KraussMaffei will show off ColorForm technology at K 2025

By Karen Hanna  

Headlights made in one production step from several thermoplastics, decorative film and a polyurethane (PU) surface that are tough enough to withstand damage from rocks and ultraviolet (UV) light are coming down the road, as KraussMaffei gears up for the K show.  

In less than a month, at the booth of KraussMaffei partner and thin-film specialist Leonhard Kurz, Fürth, Germany, the company will demonstrate one use for its ColorForm technology, which will apply a precise PU surface directly to thermoplastic components within an injection mold to produce the FrontIQ Light headlight.  

Unlike conventional headlights, which are protected from road hazards with an expensive hard coating, the FrontIQ Lights are armored up with the application of the PU layer, making them robust enough to stand up to UV radiation, stone chips and chemicals.  

The coating can be adjusted with precision to within a tenth of a millimeter, and manufacturers can produce a variety of surfaces to affect its feel. According to KraussMaffei, the coating even has a self-healing effect for fine scratches.  

KraussMaffei is touting its mold-integrated film deep-drawing process developed for FrontIQ headlight production, calling it a “world first.” After an automation system cleans and positions the film in the mold, the mold three-dimensionally shapes the film.  

The process opens up design possibilities, with the ability to combine thermoplastics, decorative film and PU surfaces, eliminating the need for post-process painting or decorating.  

“With our ColorForm technology, KraussMaffei is revolutionizing front lights: from design freedom with printed films to precise 3D forming — all in one intelligently networked complete solution,” said Frank Szimmat, managing director of KraussMaffei Technologies.  

In a Q&A distributed by the VDMA, the German machinery manufacturers trade association, in advance of K 2025, KraussMaffei board chair Jörg Stech said the ColorForm process can contribute to more efficient automotive production, as it “makes separate painting systems and transport routes obsolete.”  

At the K show, which runs Oct. 8-15, visitors can see a KraussMaffei GXW 650 injection molding machine produce the headlights.