This document discusses control panels for home appliances produced by plastic electronic using its specialized plastic film technology. It describes the touchskin concept of intuitive touch surfaces and its multiskin technology which integrates electronic functions and décor onto a single plastic film. The technology allows processing of conductive structures and assembly of components directly onto flat film substrates before forming into 3D control panels through injection molding. This integrated approach offers benefits over traditional control panel production like increased stability, compact size, and complex 3D form factors. Cost estimates are provided for the various components of a touchskin control console using this plastic film technology.

1. Philipp Weissel
Linz, 17.04.2014
Control Panels for Home Appliances

2.  … is a highly specialized Austrian technology company
 which develops and produces
customized touch control consoles
 based on its special plastic film technology.
sensitivesurface Video
plastic electronic …

3.  The touchskin Concept
 Design Concept
 Control Concept
 The multiskin Technology
 Integrated Setup
 multiskin Plastic Films
 Costs Break Down
Content

4. The touchskin Concept

5.  Intuitive interaction areas
 Seamless integration into devices
 3-D formed and curved surfaces
 Touch friendly surfaces
 Black-Panel Effect / shy-tech
Design Concept

6. Design Concept
waterdrop design

7.  Intuitive gesture control
 Fast and reliable activation of the controls
 Finger guidance through surface topography and backlight
 Optical feedback through backlight,
additional acoustic feedback possible
Control Concept

8. Control Concept
Double-click Cursor Slider

9. Control Concept
• Wheel
• Slider
• Switch
• Backlighting

10. Control Concept

11. The multiskin Technology

12. Traditional setup: Integrated setup:
Integrated Setup

13.  Stability
 Less individual parts, less interfaces, less prone to failure
 Highly automated production process, high yield, no manual
assembly
 Compact layer stack, no moving parts, no air gap
 Close surfaces, protection against dust and humidity
 Form factor and design
 Complex 3D-forms
 Touch-friendly surfaces
 Thin design height
Benefits of the Integrated Setup

14. MID (Molded Interconnect Devices)
 Conductive structures processed directly on
or into the molded part
 3-D mounting of the electric components
Example:
 2-K injection-molding, LPKF-LDS ® Process
In-molded Plastic Films
 Processing on a plastic film
 Forming, in-molding
Example:
 plastic electronic multiskin® films
Technologies

15. … for integrated control consoles
 Décor and function can be on one plastic film
 Processing of décor and conductive structures as well as mounting
of the components can be done on a flat substrate
 Flexibility in further processing
 Forming
 In-mold processing
 Back-foaming
 Plastic film could already be a integrated control panel
Benefits of using Plastic Films

16. multiskin integrates electronic functions
and décor on one plastic film.
Electronic functions + décor = multiskin film
multiskin film-inserts are ready for injection-molding.
multiskin film + injection-molding = control panel
multiskin Films

17. multiskin films are multi-layer plastic films
Interface Layers / Décor Layers / Functional Layers
multiskin Films

18. PET50µm
PEN50µm
PC50µm
LCP50µm
PI25µm
Glass transition temperature °C 69 - 78 121 n/a n/a n/a
Melting temperature °C 255 - 265 262 150 280 n/a
Elongation at break % 100/100 60/65 140/140 12/16 70/70
Shrinkage % (150°C / 30 min) 0,2 <0,8 <0,7 <0,1 0,1
Costs 3% 7% 35% 135% 100%
Plastic Films

19. on Polyester Films
Printed
Silver
Thin(<1µm)
Copper
Thick(<35µm)
Copper
ITO
Coating
Printed
PEDOT:PSS
LDSLPKF®
Copper
Conductivity (not formed) + + ++ ~ - +
Conductivity (formed) ~ + - - - n/a
Adhesion ~ ++ ++ + ~ ++
Resolution + + ++ ++ ~ +
3D geometry possible + ++ ~ - ~ ++
Material transparency - - - ++ + -
Conductive Structures
++ … very good, + … good, ~ … reasonable, - … bad

20. Electronic components like
LEDs, connectors, passive and active components
 are presented to multiskin films by pick and place in a
sheet-process.
 are mounted on multiskin films using special assembly
techniques like conductive glueing and selective
soldering.
Assembly Techniques

21. multiskin film
Technology

22. Cost Break Down

23. touchskin concole
Costs per Unit
from to
1 Plastic film EUR 0,05 0,30
2 Conductive structures EUR 0,60 1,30
3 LEDs including Mounting EUR 0,90 4,00
4 Décor layers EUR 0,50 4,50
Total costs of the multiskin film EUR 2,05 10,10
5 Forming and cutting EUR 0,35 2,50
6 Molding EUR 1,20 2,00
7 PCB EUR 1,70 2,30
Total costs of the touchskin control console EUR 5,30 16,90
Cost Break Down
Assumptions:
 Console 600x100mm
 250.000 units per year

24. Contact:
Philipp Weissel
www.plastic-electronic.com
contact@plastic-electronic.com
Thank you for your attention!