Carbtex(r) Electric Plasma Arc Protection Gloves Win 2005 R&D 100 Award

Smithfield, RI — R&D Magazine has named Perfect Fit Glove and Carbtex Corporation as winners of a prestigious 2005 R&D 100 Award for their new line of Carbtex(r) Electric Plasma Arc Protection Gloves. The award, which will be officially presented in Chicago on October 20, 2005, recognizes Carbtex gloves as “one of the 100 most technologically significant products introduced into the marketplace over the past year,” according to R&D Magazine Editor-in-Chief, Tim Studt. All the winners of this year’s R&D 100 Awards will be announced in the September 2005 issue of R&D Magazine and highlighted on their website.

The Perfect Fit Carbtex product line incorporates a revolutionary new material that provides exceptional thermal protection. A patented oxidized outer shell in Carbtex fiber creates a protective barrier to its inner thermoplastic core. This provides resistance to radiant energy, and prevents energy and heat from passing through the glove’s fabric to the user’s hand.

Carbtex gloves and sleeves significantly increase wearer protection against heat from electrical arc, flame and thermal hazards, and comply with the NFPA 70E standard. Different glove styles are available and range in levels of protection from Hazard Risk Category 2 through 4 in accordance with the NFPA 70E requirements. In arc and other tests, Carbtex gloves consistently handle radiant heat better than para-aramid fibers alone. They will not support flame and, in addition, are cooler and more comfortable in hot environments and warmer in cold temperatures.

Called “The Oscars of Invention” by the Chicago Tribune, the R&D 100 Awards have been recognizing technologically significant products for 42 years. According to the magazine, “the winning of an R&D 100 Award provides a mark of excellence known to industry, government and academia as proof that the product is one of the most innovative ideas of the year.”

Previous R&D 100 Award winners have included such household names as Polacolor film (1963), the flashcube (1965), the automated teller machine (1973), the halogen lamp (1974), the fax machine (1975), the liquid crystal display (1980), the full color graphics printer (1986), the Kodak Photo CD (1991), the Nicoderm antismoking patch (1992), Taxol anticancer drug (1993), and HDTV (1998).

Perfect Fit Glove, a Bacou-Dalloz Company, produces high quality industrial gloves for a wide range of applications. A leader in hand protection, Perfect Fit Glove will custom design and produce gloves for unique or demanding applications to meet the needs of today’s increasingly specialized industries. Perfect Fit Glove is headquartered in Buffalo, NY.

In 2001 Dalloz joined with Bacou(r) to form the Bacou-Dalloz(tm) Group, the world leader in the design, manufacturing and sale of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). The company employs about 6,700 people and operates 48 production facilities. Bacou-Dalloz provides unmatched head-to-toe protection through three strategic business segments: head protection (eye, hearing and respiratory), body protection (gloves, clothes and shoes) and fall protection. Bacou-Dalloz offers a full product range aimed at the manufacturing, construction, telecommunications, medical, public services and other sectors. Their products are available through authorized distributors worldwide.

For additional product information, contact:
Perfect Fit Glove Co., LLC
85 Innsbruck Dr.
Buffalo, NY 14227 USA
Tel: 800-245-6837
Fax: 716-668-3224
http://www.perfectfitglove.com