Lighting the way with in-mold decorating

Tier 1 vehicle lighting solutions provider J.W. Speaker Corp. is commercializing one of the first production applications of in-mold electronics, also known as plastronics.

The new cost-effective application uses indium-thin-oxide ink bars to pull current across a thermally conductive grid to defrost the hard-coated polycarbonate lens of a light-emitting-diode source.

The heated headlamp lens can resolve the inability of LED-based vehicle headlights to generate enough heat to defrost themselves in winter driving conditions. "Industry has been looking for this solution for 15 years," said Dragan Popovic, J.W. Speaker chief technology officer.

The Germantown, Wis., firm offers its legacy SmartHeat-brand heating system for flat truck lights now.

The new proprietary technology can match the curvature for automotive light surfaces. The idea is currently working its way through original equipment manufacturer design iterations with potential to reach the commercial market on model-year 2022 or 2023 vehicles, Popovic said in an interview.

J.W. Speaker and applique specialist Advanced Decorative Systems Inc. of Millington, Mich., collaborated on the heated-headlamp-lens project. ADS handled the molding and supplied the label.

The innovation won both best-of-show and gold best-injection-molded-durable-part awards in the 2018 In-Mold Decorating Association contest.

Judges noted that the headlamp reflects a merging of in-mold decorating and printed electronics and could open the door to more adoption of IME.

J.W. Speaker has worked on the concept for more than seven years.

In past decades, "some products had ITO coatings, but it was mainly on military helicopters and aircraft windshields," said Eric Deering, J.W. Speaker lead concept engineer. "It was not economical."

ADS and J.W. Speaker began discussions in 2015.

"We were immediately impressed with their eagerness to get started," said Marshall Paterson, ADS vice president of development. "Within a week or two, we had created proof-of-concept parts using existing tooling we had."

Beta trials occurred during 2017 on an existing aluminum tool, and ADS shipped the first production-level parts to J.W. Speaker in December 2017.

The processor uses polycarbonate from multiple brands including Covestro AG's Makrolon and Saudi Basic Industries Corp.'s Lexan.

The conductive heating element is printed on the layer of PC film prior to its in-molding into the headlamp lens. A specially-designed connector system provides access to the embedded electronics.

A temperature-sensing element guards against destruction of the heater.

Skokie, Ill.-based IMDA will show the winning entries in its booth during the Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute's Pack Expo International show Oct. 14-17 in Chicago.

IMDA will present the awards to the winners in a ceremony during its 2018 symposium and supplier trade fair Nov. 11-13 in San Diego.

Other IMDA gold awards recognized Naturcrem creamy soups for best injection molded package, Kunlun Tianrun lubricating oil K86 for best blow molded package, Beger Shield 5-star premium paint for best label design, Froneri ice cream for best part design and the 410 Plus brand for best product family.

For packaging Naturcrem, pastry and confectionery manufacturer Dulcesol Group of Gandia, Spain, approached molder ITC Packaging SLU of Ibi, Spain, and label producer Verstraete In-Mold Labels NV of Maldegem, Belgium.

Dulcesol wanted an innovative package for the new line of Naturcrem single-serving organic creamy soups.

Verstraete IML combined specific inks, a special lacquer and a special oxygen-barrier film to create the in-mold label, which can withstand the rigors of pasteurization.

For lubricating oil K86 packaging, China's Beijing Yazhengyuan Colorful Printing Co., a subsidiary of Beijing Henrianne Technology Co. Ltd., built anti-counterfeiting features such as pseudo-microprint fonts known as microtext and ultraviolet imaging into the label.

Brand owner Kunlun Lubricant, an affiliate of publicly traded PetroChina Co. Ltd., had concerns about protecting its intellectual property.

Blow tooling specialist BoYu Precise Mould Making Co. in Zhongshan, China, manufactured the container.

For the Beger Shield plastic paint pails, color manufacturer and distributor Beger Co. Ltd. of Bangkok, Thailand, collaborated with Bangkok molder Srithai Superware Pcl [sic] and label supplier Korsini-Saf Ambalaj Sanayi ve Ticaret AS of Ismir, Turkey.

The in-mold label uses Korsini-Saf's metallized film.

A standard Beck Automation AG system applies the in-mold labels to the premium plastic pails in a one-step process and enables a decrease in the use of metal cans.

For packaging Froneri ice cream, polymer processor Plásticos Regina of Mauá, Brazil, brand owner Froneri International plc of Northallerton, England, and label producer Verstraete IML developed and produced a peelable in-mold-label lid including an integrated spoon.

In 2016, Nestlé SA and R&R Ice Cream plc established Froneri as a joint venture.

The Nestlé Brazil ice cream business introduced a series of Froneri 140-milliliter mono packs. The peelable IML lid design eliminates two steps in the regular production process.

For the 410 Plus brand, Berry Global Inc. of Evansville, Ind., developed and molded the family line for Kraft Heinz Co. of Pittsburgh and Chicago. Verstraete IML supplied the labels.

Berry says the packaging is the first family of its kind in North America to have a barrier in-mold label on a clear container.

The label is said to help keep foods fresher longer. The packaging is available in 8-, 12-, 16- and 20-ounce sizes for soups, sauces or dips

Silver IMDA awards recognized Abbott Laboratories nutritional products segment's Similac infant formula for best injection molded package; Nissha Co. Ltd. business unit Eimo Technologies Inc.'s Garmish instrument finish panel for best injection molded durable part; Verstraete IML, Unilever plc and Miko Pac NV's Magnum ice cream pints for best label design; Distinctive Plastics Inc., GreatCall Inc., Canyon Graphics Inc. and Mindflow Design's wearable-jewel-top medical alert for best part design; and Beger, Srithai Superware and Korsini-SAF's Beger Shield five-star paint line for best product family.