Flexible Sensor and Silicone Technologies for Today’s Megatrends: Delfa Systems and WACKER Present Scalable, Stretchable Silicone Laminate Sensors Based on WACKER NEXIPAL® Sense for Digital Sensing
Pioneering EAP Technology for Digitalization, the Energy Transition, and Electromobility
Neunkirchen, October 2, 2025 – Whether in industry, vehicles, or everyday life, sensors are the key technology for smart applications. With NEXIPAL® Sense, Wacker Chemie AG (WACKER) and its system partner Delfa Systems GmbH (DELFA) are now opening up entirely new possibilities: these highly flexible laminate sensors, based on electroactive polymers (EAP), offer a wide range of design options for diverse applications.
At K 2025, the world’s leading trade fair for the plastics and rubber industry, DELFA will be showcasing its developments for the first time at the WACKER booth. Visitors to Hall 6, Booth A10, will not only discover the latest NEXIPAL® Sense sensors but will also be able to explore the world of digitalization in an interactive way. Practical demonstrators will show how this technology can shape the future of mobility, industry, and beyond.
“Together with WACKER, we share the conviction that the next generation of sensor technology must be soft, stretchable, and seamlessly integrable. NEXIPAL® Sense is the foundation for pioneering EAP sensor technology at an industrial scale. Together, we are accelerating the path from small series and niche applications to industrial mass markets,” says Dr. Philipp Linnebach, CEO of Delfa Systems GmbH.
“Building on our many years of material and process expertise, we have developed the multilayer laminates NEXIPAL® Sense on an industrial scale. With DELFA’s know-how in sensor design, electronics, and manufacturing, we are jointly closing the gap for numerous applications. The result is scalable digital sensing that enables new design freedom – from smart textiles to assistive robotics,” adds Dr. Johannes Neuwirth, Senior Business Development Manager at WACKER.
Stretchable Sensing – Precise Signals, New Form Factors
NEXIPAL® Sense is a stretchable silicone laminate with embedded, printed flexible electrodes, functioning as a stretchable capacitor. Pressure, tension, or bending movements measurably change its capacitance, delivering precise sensor signals even on complex, moving surfaces. Thanks to its thinness, flexibility, and low weight, the laminate can be seamlessly integrated into products and structures.
About WACKER
WACKER is a globally active chemical company with a broad portfolio of silicone and polymer solutions and production sites in all major economic regions. With ELASTOSIL® Film and the NEXIPAL® brand, WACKER offers electroactive silicone laminates for actuators and sensors.
About DELFA
Delfa Systems GmbH, a spin-off from Saarland University, develops intelligent multiparameter sensor systems based on electroactive polymers (EAP). The company focuses on monitoring infrastructure and industrial processes. As a technology partner, Delfa Systems sees itself as an innovator with the ambition to make sensor technology smarter, more versatile, and future-ready – and to successfully bring it to market.
