Canatu, a manufacturer of zero reflectance and flexible transparent conductive films and touch sensors, today launched CNB In-Mold Film, a stretchable, formable, conductive film optimized for 3D formed capacitive touch displays and touch surfaces in automobile center consoles and dashboards, home appliance control panels, remote controls, smartwatches and portable electronic devices.

“Touch has recently become the dominant user interface for tablets, smartphones and other consumer products. One of the remaining challenges for product designers is to build touch sensors into formed or back-molded plastic parts,” said Dr. Erkki Soininen, Vice President of Marketing and Sales at Canatu. “This is especially challenging when those parts involve 3D-shaped curved surfaces. Canatu now has a solution to this design challenge. CNB In-Mold touch sensors free user-interface designers from the flat-surface paradigm, making responsive touch on 3D surfaces a reality.”

CNB In-Mold Film is stretchable up to and beyond 100% and can be easily formed and back-molded using standard industrial processes such as Film Insert Molding (FIM). This means that CNB touch sensors can be produced in almost any shape, from smooth spherical domes to sharp edged casings with recesses and bulges.

With CNB In-Mold-based touch sensors, mechanical buttons in automotive dashboards, portable and wearable devices, washing machines, clothes dryers, dishwashers, ovens and other appliances can be replaced with a robust water- and dust-proof 3D-formed touch user interface.

CNB In-Mold Film-based touch sensors give original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and system integrators the means to build transparent touch on 3D formed devices.