Decorating electrostatic printing

For in-mould decoration or in-mould labelling, a decorated film or printed label is precisely located in the empty mould. The molten plastic then adheres onto the film or label during injection. Film is mechanically clamped. The label can be fixed in the mould by electrostatic charge. 

A similar technique may be used to make injection mouldings with elaborate patterns or decorations paper or film may be printed flat with the design required then folded, say, in a box-shape and placed in the mould—where it is held in place electrostatically or by vacuum applied through pins moulding then takes place on or through this substrate. Such an approach has been used to mould boxes for biscuits, showing pictures of the biscuits on the box. It eliminates difficulties associated with printing shaped objects. 

The decoration of plastics by means of various printing processes, e.g., offset, silk screen, letterpress, electrostatic, or photographic methods. 

The design of the mold should take into consideration placement of the gates to prevent wrinkled or washed overlays. The overlay may be held in place in the mold by cutting it so that it fits snugly or by electrostatic means. Blow-molded parts can also be printed or decorated by in-mold processes. The ink or paint image is placed on a carrier film or paper and placed in the mold. As the hot plastics expands, filling the... 

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