IN Brief:
- TactoTek has added LurexX optical as an IMSE licensing partner focused on lighting engineering workflows.
- Optical simulation, validation, and measurement capabilities are being aligned with IMSE’s in-mould integration of LEDs, circuits, and touch interfaces.
- The pairing targets faster concept-to-series development for automotive and industrial illuminated surfaces.
TactoTek has signed a licensing partnership with LurexX optical GmbH that brings optical simulation and illuminated component engineering into the In-Mold Structural Electronics (IMSE) ecosystem. Under the agreement, LurexX will integrate IMSE into its engineering portfolio, supporting customers from early concept definition through to series development with a focus on lighting design, validation, and measurement.
IMSE is built around integrating electronics directly into three-dimensional moulded structures, replacing multi-part assemblies with a single structural electronics element that can combine lighting, circuitry, touch controls, and embedded components. Within lighting applications, the approach supports features such as dynamic surface illumination and integrated light lines in thin surface structures, where optical efficiency and homogeneity become as important as electrical integration.
LurexX’s contribution sits in the optical domain that can make or break these parts at the programme level: light simulation, system-level optimisation, validation planning, and measurement workflows that de-risk designs before tooling and series commitments. By pushing optical calculation and performance optimisation earlier, the partnership is targeting higher confidence in light output uniformity, reduced LED count where possible, and fewer late-stage geometry changes that typically ripple into industrialisation schedules.
Peter Nagy, Director of LurexX optical GmbH, said: “With our expertise in optical simulation and illuminated component design, we can maximize the efficiency of IMSE technology and reliably validate even highly complex concepts for demanding automotive and industrial requirements.”
For TactoTek, the partnership extends a licensing-led ecosystem model that has been built around partners with specialist competence — spanning materials, manufacturing, electronics integration, and now a deeper optical engineering capability. The company’s IMSE platform has been used across automotive interior and exterior concepts, industrial control surfaces, and other thin, shaped smart-surface use cases where conventional PCB-and-housing architectures become mechanically bulky, assembly-heavy, or visually constrained.
Stefan Tschugmell, Senior Vice President, Global Sales and Business Development at TactoTek, said: “IMSE technology itself enables designers to combine form and function more freely.” He added that LurexX’s capability provides “a clear pathway from digital concept to scalable, high-performance lighting solutions.”
The collaboration also lands at a point where illuminated surfaces are becoming more ambitious in both feature content and finish expectations. Decorative surfaces are increasingly expected to carry functional lighting, status indication, and user interaction within seamless assemblies, while also meeting automotive-grade durability and industrial manufacturing requirements. Bringing optical simulation and measurement discipline into the IMSE workflow is intended to reduce iteration loops between styling intent, light guide geometry, LED placement, and manufacturing constraints such as wall thickness, overmould tolerances, and surface treatments.
