High-Tech for the Automotive Industry: ENGEL Presents First Rear Lights Made from Clearmelt Material Without Hard Coating

Introduction to a New Generation of Rear Lights

A new generation of decorative and functional rear lights is set to enter series production. At the K 2025 trade fair, ENGEL will present the complete manufacturing process for the first time. The centerpiece of the exhibition is the ENGEL duo 700 two-platen injection moulding machine, which combines the foilmelt and clearmelt processes. The result is a highly integrated and economically attractive solution for sophisticated visible parts in the automotive industry.

Image Description: A green ENGEL duo injection moulding machine with a viper linear robot, showcasing the combination of technologies for modern automotive lighting. The system demonstrates a fully automated production solution for functional rear lights with PUR post-moulding.

Innovative Production Process

At the ENGEL exhibition stand, a rear light module measuring approximately 600 x 240 mm will be produced using the duo 700 machine and a rotary table mould from ZECHMAYER. The decorative design of the film is first transferred to one side of the moulded part via injection moulding of thermoplastic onto the back (foilmelt) – precisely positioned and uniformly shaped. On the opposite side of the mould, clearmelt is used in the same mould to encapsulate the surface with polyurethane, effectively creating a coating in the form of a finish. This provides the part with a highly transparent, scratch-resistant, and design-enhancing surface layer in a single manufacturing step.

Cost Savings and Efficiency

The key advantage of combining various process steps in a single cycle is that the scratch resistance provided by clearmelt eliminates the need for costly hard coating. The polyurethane (PUR) layer also offers protection against yellowing caused by UV radiation. ENGEL, as the supplier of the overall system for this production cell, has integrated a high-precision PUR unit from CANNON.

Image Description: A close-up view of a silver-grey rear light with a flawless surface, demonstrating the result of the new production cell. It features innovative rear lights with a decorative film and PUR protection using clearmelt material, eliminating the need for expensive hard coating.

A further cost advantage over conventional three-component injection moulding lies in the initial foilmelt technology, where the decorative design is transferred to the component solely by means of inmould decoration (IMD) with a film. This is achieved by the heat of the plastic melt – the carrier film itself is removed, saving material and enabling high-precision optical design.

Compact, Efficient, and Forward-Looking

The production cell demonstrated at K 2025 is based on an ENGEL duo two-platen injection moulding machine with a clamping force of 7,000 kN and a vertical rotary table. Thanks to its compact design, the machine requires only a small footprint despite the high degree of process integration. Compared to complex solutions with index plates, this arrangement not only reduces mould costs but often also the required machine size – a key advantage in terms of energy efficiency and investment costs.

For part removal, a new version of the ENGEL viper 40 linear robot is integrated. The automation is space-saving and fast, further increasing the overall efficiency of the production cell.

Collaboration in Function and Design

The plastic carrier material used for the rear light is PMMA Plexiglas® 8N, and the corresponding polyurethane is supplied by VOTTELER. In the presented application, ENGEL ensures the entire injection moulding process, which requires high dimensional accuracy and melt quality to ensure reliable transfer of the film design and a flawless PUR coating.

The transfer film is supplied by surface specialist LEONHARD KURZ, who also provides the associated film unwinder. At the LEONHARD KURZ stand (Hall 5 / A19), the component produced on the ENGEL system will feature additional integrated electronics in the form of foil-based LEDs applied to the inner surface. This solution enables an unprecedented level of design and variant flexibility: the film for the power LEDs is applied only to the controlled components, lighting functions can be individually adapted, and coloured light signals – for example, for identifying autonomous vehicles – can be implemented without changing the mould. This represents a clear alternative to conventional multi-component injection moulding.

ENGEL at K 2025: Solutions for Future Mobility

With this solution, ENGEL demonstrates how decorative and functional requirements can be economically combined in a single, highly efficient integrated process. The combination of decoration, protective coating, and process integration on the duo 700 makes clearmelt an effective key technology for modern automotive lighting. This production cell exemplifies ENGEL's expertise in developing complete, modular manufacturing solutions for the automotive industry. Visitors to K 2025 will have the opportunity to see the potential of this new generation of rear lights live.

Visit us at K 2025 in Düsseldorf, Hall 15, Booth B42 and C58.

Images: ENGEL