By Jeff Peterson, editor-in-chief, Plastics Decorating

At the recent Plastic Product Decorating Summit, Paul Strunk, Inkcups; Bob Travis, InkWorks Printing; and Lindsey Dimon, Falcon Plastics, were panelists discussing how to sell the value of decorating for plastics. The following article summarizes the panel discussion and information from the program.

When working with a customer, how much input do you have in determining the best decorating method for the application? Are customers open to new ideas or is that choice made before the customer comes to your company?

Strunk: Being in sales, I am more of a consultant. I help them understand the machinery they need to make their product the best it can be, so they’re usually very open to input. Certain customers will call me asking for a specific type of equipment, and they’re pretty sure about what they want. However, as far as the other 70%, they need some direction, help or advice on the inks and adhesion, how the process works and how the machinery comes in, along with all the details about it. So, we have a lot of input on the machinery selection and how they buy it.

Dimon: As a molder and decorator, we have quite a bit of impact. We like to bring in everybody who is needed in the process as early as possible to try to explore the best cost-saving options. We will have a significant impact when it comes to that. We want to make sure that they’re doing the best thing upfront from a molding perspective to see if it’s the most cost-effective way to do it.

Travis: We try to get on that front end to talk about what the final product is, or what the final application will be. The most difficult thing we encounter when meeting with customers or receiving requests for new business is that they often come in with preconceived notions right away. They already have framed it in their minds, and we have to unframe everything first and say, “Wait a minute. We want to talk about the end result, and we’ll address costs later.” Because if we can get the value model right, the cost should not be the primary driver in the discussion. Don’t tell me how you want me to do it. Tell me what you want me to achieve.

When the customer does involve you in the decision process, you’re often selling AGAINST other decorating techniques. What’s the first question you ask a customer (or potential customer) to help determine which process is the best fit for the application?

Strunk: It depends on the type of equipment they’re looking at, but let’s look at digital inkjet equipment for this discussion. The first questions are to help understand the customer’s product and how it will be used.

Inkjet printing has a certain tolerance for how close the head needs to be to the product. If you have something above two millimeters, maybe three or four millimeters above the surface of the product, inkjet won’t work. However, the industry is changing right now, so we are getting more flexible with it.

It is really the product shape and design for us. We want to know the end use of the product. We need to know where the product is being used, and what temperatures it will be exposed to.

Dimon: We want these questions to be geared around our quality tests that are going to need to happen. We have different tests for heat, cold and other factors. If you are using a label, when is it going to come off? Is there a thaw test? We’ve even done things with microwaves and different testing like that. Therefore, we need to know where the product is going and what it’s being used for – outdoor conditions, indoor, etc.

Travis: I would say a lot of the same things. It is understanding where the end product is going to go. When a customer tells me that we need to decorate a product by looking at it in a different way, the first question we will ask is, “What don’t you like about what you are doing today?”

If someone comes to me and says they are pad printing this part in one color and it is working fine, then I’m not going to fix that. There is no value we can add.

If the customer is looking to change the decorating process due to cost and sees value in an in-mold label because it offers more variety, more color, more vibrancy or variable information, there may be a value proposition there. If there’s not, then the conversation needs to end because just trying to replace an existing decorating technology, particularly within in-mold labeling, is probably not going to happen if the customers are happy with what they’re doing today.

What problems are customers looking to solve when discussing an in-mold labeling or direct-to-object decorating application?

Travis: We will start by looking at their mold flow, we’ll look at existing tooling, and then we’ll discuss what the possibilities are. Where can we place a label? What can be done if we put a label on here? And then we discuss how can all that add value? We can take an old part and make it look new again with in-mold decoration. There is value in that. If it is a new program, it comes down to what the customer wants to achieve to add a lot of value.

Dimon: The big advantage is that the part can be out there for a while without getting changed or without the label being changed. You can change the labels fairly easily, so if you have the same part, your cost changes will only come with changes to the colors of labels and similar items like that. And from the direct-to-object side, it’s essentially the same with customization ability and the ability to switch things out.

Strunk: With inkjet, it is more about the product it is printing on. With a flatbed inkjet machine, each product printed can have a different graphic printed on it. It provides flexibility over other secondary decorating processes or even an adhesive label.

When selling an in-mold or direct-to-object decorating process, what’s the biggest “a-ha!” moment for brand owners and customers?

Strunk: The A-ha! moments typically come when you have a solution. In my business, it is fixing problems. It’s not just about wanting to go from pad printing to inkjet – there is a reason why a customer might want to do that. With digital inkjet, there now is technology that allows the inkjet heads to go from two millimeters above the product to 15 millimeters to print. This provides the ability to print a larger image, provide more wrap and more curvature coverage on the print.

Dimon: For us, it is the molding side and its durability and consistency – for example, a hand pump that someone consistently uses over and over. An in-mold label is not going to wear off and the consistency aspect of it is that once the in-mold label is dialed in, the label is in the same placement every time.

Once the process is dialed in, you will get a consistent part vs. a sticker or some type of label. You are cutting out the cost of labor, first of all, and you’re also getting the label placed in the exact same spot every time.

Travis: When we are working with a molder who hasn’t worked with in-mold decorating before, we come in with a handheld static charger. We’ll bring in labels, go out on the floor, and find a mold where we think we can bring the labels into it, static charge it and mold the label into the part.

When that first part comes out, it’s the A-ha! moment. People gather around and look at it almost like a magic show. So that’s always the fun part of what we do.

What are the largest barriers that you face when promoting in-mold or direct-to-object decorating processes (cost, general process knowledge, production volume, etc.)?

Strunk: Different decorating techniques all have their place. It all depends on what the product is going to be used for, its longevity and what the customer is trying to do.

Certainly, there always is the question of costs. There are significant upfront costs with inkjet or other types of equipment. There are full-time engineers who are involved in the installation of the machines and the training. There are many facets to it, but cost always comes into play. However, this can be overcome by offering the right machine for the application.

Dimon: From a molding standpoint, it comes down to going through what the end use is and making sure that it’s the right process. With IML, we must ensure the customer understands the durability, what the label will look like and the consistency.

There will be an investment, especially with the automation and tooling. Customers need to consider the cost, longevity of the tool and how, over time, that is going to pay off with IML.

Travis: It is the fear of the unknown, I think this is the reason why people push back against in-mold decoration. IMDA has helped create more confidence and offered that it is a more viable solution here in the United States; the growth has been tremendous.

The pushback originally was the unknown. What kind of scrap am I going to have? Will the label move and create more scrap? All of these things can be fixed. And because we have better understanding of the language and knowledge of the process, it’s a lot easier to overcome those challenges.

What are the challenges involved from a production and cost standpoint in converting an existing product or container to a different decorating or labeling method? How do you get past those objections?

Strunk: Before a customer decides to go with a particular type of decorating process, we have a vast team of engineers and others who will analyze if the machine fits their needs. Oftentimes, this includes testing for adhesion and other areas before the order happens. Questions must be answered such as: What needs to be altered on the machine? What needs to be added to the machine? All that typically has been quoted out upfront, but it just needs to be reviewed multiple times to ensure the customers are getting what they want.

Dimon: I always like to bring the experts and engineers to the table. I bring in our team to really work through the details with their engineering team, talking through everything from a technical standpoint.

If we are starting a new IML project, we want to go over/discuss all of the potential challenges and advantages of moving to a new decorating process.

Travis: If we are launching a new program for in-mold, we want the mold maker, the automation company and the label supplier in the room. We want the entire group to work together and coordinate.

The label is the indicator that something in the process is not right. What we have to do then is figure it out. For instance, the label moved, but is it really because of the label, or is it perhaps that the static charging isn’t correct on the equipment? Is the mold flow a factor? Is the tool dirty? Is there something else going on? The label serves as an indicator of a process problem. That is why it’s so important to have all the people involved in the process.