METHOD FOR PRODUCING A DECORATIVE PANEL COMPRISING THE APPLICATION OF A FILM TO A SUBSTRATE BY MEANS OF ELECTROSTATIC CHARGING

Abstract

The present invention proposes a method for producing a decorative panel comprising the application of a film (12) to a substrate (14), having the method steps: a) providing a substrate (14) that is to be provided with the film (12), b) providing a film (12), and c) applying the film (12) to at least one subregion of the substrate (14), wherein d) the film (12) is electrostatically charged before being applied to the substrate (14), wherein e) the substrate (14) is electrostatically charged before the film (12) is applied to the substrate (14), wherein f) the electrostatic charging of the substrate (14) and of the film (12) is performed such that the film (12) and the substrate (14) are oppositely electrostatically charged, g) introducing locking means at edges of the substrate (14), and h) applying a decoration to the substrate (14) before the film (12) is applied to the substrate (14), or applying a decoration to the film (12)

Claims

1. A method for producing a decorative panel comprising the application of a film to a substrate, including the method steps: a) providing a substrate to be provided with the film; b) providing a film; and c) applying the film onto at least a partial area of the substrate, wherein d) the film is electrostatically charged before being applied to the substrate, wherein e) the substrate is electrostatically charged before the film is applied to the substrate, and wherein f) the electrostatic charging of the substrate and the film are carried out in such a way that the film and the substrate are electrostatically charged oppositely; and g) inserting interlocking means at edges of the substrate; and h) applying a decoration onto the substrate prior to applying the film to the substrate or applying a decoration onto the film.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the film is positively charged and the substrate is negatively charged.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the film is charged to a range of ≥50 V to ≤150 V.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the substrate is charged to a range of ≥−750 V to ≤−150 V.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein a device for applying electrostatic charges for carrying out method step d) or e) comprises at least one of a strip, a roller, a brush, a lip formed at least partially from an electrically conductive material, and an ion beam device.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the substrate and the film is electrostatically discharged prior to electrostatic charging.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein a device for dissipating electrostatic charges comprises at least one of a strip, a roller, a brush, a lip formed at least partially from an electrically conductive material, and an ion beam device.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is formed of plastic.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the film is formed from plastic.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the application of the film to the substrate is carried out as thermo lamination or as wet lamination.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein method step h) comprises printing the substrate before applying the film to the substrate.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein method step h) comprises printing the film before or after applying the film to the substrate.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the film is provided with a structure.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein a further layer is applied to the film, which is provided with a structure.

Description

[0067] The invention is further explained below with reference to a FIGURE.

[0068] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of an arrangement for carrying out a method according to the invention.

[0069] FIG. 1 shows an arrangement 10 by means of which a film 12 can be applied to a substrate 14. For this purpose, a feed device 16 is shown, by means of which the film 12 can be provided. The feed device 16 comprises, for example, a deflecting roller 18. Furthermore, a conveying system 20 is shown, on which a plurality of plate-shaped substrates 14 can be conveyed. The conveying system 20 comprises circulating belts 24 guided by rollers 22, on which the substrates 14 rest.

[0070] Moreover, calender rollers 26, 28 are shown, between which a roller gap 30 can be formed. The substrate 14 travels on the belts 24 into the roller gap 30 and the film 12 is guided by the calender roll 26 into the roller gap 30 onto the substrate 14. In the view according to the FIGURE, the substrate 14 and the film 12 enter the roller gap 30 from the right to the left side. In the roller gap 30, the film 12 can be applied to the substrates 14. For this purpose, the calender rollers 26, 28 or at least the calender roller 26 guiding the film 12 can be heated, if necessary, and a contact pressure of the film 12 can be exerted to the substrate 14 by the calender rollers 26, 28. As a result, the film 12 can be applied to the substrate 14, for example, by means of thermo lamination. However, it should be mentioned that in principle also the substrate 14 can be heated and that freely selectable heating means can be used for heating the substrate 14 and the film 12.

[0071] Downstream the calender rolls 26, 28 and downstream the roller gap 30, respectively, the film 12 is firmly bonded to the substrate 14 in the case of thermo lamination.

[0072] When a laminating agent, such as a lacquer, is used, this can be cured by the radiation unit 36, which emits UV radiation, for example. As a result, the film 12, which is still merely in the adhesive bed upstream the radiation unit 36, can adhere firmly to the substrate 12 downstream the radiation unit 36. For example, the radiation unit 36 may be located in an area approximately 200 mm downstream the roller gap 30.

[0073] Subsequently, further processing steps may follow, such as providing a structured lacquer layer on the film 12 or basically structuring the surface. Furthermore, upstream or downstream the roller gap 30, locking means can be introduced into edges of the substrate 14, for example if the method is to be used as part of the production of a decorative panel. For example, in the latter case, a decoration can also be applied to the substrate 14, which can likewise be done upstream or downstream the roller gap 30.

[0074] In order to enable a particularly high-quality application of the film to the substrate, moreover, a device 32 for applying electrostatic charges to the film 12 is provided, and a device 34 for applying electrostatic charges to the substrate 14 is further provided. The devices 32, 34 are respectively designed, for example, as a strip, which preferably has an arrangement extending preferably parallel to a surface of the film 12 or of the substrate 14 and aligned transversely with respect to the conveying direction of the film 12 or of the substrate 14.

[0075] This may enable the film 12 to be electrostatically charged before being applied to the substrate 14, and the substrate 14 to be electrostatically charged before the film 12 is applied to the substrate 14. More specifically, the electrostatic charging of the substrate 14 and the film 12 is to be carried out in such a way that the film 12 and the substrate 14 are electrostatically charged oppositely.

[0076] In detail, it may be provided that the film 12 is positively charged and that the substrate 14 is negatively charged, wherein preferably the film 12 is charged to a range of ≥50 V to ≤150 V and wherein preferably the substrate 14 is charged to a range of ≥−750 V to ≤−150 V.

[0077] Not shown are optional means which enable that at least one of the substrate 14 and the film 12, for example both the substrate 14 and the film 12, is/are electrostatically discharged prior to electrostatic charging.

LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

[0078] 10 arrangement [0079] 12 film [0080] 14 substrate [0081] 16 feed device [0082] 18 deflecting roller [0083] 20 conveying system [0084] 22 roller [0085] 24 belt [0086] 26 calender roller [0087] 28 calender roller [0088] 30 roller gap [0089] 32 device for applying electrostatic charges [0090] 34 device for applying electrostatic charges [0091] 36 radiation unit