SAS Automation, LLC, long involved in complex mold applications, including insert materials such as cloth, vinyl, metals, and labels, recently was granted patent protection for their Robotic Insert Mold End-of-Arm Tooling Process for In-Mold Labeling (IML) Applications by the United States Patent & Trademark Office.

In general, the patent pertains to the In-Mold Labeling (IML) process, where the label material is loaded on the robotic gripper from a special fixture, electrostatically charged, and loaded into the mold before plastic injection. Once the mold process is complete, the special Insert EOAT, which is normally dual function, indexes to the opposite side to remove the molded material from the other half of the mold. This efficiently minimizes the mold open time, thereby maximizing productivity.

Prior to electrostatically charging the insert label, applications were difficult and often required mold modifications to locate and retain the insert. With an electrostaticaly charge label, its location is maintained on a flat mold surface, unmodified, and eliminates typical over flashing or floating problems with the label during the plastic injection process.

The patent also covers the use of SAS’s modular gripper system components used for the In-Mold Labeling (IML) process. IML has been highly regarded as an effective way to permanently affix a label to plastic, since during the molding process the label becomes bonded together with the molded part. Removal of the label is impossible without destroying the part, which is important in some applications such as on child car seats, or blow molded bottles, that may involve safety and legal ramifications. Labels becoming unstuck and coming off plastic products are now problem solved and in the past.

Video on the SAS patented IML (insert mold labeling) system:

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