In-Mold Labeling is a very robust method for decorating consumer and industrial products. Instead of decorating a plastic product after molding via pad printing or painting, it is done during molding. The printed appliqué or graphic becomes fused right into the external structure of the molded product. We print on a clear plastic substrate to make a graphic veneer. That skin is then inserted into an open injection molding tool. The mold closes and the heated resin is injected. In the process, the graphic appliqué bonds with the resin to produce a decorated part. The graphics can be on the first surface of the product or can be buried by printing on the second surface of a clear substrate. The latter solution makes the graphic impervious to corrosion, stains or scratches. The bonding is so strong that graphics are virtually embedded in the surface of the product.
Before insertion, the graphic veneer can be formed to suit three-dimensional products. Serigraph specializes in various forming technologies as well as in surface chemistry, both of which are important competencies for a full service IML supplier. To our knowledge, we are the only plastic printer that has produced lithographic four-color veneers that hold up to deep forming. We used this technology to successfully produce 60 million products for a large fast food company promotion.
Our patented Gemini technology is unique. It uses two printed veneers, one on the top of the in-molded graphic and another on the bottom. This creates some special depth effects for in-molded pieces.
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