Apparatus to make decorations on a prefabricated water-proofing bitumen-mix membrane, wherein the decorations are made by depositing solid particles, in the form of flakes, grains, sand or grit, suitable to adhere to at least one surface of said prefabricated water-proofing bitumen-mix membrane. The apparatus includes at least one transfer member provided with a support surface suitable to receive, support and transfer the solid particles toward the surface to be enhanced of the prefabricated water-proofing bitumen-mix membrane. The support surface is provided with a plurality of cavities suitable to receive the solid particles. The cavities are made inside at least one surface portion of the support surface and the surface portion, essentially reproducing the shape and sizes of at least one of the decorations.

Apparatus to make decorations on a prefabricated water-proofing bitumen-mix membrane, wherein the decorations are made by depositing solid particles, in the form of flakes, grains, sand or grit, suitable to adhere to at least one surface of said prefabricated water-proofing bitumen-mix membrane. The apparatus comprises at least one transfer member provided with a support surface suitable to receive, support and transfer the solid particles toward the surface to be enhanced of the prefabricated water-proofing bitumen-mix membrane. The support surface is provided with a plurality of cavities suitable to receive the solid particles. The cavities are made inside at least one surface portion of the support surface and the surface portion, essentially reproducing the shape and sizes of at least one of the decorations.

The invention relates to a method and to a module (I) for applying a viscous medium (19), in particular an adhesive or lacquer, to a surface (16) wherein the module (I) comprises a reservoir (2) that can be fed with the viscous medium (19), wherein the outer surface (4) of the module (I) comprises an outlet region (5) for the viscous medium (19), wherein the module (I) comprises at least one nozzle channel (6) which fluidly connects the reservoir (2) to the outlet region (5), wherein a smallest diameter (dmin) of the at least one nozzle channel (6) is smaller than 0.8 mm and wherein the module (I) does not comprise any movable parts for closing the at least one nozzle channel (6).

The invention relates to a method and to a module (I) for applying a viscous medium (19), in particular an adhesive or lacquer, to a surface (16) wherein the module (I) comprises a reservoir (2) that can be fed with the viscous medium (19), wherein the outer surface (4) of the module (I) comprises an outlet region (5) for the viscous medium (19), wherein the module (I) comprises at least one nozzle channel (6) which fluidly connects the reservoir (2) to the outlet region (5), wherein a smallest diameter (dmin) of the at least one nozzle channel (6) is smaller than 0.8 mm and wherein the module (I) does not comprise any movable parts for closing the at least one nozzle channel (6).

A printing apparatus includes a transfer member that cyclically passes through a formation area of an ink image and a transfer area of the ink image, a print unit that forms the ink image on the transfer member, and a transfer unit that transfers the ink image from the transfer member to a print medium. A liquid absorption unit absorbs a liquid component from the ink image on the transfer member, before the transfer by the transfer unit, and includes a liquid absorbing member that absorbs the liquid component, a support unit that supports the liquid absorbing member to be movable cyclically, an applying unit that applies a moisturizing liquid, and a supply unit that supplies the moisturizing liquid to the applying unit. The printing apparatus also includes control unit that controls a supply amount of the moisturizing liquid supplied to the applying unit by the supply unit.

A coated board of wood-based material and a method for coating a board of wood-based material, wherein the board of wood-based material is in particular a wall panel or floor panel or is intended for producing such a panel, comprising a front side and a rear side, wherein at least the surface of the front side is provided with a polymer coating and wherein the polymer coating has a hardness gradient, so that the hardness of the polymer layer decreases with increasing depth from the surface.

A coated board of wood-based material and a method for coating a board of wood-based material, wherein the board of wood-based material is in particular a wall panel or floor panel or is intended for producing such a panel, comprising a front side and a rear side, wherein at least the surface of the front side is provided with a polymer coating and wherein the polymer coating has a hardness gradient, so that the hardness of the polymer layer decreases with increasing depth from the surface.

A printing apparatus includes a liquid absorption unit configured to absorb a liquid component from an ink image formed on a transfer member before transferring the ink image to a print medium. The liquid absorption unit includes a liquid absorbing member configured to absorb the liquid component, a support unit configured to support the liquid absorbing member to be movable cyclically, an applying unit arranged in a moving path of the liquid absorbing member and configured to apply a moisturizing liquid while contacting the liquid absorbing member, and a supply unit configured to supply the moisturizing liquid to the applying unit. The printing apparatus includes a control unit configured to control a supply amount of the moisturizing liquid to the applying unit supplied by the supply unit.

Systems and methods for coating a thin film with a viscous material, such as a liquid, a paste, or an adhesive, at a desired thickness. In such a system, two films move adjacent to one another, optionally in opposite directions, atop two rollers separated by a known gap that defines a coating thickness, with the material being transferred from one film to the other. The rollers may be maintained in their relative positions by springs and/or linear actuators and positioned using linear encoders. In alternative arrangements, the material to be coated could be low viscosity material such as a polymeric solution. Air knives may be provided near the gap to create an air flow that aids in preventing the free flow of low viscosity materials outside the bounds of the film during coating.

Methods of cleaning a surface with an assembly comprise (i) delivering cleaning fluid to a first portion of a cleaning fabric and/or a first region of the surface; (ii) engaging the first region with the first portion and moving the first portion in a predefined motion; (iii) disengaging the first portion from the first region; (iv) replacing the first portion with a second portion of the cleaning fabric; (v) engaging the first region with the second portion and moving the second portion in a predefined motion; (vi) disengaging the second portion from the first region; (vii) replacing the second portion with a third portion of the cleaning fabric; (viii) moving the assembly relative to the surface and/or moving the surface relative to the assembly; and (ix) repeating steps (i)-(viii) with respect to a second region of the surface and with the third portion and a fourth portion of the cleaning fabric.