savings as high as 30%.