There will be an extraordinary range of new auxiliary equipment on display at the show.

Laser direct structuring (LDS) is a powerful technology for adding electrical circuit paths to plastics electronic products such as mobile phone and notebook antennas or molded interconnect devices (MIDs). But up to now, LDS-ready plastics were limited to black.

WEB EXCLUSIVE: Laser direct structuring (LDS) is a powerful technology for adding electrical circuit paths to plastics electronic products such as mobile phone and notebook antennas or molded interconnect devices (MIDs). But up to now, LDS-ready plastics were limited mainly to black.

From materials drying, feeding, and blending to process heating/cooling, scrap reclaiming, testing, welding, and decorating—the K 2010 show this month in Dusseldorf, Germany, will have news in all categories of auxiliary equipment.

The K 2010 show will present new plastics materials for a wide range of industries, which makes it hard to generalize, but a few markets stand out prominently: packaging, medical, automotive, and electronic equipment.

WEB EXCLUSIVE: The German “MID Industry Award” for 2009 was given to the PBT steering switch for the new BMW Z4 Roadster.

WEB EXCLUSIVE: The German “MID Industry Award” for 2009 was given to the PBT steering switch for the new BMW Z4 Roadster.

Injection MoldingHybrid Press Has Electric ClampNew injection presses that combine servo-electric and hydraulic movements to achieve high performance with energy efficiency will be discussed by Arburg Inc., Newington, Conn.

Greater use of electric servo drives and new hybrid systems incorporating multiple joining methods were recurring themes among the latest plastics welding and assembly equipment introduced at the recent K 2007 show in Dusseldorf.

A compact laser-welding system with an integrated rotary index table is new from LPKF Laser & Electronics, Wilsonville, Ore.

While there is plenty of news at NPE this year in pad, screen, dry-offset, flexo, and inkjet printing, as well as laser marking, hot stamping, heat-transfer decorating, and some less familiar technologies—the real star of the show is summed up in two words: “in-mold.” Responding to excitement in automotive, appliance, and electronics industries, at least 19 companies are showing materials or equipment for in-mold film-insert decorating or labeling (IMD, IML) for injection molding and thermoforming.

3D molded interconnect devices were supposed to be the 1980s' breakthrough for plastics in electronics—but they flopped. New processes that make market entry faster, simpler, and less costly have recharged MIDs' prospects.