SURFACES AND DECORATION | INNOVATION
IML and IMD are well established processes in injection moulding of packaging. But now they are being adapted to meet the needs of medical and sustainability applications. By David Eldridge
New directions for in-mould processes
Companies involved in technology, films and inks/ lacquers used for in-mould labelling (IML) and in-mould decoration (IMD) are exploring new territories. As well as enhancing their products for the decoration of moulded parts, new developments show that suppliers are now finding answers for questions posed by the medical and pharma sectors, printed electronics and the circular economy. The Fakuma exhibition will be the stage for the
premiere of a new IML system which its developers are calling a “groundbreaking” move into medical packaging applications. The expansion of IML from its established consumer packaging market into the medical arena has been engineered by Arburg, Beck Automation, Intravis, Kebo and MCC. “This groundbreaking system ushers in a new era for medical manufacturing by seamlessly integrating advanced automation, precision and quality control into the production process,” they say. The system will be shown on the MCC stand at
www.injectionworld.com
Fakuma featuring: an Arburg Allrounder 520 A full-electric machine; an 8-cavity tube mould from Kebo; Beck’s new label adjustment head; the IMLWatcher visual inspection system from Intravis; and labels developed by MCC for medical applica- tions which have temperature indicators and unique coding. “The safe use of products and the exclusion of
incorrect manipulation are of elementary impor- tance in medical technology,” says MCC in a white paper describing the system. “This includes all products in pharmaceuticals, medical and labora- tory diagnostics for various forms of application and administration. MCC’s IML process produces a finished part in a single-stage process, thus reducing (end-to-end) manufacturing costs. Unlike many current manufacturing processes, IML guarantees a safe product.” The company’s new generation of in-mould labels are capable of serialisation using coding.
October 2023 | INJECTION WORLD 13
IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK
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