Oulu, Finland/Barcelona, Spain – 26 September 2024 – Zanini Auto Group, a global leader in automotive exterior functional trim, has licensed TactoTek in-mold structural electronics (IMSE®) technology to become a supplier of electromagnetic transparency and backlighting solutions to their automotive customers.
Zanini operates on three continents and is an established supplier to most major automotive OEMs. The company has long been a dominant player in wheel trim and has recently strengthened its position in radomes with functional exterior trim. “IMSE has great promise for enhancing functional trim with electronic features including lighting and sensors,” observed Dr. August Mayer – Innovation & Advance Engineering Director, “IMSE’s extremely thin packaging and durability are unprecedented, and enable the features our customers are requesting.”
IMSE integrates electronic components within injection molded plastics and enables multiple lighting techniques in single-piece, seamless parts just a few millimeters thick. TactoTek develops and validates IMSE technology and has earned over 270 patents for the technology. The company licenses IMSE to engineering companies, OEMs, and suppliers who develop applied designs and mass produce solutions.
“Zanini’s customers rely on them for refined, innovative solutions for use cases that align well with IMSE technology,” noted Thomas Vetter, SVP Automotive Sales at TactoTek. “Vehicle Radomes, just one of Zanini’s strengths, is an example area in which light can be used to dynamically emphasize brand identity. OEMs around the globe are seeking IMSE suppliers for their regional production operations.”
TactoTek, Oy (Oulu, Finland), is the world leader in developing and licensing injection-molded structural electronics (IMSE®) technologies. Automotive, aviation, connected home, industrial control and medical brands use TactoTek innovations to create next-generation user experiences that are compelling, differentiated, and more sustainable. Designers use TactoTek IP to integrate circuits and components directly into plastic parts, transforming conventional structures into smart interactive surfaces. TactoTek licenses its intellectual property, including over 270 patents and critical know-how developed over a decade of intensive R&D and quality testing, to global manufacturers who use reliable, standardized manufacturing processes to produce curved-shape and conformal electronics. Learn more at www.tactotek.com.
Zanini is a 55+ year success story, with the best yet to come. Originally specializing in wheel covers for the automotive industry, Zanini has grown to +1,800 employees supplying 100 million wheel trim units a year to almost every automaker in the world. That’s 1 in 3 of every wheel produced on the planet. Our people are our strongest asset and those who have been integral in getting us to where we are today.
Yet, that’s only part of the story. Zanini’s dedication to innovation has also set the industry standard for plastic exterior functional trim. Zanini is one of the few suppliers who can combine global reach and full service supply with production plants on three continents - in Spain, France, Italy, Czech Republic, USA, Mexico, Brazil, China and India. By being global with our operational excellence, we can better help customers create world leading brands.
To ensure the continuing success of its customers, Zanini is today taking the lead in new areas that are becoming increasingly important for leading auto brands – safety, autonomous driving and sensorization. Zanini is using its expertise to pioneer new products such as radome, and decorative light and sensor integration to name a few.
We do all this because in our world success has only one meaning – the success of our customers and the growth of our people.
TactoTek
Karthikesh Raju
SVP Marketing and Product Management
karthikesh.raju@tactotek.com
Zanini Auto Group
brandguardianteam@zanini.com
