This news article was originally written in Spanish. It has been automatically translated for your convenience. Reasonable efforts have been made to provide an accurate translation, however, no automated translation is perfect nor is it intended to replace a human translator. The original article in Spanish can be viewed at Inyección de revestimientos interiores con calefacción integrada

Innovation comes to injection by means of electric currents

Injection of internal linings with integrated heating

Drafting Interempresas05/05/2010

First there is the possibility of equipping parts of the interior of vehicles with a heating system that is integrated into the piece directly in the molding by injection. The basis for this process are decoration whose back face is equipped with an electrically conductive coating materials.

The Swiss company georg kaufmann formenbau, located in Busslingen, has developed a conductive coating of electricity in exclusive collaboration with a partner, which opens up new possibilities in the injection process. A sample is that innovation in plastics transformation given by the concurrence of the manufacturers of machinery, materials and moulds. The rear face of decoration materials equipped in this way can cast directly by injection through a process developed by Kaufmann in the molds made by this company.

The decoration heated electrically heated the interior of the vehicle

To the flow of electric current through conductive layer, it is heated by its electrical resistance and supplies heat to the interior of the vehicle. It can thus be, for example, heated efficiently and uniformly the area of passenger vehicles. During trials were reached in the surface temperatures considerably higher than 40 ° C.

Liner of automotive heated electrically, with different materials of decoration on the visible face and connections for the current input (photo: Georg Kaufmann Formenbau).

The temperature is possible to regulate through the electric current. The demand for heat power, i.e., the consumption of power per square metre of heated surface is relatively low. In addition, the plastic of the material carrier that is bad conductor of heat minimizes heat losses towards the outer side of the vehicle.

The flow of electric current through conductive layer, this is heated by its electrical resistance and supplies heat to the interior of the vehicle

For the current input are integrated threads or copper networks during the injection moulding, exact whose position and implementation depend on the element of construction. Trials have shown that, apart from electrically conductive coating, are not required additional adaptations the mold or the technology of processes.

The mold is the key to integration in manufacturing

For the manufacture of thermal preformed parts refined with a surface decoration, the technologies developed by Kaufmann may apply. Examples include the following:

The rear faces injection moulding technology, i.e. to the moulding of the rear face of the decoration material inserted into the tool. Stamping injection, namely the injection of plastic melt in a cleft of stamp followed by a closing of the mold that protects the decoration.

The Duo Lamination with which, with the help of a mould in the shape of cube, are manufactured pieces preformed with different materials for decoration in a single cycle of work. The Varysoft procedure, in which a mould of slide table serves to create effects of just soft touch desired areas.

Especially in combination with the process Varysoft is possible to manufacture items of virtually any shape with varying thicknesses of foam plastic, and therefore with different zones of comfort, which also will heat up. Such elements of the interior presented the advantages with regard to haptic, optics, design and comfort, and can be manufactured in very economic way.

Especially in combination with the process Varysoft is possible to manufacture items of virtually any shape with varying thicknesses of foam plastic

In addition to applications in the automotive industry, finish refined with integrated heating elements will be appropriate for example for warming of booths for funicular railways and trains, as well as for heating seats seats from stadiums or ski lift.