A product’s packaging plays several important roles, protecting the product inside and serving as a marketing vehicle that can influence consumer behavior and help an item stand out on the shelf.
In-mold labelling is a popular choice for a wide variety of packaging applications, including food and healthcare packaging. With in-mold labelling, the visual design of a package, the label, is molded or thermoformed to become part of the packaging itself instead of being applied on afterwards.
This process offers a few key benefits to producers. It eliminates the need for a secondary labelling step, potentially reducing costs. Additionally, because the label is integrated into the package, it is more durable and cannot be easily removed. Color balance is also improved, and it’s easier to produce multi-color applications.
Using high-performance resins is important in these applications to ensure flawless image quality as well as strong adhesion, blocking and heat resistance.
JONCRYL 1685-A is a heat-resistant acrylic emulsion that brings strong performance and aesthetic qualities to a variety of applications, including inks, overprint varnishes (OPVs) and in-mold labelling.
Beat the heat
Resins that offer strong heat resistance are particularly important in in-mold labelling applications due to their construction process.
“The molding of these packages is a process that involves heat, and as the package is blown into the mold, the label needs to withstand that,” says Simon Foster, Marketing Manager at BASF. “It also needs to withstand scuffs and high pressure to effectively work in these applications.”
If the emulsion fails to resist the heat during production, the label could lose clarity or color and text may lose legibility, leading to a drop in image quality. This can potentially damage a brand’s image and prevent a sale.
“If they're not able to withstand the heat, when some of these polymers get heated they can instantly become very soft and that leaves them susceptible to marring or scratches, and it can ruin its appearance during processing,” says David Chen, Technical Specialist at BASF.
Block resistance and resolubility are also important attributes for inks and varnishes that JONCRYL 1685-A can provide.
A strong block resistance reduces the chances of a paint or coating sticking to itself in production or storage, which can cause damage to the package and coating. Resolubility, on the other hand, allows resins in inks and coatings to redissolve quickly so subsequent impressions after a press stoppage are clean and accurate.
By offering a high block resistance and good resolubility, printers can reduce downtime and maintenance in their operations. JONCRYL 1685-A has a pH of 9.5 and was designed to provide optimal viscosity and pigment dispersion.
Designed to be versatile
With its ability to adhere to a variety of different substrates, including biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) and porous substrates and non-absorbent substrates like aluminum foil, through flexographic and gravure application methods, JONCRYL 1685-A offers superior flexibility for ink and coating formulators to create solutions to meet their customers’ needs.
“What makes JONCRYL 1685-A unique is the performance and balance that it provides, including resistance, adhesion, clarity and gloss,” says Foster.
As the retail space becomes increasingly competitive, having packaging and labelling that stands out becomes more important and can be a positive contributor to a product’s success, and using high-performance additives for inks and coatings is a great way to design a package that creates a lasting impression.
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