XtraForm™ for automotive interior design
Interior automotive trim
XtraForm hardcoated films enable car designers to produce automotive interior parts with an anti-glare finish. XtraForm products provide exceptional 3D formability with market leading scratch and chemical resistance. The durability of the surface produced, makes for an attractive long-lasting quality component.
Automotive interior trim is moving from decorative, aesthetic drivers to critical performance characteristics as designers seek to meet the post iPod customer expectations. Optic performance, hardness, resistance to sunscreen products, anti-fingerprinting and anti-glare are all key requirements for trim items.
Our coatings are specified by most global automotive manufacturers and applied throughout the world. Our range of finishes covers all the primary interior components including:
MacDermid Enthone’s latest developments are concentrated around advancing functionality to improve optic performance by controlling glare, introducing a range of new cosmetic finishes all to enhance and assist the driver experience.
Coupled with our industry leading hard coat film technology and third dimension chromium coatings, are our unique XMAPP and DecoKlad quality programs. They deliver the latest in interior automotive coatings with the assurance of our process control plans.
For our latest specifications and approvals for automotive interior finishes, click here.
Cockpit electronics
Cockpit electronics generally refers to systems including audio, center stack, and infotainment. The amount of data which can be displayed in today’s vehicle cockpits is significantly more than from previous car designs. Therefore, having the right amount of information visible at the desired time is a critical factor.
How does XtraForm hard coated films help with the aspect of car interior design?
- First, the piano black gloss surface can be ‘3D’ formed, even within tight radii.
- Secondly it can be back lit, so that it is compatible with ‘secret-till-lit’ requirements.
- Thirdly, designers tell us that having full electronic integration and being easy to clean are key criteria which dictate the hard coat films they specify.
For cockpit electronics, XtraForm conforms to most global automotive interior specifications.
Display
As mechanical activation devices such as switches gradually disappear from the interior of automotive vehicles, displays with touch screen capability are taking their place.
In turn, these ‘full display dashboards’ are becoming larger is size. Ultimately industry experts predict that “every surface in the car interior will have increased connectivity and become a display for information and entertainment”.
In this application XtraForm offers industry leading 3D formable properties for displays using hard coated film technology. Its antiglare and variable gloss characteristics enable designers to specify XtraForm for displays located at different levels of the car’s interior.
The exceptional clarity of the XtraForm film delivers industry leading reading clarity for anti-glare films. It can be used in challenging designs including those which have deep draw and tight Radii configurations.
Additionally, it can be used with backlighting and in secret-till-lit functions. Other potential applications for XtraForm in displays are 3D touch sensors and fully 3D displays.
Driver Information
A low gloss surface delivers the highly visible information such as speed, engine revolutions and fuel level for the driver. Surfaces coated with high clarity XtraForm liquids have been used in this application by many major automotive manufacturers around the world for many years now.
XtraForm liquids also offers interior automotive designers the benefit of compatibility with backlighting and secret-till-lit functionality. The printed gloss and texture can be modified to meet the particular interior design and needs for specific models.
High wearing interfaces
At the point the driver and passengers interact with interior automotive components, a surface with high wear characteristics is required. This attribute prevents premature wear of information from the component, for example numbers on a volume dial.
To deliver a wear resistant surface for car interiors, the easy-to-clean finish must exhibit both a high hardness coupled with good surface haptics and excellent abrasion resistance.
MacDermid Enthone Industrial solutions offer various films for this application, from matt to gloss, which comply with most global automotive interior specifications, is proven to meet these requirements.
