Real Wood Skins for Electronics Housings
Using wood finishes in electronic products has been limited to low production or created using faux laminates or molded plastic (i.e., "burltech"). But now, using real wood to dress up your plastic parts is becoming a more economically viable option (if you have the volumes to justify it).
Using a two-shot molding process, Inclosia Solutions (a business unit of Dow Plastics) has developed its EXO technology to use wood veneers as well as metal foils to add a richness products in need of a little differentiation in the market. The process involves injection molding the back of the wood or metal with a rigid thermoplastic like PC/ABS and then encapualting the combined part with an elastomer.
You should start seeing products using this technique by the end of 2005. Check out the complete story by Joseph Ogando of Design News.
