Method for manufacturing a touch-sensitive iml label from a specific film for iml

Abstract

The invention relates to a method in which, having subjected the film (1) to a method for decoration by a printing technique, in various consecutive steps according to the number of colours sought, the film (1) is exposed to a cylinder (7) or an anilox roll / plate combination having hollow engraving capable of receiving a touch-sensitive varnish (V); the touch-sensitive varnish (V) is printed using the cylinder (7) or the plate on the film (1); and the film is cut in order to obtain the touch-sensitive IML labels.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to the technical sector of labels for plastic containers or packaging.

[0002] More particularly, the invention relates to a method for producing an IML label, from the English acronym meaning In Mould Labelling.

[0003] This type of label is perfectly known to a person skilled in the art. An IML label is integrated into a package at the time of its manufacture. The label and the package are fused together during the injection molding process, or by thermoforming or blow molding. The label, previously printed, is placed in the mold just before injection (or thermoforming or blow molding), which allows it to be incorporated into the packaging material. This in-mold labeling process offers many advantages. It is not described in detail, as it is perfectly known to a person skilled in the art. The label is generally made from a polypropylene film, and is, as indicated, embedded in the packaging by partial fusion of its internal face in particular, with the aim of ensuring the decoration of all or part of the packaging.

[0004] Typically, the labels used are completely smooth, so the external visual appearance of the container incorporating this IML label will also have a completely smooth effect. In one embodiment, after injection or thermoforming of an expanded material such as EUH / EPT, the surface of the label has an orange peel effect.

[0005] According to the teaching of patent EP 09 745 996, of which the Applicant of the present invention is also the owner, it has been proposed to produce at least one raised area on a plastic container, incorporating an IML label. To obtain this raised effect, given that the IML label, as such, is completely smooth, one solution consists of developing a specific injection process, in particular by introducing into the material to be injected, an expansion agent, at a first temperature, and under a first pressure, according to which the expansion agent is a supercritical fluid. Document GB2428402 also discloses a method for manufacturing an IML label according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0006] Based on this state of the art, the problem that the invention aims to solve is to produce an IML label with a tactile effect, such as a raised paper effect in different geometric shapes.

[0007] According to the invention, to produce, from a film generally made of polypropylene, an IML label with a tactile effect, the method according to claim 1 has been designed and developed, according to which, after having subjected the film to decoration by any type of printing process perfectly known to a person skilled in the art, such as gravure printing, flexography or offset, according to different successive stages depending on the number of colors desired: the film is subjected to a cylinder having a hollow engraving capable of receiving a tactile effect varnish, or to an anilox / cliché combination capable of receiving a tactile effect varnish, the tactile effect varnish is printed with the cylinder or with the cliché on the film, a protective IML varnish for injection or thermoforming or blowing of a plastic material is optionally printed on the film having the tactile effect varnish, the film is cut to obtain the tactile effect IML labels.

[0008] Please note that the protective varnish will be applied or not depending on the needs of the following process. It can be applied before or after the tactile effect varnish.

[0009] As a result of these characteristics, the IML label presents directly, and before integration into the packaging, a tactile effect resulting in particular from the hollow engraving of the cylinder, or from the anilox / cliché association, in combination with the specific varnish. We will find this tactile effect, for example in an inverted manner (the reliefs become hollows), at the level of the packaging presenting this IML label.

[0010] According to a first embodiment, in particular by rotogravure, and to solve the problem of placing the tactile effect varnish only in the hollow engraving of the cylinder, said cylinder is dipped in a tank containing the tactile effect varnish, and the cylinder is subjected to a wiping operation so that said varnish remains only in the hollow shapes of the engraving.

[0011] In the case of gravure printing, advantageous results have been obtained when using a tactile effect varnish with particles of approximately 30 µm.

[0012] According to a second embodiment, in particular by flexography, and to solve the problem of placing the tactile effect varnish only in the hollow engraving of the anilox, the anilox is dipped in a tank containing the tactile effect varnish, the anilox is subjected to a wiping operation so that said varnish remains only in the hollow shapes of the engraving, and the varnish is then deposited on a plate whose engraving is adapted to the desired tactile effect.

[0013] In the case of flexographic printing, advantageous results have been obtained when using a tactile effect varnish with particles of approximately 20 µm.

[0014] The invention is explained below in more detail with the aid of the figures in the attached drawings in which: there figure 1 is a purely schematic view, showing an example of a gravure printing installation for implementing the method, according to the invention. figure 2 shows a sheet of IML labels, obtained according to the invention figure 3 is a front view of an IML label with tactile effect, before placement in the mold, the figure 4 is a view of an example of a container, equipped with an IML label with a tactile effect, obtained by the method of the invention.

[0015] The IML label (1) is made, for example, from a polypropylene film, with a thickness of between 30 and 80 µm, with a density of approximately 550 kg per m 3. Note that any material suitable for IML can be used.

[0016] The polypropylene film or other such as PS or PET (1), for the production of the various labels is printed by all types of processes perfectly known to a person skilled in the art, in particular by rotogravure or flexography.

[0017] We illustrated figure 1 , a purely schematic installation for printing by the rotogravure process, a film (1) for the production of IML labels (1).

[0018] In a perfectly known manner, the film (1) is subjected to the action of an unwinding device (2) to be transferred to different stations (A)-(B)-(C)-(D)-(E)-(F)-, each corresponding to a color.

[0019] Each station has an ink tank (3), a cylinder (4) and a counter-cylinder (5) between which the polypropylene film (1) passes. Between each station is a hot air dryer (6).

[0020] According to the invention, after having thus subjected the film (1) to the rotogravure printing process, figure 1 , according to the different stations (A)-(B)-(C)-(D)-(E)-(F), the film is subjected to a cylinder (7), having a hollow engraving, capable of receiving a varnish with tactile effect, which corresponds to station (G) of the figure 1 .

[0021] The aim is therefore to print the tactile effect varnish with the cylinder (7) on the film (1). For this purpose, said cylinder (7), which has the hollow engraving capable of receiving a tactile effect varnish, is dipped into a tank (8) containing the varnish (V), and the cylinder (7) is subjected to a wiping operation, so that only the varnish (V) remains in the hollow shapes of the cylinder engraving.

[0022] For example, cylinder (7) may have 100 lines per centimeter, with a depth of about 160 µm.

[0023] After having deposited, as indicated, the tactile effect varnish (V), a protective IML varnish is printed on the film (1), to allow, subsequently, the injection, thermoforming or blowing of a plastic material (station H, figure 1 ) intended for the packaging to be produced. The protective varnish provides the film and the tactile varnish with temperature resistance, and also provides antistatic properties. This type of varnish is perfectly familiar to a person skilled in the art, in the case of an IML label. This varnish can also be printed before the tactile varnish (station G), the tactile varnish being printed in station H, or not be printed at all, depending on the process requirements.

[0024] Then simply cut the film to obtain the tactile effect IML(1) labels, figure 2 .

[0025] As indicated, in the case of gravure printing, advantageous results have been obtained using a tactile effect varnish with particles of approximately 30 µm.

[0026] In the case of a flexographic process, advantageous results have been obtained with a varnish having particles of approximately 20 µm.

[0027] There figure 3 shows an IML label (1), resulting from the characteristics of the method according to the invention, which has hollow (1a) and raised (1b) areas, giving for example a raised paper effect, and consequently, a tactile effect.

[0028] There figure 4 shows an example given for information purposes, in no way limiting, of packaging incorporating the IML label (1), according to the invention.

[0029] The invention thus makes it possible to obtain a tactile IML label, i.e. one having raised areas, which is intended to be integrated into packaging to give it a tactile effect.

[0030] The benefits are clear from the description.

Claims

1. Process for creating an IML label with a tactile effect from an IML-specific film (1), characterized in that, after subjecting the film (1) to a decoration process using a printing technique, in successive stages according to the desired number of colors: - the film (1) is subjected to a cylinder (7) or an anilox / plate combination with recessed engraving capable of receiving a tactile-effect varnish (V), - the cylinder (7) or anilox is dipped in a tank (8) containing the varnish (V), - the cylinder (7) or anilox is wiped so that only the varnish (V) remains in the recessed areas of the cylinder or anilox engraving, - the tactile-effect varnish (V) is printed onto the film (1) using the cylinder (7) or plate, to achieve a varnish with raised shapes, - the film is cut to obtain tactile-effect IML labels with recessed (1a) and raised (1b) areas.

2. Process according to claim 1, characterized in that, before or after printing the tactile-effect varnish, a protective IML varnish is applied to the film for injection, thermoforming, or blow molding of a plastic material.

3. Process according to claim 1, characterized in that for gravure printing, a tactile-effect varnish with particles of approximately 30 µm is used.

4. Process according to claim 1, characterized in that for flexographic printing, a tactile-effect varnish with particles of approximately 20 µm is used.

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