A thermoplastic prepreg includes a web or mesh of fibers in which the web or mesh of fibers includes chopped fibers. The thermoplastic prepreg also includes a thermoplastic material that fully impregnates the web or mesh of fibers so that the thermoplastic prepreg has a void content of less than 5%. The thermoplastic material is polymers that are formed by in-situ polymerization of monomers or oligomers in which greater than 90% of the monomers or oligomers react to form the thermoplastic material. The thermoplastic prepreg includes between 5 and 95 weight percent of the thermoplastic material and the chopped fibers that form the web or mesh of fibers are un-bonded.

An apparatus for applying an ultraviolet coating includes: a substantially vertically oriented frame; a first roll rotatably attached to the first side of the frame; a second roll rotatably attached to its second side; multiple nozzles disposed on the first side, above the first roll; a motor coupled to the second roll; an ultraviolet coating fluid reservoir disposed above, and coupled to, the nozzles, thereby providing the nozzles with the ultraviolet coating fluid; and an air compressor coupled to the nozzles, thereby providing the nozzles with compressed air. The ultraviolet coating fluid is provided to the nozzles solely via a gravity feed from the reservoir. In use, the motor causes sheet material, initially wound around the first roll, to advance up and over the frame and then wind onto the second roll, as the ultraviolet coating fluid is sprayed onto the sheet material by the nozzles.

A device for lacquer transfer is disclosed having a frame, a nozzle with a dispensing end for dispensing lacquer, and a transfer roller with a circumferential lateral wall, a circumferential outer contact surface of the lateral wall comprises several depressions, wherein the nozzle and the transfer roller are arranged such that lacquer is dispensable from the dispensing end onto the outer contact surface and into the depressions, wherein the transfer roller is configured to roll with the outer contact surface on a work surface of a workpiece for transferring the lacquer from the outer contact surface and from the depressions to the work surface of the workpiece. A first hardening unit is formed as a UV-light unit configured for partially hardening the lacquer in a contactless way by emitting UV-light, the first hardening unit is arranged within an interior space defined by the transfer roller. The lateral wall of the transfer roller is transparent for UV-light, and the first hardening unit is arranged such that UV-light is emittable towards the work surface in a first operational area of the work surface to partially harden the lacquer in the first operational area.

A preform coating device is provided with: a conveyance part that conveys a preform; a dispenser that discharges a coating liquid toward the preform; a drier that is disposed along the conveyance route of the conveyance part so as to be separated from the dispenser, and that dries the coating liquid applied to the preform by irradiating, with infrared rays, the coating liquid applied to the preform; and an air sending mechanism that is disposed along the conveyance route of the conveyance part so as to be separated from the drier and that sends air toward the preform irradiated with infrared rays.

A preform coating device is provided with: a conveyance part that conveys a preform; a dispenser that discharges a coating liquid toward the preform; a drier that is disposed along the conveyance route of the conveyance part so as to be separated from the dispenser, and that dries the coating liquid applied to the preform by irradiating, with infrared rays, the coating liquid applied to the preform; and a first air sending mechanism that sends air, toward the preform, for inhibiting the temperature of the preform from rising at the position where the preform is irradiated with infrared rays by the drier.

The present invention is aimed at providing: a surface treatment agent that is capable of forming a surface-treated coating film having excellent antifouling properties; a metal material that includes a surface-treated coating film using the surface treatment agent; and a method of producing the metal material. The present invention provides a surface treatment agent containing: a silicone resin (A); a compound (B) containing a metal element selected from titanium, platinum, rhodium and palladium; and an aromatic hydrocarbon-based solvent (C). In the surface treatment agent, (I) a content of the silicone resin (A) is in a range of 90% by mass to 99.9% by mass with respect to a total solid mass of the silicone resin (A) and the compound (B), and (II) a ratio (B.sub.M/A.sub.M) of a mass (B.sub.M) of the compound (B) to a mass (A.sub.M) of the silicone resin (A) is in a range of 0.001 to 0.111.

An improved inside of can curing technology is provided. One implementation uses narrowband, semiconductor produced infrared energy which is focused into the inside of the can to affect a very high-speed curing result. It uses focused high powered, radiant energy that will directly impact the coating covering the inside walls of the can to rapidly cure the coating. The curing is accomplished so rapidly that the de-tempering and annealing of the aluminum can body does not have time to occur, thus leaving a stronger can. It is therefore possible to make either a stronger can with the same amount of aluminum or a can of the same strength but with less aluminum. It is also possible to eliminate the natural gas fueled oven that is the current standard and replace it with a completely hydrocarbon-free curing alternative that has superior performance. This high powered radiant, narrowband energy will be introduced directly into each individual can where it will rapidly cure the inside coating while being completely and dynamically digitally controlled to introduce only the needed heat and to not overheat the can.

A method of manufacturing layered protective packaging materials and a protective packaging product is described. In an embodiment the method comprises the steps of: selecting one or more layers of a substrate; treating at least one surface of at least one of said layers with a coating composition; drying the layers to substantially remove the water content from the coating composition; and applying heat and/or radiation to the coating composition to volumetrically expand the coating composition to transform the treated layer into a protective layer. The step of treating the layer with the coating composition uses a flexographic coating technique.

A machine can include a UV zone that includes LED-based UV radiation sources; and a controller that controls conditions within the machine to regulate temperature of the LED-based UV radiation sources.

A curing system can include a movable housing, a curtain, one or more shutters, and a control unit. The curtain can comprise at least one curing element and can be coupled to the housing and movable relative to the housing. The one or more shutters can each comprise one or more curing elements, the curing elements being movable relative to the shutters. The control unit can be configured to operate the curing system based on one or more system inputs including a recipe, a template, and one or more system parameters.