In-mould labelling - the application of labels to containers or bottles during the manufacturing process, places the printed label (paper or foil) inside the moulds or containers before starting the moulding process. This fuses the product with the label and eliminates the need for labelling post production.
In-mould labels provide flexibility to paint pails, nutraceutical containers, and food and beverage manufacturers in terms of printing process and colour selection to enhance the product visibility and brand identification in the market.
Consumers around the world increasingly prefer lightweight and highly attractive packaging, which is expected to drive the growth in this technology, especially in emerging markets like Latin America, China and India.
Suppliers are also increasing their investment in eco-friendly label products and promoting environmental sustainability, with reduced unit cost per label also playing a role in driving the market in this direction.
There are three types of in-mould labelling applications: injection moulding, blow moulding and thermoforming. Each one of these requires the ink used to print the labels to have specific characteristics:
High colour strength
Good printability/excellent dot sharpness
Fast drying speed or fast curing speed
Very good adhesion & scratch resistance
No curling effect (no shrinkage)
Temperature resistant
Possible to use in a deep freeze environment
Low Migration
