Why is Association Membership Important – Especially Today?

There’s a lot of communication noise in the world today, and it can be difficult to know what’s worth your time or where to find the knowledge you need. Artificial intelligence is writing blog posts that are posted to the web as ‘expert’ information, and it’s hard to figure out which emails that arrive in your inbox are from legitimate sources. Some webinars are well-disguised sales pitches, and there are more conferences and tradeshows to attend than a company budget can accommodate.

So, how are OEMs and consumer product brand owners finding the expertise they need for in-mold labeling and decorating projects? How are label printers discovering new partners for films, inks and coatings? Where do injection molders turn when they need equipment, tooling or automation? How are all of the in-mold supply chain members solving problems and collaborating and advancing the technology?

This is where association membership excels. Membership in the IMDA implies a level of expertise that not everyone can provide, and our members turn to each other again and again when they need machinery or a label or a film. When the IML or IMD process isn’t quite right or a customer needs additional capacity, our members trust each other to come up with a solution. Join us and see for yourself the benefits of working with IMDA. (Find a membership application at www.imdassociation.com.) We can help you expand your company’s profile as an in-mold expert.

IMDA Launches In-Mold Meet-Ups: Conversations with Industry Leaders
The In-Mold Decorating Association (IMDA) held its first In-Mold Meet-Up: A Conversation on In-Mold Labels and Sustainability, on April 3, 2024. The In-Mold Meet-Ups are regularly scheduled online webinars covering a variety of topics related to in-mold labeling (IML), in-mold decorating (IMD) and in-mold electronics (IME).

During the first In-Mold Meet-Up, hosted by IMDA Executive Director Dianna Brodine, Dr. Scott Trenor and Mike Licata discussed the challenges faced by plastics recyclers, the solutions offered by label film suppliers and the ways in-mold labeling can simplify recyclability for container and packaging applications. This free webinar brought together two industry veterans who are heavily involved in solving the recyclability concerns facing the plastics industry. Trenor is the technical director and Olefins Technical Committee lead for the Association of Plastics Recyclers (APR) and Licata is director, Business and Technical Development for YUPO.

The first In-Mold Meet-Up can be viewed on the IMDA website at www.imdassociation.com.

Save the Date: 2024 Plastic Product Decorating Summit
The Plastic Product Decorating Summit will return to the Milwaukee area, September 18-20, at the Milwaukee Marriott West in Waukesha, Wisconsin. The event is hosted by the In-Mold Decorating Association (IMDA) and Plastics Decorating magazine. Drawing conference attendees from a wide range of market segments – OEMs, brand owners, molders, decorators, and those providing equipment and consumables – the Plastic Product Decorating Summit brings together members of the plastics industry to learn, listen and discuss all types of direct-to-object plastic decorating and in-mold decorating, labeling and electronics applications. More information, including programming and plant tour details, will be available at www.productdecoratingevent.com.

Cosmo Films Joins the IMDA
The In-Mold Decorating Association (IMDA) has welcomed Cosmo Films as a new member to the organization that includes molders, label printers, material suppliers and equipment manufacturers that are committed to the development and growth of in-mold decorating products, technologies and markets. To join today, visit www.imdassociation.com.

Cosmo Films Limited is one of the largest manufacturers of biaxially oriented polypropylene films (BOPP) and cast polypropylene films (CPP) in the world. Cosmo Films additionally has expanded into polyester films with a state-of-the-art production capability for BOPET and copolyester applications. Cosmo offers a comprehensive multi-polymer range of films for flexible packaging, lamination, labelling and industrial applications, including specialty films such as high-barrier films, synthetic paper, velvet thermal lamination films and direct thermal printable films.