Method for manufacturing a sleeved product

Abstract

A method of activating the shrink characteristic of a multi-layered film ( 1 ), the method comprising the steps of providing a multi-layered film comprising at least a base layer film ( 2 ) that comprises a shrinkable film, and a photothermic layer ( 3 ), associated with the base layer film, and comprising a photothermic material, exposing the multi-layered film ( 1 ) to electromagnetic radiation in order for the photothermic material to generate heat and shrink the multi-layered film ( 1 ), wherein the electromagnetic radiation comprises UV-light having a peak wavelength between 200 nm and 399 nm, and at least 90% of the UV-light is within a bandwidth of ±30 nm of the peak wavelength.

1 . Method of activating the shrink characteristic of a multi-layered film, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing a multi-layered film comprising at least a base layer film comprising a shrinkable film, and a photothermic layer, associated with the base layer film, and comprising a photothermic material,   exposing the multi-layered film to electromagnetic radiation in order for the photothermic material to shrink the multi-layered film;   wherein the electromagnetic radiation comprises UV-light having a peak wavelength between 200 nm and 399 nm, and   at least 90% of the UV-light is within a bandwidth of ±30 nm of the peak wavelength.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the UV-light is emitted by a LED-UV emitter. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the UV-light has a peak wavelength between 300 nm and 395 nm, more preferably between 350 nm and 390 nm. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the base layer film is substantially free from a photo-thermic material. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the base layer film is a multi-layered laminated base layer film. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the photothermic layer is provided in direct contact with the base layer film. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the multi-layered film has a UV absorption of at least 50%, calculated from transmittance and reflectance as measured by ISO13468-2. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the photothermic layer is multi-layered and at least one of the photothermic layers has a UV absorption of at least 50%, calculated from transmittance and reflectance as measured by ISO13468-2. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the multi-layered film comprises a design layer, associated with the base layer film and/or the photo-thermic layer, and comprising a colored ink composition. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the design layer is the photothermic layer. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the design layer forms a pattern of discontinuous regions, and the multi-layer film comprising a base layer, a photothermic layer and a design layer is substantially homogeneously shrunk independent from the pattern. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the photothermic layer and/or the design layer is printed. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the multi-layer film preferably has a UV shrinkage of at least 15% in main shrinking direction as obtained by exposure to UV light of 6.0 J/cm 2 . 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the base layer film preferably has a UV shrinkage of less than 5% in main shrinking direction as obtained by exposure to UV light of 6.0 J/cm 2 . 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the base layer film has a free shrink in main shrinking direction of less than 10% after immersion in water at 60° C. for 10 sec. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the photothermic layer comprises a photothermic composition comprising one or more binder resins and from 3 to 80 wt. % of the photothermic material relative to the photothermic layer. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the photothermic material comprises UV-light absorbing material selected from (white) titanium dioxide (TiO2); (black) carbon black; (cyan) phtalocyanide; (magenta) quinacridone, diketopyrrolopyrrole, naphtol-based azo pigment, anthraquinone; (yellow) aceto acetic acid- and/or anhydride-based azo pigment; dioxiazine and benzotriazole UV absorber, benzo triazole, benzo phenone, salicylate, triazine and/or cyano acrylate type of UV absorber; and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the photothermic composition of the photothermic layer comprises a white ink composition, comprising from 20 to 80 wt. % of titanium dioxide relative to the photothermic layer. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the photothermic composition of the photothermic layer comprises a transparent lacquer composition comprising a benzotriazol UV absorber. 
     
     
         20 . A method for manufacturing a sleeved product, the method comprising arranging a sleeve around the product, the sleeve comprising a multi-layered film comprising at least a base layer film comprising a shrinkable film, and a photothermic layer, associated with the base layer film, and comprising a photo-thermic material,
 exposing the sleeve to electromagnetic radiation in order for the photothermic material to shrink the multi-layered film;   wherein
 the electromagnetic radiation comprises UV-light having a peak wavelength between 200 nm and 399 nm, and 
 at least 90% of the UV-light is within a bandwidth of ±30 nm of the peak wavelength. 
   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the sleeve is provided in a flat form and wrapped around a mandrel, whereby two sleeve edge parts to be sealed overlap and/or contact each other in a seam area, and the edges are sealed to provide a tubular sleeve, whereafter the sleeve is opened and ejected around the product. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the sleeve is provided in a flat form and wrapped around the product whereby two sleeve edge parts to be sealed overlap and/or contact each other in a seam area, and the edges are sealed to provide the sleeve. 
     
     
         23 . The method of according to  claim 20 , wherein the sleeve is provided in a preformed tubular form and arranged around the product. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein at least one of the edge parts does not comprise the photothermic layer in the seam area. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the product has a substantially cylindrical shape comprising a large diameter part and a smaller diameter part, and the sleeve covers at least part of the large diameter and smaller diameter part. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the circumference of the smaller diameter part is between 15-70% of the circumference of the large diameter part. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation comprises UV-light having a peak wavelength of 365 nm, 385 nm or 395 nm, wherein at least 75% of the UV-light is within a bandwidth of 10 nm of the peak wavelength. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation comprises UV-light having a peak wavelength of 365 nm or 385 nm, wherein at least 90% of the UV-light is within a bandwidth of ±10 nm of the peak wavelength.