LOM’s latest innovation gives a special look and feel to mobile phone parts
Painting plastics, or any material for that matter, can be a very costly and time-consuming process, and the costs can be even higher if environmental responsibility is on the agenda. With LITEONMOBILE’s new visual plastics innovation, mobile phone manufacturers now have the opportunity to produce high visual quality plastic parts without the need for painting or in-mold labelling (IML).
The first man-made plastic – so-called Parkensine, or celluloid – was the invention of English scientist Alexander Parkes. Since the introduction of this cellulose-based material at the 1862 London International Exhibition, the development of plastics has evolved quickly from the use of natural plastic materials to the use of chemically modified natural materials (such as rubber and collagen) and finally to completely synthetic molecules, including polycarbonate (PC), which is a commonly used production material in the mobile phone industry.
The ongoing development process of LOM’s innovative high visual quality plastics material comes in response to existing customer needs and wishes. The new material could be utilised in various applications, but it is particularly useful when manufacturing high visual quality mobile phone covers for the style-conscious consumer segment. The basic plastic material used in the production process of mobile phone parts will remain the same – namely PC or ABS+PC – but with an additional twist that gives the device a very special look and feel.
– We are studying both new and existing plastic materials that have improved visual quality over the standard materials used in phone covers. New developmental materials give a unique look and feel to the produced plastic parts, says LITEONMOBILE’s Senior Manager Kimmo Turunen .
Special effects with new technology
According to Turunen, the existing materials used in the mobile phone industry can give plastic parts special effects that are normally only achievable by painting. The new plastic material can, however, offer a range of high-quality visual effects to mobile phones without having to opt for traditional means of production.
– The materials we are currently studying are already commercially available, but they have not really been used in phone parts. One reason for this has been the challenges in processing them, i.e. when making high visual quality plastic parts by injection moulding. Thus we are studying and developing special moulding technology that can help minimize the processing challenges.
Turunen expects LOM to finish studies on the visual plastics innovation during the first half of 2010. The first products incorporating the new technology and plastics material are expected to hit the shelves next year, at the earliest.
– The newly developed materials will need to fulfil the same chemical, mechanical and temperature requirements as conventional plastic materials used in phone covers. Our innovation is all about visual quality, so at the moment its target will be the manufacturing of mobile phone covers.
The development work is being done together with material manufacturers and our end-customers.
– The innovation is not something that will revolutionize mobile phone parts. It is, though, an important addition to our portfolio and one more thing for a customer to choose when designing their phones' visual expression, summarises Kimmo Turunen.