IMDA Awards Competition 2022: Kimberly-Clark and LEONHARD KURZ honored for joint project

Fürth/Germany, February 28th, 2023: As a trade association, the In-Mold Decorating Association (IMDA) represents injection molders, printers, material suppliers, and machine manufacturers who are committed to the development of In-Mold Labeling (IML), In-Mold Decoration (IMD), and In-Mold Electronics (IME). As part of the IMDA Awards Competition, the renowned organization annually honors the best products manufactured using IML and IMD, as well as packaging from all over the world.

LEONHARD KURZ won over the jurors once again in 2022 - this time with a partner project: The Kimberly-Clark Professional^TM ICON^TM hygiene dispenser collection has won the coveted award in the ‘Best Use of IMD for Consumer Goods / Durable Products’ category. The new product family of towel, soap, and toilet paper dispensers provides a particularly pleasant washroom experience with their combination of elegant design, hygiene features, and advanced technology.

Iconic: Functionality meets design

With no significant innovations in the hygiene dispenser product segment for decades, Kimberly-Clark’s ICON^TM products set new standards in customization and integration into a variety of environments with their diverse color, material, and surface options. The first product range comprises six interchangeable front panels with designs developed by Kimberly-Clark in collaboration with various architects. Choose from three natural designs (marble, cherry blossom, and ebony grain) and three modern classics with geometric mosaic patterns in black, silver, and white. Further variations are already in the pipeline.

Uwe Kandler, who heads the IMD division at LEONHARD KURZ, looks back with pride on the two-year development process: “It was a very demanding project during which we regularly liaised and discussed everything down to the smallest detail. This excellent teamwork is reflected in high-quality, appealing products that will now be available beyond the borders of the USA as well.” The market launch of the Kimberly-Clark Professional^TM ICON^TM hygiene dispenser collection was initially only intended for the North American market, but was ultimately extended to Europe due to the great success of the series.

Highly economical technology for plastic surfaces

The front panels were implemented together with LEONHARD KURZ using the IMD process. For this production process, ABS plastic is used - but it is also possible to use recycled materials, which can also be decorated in a high-quality and appealing way. The surfaces finished with KURZ technology are recyclable and don’t affect the recyclability of the components. The panels can also be provided with long-term antibacterial and antiviral hygiene protection in the IMD process using KURZ BIOFENSE^® AntiViral. The innovative transparent coating effectively repels SARS-CoV-2 viruses, among other things.

About the IMDA Awards

Compared to traditional technologies, In-Mold Decoration produces products with comparatively better properties at lower costs. This is because in the IMD process, injection molding and finishing take place in a single, efficient work step. This reduces material expenditure, energy consumption, and CO₂ emissions. IMDA has set itself the goal of using various initiatives to draw attention to precisely these advantages of in-mold technology and to focus even more on appropriately manufactured products and packaging. The IMDA Awards were first introduced back in 2007. The evaluation criteria include not only the complexity and design of the products and packaging, but also the functionality, technical innovation, and sustainability of the materials and processes.

Further information on the joint project and on IMD can be found on the KURZ website.