The integration of electronic functions into the surface of plastic moldings - and thus the production of 'smart products' - is one of the current and innovative topics in the developmental progress of Industry 4.0. A major trend already exists today towards replacing conventional operating functions in the form of separate components by integrated touch panels. For example, the functional film insert molding (FFIM) process enables printed electronics in the form of switches, sliders, and so on, to be inserted directly into the molding surface. These perform a variety of functions when touched, but often without delivering any perceptible feedback to the user. While these integrated touch functions have long been state of the art in, for example, the field of consumer electronics, the automotive industry is here still in its infancy - but with a strong desire for expansion. Current research shows that the automotive industry in particular is increasingly calling for haptic feedback in order to provide the operator with a dependable and pleasant feedback on whether a function has been activated or not.
展开▼
