By Frank Antosiewicz
CORRESPONDENT
Published: May 13, 2014 3:38 pm ET
Updated: May 13, 2014 3:46 pm ET
Image By: Kydex LLC
Vijay Yadav, vice president of R&D for Kydex, Ronn Cort, Kydex president and chief operating officer and Eiji Nishiie, director and division leader for public works and Infrastructure Sekisui Chemical Co. at the opening of Kydex's FSTLab.
Thermoplastic sheet manufacturer Kydex LLC is boosting its material testing capabilities with the opening of a facility in Bloomsburg, Pa., called the FSTLab.
FST refers to flame, smoke development, material toxicity and heat release testing. Suppliers, engineers, processors and end users can collaborate with Kydex research, development and design teams on new fire-resistant technologies and materials. The facility also will allow for regulatory testing throughout the design cycle.
The facility allows Kydex to do more of testing in-house. That includes testing of heat release and toxicity, which are important for industries like aviation and mass transit.
The company does sheet design and manufacturing for a varied audience that also includes medical devices, retail store fixtures and industrial equipment housings.
Kydex was formed in 1987. The company is a subsidiary of Sekisui America Corp, a part of Sekisui Chemical Co. Ltd., which is headquartered in Tokyo. | 
