Integrated Touch Sensors with Graphic Design is New Trend Towards Greater Freedom of Design

Touch sensors are becoming ever more popular as replacements for mechanical buttons and controls. The trend is already clear: capacitive buttons and controls with attractive graphic designs integrated into surfaces. Transparent, conductive PolyTC films from PolyIC make this possible in combination with IMD (in mold decoration) decorative films from Leonhard Kurz.

Attractive graphic surfaces are becoming increasingly important for equipment and controls particularly in the electronics, mobile communication and automotive sectors. Outstanding results can be achieved using IMD films. PolyTC capacitive buttons and controls can be integrated into components behind a decorative film. Surfaces are no longer disturbed by mechanical buttons. Non-conductive metal IMD films can even be used to manufacture metallic surfaces and create, for example, brushed-metal-effect surfaces with integrated controls.

This new development was accomplished through close collaboration between PolyIC (touch films) and its parent company, Leonhard Kurz (IMD films), in an internationally unprecedented amalgamation of the extensive know-how of the two companies. Integrated touch sensors with IMD decoration suggest a wealth of possibilities that can be produced by the fusion of flexible design and application technologies such as IMD with the functional/electronic world – and this fusion is now available from a single source. Product designers have been given a new dimension of creative freedom less and less restricted by conventional electronic standards with graphic elements playing a more significant role.

FAKUMA is an international trade fair for plastics processing and is considered to be one of the most important plastics exhibitions in Europe. In particular, FAKUMA is without a doubt the worldwide number one exhibition for injection molding technologies. It also plays a leading role in the fields of extrusion and thermo-forming technologies. FAKUMA will take place from Oct. 18-22, 2011 at the Friedrichshafen exhibition center.

For the first time, PolyIC will be co-exhibiting at this show in the stand of its parent company, Leonhard Kurz Stiftung & Co. KG in booth A2-2117 in hall A2.