Application of In-mold Decoration Technology

 

In-Mold Decoration (IMD) is a plastic product surface decoration process. It helps people to get the desired shape and size of the part by molding the material, and also can give the external surface of the part certain physical, chemical, electrical and tactile decorative engineering properties, etc. It is increasingly applied to different products in various industries by designers. For example:

① It can give injection molded parts higher abrasion resistance, scratch resistance, corrosion resistance, antibacterial, water resistance, rust resistance, anti-magnetic, anti-static, anti-radio interference, anti-ultraviolet radiation, glossiness, smoothness, color vividness, etc.;

② It can improve the heat resistance, fire resistance, flame resistance, insulation, electrical conductivity, etc. of the extruded parts;

③ It can improve the plastic parts (plates, tubes) hardness resistance, shock resistance, luminous, reflectivity, etc.;

④ It can improve the cold resistance, moisture absorption, water resistance, adhesion, etc. of extruded parts (film);

 

Function of Coating

 

Coating is a substance in a fluid state. People use simple construction methods such as brushing, dripping, spraying, etc., and by self-drying or curing, can easily cover the surface of the parts firmly with a uniform film. The coating will protect the parts, decorate, mark and other special functions.

 

In addition to the above-mentioned common functions, the coatings are given special functions in six major areas as follows:

① Mechanical functions, such as wear-resistant coatings, lubricating coatings, anti-vibration and sound-insulating coatings, etc.;

② Thermal functions, such as temperature indication coatings, high temperature resistant coatings, fireproof and fire-insulating coatings, etc.;

③ Electromagnetism function, such as conductive coatings, electrostatic conductive coatings, electromagnetic wave absorbing coatings, insulating coatings, etc.;

④ Optical function, such as luminescent coating, fluorescent coating, reflective coating, etc.;

⑤ Chemical function, such as acid-resistant, alkali-resistant, oil-resistant coatings, water-resistant coatings, cold-resistant coatings, etc;

⑥ Biological function, such as anti-fouling coating, anti-mold coating, etc.

 

These special functions of the coating enhance the performance of the product and broaden the scope of use of the product, has become an essential and extremely important field of technology.

 

Application Examples

 

Let's take the example of plastic parts such as boxes and cans for household use. In the past, polypropylene plastic parts were injection molded and then labeled (plastic film) in a different workshop. Nowadays, we can get it immediately by performing in-mold labeling or marking (IML)) in the mold. Injection molding and labeling of the outer surface of the part can be done simultaneously.

 

Another example is the cell phone, which is common in people's daily life and is a necessary accessory for everyone. However, in order to improve the usability of cell phone casing, such as improving wear resistance, scratch resistance and smoothness, we need to adopt in-mold decoration process while injection molding.

 

A common in-mold decoration process used today is in-mold labeling (IML). The specific processes are:

① Opening the mold, feeding the film to the mold and positioning the film by laser at the specified position;

② Film fixation, mold closing;

③ Resin injection;

④ Pattern transferred to the plastic part.

 

The in-mold labeling process described above has the following advantages:

① Directly adhered to the surface of the plastic body, which can significantly increase produtivity;

② The delivered film is precisely positioned (controlled by laser) to meet the extraordinarily high requirements of certain trademarks. The in-mold labeling process can eliminate defective products compared to the manual coating process in the past;

③ The coating solid film used is non-polluting and meets environmental requirements.

 

In-mold decoration is an emerging science and technology that has been developing rapidly in recent years, which not only provides protection, decoration and special functions for products, but also greatly reduces labor and significantly increases productivity. 

Since the establishment of the company, JRPanel is committed to building a diversified one-stop industrial customization platform. To provide you with more diversified options, we have introduced IMD technology and equipment, including injection molding machines, automatic screen printers, color printers, automatic dotting machines, laser cutting machines, etc.

 

From now on,enjoy the high-standard IMD services brought by JRPanel !