Future-forward frontend concept awes and inspires
Novel frontend architecture offers options for creating premium and base model designs
By designing vehicle frontends with fewer materials, it’s possible to bring the most innovative, functional and high style frontend concepts to life.
For example, imagine premium frontends incorporating daytime running lights (DRL) accented by clear-until-lit and light-through-body-color features.
Designers can choose how they would like to incorporate these features … seamlessly, or with cut lines. Similarly, a frontend base model with fewer features can be produced with cut lines or as seamless, depending on the designer’s preferences.
Light-through-body color feature
Working with industry partners, Covestro is developing translucent resins in combination with car body color systems to address a key design trend: “Light is the new chrome.”
With our Makrofol® DE polycarbonate film and film-insert molding technology, it’s possible to attain a smooth frontend panel surface with true 3D styling that appears in body color, then back-lit on-demand to create signature lighting. With this approach, unlit custom graphics can be combined with static or dynamic illumination to achieve novel lighting effects.
“We want our frontend concept to turn heads and get the creative juices of designers flowing. It’s the latest example of how we’re powering the innovations you’ll see on the road tomorrow.”
Clear-until-lit feature
3D styling and a seamless surface can also be carried out with clear-until-lit signature lighting, in which the panel appears in body color until edge-lighting reveals an illuminated lightbar that veils the background color.
Functional integration of edge-lighting, achieved using in-mold electronics (IME) of LEDs and proven two-component (2K) film-insert molding technology, can create future-focused frontends that are eye-catching and exciting.
We’ve harnessed several grades of our materials portfolio for this application, including Makrolon® LED EL for the 2K inner surface, Makrolon® AG for the 2K outer surface and printed Makrofol® DE film in front of the flexible LED strip.
Outer lens cover
Our proven Makrolon® AL polycarbonate offers true 3D styling for an outer lens cover that blends smoothly into the frontend panel surface. For a reduced carbon footprint, designers can use Makrolon® RE polycarbonate.
Key Benefits
- Functional Integration In-mold electronics (IME) of LEDs and two-component (2K) film-insert molding technology meld style and function
- Seamless surface Smooth surfaces create eye candy for consumers
- Design freedom Limited only by imagination, reduced-material design brings the most innovative functional and styling concepts to life
