- In the longer term, in-mold electronics will penetrate into household appliances and white goods says the report
- In-mold electronics introduces electronics on a 2D substrate before thermoforming it into a final 3D part
According to a report by UK-based market research firm, to IDTechEx, the in-mold electronics (IME) or in-mold structural electronics (IMSE) sector will reach a market value exceeding $1 billion within a decade. The report says that it expects automotive interior applications, for structures like overhead control units, to get major high-volume orders in the medium-term while in the short-term, the growth will be led by consumer electronics and other industries that can bring a product to market much faster.
It adds that in the longer term, in-mold electronics will penetrate across more affordable transportation and will also be seen in many everyday devices. This will include household appliances and white goods.
Lightweight and space-saving
IME introduces electronics on a 2D substrate before thermoforming it into a final 3D part. These 3D -shaped objects with embedded circuits are of differing degrees of complexity. The report claims that the advantages of IME are many which include it being lightweight, space-saving, robust, accelerated time-to-market and high throughput capabilities.
