Coating & Laminating
Breaking the Mold: Unlocking the power of in-mold coatings for enhanced eff iciency, aesthetics and sustainability
Imagine a crowded supermarket aisle. Hundreds of products, each screaming for attention. How do you make yours the one that grabs the eye, tells a story and seals the deal?
stage, reduces handling and supports scalability. It also enables the creation of mono- material packaging and can reduce plastic use, particularly in complex container shapes where other decoration methods struggle. “IML simplifi es the process,” explains Andre Soterio, global manager IML at ACTEGA. “You’re decorating while producing the container - it’s fast, effi cient and delivers excellent print quality.”
THE UNSEEN ADVANTAGE: THE CRITICAL ROLE OF IML COATINGS
While it may be a small part of the overall process, the coating’s impact is anything but minor. It is the key to ensuring everything runs smoothly, from printing the label to the fi nal molding.
Andre Soterio I
n today’s fi ercely competitive landscape, packaging isn’t just a container; it’s your brand’s fi rst impression, its silent salesperson and a key diff erentiator. However, packaging now needs to do more than simply look appealing - it must stand out while meeting demands for quick delivery, sustainability and functionality. As a result, converters face growing pressure to deliver decoration solutions that not only catch the eye but also align with these modern expectations, creating a balance between aesthetics and purpose. For rigid containers - especially in food and industrial applications - In-Mold Labelling (IML) is emerging as a powerful answer. By integrating decoration directly into the molding process, IML eliminates secondary labelling steps, streamlining production while delivering high- quality, durable results. But what is the secret to unlocking its full potential? The answer lies in the coating.
A SEAMLESS FUSION OF PRODUCTION AND DECORATION
IML is a well-established method, particularly for injection-molded containers like yogurt cups,
margarine tubs and paint buckets. The process is elegantly simple: a pre-printed label is placed inside the mold - typically held in place by static electricity - before hot plastic is injected. As the plastic bonds with the label, decoration and container production are completed in a single, effi cient step.
This integration delivers several advantages for converters. It removes an entire production
A high-performance IML coating is a multifunctional tool. Its primary function is to protect the printed image from abrasion, but its responsibilities extend far beyond that. It must provide vital heat and water resistance, ensuring durability during moulding and end-use. It also delivers process stability during printing and die-cutting. Perhaps most importantly, the coating masterfully manages static electricity - it prevents unwanted static during printing but facilitates the precise static pinning required to hold the label perfectly in place inside the mould.
16
March 2026
www.convertermag.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42
