In mold Decorating in a Sticky Situation
posted on: Tuesday, February 07, 2012 by: becky
Frank Riggio, Account
Manager
In Mold Decorating in a Sticky Situation
I
recently worked with a customer on an in-mold decorating project.
The engineering, molding, and testing of the product took place at
their main facility in Canada. If you've ever been to Canada, you
know the temperatures are cool with low humidity. Testing consisted
of varying the base material, printing processes, and inks/coating
to create a construction that passed testing. Initial production
was a success. That is - until they moved production to a southern
location. The customer sent the original mold, end-of-arm tooling,
and in-mold labels (IMLs) manufactured by Romo to the
Philippines.
The Philippine Islands are beautiful and tropical. By definition,
tropical means HOT and HUMID. As a result of the climate change,
the in-mold label would not hold enough static charge to keep
proper position in the mold. The label was completely destroyed
during the molding process.
I
wasn't sure where to turn for an answer until I attended the
In-Mold Decorating Association (IMDA) Conference. The IMDA is a
group of companies solely dedicated to promoting and educating the
in-mold decorating process. Wouldn't you know one of the
presentations was High Temperature and High Humidity Effects on
In-Mold Decorating. The presenters did an excellent job testing
variables to evaluate and understand the effects of humidity on the
static receptivity of an IML. Five variables were tested on
the labels:
-
• Storage conditions
-
• Packaging methods
-
• Base materials
-
• Topcoats/varnishes
-
• Charging techniques
What they found was the static receptivity of in-mold labels is
negatively impacted when stored in high humidity conditions -
regardless of film type, packaging design, charging methods, or
topcoat chemistry. To control the impact:
-
• In-mold labels should always be stored in controlled
environments with relative humidity of <55%
-
• Direct charging is the preferred charging method in
high humidity environments
-
• Performance of base materials vary in high humidity
conditions
-
• Topcoat chemistry can have an impact on static
receptivity
That evening, I called my customer to share my new discovery. I
passed on molding suggestions that ultimately solved the problem.
One presentation saved a project and customer! They now look
to Romo Durable Graphics as a valuable resource.
Frank Riggio