• SABIC and Cybershield are collaborating on projects involving electroless plating of high-temperature ULTEM™ resins.
• SABIC provided processing guidance to help Cybershield to expand molding capabilities.
• Cybershield is helping to optimize plating quality and performance of various ULTEM resins and to potentially expand use in more applications requiring EMI shielding.
• At NPE2024 and AIX, SABIC will display connector backshells molded and plated by Cybershield.

SABIC, a global leader in the chemical industry, today announced its collaboration with Cybershield, Inc., a U.S. supplier of metalized plastic components, to advance the use of plated ULTEM™ resins in aerospace applications. Through this collaboration, which will be featured at the upcoming NPE2024 and the 2024 Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX), SABIC’s team shared with Cybershield their extensive expertise on injection molding of high-heat ULTEM resins. This training prepared Cybershield for successfully molding ULTEM 2310 resin into backshells for electrical connectors that are well suited for use in audiovisual (AV) control modules for commercial aircraft.

This inFlite™ demonstrator from Russtech Engineering will be displayed at NPE2024 and AIX 2024. It shows various electrical connector backshells that are well-suited for use in AV control modules in commercial aircraft. These connector backshells are designed and produced using plated ULTEM™ 2310 resin. SABIC and Cybershield collaborated to exchange knowledge of ULTEM resin molding and electroless plating, respectively.

“These collaborations are the latest in our longstanding, multi-faceted relationship with SABIC,” said Dr. Stanley Walton, director, R&D and Sales & Marketing, Cybershield. “For instance, we previously worked with SABIC on the development of glass fiber-reinforced ULTEM EPR resins, which offer enhanced plating capability. Today, thanks to SABIC’s invaluable guidance on all aspects of processing ULTEM 2310 resin, we have expanded our molding capabilities beyond lower-temperature materials. Our customer, Russtech Engineering Co., Inc., is very happy with the components we are molding and plating, and we are now well positioned to pursue other applications for their growing inFlite™ Products Suite.”

Knowledge Exchange

As part of the ongoing collaboration with SABIC, Cybershield is sharing its extensive experience and capabilities to optimize plating quality and performance on a range of ULTEM resins and other specialty materials to potentially expand their use in numerous applications requiring EMI shielding.

“We deeply appreciate Cybershield’s willingness to learn from SABIC about molding our high-heat materials, and to make their facility available to expand our understanding of plating technology,” said Luc Govaerts, technology director, SABIC Specialties. “This is a true collaboration where both companies benefit from accessing each other’s extraordinary experience, resources and knowledge. Based on our work with Cybershield, we are confident that plated ULTEM resins can benefit aerospace customers, as well as those in the automotive and consumer electronics industries, by delivering key properties such as light weight, high heat resistance and excellent shielding performance.”

At NPE2024 (Booth #S19005) and AIX (Stand #6C51B, 6C51A), SABIC will display a wide range of parts and applications, including connector backshells molded and plated by Cybershield. A demonstrator unit from Russtech Engineering will also be on display at both events. NPE2024 takes placed May 6-10, in Orlando, Fla., and AIX 2024 will be May 26-28 in Hamburg, Germany.