Smart Molding International 2-2021

IML & IMD 19 www.smart-molding.com VARIOFORM® coating, KURZ feed unit, and IR heating unit. Kurz can provide you with the entire solution from con - sulting through installation and com - missioning to the start of your serial production and service: all inclusive, so that you can produce attractive prod - ucts efficiently and economically at an even higher level. • For the production of three- dimensional plastic parts, the IMD VARIOFORM® substrate with the de - sired decor runs through the machine as a wafer-thin coating in a roll-to-roll process. A thermoforming system as typical in conventional processes is not needed • The IMD VARIOFORM® coating is heated directly in the chamber of the injection mold and pressed into the cavity. This gives the plastic part its shape and its characteristic surface design with precise edges • Subsequently, the blank can be relocated fully automatically in the injection mold and injected with the necessary plastic material • This step is followed by the use of a special tool technology called close- contour punching, so that the compo - nent receives its well-finished outer edges On the one hand, IMD VARIOFORM® is so compact and process-efficient that it makes it possible to create de - cisive competitive advantages. On the other hand, this technology from KURZ can also unleash an almost boundless creativity in the development and de - sign of products. This process offers the same freedom of design as the IMD process. You can freely choose the injection molding material used, the shape, and the punching of plastic parts. The surface design can be designed according to individual preferences. This allows designers and product de - velopers to get really creative even at the design stage. But that's not all: Even recycled material can be decorated with this process in the same aesthetic and so - phisticated way as new material. This means an enormous ecological poten - tial for many industries. IMD VARIOFORM® - Let your new designs be even more ambitious - or crazy The highlight of IMD VARIOFORM® is the production of components that are made even more extraordinary with three-dimensional shapes and elegant design. In principle, virtually anything is possible when decorating the plastic. In the same tool, a variety of single-image decors and endless designs can be ap - plied. As a result, small series and indi - vidual pieces are economically feasible. To make desired design changes, only the IMD VARIOFORM® substrate with decorative coating must be changed in the machine. Here, KURZ offers a wide range of designs, optionally with inte - grable functions. The combination of design and functionality ensures that your plastic elements with 3D geom - etry not only look spectacular, but also have integrated functional qualities. You can seduce the eye with an excit - ing metallization or show off a trendy brushed look or a sophisticated aes - thetic in open-pored wood, marble, carbon, concrete, and reflective real chrome. In terms of surface feel, too, many variants are possible. Since even touch sensors can be seamlessly con - nected to the plastic, themanufactured element can pick up and pass on func - tional commands by touch or by the user approaching. Partially and fully backlit control surfaces and designs are just as feasible as customized top coats, which protect surfaces and make them extremely durable. Leonhard Kurz www.leonhard-kurz.com Established award for Bavarian innovation drivers In 2020, the Bavarian Innovation Prize was awarded for the fifth time by the Bavarian State Ministry for Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy, the Bavarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Bavarian Chambers of Trades and Crafts Association. It honors outstanding innovation drivers of the Bavarian economy. The exemplary concept component with slider function and backlighting shows the extensive design freedommade possible by 'IMD VARIOFORM® with Functional In-Mold Labeling' (All photos: Kurz)