Plastics in Automotive Engineering 2008 Senso concept car

Senso concept car, part of the Bayer Plastics in Automotive Engineering series, features electroluminescent films system of biometrics that sense the mood of the driver.

The “Senso” concept car caused a sensation when it was presented at the Geneva Motor Show in 2005 and is making its first appearance at a VDI-K conference in Mannheim this year. The joint project of Bayer MaterialScience AG and Rinspeed, the company owned by automotive visionary and pioneer Swiss car designer Frank M. Rinderknecht, plays with your senses. In terms of its interior, what really sets the car apart, three-dimensional plastics films are used to create its futuristic trim panels. These light up in different colors over their entire area as a result of alternating voltage being applied and immerse the cockpit in glare-free ambient light. “We want the ‘Senso’ to demonstrate the potential these electroluminescent lamps offer for ambient lighting in car interiors,” explains Thilo-J. Werners, CEO of Lyttron Technology GmbH, which develops and produces the luminescent films from polycarbonate plastics and is already marketing them successfully.

The plastics films in the “Senso” use a system of biometrics to sense the driver’s mood and react accordingly, helping the driver to reach the ideal state of mind by producing a stimulating (orange/yellow), calming (blue, purple) or neutral (green) effect. In this way, the films enhance both safety and comfort.

Unlimited scope for three-dimensional shapes
“The innovative feature of our electroluminescent films is that they can be formed into any conceivable three-dimensional shape. For example, they make it easy to create luminescent colored edges and curves with very low bending radii, turning shape into an additional design element alongside light and color,” says Werners. Because the resulting parts are slimline, they take up barely any installation space. The brightness of the light can be controlled via the voltage. Heat does not have to be transported away, because the source of light is “cold”. The color spectrum of the light can be adjusted from blue, green and orange to white. An additional advantage is the fact that the light is glare-free. “Compared with light bulbs or LEDs, the electroluminescent lamps are maintenance-free and have an extremely long service life. They also remove the need to replace burnt-out light bulbs,” adds Werners.

Easy to print and good to handle
Besides color and shape, the Lyttron luminescent plastics films provide extra design scope, making them particularly interesting for car interiors. They can be used to create three-dimensional, back-injected and decorated plastics molded parts using the Film Insert Molding (FIM) process. They can also be screen-printed with a transparent or translucent decoration, for example. “FIM technology enables the decoration to be changed quickly and easily. Our films can therefore be used to decorate molded parts, thus satisfying the trend for personalized vehicle interiors,” says Werners. It would also be feasible to apply translucent or transparent soft-feel coatings to the film surface. This enhances the look of plastics parts of the instrument panel or door handles, for example, and makes them more pleasant to the touch. Translucent metallic parts in day and night design are also extremely stylish. These parts look metallic by day and luminescent by night (backlit technology), and their range of potential applications could include handles, decorative trim and logos. However, the luminescent films could also be used to illuminate glove compartments, map pockets and trunk areas, or to cast light onto shelves.

License plates – the first large-scale automobile application
Lyttron electroluminescent lamps will soon be increasing safety on the road in self-luminous license plates. Lyttron has signed contracts with a number of well-known partners and is in negotiations with others in the interests of launching this product on a broad basis. The license plates consist of an aluminum plate onto which an electroluminescent film is bonded. A transparent reflective film is also applied to this composite to ensure that the light reflected satisfies the legal requirements. Since these innovative license plates remove the need for light bulbs, they increase the installation space and design freedom available to car designers. What’s more, the license plate is illuminated much more brightly and effectively.

In the "zaZen" concept car, also developed by Rinspeed and Bayer MaterialScience, and designed by Frank M. Rinderknecht, holography technology is used to turn the transparent rear window of the automobile into a luminous holographic surface.

About Lyttron
Lyttron Technology GmbH, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bayer MaterialScience AG based in Cologne, was founded at the start of 2006. The company currently employs around 50 staff in the areas of development, production, design, marketing, administration and finance. The aim is to increase the workforce to around 150 by 2012.

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