PVC Shrink Label Printing Machine – Full Servo 6 Colour

A shrink label printing machine is a roll-to-roll press that prints shrink film – usually PVC, sometimes PET or OPS – which is later formed into a sleeve, cut and shrunk onto the product. The key demands are heat control (film must not stretch during drying), accurate registration on a substrate that moves easily, reverse printing (artwork on the inside of the sleeve), and drying that suits the ink system.

The RK shrink label machine meets these with a chiller drum system, one servo drive on every printing station with automatic plate registration, an optional turn bar for back side printing, and both UV and hot air drying. The published configuration is six colours, and the machine is available from 2 to 12 colours. A sleeve wraps the whole container, so the printed film is wider than a front label, and RK makes the machine in 450, 550 and 670 mm web widths. A 450 mm web prints up to 440 mm wide.

Six Colour Full Servo Flexo Printing

All six printing units, the die-cutting unit, the infeed and the outfeed are driven by individual servo motors, nine in total (Schneider / Inovance). The stations stay in step with the web from the start of the roll to the end. Registration between colours is held electronically, which matters on shrink film where a small drift shows clearly once the sleeve is shrunk.

Chiller Drum System

Heat is the enemy of shrink film. The web runs over the chiller drum after drying, so the film stays cool and dimensionally stable. RK states that the chiller drum helps the machine hold registration on films as thin as 12 micron.

All UV Dryer and Hot Air Dryer

Each unit has an all UV dryer system (brand UV Rays / GEW, made in Italy / UK) and a hot air dryer, so the press can run UV inks or water-based and solvent-based inks as the job requires.

Automatic Plate Registration

The automatic plate registration system brings the plates into position electronically at the start of the job, which cuts setup waste on expensive film.

Turn Bar for Back Side (Reverse) Printing

Shrink sleeve artwork is printed on the inside of the film so it is protected once shrunk. A turn bar flips the web so the machine can print the reverse side in the same pass. The turn bar is an extra option.

Delam-Relam and Cold Foil / Lamination

The delam-relam unit separates and rejoins layers for multi-layer work, and the cold foil / lamination unit adds metallic effects or a protective laminate inline. Both are extra options, fitted where the job needs them.

Ultrasonic Web Guide and Load-Cell Tension Control

The unwinding unit uses an imported ultrasonic electronic web guide and an auto electronic tension controller (powder brake) with load cell feedback. The rewinding unit has an auto tension controller with powder clutch. Thin film needs this level of tension control to run flat.

Online Die Cutting With Waste Matrix Rewinding

The online rotary die-cutting section, with one to three die-cutting units, cuts inline and rewinds the waste matrix, so the machine can deliver finished rolls where the job calls for it.

The shrink film roll is loaded on the unwinding unit with the pneumatic loading system. The ultrasonic web guide keeps it centred and the load cell tension controller keeps it at a steady, low tension suitable for film.

The web passes through the six printing units. At each unit a ceramic anilox roller meters ink onto the plate, the plate prints, the web passes through the UV or hot air dryer, and then over the chiller drum to bring its temperature back down. Where the job is reverse-printed, the turn bar flips the web so the artwork goes on the inside face. The delam-relam and cold foil / lamination units are used where the artwork calls for them.

After printing, the web passes through the online rotary die-cutting units if cutting is required, the waste matrix is rewound, and the finished film winds on the rewinding unit under its own tension control. The whole line runs from the touch screen.

Beverage shrink sleeves

water, juice, soft drink and energy drink bottles with full-wrap artwork.

Dairy and food packaging

cups, bottles and tubs with 360° branding.

Personal care and cosmetics

shampoo, lotion and cosmetic containers where the sleeve is the main branding surface.

Pharmaceutical and nutraceutical packs

sleeves that carry tamper evidence and regulatory text.

Multipack and promotional sleeves

seasonal and promotional wraps in shorter runs.

Bottle cap and neck sleeves

tamper-evident and decorative neck bands.

The machine is configured for PVC shrink film and is suitable for other thin shrink films within the FMS substrate range of 12 micron to 200 GSM. It also runs the self-adhesive stock, paper, BOPP and PET that the platform is designed for. Because film behaviour depends on gauge, ink system and drying, share your actual film samples with the RK team before the specification is fixed.

• PVC Shrink Sleeve Glueing Machine RK PSG 650glues the printed film into a sleeve first.
• PVC Shrink Sleeve Cutting Machine RK PSC 320cuts the glued sleeve to length. The glued flat sleeve is half the width of the printed film, so it fits the machine.
• Flexo Printing Machine With Full Servothe full FMS range, 2 to 12 colours.
• FMS-3S Seriesthree servos per station.

RK Label Printing Machinery Pvt. Ltd. has manufactured label printing and converting machinery in Ahmedabad, Gujarat since 1995, operates three manufacturing units and supplies customers in 23+ countries. For shrink sleeve producers, RK offers the complete chain from one supplier: the shrink label printing machine, the sleeve glueing machine and the sleeve cutting machine, all built to the customer's film and sleeve sizes rather than a fixed catalogue.

• Film type and gauge: PVC, PET or OPS, and the micron thickness, decide the chiller, tension and drying settings. Bring samples.
• Web width: RK makes the machine in 450, 550 and 670 mm. Choose the width from your sleeve size and the number of sleeves across the film.
• Colours: the machine is available from 2 to 12 colours. Six covers most shrink sleeve artwork; discuss more if you run process work plus several spot colours and white.
• Reverse printing: confirm the turn bar arrangement suits your artwork orientation.
• Finishing inline: decide whether you need cold foil / lamination or delam-relam for your jobs. The online die-cutting unit is part of the machine.
• Downstream: the film is glued into a sleeve first on the PSG 650, then cut on the PSC 320. Plan both machines alongside the press so the whole line is matched.

The price of a shrink label printing machine depends on colour count, web width, drying system, chiller arrangement, the extra options included, anilox rollers, cylinder sets and the web width you choose. Prices are quoted ex-works Ahmedabad with GST at 18% applicable; engineer transport and stay for installation and training at your site are borne by the customer. Share your film specification, sleeve sizes, colour count and monthly volume with RK and the engineering team will recommend a configuration and quote against it.