ILLIG Showcases IML Innovation

In-Mold Labeling for decoration which results in an optimum shelf presence of the brand: At Anuga FoodTec PP parts with brilliant decoration are manufactured on an ILLIG IC-RDML 70 automatic thermoforming machine in one working step using an 18-up mold.

The economic production of thermoformed food packs, brilliantly decorated in the same working step for high-quality product appeal, will be the core element of ILLIG’s trade fair appearance at Anuga FoodTec, Cologne, March 24 - 27, 2015. In-mold Labeling (IML) is used for this decoration which results in optimum shelf presence of the brand. At the trade fair the efficiency of this decoration method is presented by an ILLIG IC-RDML 70 automatic roll-fed machine, forming area 680 mm x 300 mm. Rectangular cups are manufactured from polypropylene using an 18-up mold. During the forming process the cups are decorated at the same time on the four side walls and also on the bottom. An IML-T unit designed for this process step removes the printed labels from a magazine and places them into the mold’s cavities in the thermoformer’s forming station. During the subsequent forming process when the plastic material turns into a pack of any given shape - cup or tray – the label bonds with the wall true to contour and permanently.

Using the IML-T technology numerous decoration options for food packs can be realized: With ILLIG’s IC-RDML 70 in-mold labeling station 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 areas can be labeled (including bottom decoration e.g. with integrated barcode as used on the cups produced at the trade fair). Thus a high quality appearance and function can be combined. A special benefit is provided by the large, usable decoration area which is also required, among other purposes, to meet the new legal obligation for the provision of nutritional information.

Additionally, the label – subject to geometry and quality – can even contribute to pack rigidity which allows a reduction of the thickness of the packaging material used (savings in material costs) but still the required top load of the pack is maintained. Labels made of all conventional materials can be processed, such as PS (polystyrene) and PP (polypropylene) through to paper labels. Cleanly recyclable packs can be realized provided that label and cup material are matched accordingly.

Every cavity can be loaded with an individually printed label which is a further benefit provided by the IML-T technology developed by ILLIG. This variability allows filling and packing of product families when the IML-T labeling unit is integrated e.g. in an FFS line with multi-lane filler. This was realized by ILLIG in the newly developed FSL 48 which has been producing in a dairy company for quite some time now. Product changes can thus be performed efficiently.

ILLIG is a global leading supplier of high-performance production lines and molds for thermoforming plastic materials as well as of solutions for the packaging industry. The company's product and services portfolio comprises the development, design, fabrication, installation and start-up of complex manufacturing lines and individual components. With branch establishments and agencies in over 80 countries, ILLIG is locally present in all markets around the globe. For more than 65 years, this owner-managed enterprise has been serving its worldwide clientele as a reliable partner in cost-efficient thermoplastic molding of sophisticated precision parts backed by innovative technology of unsurpassed quality and a comprehensive worldwide after-sales support.

Source: ILLIG