OULU, FINLAND (8 October 2019) – Today, TactoTek announced that at K 2019 Arburg will feature a live production demonstration of injection molded structural electronics (IMSE™) parts in their exhibit, Hall 13, Stand A 13. K 2019 is the world’s number one trade fair for plastics running 16-23 October 2019 in Düsseldorf, Germany.
TactoTek’s proprietary IMSE technology integrates printed electronics and electronic components within 3D injection molded structures to create thin, seamless, electronically active and economical smart molded structures. The company licenses IMSE technology to manufacturers who design and mass produce parts for their customers.
The IMSE part being produced at K 2019 is a design that includes in-mold circuitry, touch controls and LEDs for lighting, all of which are encapsulated in polycarbonate resin in an advanced film insert molding (FIM) process. The finished part is 3.5 mm thick and weighs only 49 grams. TactoTek technology partner content includes DuPont conductive ink and Cypress touch controllers. Several thousand IMSE parts will be produced during the event.
The automated IMSE manufacturing demonstration is built around Arburg’s electric Allrounder 470A injection molding machine and includes an FPT multi-axis robot, Kiki gripper and centering station, Motan material dryer, Dr. Eschrich film cleaning station, MFP conveyor for molded parts and tray server for film supply, Söhner trays and a Regloplast temperature control unit.
“IMSE is appealing for mass production for many reasons: standard capital equipment and automation can be used to produce IMSE parts using off-the-shelf materials that have been validated by TactoTek for IMSE use, and high yield levels required for economical mass production,” noted Marko Suo-Anttila, SVP Manufacturing at TactoTek.
About TactoTek
TactoTek is a leading provider of solutions for Injection Molded Structural Electronics (IMSE) that integrate printed circuitry and electronic components into 3D injection molded plastics. Leading use cases include in-vehicle applications, home/industrial appliances, and wearable technology. TactoTek develops and industrializes IMSE technology, develops mass production ready IMSE prototypes, and licenses IMSE technology for 3rd party mass production. TactoTek is funded by Conor Venture Partners, Ascend Capital Partners, Faurecia Ventures, Plastic Omnium, Nanogate, VTT Ventures and Leaguer VC. For more information, please visit www.tactotek.com
