Makrofol® film for metal surfaces with touch functionality
New car interiors use a complex interplay of materials and technologies to maximize a premium look and feel. Seamless, free-flowing metal surfaces integrate touch functionality. Touch controls are also found well beyond the instrument panel, enabling new customized lighting effects on other electroplated components such as door panels, seat frames, vents and trim.
Electroplating is the process of applying thin metallic coatings onto plastic parts. Automotive manufacturers are seeking practical plating solutions for back-injectable, formable parts.
BIA Kunststoff- und Galvanotechnik GmbH & Co. KG is an international working supplier of high-quality automotive parts and an expert in electroplating processes. We worked closely with them to explore how our Makrofol® films can help facilitate touch functionality on electroplated plastic parts.
These premium surfaces must display the mechanical properties of metal plates, feeling strong and characteristically cool to the touch, while also offering new varied design possibilities and integrated touch controls.
Metals inherently act as a protective shield, making it difficult to achieve reliable touch or capacitive sensitivity on galvanized parts, particularly if the metallic surface is formed or textured. And up to now, chrome surfaces have not typically allowed glowing, backlit visual effects.
The technical challenge here was to easily combine buildable, FIM (Film Insert Molding) injectable, electroplated parts with a range of new design features, from transparent and translucent backlighting to textured, illuminated surfaces with touch controls.
Makrofol® EP355 polycarbonate film enabled BIA to integrate touch control sensors and new backlit design effects into their Touch Chrome surfaces.
Electroplating-ready Makrofol® film is back-injectable, formable, printable, and can be tailored for a range of translucent and transparent colors and visual effects.
The electroplated surface is adjustably sensitive and responds to touch, which is converted into control signals. Thanks to Makrofol ® film, this high-quality, cool-touch metal surface can also offer a wide range of glowing backlit visual effects for a strong aesthetic appeal, and the part can be created using a single molding tool.
Components manufactured in this way simplify the design and manufacturing process and are currently among the most sustainable, durable, and versatile decorative components.
In addition to its technical advantages, Makrofol® EP355 is also fully recyclable through BIA’s closed-loop system, ensuring sustainability in its applications. By combining this eco-friendly approach with the innovative capabilities of Makrofol® EP355 film and Makrolon® PC resins, touch functionality on metal surfaces becomes a practical solution for the automotive industry and beyond, extending to various industrial and consumer appliance sectors.
Makrofol® EP355 PC-ABS film and a substrate of Makrolon® resin enabled us to create iluminatable BIA TouchChrome components, integrating touch functionality on galvanized surfaces. The metallic sensor controls are reliable, cost-effective, and fit seamlessly into our manufacturing process.
Key benefits
- Touch function: Makrofol® EP355 enables touch functionality on illuminated electroplated parts.
- Design freedom: This film is transparent, enabling customized lighting effects and patterns.
- Circular: Parts made of Makrofol® are fully recyclable by a Creon metal surface process.
- High formability Makrofol® films enable excellent 3D formability with high position accuracy.
- Cost efficient: Partially metalized, multi-colored parts are possible with one-shot injection molding process.
