In-mold decorating (IMD) has unlocked new opportunities in manufacturing aesthetics. But finding the right supplier can mean the difference between a quality product that wows versus one that can’t be fully executed to meet your complex design vision.
What is In-Mold Decorating?
If you are new to this manufacturing process, in-mold decorating offers the ability to integrate decorative elements, such as graphics, logos, or textures, directly on the surface of a plastic part during the molding process.
IMD offers several advantages over traditional decorating methods including:
- Enhanced Aesthetics: IMD allows for intricate designs, vibrant colors, and high-resolution graphics, resulting in visually-appealing finished products.
- Durability: The plastic substrate protects the decoration, enhancing its durability against scratches, abrasion, and fading in comparison to decorations applied directly onto the surface.
- Cost-Effectiveness: By integrating decoration into the molding process, IMD can reduce the need for additional assembly and finishing steps, leading to cost savings.
The Challenges of In-Mold Decorated Parts
Like any manufacturing process, IMD comes with its own set of challenges, including:
- Design Complexity: Creating designs for IMD need to take into consideration mold design, material selection, and printing techniques. Complex designs may pose challenges in terms of achieving consistent quality and production efficiency.
- Quality Control: Variations in printing, molding, or substrate properties can lead to blurring, distortion, or inconsistent coloration. Quality control measures are essential to identify and correct defects quickly.
- Cycle Time and Production Efficiency: IMD typically involves printing, molding, and post-processing. Optimizing cycle times and production efficiency while maintaining quality standards can be challenging, especially for high-volume production.
Only a supplier with the right combination of technical expertise, process optimization, and continuous improvement efforts can address these issues and produce a part that meets advanced design aesthetics.
Versa 3: Advanced In-Mold Decorating Capabilities
Because of our thermoforming process controls and creativity in manufacturing processes, Versa 3 has been successful in solving some of the most complex in-mold decorating challenges for our customers. We have helped companies ranging from manufacturers of electric vehicle charging infrastructures to consumer electronics, where high-quality and complex decoration and branding are essential.
Most recently, we produced a branded part for an electronic vehicle charging station that other supplies were unable to due to the complex nature of the creative elements. The success of this part included:
- Perfectly aligned graphics that extended the length of a large part
- No ink or material cracking
- Reduced ink layers by almost half
- Yield above 80%, significantly higher that of their previous supplier
- Reduced the cost of the part by 35%
We attribute our success to this program because we are a one-stop solution for printing, thermoforming and molding which provide better process control and cost structure. We can do this for you too.
Contact Versa 3 with your in-mold decoration needs. We’re here to help!
