A New Frontier for CMF Design in Mobility Exteriors

Traditional exterior decorations, such as painting and plating, offer their own unique appeal. However, they often face challenges regarding limitations in color and texture expression, as well as their environmental impact. Nissha’s film insert molding technology provides a definitive solution to these industry-wide challenges.

Film insert molding is a process where a decorative film—featuring designs created with high-definition gravure printing—is integrated onto the surface of a resin part within the mold simultaneously during injection molding.

By applying this technology to automotive exteriors, it becomes possible to achieve complex patterns and delicate textures that were previously difficult to realize with painting, significantly enriching design variations. Expressing high-fidelity, diverse designs on exterior components vastly expands the possibilities of CMF (Color, Material, Finish) design.

Here are several examples of the rich design expressions enabled by decorative films:

1. Geometric: Precision Patterns for a Modern Impression
Leveraging the high precision inherent to gravure printing, we faithfully reproduce geometric patterns composed of sharp lines and intricate motifs. These intellectual and rhythmic designs convey a sense of advanced technology and modern sophistication.

2. Metallic: High-Quality Metal Expressions with Diverse Facets
By combining a base of metallic colors with three-dimensional design patterns, we create a bold and fearless aesthetic. This technique achieves a delicate, refined metallic texture that is difficult to replicate through conventional painting.

3. Forged Carbon: A Unique and Powerful Presence
This style faithfully reproduces the complex, layered patterns of randomly overlapping carbon fibers. The beauty of this unique, “one-of-a-kind” pattern ensures uncompromising visual appeal while simultaneously achieving weight reduction—a key advantage of film decoration.

4. Upcycled: Where Rustic Charm Meets Innovation
This design adopts the uneven, granular texture found in upcycled materials as a pattern. Without being restricted by physical material limitations, it allows for a visual “sustainability story” and imparts a friendly, unique personality to the vehicle exterior.

Beyond these examples, a vast array of visual expressions is possible. Through our new CMF design proposals, we aim to stimulate our clients’ creativity and assist in realizing rich, evocative exterior designs.

The Potential for Strategic Trim Level Management through Design Variation

The diverse design expressions offered by film insert molding are not limited to aesthetic beauty; they also enable strategic “trim level management” across automotive product lineups.

For instance, by simply changing the decorative film design while keeping the base resin part geometry identical, it becomes possible to visually differentiate the brand identity and value of each model, from standard to premium grades.

This provides a versatile option for developing product variants that meet the diverse needs of end-users.
Insert molding technology using decorative films not only enhances design freedom but also contributes to more strategic and efficient product development.

The Coexistence of Design, Sustainability, and Quality

Nissha’s insert molding technology pursues the simultaneous realization of rich design, sustainability, and high quality. Particularly from the perspective of reducing environmental footprints, this technology offers significant advantages over conventional painting processes.

Generally, the film insert molding process is known to suppress CO2 emissions during manufacturing and shorten lead times compared to painting. This directly addresses the critical requirements of modern automotive development, such as compliance with environmental regulations and improvement of production efficiency.

The films we develop ensure high weatherability and durability capable of withstanding harsh environments, maintaining their beautiful design over the long term.

Based on our proven track record of consistently supplying products that meet the stringent quality standards of the automotive industry, we respond to the needs of customers worldwide. Our global supply chain integrates our Kyoto headquarters with domestic and international production sites, as well as sales offices across North America, Europe, and Asia.

Shaping the Future of Exterior Design with Nissha

Through IMD and other advanced molding technologies, Nissha has long provided decorative parts that bring comfort and functionality to automotive interiors. Moving forward, we will bring new value to exterior design through sustainable and expressive CMF design.

We invite you to experience the potential of film decoration firsthand through the full-scale exterior mockups mentioned in this article.

Whether you wish to learn more about film decoration, inquire about specific design variations and quality specifications, or request a demonstration of our exterior mockups, please feel free to contact us via the link below.