Coveris has in early 2015 installed the first industrial injection compression system with consumer goods manufacturer Unilever and mold maker Plastisud.
The system features integrated in-mold label (IML) decoration for lightweight 500 g Eurotubs for the spreads industry.
Building on the trend of sustainability and lightweight packaging, Coveris Global Rigid continues focusing its research and development efforts on material and weight reduction of its various forming technologies such as injection molding and thermoforming.
The development of the new injection compression technology started in 2011 as joint project between Coveris, Unilever and Plastisud.
As a result, the first industrial injection compression IML system was successfully launched at the beginning of this year, comprising a 4+4 stack mold for 500 g Eurotubs for primary use in the spreads industry.
The system has been up and running successfully for over four months now in the Coveris Center of Excellence for IM-IML in Ravensburg, Germany.
The Ravensburg plant also processes materials from Coveris divisions in other countries, for instance the 40μm in-mold labels from Coveris’ EU Food & Consumer Business Unit in AngouleÌ€me, France.
By doing so, Coveris can offer a lightweight packaging with decoration up to the rim.
The technology achieves up to 20% weight savings as a result of wall thickness decrease, while keeping the high mechanical properties of the product.
As the compression technology is integrated in the mold, it runs independent on hydraulic or fully electric injection presses.
