The History of Epoxy in Olean

Russell Houghton, founded Houghton Laboratories, in Olean New York in the late 1940s, manufacturing a line of electroplating rack coatings called plastisols, a liquid coating with low volatile solvents, compared to paint. Plastisols were described as having a high solids content and the contraction of the words "high solids" into "Hysol" became the trade name for all the company's products.

?Houghton Laboratories became the first American firm to develop and specialize in the use of epoxy resins for electrical insulating compounds, adhesives, and sealants. By 1950 Houghton's scientists had produced the first liquid epoxy compounds for potting and encapsulating electronic components, available in the United States.

?In 1955, Houghton Labs marked the start of the Dri-Kote product family with the development of the first epoxy coating powder for electrical insulation. Utilizing the recently developed fluidized bed coating process to produce products such as bus bars, motor armatures, resistors, capacitors, and other electronic components.

?The 1960s were an exciting time for Houghton Laboratories. Hysol products were so well known that the Hysol brand was adopted as the company name. A line of new epoxy molding compounds for coil encapsulation, circuit modules, and insulating bushings was developed. And, the advent of the TO-92 epoxy package for transistors, in 1964, saw demand for Hysol molding compounds skyrocket as transistor radios and color televisions spread across America. At the end of the decade, Hysol merged with The Dexter Corporation to become the Hysol Division of Dexter Electronic Materials.

?Dexter commercialized the first optically clear, transfer grade epoxy molding compound in 1970. This compound allowed the same transfer molding process that revolutionized transistor manufacturing to be applied to the production of light emitting diodes and LED digital displays. Dexter optoelectronic molding compounds were used in the first touchtone telephones, the first affordable pocket calculators, and the first digital wristwatches. All with compounds developed and made in the Olean facility.

?From 1970 to the end of the millennium, Dexter maintained strong relationships with the major electronic component manufacturers such as Western Electric, GE, RCA, Corning, Motorola, Texas Instruments, Fairchild, Kemet, and International Rectifier. Dexter developed compounds for packaging integrated circuits and rode the wave of growth in the electronics industry to soon supply the world with epoxy compounds, manufactured in Olean.

?In 2000, Henkel Corporation, the world's leading producer of adhesives, strengthened its grip on the industry by purchasing Dexter's specialty materials business through its U.S. subsidiary, Loctite. But in 2004, Henkel slowly began moving production to other Henkel locations as part of an overall strategic manufacturing plan. The future of epoxy in Olean New York looked uncertain.

?SolEpoxy, Inc. founded in 2010 by Western New York investors, admired the remarkable legacy of innovation and entrepreneurship that endured at the Olean R&D and manufacturing center. SolEpoxy purchased much of the molding compound line, including the optically clear epoxy, and the entire historic Dri-Kotes portfolio from the Henkel Corporation.

?Today, SolEpoxy provides standard-setting epoxy-based specialty materials at its facility in Olean New York. Beyond just manufacturing expertise and ISO 9001 certified quality, SolEpoxy is restoring the spirit of innovation in Olean.

?SolEpoxy has developed a low CTE, optically clear molding compound for next-generation sensors such as LIDAR and TOF, fiber-reinforced fine molding compounds with isotropic properties; thermally conductive, electrically insulating compounds, and the industry-standard suite of power transmission bus bar insulation for switch gear and electric vehicles. We provide the very best insight and know-how to customers who rely upon our materials to enable their products to perform. Contact us today and describe your product or manufacturing challenge, we want to be your Partner in Problem Solving?.