Seeing in-mold labels through the company (2)

Due to the pressure of in-mold label prices, some small and medium-sized enterprises with small orders did not dare to introduce in-mold labeling equipment. The in-mold labels did not have too much temptation for them. However, if the company has enough orders, the cost of in-mold labels is comparable to that of sticker labels. If the batch volume is more than 20,000 sets, the cost is only 1.7 to 1.8 times that of the self-adhesive label; moreover, the in-mold label product is divided into three levels of medium to low, and some high-end products are still very marketable.

Prior to the development of in-mold labels, we examined many companies, YUPO in Japan, Aere in the United States, and Praia in France. Considering that there are not many domestic companies that can provide in-mold label manufacturing processes, we have decisively introduced localized products. With foreign manufacturers entering the Chinese market one after another, fierce competition will inevitably lead to readjustment of the price of in-mold labels.

Under the background of the development of the national economy at a rate of 7%, the in-mold label market will be better driven. After a year or two, 70% of labels in the plastics industry will switch to in-mold labels. The label market has developed to today, but after only a few years, it is believed that today's label market is tomorrow's in-mold label market.

Director of Beijing Light Industry Printing Plant Chen Yue: The in-mold label is different from the label or other paper label. It is a solid adhesive that melts on the back and melts on the surface of the plastic bottle, so that the label in the mold is the same. The bottle body is integrated. The most important feature of in-mold labeling is that the label and bottle body are on the same surface, and the color image on the label is as fresh and natural as directly printed on the surface of the bottle body. In-mold labeling creates a new situation in the manufacturing design for plastic container manufacturers and other packaging.

For some manufacturers who have been engaged in sticker printing for many years, the introduction of in-mold label printing is undoubtedly a difficult second venture. It takes a certain amount of effort and money, so I think that the adhesive market is not a long time. There will be much change, and the large-scale adoption of in-mold labels will still take time.

In-mold label end-user representative: Sun Ming, general manager of Beijing Mingli plastic products

As a plastic barrel factory, we must keep abreast of the needs of our customers and keep abreast of the latest technological trends in the market. We use specialized websites, magazines, newspapers and other media to understand the specific technologies of in-mold labeling. When we saw the in-mold labeling machine at the Asia-Pacific International Printing Exhibition in 1998, we took into consideration more and more customers' needs for in-mold labels. We have firmly introduced in-mold labeling dies and labeling machines. Decided to invest in the in-mold label market.

The price factor is currently the main factor that restricts the development of in-mold labels. In-mold labels are suitable for large-volume, mature-scale products. Only when a certain amount is reached, can the cost be moderately reduced. This is the reason why the manufacturers are indecisive. In addition, the in-mold labels are not comparable to traditional labels, and the packaging volume cannot be large. The curvature of the bottle body should be large to ensure the stability of the labels in the mold.

Although in-mold labels do not require the addition of labeling equipment or workers, because the printing process of in-mold labels is more complicated, special die-cutting equipment is also required, which slows down the investment speed of printers to some extent.

Yingkou Gaolubao Lu Li, Minister of Lubricants: Because the company is located in cold Changchun, past adhesive labels always appear to fall off or stick loose during winter, and in-mold labels are directly applied to plastic during the labeling process. The synthesis of the container is not easy to produce the above problems, so we chose the in-mold label.

The novel and beautiful appearance is a major feature of the in-mold label. Because the label is integrated with the bottle body, it deforms along with the deformation of the bottle body, and it is not prone to blistering or wrinkling. Most of the substrates used for in-mold labeling are thin-film materials. They are printed using solvent-based inks. The labels have a bright color and a strong three-dimensional appearance. The color effect is better than that of paper-based materials and can perfectly reflect fine patterns and fine texts. However, for a large variety of products, insufficient quantities will increase production costs, and inventory problems will also be more difficult. Therefore, in-mold labels also have many drawbacks.

Now, our new product, “Extreme Cable” brand lubricants, is comparable in quality to the Great Wall and Kunlun lubricants. This is because we have improved packaging methods in a timely manner and adopted in-mold labeling to further highlight packaging features and increase Product competitiveness.

With regard to the development of the lubricating oil market, the market share of in-mold labels is about 80%, and the outlook is optimistic. With the popularization of awareness of in-mold labeling by domestic companies and the promotion and improvement of in-mold labeling technology, it is bound to be accepted by customers.