In-mold labeling (IML)

In-mold labeling (IML)

At present, in-mold labeling technology has developed quite maturely in Europe, with at least 85% to 95% of food packaging using in-mold labeling products, while in China it is still in the early stages of application. It is certain that with the increasing improvement of people's quality of life, in-mold labeling technology will be widely used. In-mold labels are labels that are integrated with plastic products under the action of the mold during the molding process of plastic products.

In-mold labeling

Paper is printed and made into trademarks. A robot is used to suck up the printed labels and place them in the mold. The vacuum holes on the mold firmly adsorb the labels in the mold. When the raw materials of the plastic bottle are heated and droop in the shape of a hose, the mold with the label is quickly closed and air is blown into the hose to make it close to the mold wall. At this time, the temperature in the entire mold is still relatively high. The solid adhesive of the label close to the prototype of the bottle body begins to melt and combine with the plastic bottle body in the mold. So when the mold is opened again, the plastic bottle body is formed, and the label and the bottle body are integrated into one, so that the beautifully printed trademark is firmly embedded in the surface of the plastic product. The label and the plastic bottle are on the same surface, and it feels like there is no label. The color graphics are like being directly printed on the surface of the bottle body. This will not only make the label used for in-mold labeling more exquisite, but also improve the wear resistance, high temperature resistance, waterproof and moisture resistance of the label.

The main advantages of in-mold labeling:

1. Achieve fully automatic production, improve efficiency and reduce costs

2. Improve the barrier properties of containers

3. Exquisite and high-definition printing quality, surpassing the effect of traditional printing process

4. The label does not fall off, the color is durable, not easy to damage, waterproof and oil-proof, mildew-proof, acid-alkali-resistant, friction-resistant, low-temperature-resistant, and can be immersed
5. Simplify the process of looking back and take into account environmental protection
6. The label is embedded in the container and becomes part of the product, which can achieve the effect of no label and has a certain anti-counterfeiting effect
7. The in-mold process improves the toughness of the container and saves the resin consumption of the container

In-mold labeling is mainly used in the following industries:

1. Engine oil industry: plastic container packaging of products such as lubricating oil, gear oil, antifreeze, etc.
2. Daily chemical products industry: packaging of products such as shower gel, shampoo, detergent, detergent and personal care products
3. Food industry: packaging of products such as soy sauce, ice cream, coffee, juice, tea beverage, yogurt, etc.
4. Pharmaceutical industry: packaging of high-end drugs

Although the in-mold label has not appeared for a long time, it is attracting more and more manufacturers. In Europe and the United States, the development of in-mold labels has begun to enter a stable development track. In China, in-mold labels are developing at a high speed of 70%. Looking forward to the future, in-mold labels will launch a strong challenge to self-adhesive labels, and will eliminate paper in-mold labels and completely turn to plastic labels. Moreover, this packaging effect without label feeling is favored by consumers, and more and more end customers will use in-mold labels.

Notes
The material is the same or similar to the bottle material. The label and the bottle can be melted and recycled at the same time for secondary use, so the in-mold label reduces environmental pollution and meets the requirements of green printing.