Press

Fürth/Germany, October 5, 2020: Touch sensors from KURZ subsidiary PolyIC have been integrated into capacitive volume controls from the automotive supplier Preh. The control is located on the center console of the new Audi A3, model AU380. It can be conveniently operated by the front passenger and controlled either via a mechanical push function or capacitive touch function. The PolyTC^® brand name sensor ensures the reliable functioning of the capacitive touch operation – even after multiple uses, as proven by the rigorous testing of the automotive industry. PolyTC^® sensors meet the stringent service life requirements for components according to the VW standard and the specifications of other premium manufacturer.

Fürth/Germany, September 23, 2020: Concept vehicles of auto manufacturers increasingly exhibit car cockpits with no mechanical switches or buttons. The solid, seamless and gently curved surfaces are equipped with functions that are activated by touch. Concealed under the uniformly decorated surface are control elements that only become visible when required. The automotive interior designs convey an elegant lightness despite the highly complex underlying technology. The coating manufacturer LEONHARD KURZ has developed an HMI (Human Machine Interface) concept panel with a forward-looking design that fully exploits the technical possibilities. This high-end plastic component was realized in collaboration with KURZ subsidiaries and partners.

Fürth/Germany, July 7, 2020: LEONHARD KURZ has won an award at the Automotive Brand Contest 2020 for an automotive front panel concept. KURZ received the design prize in the Future, Mobility and Parts category. The company had already won a prize in the same category in 2018 with its decorative trim concept. This time the jury was impressed by an exterior front panel that was designed for electric cars and points the way to the future of automotive front-end design.

Fürth/Germany, May 11, 2020: Using the know-how from four industries to drive innovation in the area of household appliances: that was the objective of the Swiss kitchen specialist V-ZUG AG when it took three companies on board for a joint project. Included were the coating specialist LEONHARD KURZ in Fürth, Germany, the injection molding experts at A. & J. Stöckli AG in Switzerland, and the machinery maker KraussMaffei in Munich, Germany. Their task: to create a new look for the control panel of V-ZUG’s new premium oven. As already customary in the automotive industry, the aim was to visually enhance the panel while at the same time making it more efficient to produce. This was expected to be achievable using In-Mold Decoration (IMD) technology – a method that combines two processing steps (injection molding of the part plus decoration) into one. IMD technology is already being employed in many industries. The joint project by V-ZUG was the first of its kind in the Swiss household appliances industry.

Fürth/Germany, April 22, 2020: A Human-Machine Interface (HMI) concept for an automotive display panel from LEONHARD KURZ was awarded the 2020 Red Dot Award for good design. The HMI concept received the award in the product design competition and in the automotive category. The special feature of the HMI instrument panel is its almost one meter wide single-image design produced by means of the IMD (In-Mold Decoration) process. The panel presents a detail-rich surface design into which touch and light functions have been embedded.

The award-winning automotive HMI instrument panel exhibits a solid, seamless surface. Whereas mostly small design elements are used in the automotive sector, a more striking, larger, nature-oriented design named Fading Lines was developed for this panel. The distinctive design progresses from a gentle gradient to a high-gloss piano black dead front surface. The flowing transitions give the Fading Lines design a dynamic appearance. Besides the unusual surface design, the geometry of the component also exhibits a special characteristic. The display area of the component transitions into the operating panel in an organic curve. This accentuates the operating area, and the curved geometry acts as a tactile aid.

Fürth/Germany, September 26, 2019: LEONHARD KURZ, together with its industry partners, will be presenting the latest developments in its decoration processes at the K 2019 plastics trade fair. At the trade fair booths of three injection molding machine manufacturers who provide the necessary high-performance machines and automation technology for these processes, there will be live demonstrations of rationalized and optimized processes for KURZ plastics decoration and sensor integration.

Fürth/Germany, September 26, 2019: Materials tailored to self-driving cars, front styling conceived for electric vehicles, merging of surface and lighting design, self-healing materials – these are some of the new requirements regarding aesthetics and function that are driving developments in automotive design. At K 2019, LEONHARD KURZ will be providing a glimpse into the future of automotive design and demonstrating paths towards more design freedom.

Fürth/Germany, August 5, 2019: LEONHARD KURZ is presenting the results of a comprehensive study on recycling at K 2019, in the VDMA Circular Economy Forum. The in-house produced study examined the mechanical recyclability of plastic parts that have been decorated with surface coatings from KURZ. KURZ commissioned its development team to effectively support its customers in setting up a return and recycling system and in reducing their CO₂ footprint. “Our customers need clear evidence that our surface decoration products do not affect the recyclability of their plastics. The scientifically sound study and our more than 120 years of experience in surface decoration enable us to effectively advise them in the development of their recycling concept,” explains Astrid Rauh, who works as a recycling engineer in the Environmental and Safety Management department at KURZ.

Fürth/Germany, June 24, 2019: The coating manufacturer LEONHARD KURZ has developed a process for combining IMD (In-Mold Decoration) with PUR technology. In this process called IMD PUR, plastic parts are decorated during injection molding by means of in-mold decorating and then overflooded with PUR (polyurethane) within the same clamping unit. This produces sophisticated designs under a crystal clear, high-gloss surface. PUR layer thicknesses of between 0.3 and 15 millimeters can be created that exhibit a marked depth effect. Besides a glossy glass appearance, the PUR coating also provides a high level of surface protection. The decoration remains intact when subjected to scratches or stone impact, and the PUR topcoat is self-healing when scratched. 

Fürth/Germany, October 8, 2018: The coating manufacturer LEONHARD KURZ will be exhibiting an avant-garde design for automotive interiors in the form of a door trim concept at this year’s Fakuma. The plastic component will be produced at the trade fair booth B1-1105 of Sumitomo (SHI) Demag by means of an injection molding process with concurrent In-Mold Decoration (IMD). 

Fürth/Germany, October 1st, 2018: LEONHARD KURZ has developed a foil feeding unit for In-Mold Decoration (IMD) with two independently positionable foil webs. Using the patent pending IMD SI DUO feeding unit, it is possible to produce two plastic components with different single-image designs in one shot. At the KraussMaffei booth at Fakuma, two components will be manufactured on a PX 320 fully electric injection molding machine and individually decorated with the help of the IMD SI DUO. A touch sensor from the KURZ subsidiary PolyIC will simultaneously be integrated into one of the components by means of In-Mold Labelling (IML). KraussMaffei and KURZ will demonstrate an unprecedented level of IMD process rationalization with this live application.

Fürth/Germany, September 24, 2018: LEONHARD KURZ was selected as a winner at the Automotive Brand Contest 2018. KURZ won in the Future, Mobility and Parts category. The jury of this international design competition for automobile brands was delighted by a door trim with interactive backlighting effects. The prize was awarded for the overall concept of the door trim including surface design, light effects, and touch functions. 

Fürth/Germany, September 10, 2018: LEONHARD KURZ will be presenting for the first time ever at this year's Fakuma its patent pending FFB (Functional Foil Bonding) sensor integration process. This new process from KURZ provides a fully mechanical method of integrating touch sensors into plastic components. The integration of touch sensors into door trims will be demonstrated live on a newly developed machine from the KURZ subsidiary BAIER. 

Fürth/Germany, August 24, 2018: LEONHARD KURZ hat das Verfahren IMD Varioform entwickelt, mit dem Bauteile in einem Schritt gefertigt und dekoriert werden können, für die aufgrund ihrer besonderen 3D-Geometrie bisher keine effiziente Dekorationslösung verfügbar war. Per IMD Varioform lässt sich für diese Bauteile jetzt die schnelle und flexible IMD-Rolle-zu-Rolle-Technik einsetzen. Bei dem einstufigen IMD-Varioform-Prozess wird direkt im Spritzwerkzeug dekoriert, umgeformt, hinterspritzt und ausgestanzt. Das Verfahren vereint IMD-, Umformund Stanztechnik. „Wir haben einen Weg gesucht, um etwas stärkere 3D-Formen wirtschaftlich zu dekorieren. Mit IMD Varioform schließen wir die Lücke und komplettieren unser breites Spektrum an Dekorationstechnologien“, erläutert Martin Hahn, verantwortlich im Bereich Application für Technology and Innovation bei KURZ. „Der Prozess ist hocheffizient und bietet ungeahnte Flexibilität in der Wahl von Oberflächendesign, Formgebung und Spritzgussmaterial. IMD Varioform ist die perfekte Antwort auf die steigenden Anforderungen der Produktentwickler und Designer.“

Fürth/Germany, May 24, 2018: Automotive cockpits with seamless, continuous instrument panels, homogeneous surfaces with a dead-front effect that reveal backlit designs or controls in response to a hand gesture – the coating specialist LEONHARD KURZ will be showing what the car interiors of the future will look like at this year’s Automotive Interiors Expo from the fifth to the seventh of June in Stuttgart. Visitors to the KURZ booth will be able to see innovative HMI (Human Machine Interface) applications, for example a multifunction steering wheel with optional selectable functions, which can be controlled by means of a multi-touch sensor with haptic feedback. A further highlight is a decorative trim with a day/night design: During daylight the viewer sees an elaborate surface design with various matte finish structures. A touch button activates partial backlighting, a touch slider changes the light color and intensity. Also on display will be a seamless dual touchscreen, a multi-touch pad with a wide variety of IMD (In-Mold Decoration) designs to choose from, and a touch-controlled air conditioning system.