Robust solution for vacuum robots: LiDAR-transparent Makrofol® ST films

Makrofol® ST PC film: engineered for LiDAR system applications

Our Makrofol® ST high-quality PC film is an excellent choice for producers of vacuum robots and other mobile smart home devices that integrate LiDAR sensor applications.

The film itself is darkly tinted in order to yield a deep black panel surface, and it is engineered for LiDAR and radar transparency. This means that Makrofol® ST couples high light transmission in the near-infrared (NIR) range with well-defined low-light transmission in the visible (VIS) range, ensuring a consistently dark visual appearance that does not impede laser scanner functionality.

The extruded PC film offers an additional one-sided cap layer for UV protection, and a smooth and glossy surface on both sides, and is lined with protective masking. This makes the film well-suited for additional processing steps such as cutting, high pressure forming or thermoforming, film insert molding (FIM), printing, and coating. It is available in thicknesses of 250, 375 and 500 microns, and other profiles are available upon request.

Tough plastic cover panels for vacuum robots can be manufactured cost-effectively using film insert molding (FIM) technology, in which a formed and trimmed Makrofol® film which has been decorated using screen printing, is then back-molded using a transparent thermoplastic such as our Makrolon® polycarbonate. A backlit logo or information display can also be integrated.

Our Makrofol® ST PC film combines dark panel design freedom and formability with integrated functionality for LiDAR sensor technology applications. This combination makes our NIR-transparent and UV-protected polycarbonate film an excellent choice for designers and manufacturers of vacuum cleaning robots and other smart home devices. It is therefore also very suitable for the next generation of autonomous robotic lawn mowers when they use LiDAR technology to orientate themselves in the terrain.