DuPont Electronics & Imaging is launching its second generation of In-mold Electronic (IME) materials with key advancements in its electrically conductive adhesive, protection encapsulant and crossover dielectric. IME technology enables functions such as touch controls and lighting to be directly embedded inside plastic parts 
by printing circuits onto plastic sheets, which are then thermoformed and injection molded. This allows product engineers to reduce weight and cost while increasing design aesthetics and functionality in everything from car dashboards to home appliances, using fewer parts and manufacturing steps.
DuPont presented new data and key learnings around IME in a talk titled “New Solutions with Next Generation Materials” at the In-mold Electronics Conference & Exhibition, which took place Sept. 10-11, 2018, in Amsterdam.
DuPont is the only IME material provider that offers a reliable, complete material stack-up guaranteed to work together. DuPont’s IME second generation advancements include:
- Electrically conductive adhesive - Significantly more flexible than epoxy-based systems, meaning better adhesion after forming; ideal for attaching LEDs and microcircuit controllers; DuPont’s newest IME-specific adhesive is designed to flex during forming, eliminating the delamination that occurs in more brittle, traditional systems.
- Protection encapsulant - Offers best-in-class toughness for use as tie-coat and top seal; better abrasion performance and environmental aging; stands up to the heat of thermoforming and resists washout in molding.
- Crossover dielectric - This offering cuts the number of layers required by half; this means cost savings and shorter processing time while achieving electrical isolation and high breakdown voltage.
DuPont also offers a conductor and transparent conductor, as well as a compatible carbon layer as part of its full portfolio. For more information, please visit Dupont.
