In-Mould-Decoration (IMD) / Function foils
With the in-mould decoration technique, in most cases, a polyester film carries an image that is used to decorate the injection moulded part. At first, the film is fed between the two mould halves by means of a film feeder, is positioned and clamped by means of a clamping frame. Then, the closing movement of the mould initially fits the film to the shape of the cavity. Similar to the IML technique, due to the prevailing pressure and temperature, the plastic melt combines with the detaching paint layers to form a solid combination during the injection step. The finished decorated component can be removed once the melt has cooled and the mould has opened, whereby the decoration is automatically removed from the substrate film in the process. Now, the feeder positions the film for the next injection cycle. Currently, this IMD technique is used to decorate components made of a wide variety of plastic materials such as PP, ABS, PC, ABS/PC, ASA, SAN, PMMA or PBT.
Process cycle
- The imprinted film support (roll labels) is positioned within the reach of the mould.
- The film support is clamped and adjusted by means of a clamping frame and vacuum.
- The mould closes, and the injection cycle starts.
- The paint layers of the substrate film combine due to the prevailing pressure and temperature.
- The finished part is removed while the film is fed for the next cycle at the same time.
Typical applications
IMD is used for flat plastic components in the fields of automotive engineering, telecommunications, IT and household appliances:
- Automotive components (e.g. decorative screens, panels, side panelling),
- Telecommunications (e.g. cell phone shells, hand-held terminals, telephones),
- IT (e.g. computer cases, laptop computer covers, printer chassis), and
- High-end household appliances (e.g. designer automatic coffeemakers, washing machines)
Production cell
IMD feeding devices
