Light Trap: Clayens Transforms the Appearance of Plastic Parts Through Surface Functionalization
Clayens has reached a new milestone in surface functionalization of plastic parts with the development of an innovative application able to control the visual appearance of surfaces exposed to different lighting conditions. This advance opens the way to new solutions for the aesthetic and functional challenges of injected parts.
An industrial challenge linked to the visual perception of plastic surfaces
In a recent development, Clayens teams identified a phenomenon of localized gloss and appearance variations on a plastic part. Analysis showed that this visual defect was not linked to the injection process but to a thickness variation in the part design. This type of visual defect, often critical for visible or highly aesthetic parts, proved impossible to correct through traditional process adjustments (injection parameters, material, moulding conditions).
Facing this constraint, Clayens explored an alternative approach: surface functionalization through tool micro-texturing to durably stabilize the visual perception of the affected area.
Micro- and nano-texturing to control light / material interaction
The technology developed by Clayens relies on direct micro- and nano-texturing of mould cavities, creating extremely fine patterns: peaks, pads, wavy shapes or annular structures. Far more precise than simple polishing, these textures are faithfully replicated on every injected part, with no added material, no additives and no post-process treatment.
Already proven for:
- improving flow properties (1),
- reducing friction (2),
- limiting adhesion (3),
- or providing antibacterial effects (4),
this technology was used here to control the interaction between light and the surface, turning the affected area into a true "light trap". The goal: neutralize unwanted optical effects linked to thickness variations.
A design of experiments for homogeneous, stable visual rendering
The project team implemented a full design of experiments, comparing different densities, depths and geometries of micro-textures to identify the configuration offering the most homogeneous light diffusion.
The selected texture was applied to half of the mould cavity, allowing a direct comparison within the same injection between:
- a standard area,
- and a micro-textured area.
The results were immediate and unambiguous: whatever the lighting, the textured surface showed no perceptible variation. The visual rendering was stable, homogeneous and controlled, fully demonstrating the effectiveness of the light trap. The solution proved simple, repeatable and fully industrializable, where process adjustments alone had reached their limits.
Validation industrielle et nouvelles perspectives d’application
Following these conclusive results, the full mould cavity was textured, the part declared compliant and the mould validated in this configuration.
This demonstration opens new industrial perspectives:
- optical control of technical or aesthetic surfaces,
- enhancement of light-sensitive materials,
- improved rendering of visible areas,
- development of new functions based on light management and diffusion.
"This advance shows how much micro-texturing can open up new fields of application," explains Jeremy Guivarc'h, Executive Vice President Research & Development at Clayens Group.
"By changing how light interacts with the material, we considerably broaden the perspectives offered by this technology."
Clayens, a pioneer in surface functionalization through micro-texturing
With this new application, Clayens pushes the boundaries of surface functionalization and confirms its role as a pioneer in industrial micro-texturing. This advance marks a key step and opens an even wider field of exploration, with a clear ambition to go further in the next development phases.
Parts incorporating this innovative technology will be presented at Pharmapack 2026, on the Clayens Healthcare stand – 4B54.
A propos de CLAYENS:
CLAYENS Healthcare, which represents the CLAYENS group's healthcare activity, supports industrial healthcare players (medical devices, pharmaceutical products and diagnostics) in developing, industrializing and manufacturing custom medical devices and plastic components in accordance with international regulatory standards.
CLAYENS Healthcare offers a full service, from R&D to production, including industrialization, qualification, validation and regulatory assistance.
Present in 9 countries, the CLAYENS group has nearly 5,000 employees and 32 production sites. The group's 8 cleanrooms are located in France (ISO7), the United States (ISO8) and Mexico (ISO7).
(1) "Giving plastic parts new properties with an innovative mould texturing technology?" - Date: 02/2022
Lien: Conferring new properties to plastic parts using an innovative mold texturing technology? | Clayens
(2) “Nouvel Horizon Technologique : Clayens, pionnier de l'Antifriction et de l'Antisticking par micro et nanotexturation d’outillage” - Date : 02/2024
Lien: New Technological Horizon: Clayens, a Pioneer in Anti-Friction and Anti-Sticking Through Micro and Nanotexturing of Tooling | Clayens
(3) "Mould surface texturing: a physical alternative to PTFE" - Date: 09/2025
Lien: https://www.clayens.com/en/sintex-group-news/mold-surface-texturing-physical-alternative-ptfe-0
(4) "Surface functionalization: CLAYENS reinvents antibacterial plastics without chemicals" - Date: 01/2025
Lien: TOWARD A SAFER FUTURE: CHEMICAL-FREE ANTIBACTERIAL PLASTICS | Clayens