Rogers' Materials Help Make Cars 'Smarter'

    ROGERS, Conn.--April 22, 2003--

    "Drivers get increased comfort, convenience and safety"

    Rogers Corporation today announced that a variety of its materials have been designed into automotive applications that assist today's drivers to avoid both moving and stationary objects, as well as provide improved comfort and convenience.
    Rogers' RT/duroid(R) 5880 High Frequency circuit materials are being used in "adaptive cruise control" systems that typically operate at 77 Ghz. With a car's cruise control engaged, these new "active" systems use radar technology to automatically adjust the speed of the car to that of the car ahead of it. This feature assists the driver in maintaining a safe, comfortable distance between vehicles, even under poor visibility conditions.
    A number of other high frequency circuit materials manufactured by Rogers are used in other "smart car" applications including radar systems that alert drivers to stationary objects in the front, rear or side of the car; devices that measure the amount of air in tires and inform the driver when pressure is too low; antennas for ID tags that can be used in automatic payment systems like those used for toll booths; and global positioning systems that can provide traffic information, directions, or driver-in-trouble assistance.
    Rogers President and Chief Operating Officer, Robert D. Wachob, commented, "We continue to develop new ways for our materials to suit the rapidly-growing needs of these evolving technologies. As a result, Rogers sales into this new "smart car" market area will exceed $1 million this year and are expected to grow quite dramatically in the years ahead."

    Rogers Corporation, headquartered in Rogers, CT, U.S.A., develops and manufactures high performance specialty materials focusing on the wireless communications and computer markets. Rogers operates manufacturing facilities in Connecticut, Arizona, and Illinois in the U.S., in Ghent, Belgium and in Suzhou, China. Sales offices are located in Japan, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Korea and Singapore. Rogers has joint ventures in Japan with Inoac Corporation, in Taiwan with Chang Chun Plastics, and in the U.S. with Mitsui Chemicals and with 3M Corporation.