In the in-mould-labeling (IML) process, the label is already in the mould of the final product. Only the liquid plastic has to be filled into these, thus temperature and humidity resistant labels can be produced in a short production time. Another advantage is the lower material usage with the same stability. The technique is preferably used in injection moulding or thermoforming.
imess offers an inline module for quality control of the in mold product. Detection of over- an under moulding as well as black spots in the internal space are in focus of the inspection. The systems operates reliable even at a high cycle rate, allowing the linear axis to move with a speed of 300 m per minute. A light barrier controls the optimal exposure without stopping the production line.
Cameras with special lenses monitor the plastic products in the line and transfer the recorded images to the user-friendly designed test software. Within the camera image, the production defects are easy visible as dark areas on a bright background, so that they can be clearly identified. If required, a signal can be supplied by the software to the customer’s control for discharging.
Article-specific settings, nominal values and tolerances can be stored in the header data menu of the software. In addition, the results of the nominal/actual comparison are statistically processed and exported in Excel-compatible format for documentation.