Thin-wall injection compression moulding for stack mould technology

Engel – hall A5 booth 5204

Engel’s stand will put the spotlight on sustainability. The production of decorated mono-material food packaging and the processing of regrind from labelling waste is supporting the circular economy by creating a process chain. At the same time, the company is celebrating the world première of the 4,200 kN version of the Engel e-speed injection moulding machine. The sophisticated packaging application combines extreme thin-wall injection compression moulding with stack mould technology. Over the five days of the trade event, an e-speed 420/90 injection moulding machine with integrated in-mould labelling (IML) will be used to produce ready-to-use margarine tubs from polypropylene in a fully automated injection compression process. The containers, which have a wall thickness of 0.4 mm (including the label), will be removed from the 4+4-cavity stack mould via high-speed, side-entry automation and stacked on a discharge conveyor following camera-based quality control. Corporate partners at the trade show will be MCC Verstraete, Plastisud, Campetella, Mevisco and Borealis.

Intelligent labelling technology

The labels of MCC Verstraete, which will be used for the production of the margarine tubs at Fakuma, are interactive. These labels are based on technology by Digimarc and, much like a QR code, Digimarc codes can be scanned with any smartphone camera. The main advantage of these is that they extend invisibly over the entire label surface. The camera can scan any point. Moreover, the codes do not interfere with the packaging design. From production through retail and recycling, the interactive labels offer added value. Consumers can discover the details of the ingredients and manufacture for both the product and the packaging while shopping. And when the packaging has reached the end of its useful life, the label provides information on the recycling process. Where the containers and labels are made of the same material, interactive IML packaging becomes fully recyclable.

www.engelglobal.com