In-mold decoration

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In-Mold Decoration (IMD) describes a special form of decorating plastic parts with a colored and abrasion-resistant coating.

The most common form of decoration in practice are thin foils that are applied to an injection-molded base (in-mold labeling).

principle

A carrier film with the motif to be transferred is placed inside the opened form. The motif points in the direction of the opening of the mold. While the mold is being filled with plastic, the paint adheres to the cast parts and is detached from the film when the mold is opened. The coated part can now be removed.

The foil with the motif must be renewed for the next round.

Construction of the form

The shape must be constructed in such a way that the film rests on a smooth surface. It can be a little bent, but the more it deviates from the level, the greater the risk of errors.

The mold must always be filled in such a way that it can be filled from the opposite side.

In order to make the process more effective, it is advisable in some cases to use a conveying device for the automatic supply of fresh foils and removal of the used foils.

Rotating brushes are often used to remove paint residues, especially on the edges of the coated surfaces .

Foils

High-quality, abrasion-resistant foils are used for decoration, the 2D geometry of which must fit exactly on the 3D body to be decorated. The foils are printed graphically or photo-realistically. With an attractive design of the motif (e.g. strawberries sprayed with water in the photo), the product should suggest freshness and appeal to the consumer on the shelf. Foils are currently coming onto the market that can realistically reproduce gold or silver tones.

Automation

Since in-mold labeling is an injection molding process , the decorative material is introduced using an automation system for feeding in the labels and removing the decorated molded parts. The cycle speed depends on the size of the molded parts. With so-called thin-walled products (thin-walled technology), such as a margarine cup lid, cycle speeds of just over 3 seconds can be achieved.

2-, 4- or 6-cavity molds are used.

The core of the automation, i.e. the mounting geometries for the injection molded parts, are very important for the smooth injection process.

For quality assurance, camera inspection systems are increasingly being used, which record the fit of the labels for each mold cavity on the base body and, if necessary, eject bad parts.

Areas of application

The in-mold labeling process (IML) is used for different applications:

• Food containers (e.g. for ice cream, cream cheese or margarine)
• Food bottles and cups
• Media container from the hardware store
• Containers for detergent additives
• Cosmetic container.