As you know, in today’s world, advertising is an inseparable part of factories, manufacturers, businesses and works, which has a great impact on attracting customers. Marketing includes all jobs, including companies producing food, dairy products, paints and chemicals, oils and greases, gardening supplies, cosmetics and health products, chocolate and sweets, tobacco and pharmaceuticals. There are many methods for marketing, including printing stickers or labels on the packaging of the industries mentioned above. IML plastic containers are used for this purpose.
The production of these containers is such that first the label produced with polymer materials similar to the container material is transferred into the mold and in the next step the plastic material injection process is carried out. Stay with Rahanik Plast to discuss this issue further.
What is IML containers?
In the old methods, they used stickers or labels on containers for advertising, but today, the company name and brand are injected onto containers with beautiful designs and various colors. This is called IML. In IML containers, the logo and brand are completely attached to the containers and cannot be separated.
In addition to the quality of what attracts the customer’s attention at first glance, the appearance of the products is also important. As a result, companies that use IML containers in their products, along with the beauty and attractiveness of the packaging, have attracted the attention of many customers, which ultimately makes their brand known. In this, Rahanik Plast helps you.
History of IML
IML is an abbreviation for the words In Mold Labeling. This method was invented in 1980 and quickly became very popular. Today, this method has found a very good place among industrialists and manufacturers of products, including food and health products, so that more than 80% of containers are packaged using the IML method.
The first country to use this method for packaging products was North America, which used IML technology to produce detergent bottles. After a while, when printing using the IML method became known, it was also used in the field of food packaging.
IML plastic containers and offset printing machine
In IML containers, an offset printing machine is used to print labels. IML is a pre-prepared label made of polypropylene that is injected at the same time as the material is injected during the production of plastic containers. The result is that the label is completely attached to the body of the container and is part of it, as a result, the body of the container and the label do not separate.
Advantages of printing on IML containers
This method of advertising and printing on IML plastic containers has numerous advantages, including:
Cost reduction
Since the labeling process is carried out by automatic machines and does not require human labor, it is therefore cheaper and more economical compared to other labels.
High printing quality
Offset printing is the best and highest quality type of printing for IML containers. Offset printing also allows for high-density production.
Temperature resistance
One of the advantages of IML printing is its resistance to temperature changes. For this reason, it is the best choice for plastic containers that must be stored at low temperatures and in the refrigerator. IML containers are also highly resistant to wrinkles or lines and cracks.
Environmentally friendly
The type of label and packaging container is the same type of material. They can be recycled together, so IML containers are more environmentally friendly.
Increased printing speed
In this method, since offset printing is fast and the printing process is carried out simultaneously with the production operation. Ultimately, the time spent on production is much less than other methods.
Design change
One of the good advantages of offset printing in IML containers is the ability to change the design in the shortest possible time. This method has many advantages compared to plastic printing…
Types of IML container manufacturing methods
IML containers are used for various types of packaging, including paint buckets, yogurt buckets, oil buckets, etc.
Three methods are used to prepare IML containers, which are:
1- Preparing containers by plastic injection
To prepare IML containers, the use of plastic injection is more applicable and accounts for approximately 68% of the process.
Injection molding means injecting materials into a mold. This method is done with hot polymer. In this method, hot liquid is injected into the mold with great pressure. After the material cools, it takes the shape of the desired mold.
IML plastic injection is done by placing the label printed using the IML method into the mold. Then, the hot liquid polymer material is inserted into the mold. After the material cools, the plastic containers decorated with beautiful labels are ready.
2- Air injection
This method is used to make hollow plastic such as powder containers, shampoo containers, 5-liter oil containers and is used approximately 31%.
In the injection and air molding method, the IML is placed in advance in a steel mold. Then, the molten plastic material is poured into the mold and the other part of the mold is placed on it. Then, hot air is introduced into it and the plastic is pulled up with pressure and the mold is formed.
3- Thermoforming or TIML (TIML)
This method, which is used 1%, is used for packaging hard and rigid plastics.