What is In-mold Labeling (IML)?

In-mold labeling was first developed by Owens-Illinois in cooperation with Procter & Gamble, and was first applied to pre-labeled bottles. Now, it is becoming more and more popular and used by many molding factories in various industries.

Why In-Mold Labeling Is Important and Popular?

It Provides Various Decorating Options

It Improves Appearance

It Increases Production Efficiency

It Prevents Counterfeit Products

Injection molding is the most popular in-mold labeling method. It involves heating plastic material and injecting it into a mold for it to cool. The molded plastic part fuses with a printed label placed inside the mold cavity. The results in a single decorated plastic part. The injection in-mold labeling method begins by printing a uniquely designed label.

This printed label is placed into an open injection mold cavity through a polymer carrier. The printed label is held in place by air pressure or mechanical means in the mold cavity.

Selected plastic material is heated and injected into the mold cavity for molding. The mold has a small opening that the melted plastic passes through. The injected plastic is allowed to cool in the mold. Upon cooling, it takes the shape of the mold and binds with the inserted label.

The molded plastic part is permanently bonded to the printed label to form a permanent decoration on the plastic part.

Injection in-mold labeling is cost-effective and provides great design flexibility. It provides long-lasting product labeling solutions and increases productivity.

Because the labeling of the plastic mold is done during the molding cycle, post labeling and other secondary processes are eliminated.

Many plastic containers use the injection molding method. A typical example of a product that uses injection molding labeling is ice cream tubs. Other products that utilize injection molding labeling are computer keyboards, cell phone keypads, smaller plastic paint buckets

The following two video to show you how it works

1.TOP- IN

2.SIDE- IN