Smart surfaces
Profile Plastics has become a TactoTek Design & Innovate licensee, with rights to design and produce in-mold structural electronics (IMSE® ) solutions that use TactoTek intellectual property, and creating a complete IMSE supply ecosystem in North America.
Profile Plastics is an established supplier of precision film-insert-molded (FIM) parts to global automotive OEMs, and their Tier 1 and 2 suppliers, including display modules and HMI solutions. They also have longstanding customers in home appliance and medical markets.
According to Nat Svela, VP of Sales at Profile Plastics, “Our customers are asking for solutions that integrate cosmetics, structure, and electronic functions, including capacitive touch and lighting, into a single part—TactoTek’s IMSE technology delivers that integration. Because it’s a single piece injection molded solution, IMSE designs minimize parts and assembly, moreover, it is a natural extension of our in-mold labeling (IML) and in-mold decoration (IMD) capabilities.”
Profile Plastics is expert at thermoforming and injection molding FIM parts, key steps in manufacturing IMSE solutions. “Profile Plastics is one of the pioneers of film-insert- molding and has decades of FIM-manufacturing experience. A comprehensive understanding of the manufacturing process and already existing experience with multi- film structures is a very good background to become IMSE capable quickly and efficiently,” noted Marko Suo-Anttila, SVP Engineering at TactoTek.
TactoTek licenses its IMSE technology to others who sell, design, and produce IMSE parts for global reach and scaling; the company also works directly with OEMs and brands to help them develop and prototype IMSE designs. “We are very excited to welcome Profile Plastics as a Design Innovate licensee and support them as they introduce IMSE solutions to their customers,” said Dave Rice, SVP Business Development. “Our licensees are central to the adoption of IMSE solutions. In North America we now have anchor customers, and with Profile Plastics and their long-time partner DuraTech Industries, also a Design Innovate licensee, a top-quality supply chain for IMSE parts.”
About TactoTek
TactoTek is the leading provider of Injection Molded Structural Electronics (IMSE®) solutions that integrate printed circuitry and electronic components into 3D injection molded smart surfaces. Leading IMSE use cases include human-machine interfaces (HMI), connectivity and electronic styling features for automotive, smart home, appliances and other markets. IMSE technology is a greener solution: it uses 50-70% less plastics and generates up to 60% less greenhouse gas equivalents than conventional electronic equivalents. TactoTek develops and industrializes IMSE technology, creates mass production ready IMSE prototypes, and licenses IMSE technology for 3rd party IMSE part design and global mass production.
TactoTek is funded by international leaders in finance and industry committed to advancing technology solutions that benefit consumers and the environment. TactoTek investors include Conor Venture Partners, 3M Ventures, Repsol Energy Ventures, Faurecia Ventures, Voima Ventures, Tesi, Nidoco AB and Cornes Technologies Limited.
About Profile Plastics
At Profile Plastics, our specialty is In-Mold Decorating (IMD), FIM Insert Molding (FIM), In-Mold Electronics (IME), and In-Mold Structural Electronics (IMSE) all with precision registered graphics. We engineer and develop our processes and mold our products in- house. We are an experienced custom thermoplastic injection molder that has the expertise needed to create quality IMD, FIM, IME, and IMSE products.
Profile Plastics offers the focus and expertise of a small company with the resources and purchasing power of a large corporation. For more information, please visit www.profilemn.com.
