In-mould labelling (IML) is a new technology of placing labels inside the injection mould to decorate the surface of the product appearance, and it is also a new labelling technology with great potential. In-mould labelling has been developed in Europe, the United States and Japan for many years and has long been maturely applied to all kinds of products.
Why In-Mould Labelling?
In-mould labelling refers to the application of labels with identification information to the surface of plastic moulds or die-casting tools. These labels have the advantages of being more accurate, durable and environmentally friendly than traditional printed labels. During the manufacturing process, moulds must be tested and inspected several times, and in-mould labelling can prevent misuse due to unclear or dropped markings during repeated tests.
Advantages of In-Mould Labelling
New and beautiful appearance:
As the in-mould label and plastic parts naturally merge into one with the deformation of the bottle and deformation, there are no bubbles, wrinkles or other phenomena. At the same time, the in-mould label is beautifully printed and can be processed with special effects such as laser and aluminium plating, which greatly enhances the quality of the product packaging;
Anti-counterfeiting function:
In-mould labelling system is relatively more complex, reducing the possibility of counterfeiting, which gives the pursuit of quality, the pursuit of quality, the pursuit of the brand of plastic packaging products user manufacturers to provide a very reliable means of brand maintenance;
Peaceful, environmentally friendly:
Ordinary labels have to wait for the container to be formed and then labelled, and in-mold labels and container forming are completed at the same time, thus preventing the labelling process may causing contamination of the bottle. In addition, in-mould labels and bottles are fully integrated with the same chemical composition, and can be recycled together, and the recycling reuse rate is high.
Not easily detached and damaged:
In-mould labels are waterproof, oil-proof, mildew-proof, acid-proof, alkali-proof, friction-proof, etc., and are not easily damaged under special conditions.
Side walls are reinforced:
Labels embedded in the sidewall of the plastic container can make the container sidewall of the extrusion strength increased by 20%, so that the label will not be separated when the container is warped and extruded.
High efficiency and effectiveness:
In-mould labels and container moulding are completed at once, so that the packaging production speed is faster, and filling line efficiency can be increased by 5% to 20% by eliminating the method of manual labelling after filling, thus reducing costs. Labels can be changed without stopping production.
Disadvantages of In-Mould Labelling
- Production requires professional moulding plastic machines.
- In-mould labelling requires professional printing equipment.
- In-mould labelling requirements for injection moulding machines, moulds, manipulators and labels. The use of in-mould labelling requires a special mould design. In-mould labelling is an interlocking production system, plastic injection machine, mould structure design and mould materials, plastic materials, labels, manipulators, etc. must work closely together to complete it. Therefore, to reflect in-mold labelling equipment suppliers of technology and integration capabilities, the price of the whole set of equipment is expensive and justifiable. At the same time, we should also recognise that these factors to a certain extent improve the difficulty and cost of product counterfeiting, thus providing a reliable means of brand protection for regular users and manufacturers.
- In the in-mold labelling, injection moulding machine, mould, robot and label four aspects constitute the in-mold labelling complete production system, the whole system for each aspect respectively put forward special requirements, but also requires that they must have a good mutual compatibility, to ensure the smooth completion of the whole process of in-mold labelling.
- In-mould labelling on the hydraulic plastic moulding machine, mould, manipulator and label requirements are: for in-mould labelling automatic injection molding machine must have high stability, because it is the control of defect rate and production efficiency of the key factors; The mould material requirements is to ensure that the label in the electrostatic adsorption, the mould cavity can be firmly suction labels, and in the adsorption of the end of static electricity can be eliminated. In addition, the mould in the moisture adsorption, but also must ensure that no rust; label die-cutting is very important, if the size is not accurate, it will affect the appearance of the product; on the robot’s precision requirements are extremely high, must be able to accurately locate the label in the mould.
What are the requirements for In-Mould Labelling moulds?
Surface finish:
The surface of the mould must be smooth and clean, without scratches, bubbles or other defects to ensure that the label adheres firmly to the surface and does not affect the quality of the product.
Precision requirements:
The in-mold label must match the geometric accuracy of the mould surface without any error or deviation. The accuracy of the mould surface can be achieved by 3D scanning and other high-precision measurement methods.
Material requirements:
The material of the in-mould labelling must have good heat resistance, weather resistance, chemical stability and other properties. Commonly used materials are: PET, PVC, PC, PMMA, self-adhesive paper and so on.
Fastening requirements:
Ink curing, hot melt and other ways of fixing the in mould labelling. It should be noted that these fixing methods do not affect the mould itself.
Safety and environmental requirements:
The material of the label must meet environmental standards and not cause any pollution or damage to production personnel or the environment.
