Industrias Alegre has signed a collaboration agreement with TactoTek®, a Finnish company, pioneer in smart surfaces and world leader in In-Mould Structural Electronics (IMSE®) technology. The collaboration will involve the development of innovative human-machine interface (HMI) solutions that can be integrated into applications for different markets, especially automotive.

New designs for lighter and more sustainable parts

IMSE® is a significant breakthrough for the automotive industry and comes at a time when electric vehicles are driving the redesign of automobiles. In this context, embedded or over-injected electronics offer enormous possibilities as they allow any surface to become an element of tactile interaction, as the electronic components are included within thin structures integrated into the plastic parts.

This structure allows advanced functions to be available at any point in the vehicle, incorporating lighting or man-machine interfaces in a very aesthetically pleasing design. And all this, in a part with a minimum thickness and without switches or mechanical elements involved.

In addition to the visual advantages, there are sustainability advantages, as this technology reduces raw materials, avoids assemblies, simplifies parts and simplifies supply chains.

More innovation, more design, more future

‘Having this technology is a strategic opportunity that allows us to remain at the forefront of plastic manufacturing and to be able to anticipate what the major automotive manufacturers will need tomorrow,’ says Monica Alegre, commercial director of the Valencian brand. For his part, TactoTek's SVP Automotive Sales, Dr. Thomas Vetter,  highlights that this collaboration with Industrias Alegre ‘will bring important sustainability benefits to Industrias Alegre. IMSE technology has the  potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions of specific parts  by up to 50% when compared to traditional solutions’.

Having the support of the international leader

Industrias Alegre began to explore this technology about three years ago, first with a research project and then with tests and the development of a demonstrator in its own production plant. The signing of the agreement with TactoTek comes at a time when the Valencian brand has mastered the high-tech processes involved in injecting parts with integrated electronics. As an electronics integrator and with the aim of offering top quality services, it has chosen the best technological partner in the segment.

TactoTek, Oy (Oulu, Finland), is the world leader in developing and licensing injection-molded structural electronics (IMSE®) technologies. Automotive, aviation, connected home, industrial control and medical brands use TactoTek innovations to create next-generation user experiences that are compelling, differentiated, and more sustainable. Designers use TactoTek IP to integrate circuits and components directly into plastic parts, transforming conventional structures into smart interactive surfaces. TactoTek licenses its intellectual property, including over 270 patents and critical know-how developed over a decade of intensive R&D and quality testing, to global manufacturers who use reliable, standardized manufacturing processes to produce curved-shape and conformal electronics.