Smart Surfaces with Strong Design

Intelligent functions, beautiful seamless surfaces,
soft 3D shapes, thin and light materials

You should start the development of your new products from the smart surface!

Why? Because the smart surfaces of your products contact with the outside world. They connect to your customers. Whether you want your customers to notice your product, look at it, touch it or simply feel good with your product. Smart surfaces are the key. So, if you are serious about user-centric design, start with the interfaces. And that’s where we want to help you.

Know How

You want to take advantage of our know-how? Feel free to do so! We have been the pioneers in the field of smart surfaces for more than ten years. Our world is electronics on plastic films. Here, we are the experts.

Design

Are you looking for smart surfaces with awesome design and outstanding functionality which your customers will love?
This is exactly what we want to do for you. We offer smart surface development based on our technology.

Manufactory and Prototypes

Of course, you will need some prototypes and samples before starting the serial production. The plastic electronic manufactory can do that for you. Also, small serial production will be produced there.

Industrial Production

Worried about the production of disruptive new technology?
plastic electronic and its strong production network will manage the ramp-up of your novel smart surfaces. We provide prototypes and samples as well as small and large serial production.

touchskin User Interfaces

touchskin user interfaces are touch-sensitive surfaces with integrated lighting. Design driven smart surfaces can now be applied seamlessly to automotive interiors, to household appliances and to all kinds of electronic devices.

• Design freedom
• Seamless surfaces
• Smooth 3D forms
• Thin and lightweight

Unlike touch screens, touchskin User Interfaces can be seamlessly integrated even in large 3D surfaces. Because of the 3D shapeable surface, for example, also a finger guide can be realized.

A touchskin User Interface consists of clearly defined controls and lighting elements, which are fixed positioned on the surface according to certain rules. The surface can be variously designed in terms of haptics, visual effects and forms.

touchskin User Interfaces are manufactured using multiskin technology. Therefore, the parts with touchskin User Interfaces can be realized very thin (< 3mm) and lightweight.

• Using surfaces to operate the technology in rooms
• Device operation with touchskin. Pretty seamless.
• touchskin operation – boost your handheld devices
• touchskin Control Panel for Washing Machines
• touchskin Automotive User Interfaces

multiskin Circuit Carrier

multiskin is our technology to create smart surfaces with thin laminates of standard plastic films.
These film laminates are particularly suitable for larger surface areas also with smooth 3D forms.

• Laminates of standard plastic films
• Integrated electronic functions
• Large area applications
• Smooth 3D forms

• multiskin circuit carriers for smart surfaces
• Thermoplastic circuit boards for user interfaces

The plastic electronic story

There are times when events and circumstances condense into a unique opportunity. A globally leading scientist meets an experienced entrepreneur, they win strong partners, outstanding employees and prudent and responsible financiers for their idea.

This is what happened in Linz in 2005 – the foundation of plastic electronic GmbH.

Since its foundation, plastic electronic has gradually built up its technology:

• Conductor traces on plastic films
• Sensor systems on foils
• Integration of electronic components on films
• 3D forming and integration in injection molded parts

The first loadskin pressure sensor mat was presented in 2007, the first touchskin user interface in 2010 and the integration of lighting into touchskin user interfaces using multiskin circuit carriers in 2014.

Customers from the automotive, household appliances and from the home control sectors showed great interest right from the start and used the technology in numerous prototypes and series applications.

The plastic electronic services

Today, products with plastic electronic technology can be found in a wide variety of market segments. Many customers benefit from the very special know-how and from our team’s decades of experience.

• When developing customer-specific smart surfaces based on the plastic electronic technology.
  This is done by experienced electronics developers who are specially trained in the implementation of our technology. Design and development can also be carried out by the customer himself, whereby the developers are supported by us with design guides and design checks.

• In the uncomplicated manufacture of prototypes, samples and small series in the plastic electronic manufactory.
  In our pilot production, the entire manufacturing process is built, from the manufacture and assembly of the circuit carrier foils to the cutting, laminating and testing of the foil laminates. The use of flexible, mostly digitally controlled machines and a lot of manual work makes a rapid, inexpensive and uncomplicated production of small to medium quantities possible.

• When transferring to industrial production at partners.
  We have a network of special partners for the industrial production of smart surfaces. Our experts support the selection of possible production partners and accompany the transition to industrial production.

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