At this year's International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt, the German firm Hirschmann (www.hirschmann.com) presented a new type of reception technology with which antennas and antenna structures of integrated reception systems can be directly incorporated for the first time into plastic parts of the vehicle body, such as roofs, trunk lids or fenders. The new technology will be deployed in series production for the first time in the Smart Forfour in the coming year.
The antenna structures are first placed on a special foil. Depending on the requirements of the respective vehicle concept, this foil can then either be integrated into the body part by means of transfer printing or in-mold methods during the spraying process, or can be adhered to the body part when this process is finished. All types of PUR plastics are suitable for use as a substrate for the transfer printing, while work is currently ongoing with respect to the use of thermoplastics.