BOPP film producer Treofan (Raunheim / Germany; www.treofan.com) has introduced a new in-mould labelling (IML) film whose look and feel resembles that of injection-moulded products. “Treofan EPT” has an innovative surface that enables the stable fusing of thermoforming and label film at comparatively low temperatures and pressures, Treofan said, adding that this allows it to be thermoformed without compromising quality.

To date, the attachment of BOPP labels to thermoformed products has been a separate processing step since the temperatures and pressures used in thermoforming are much lower than those used for injection moulding. Treofan’s newly developed surface overcomes that problem by attaching to thermoformed films under conditions used during the thermoforming process. The resulting bond between the container and the label is “visually and functionally near-indistinguishable from the complete fusion achieved by injection moulding,” the company said.

After the company carried out a series of tests on the film, including with thermoforming machinery and tools producer Illig Maschinenbau (Heilbronn / Germany; www.illig.de), “Treofan EPT” is now being rolled out on a large scale.