Method for manufacturing a registered embossed decorative panel

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a registered embossed decorative panel including providing a substrate having a printed design, applying a coating to the surface of the substrate, applying a release foil to the coating, curing the coating to maintaining the position of the release foil, printing a resin on the release foil, consolidating the composite under heat and pressure, and removing the release foil.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a registered embossed decorative panel, comprising the steps of: producing a composite, comprising the steps of: providing a substrate having a printed design on a surface of the substrate; applying a coating on the surface of the substrate, the coating covering the printed design; applying a release foil on the applied coating; curing the applied coating to maintain a position of the release foil on the surface of the substrate; and printing a resin on the maintained, positioned release foil, the resin printed in register with the printed design; consolidating the produced composite under heat and pressure; and removing the maintained, positioned release foil from the consolidated, produced composite to provide a registered embossed decorative panel.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the coating is pre-cured.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of: coating predetermined areas of an outer surface of the registered embossed decorative panel.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the predetermined areas comprise top areas of the outer surface.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the substrate having the printed design and the maintained, positioned release foil and maintained in alignment during each of the steps including printing the resin on the maintained, positioned release foil and consolidating the produced composite under heat and pressure.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the release foil is transparent.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of curing the printed resin by one or more of radiation, heat, and chemical additives.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the resin is printed on the maintained, positioned release foil by a digital printing process.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of consolidating the produced composite under heat and pressure comprises simultaneous application of a temperature from 100 C. to 250 C. at a pressure from 15 kg/cm.sup.2 to 100 kg/cm.sup.2 for 10 seconds up to 1 hour.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of scanning the printed design and storing the scanned, printed design as a digital file, wherein the digital file is used to print the resin on the maintained, positioned release foil.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The present invention also relates to the use of such a panel in interior and/or exterior decoration.

(2) Further advantages, features and details of the invention result from the following description of preferred exemplary embodiments and also using the description. All the drawings shown here are a schematic presentation and are only intended for interpretation of the description and claims.

(3) In the figures:

(4) FIG. 1 shows a front view of a coated and printed substrate with a release film on top of the coating of the printed substrate.

(5) FIG. 2 shows a front view of a registered embossing print on top of release film.

(6) FIG. 3 shows a front view of a press-cycle.

(7) FIG. 4 shows a front view of a panel after press-cycle and optional coating of tops.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(8) A method for manufacturing a registered embossed decorative panel including providing a substrate having a printed design, applying a coating to the surface of the substrate, applying a release foil to the coating, curing the coating to maintaining the position of the release foil, printing a resin on the release foil, consolidating the composite under heat and pressure, and removing the release foil.

(9) FIG. 1 shows a front view of a coated and printed substrate 10 with a release film 4 on top of a coating 3. Coating 3 is located on substrate 1, wherein substrate 1 is provided with a desired design 2. Design 2 is completely covered by coating 3 and a release film 4 is placed on coating 4. This FIG. 1 shows thus the result of the above mentioned steps 1 and 2.

(10) According to FIG. 2 the coated and printed substrate 10 as shown in FIG. 1 is provided with the embossing print 5 resulting in a composite 20. In composite 20 the embossing print 5 is printed in register with the dcor below, i.e. the design or print 2 present on substrate 1. This FIG. 2 shows thus the result of the above mentioned step 3.

(11) According to FIG. 3 a press plate 6 is brought into contact with release film 4 and the embossing print 5 is pressed into the release film 4 resulting in a displacement of the embossing print 5. The displacement of the embossing print 5 is into the direction of the design 2 present on substrate 1. Since the embossing print 5 is printed in register with the design or print 2 present on substrate 1, the design or print 2 will be pressed into the substrate 1. The result is that on the interface between the substrate 1 and the coating 3 trenches or indentations 7 will be created, the trenches 7 being filled with coating 3. A similar situation can be seen at the interface between coating 3 and release film 4, i.e. the formation of trenches or indentations 8. FIG. 3 thus shows a construction 30, consisting of a press plate 6, a release film 4, a coating 3 and a substrate 1. This FIG. 3 shows thus the result of the above mentioned step 4.

(12) According to FIG. 4 both the release film 4 and the press plate 6 as shown in FIG. 3 have been removed from the coating layer 3. The top area 11 (see FIG. 3) of the registered embossed panel 40 has been provided with a coating 12, without touching the valleys 13 of the embossing, thereby creating gloss/matt effects between the already in-register top-valley of the pressed dcor. This FIG. 4 shows thus the result of the above mentioned steps 5 and 6.

(13) In the above shown schematic FIGS. 3 and 4 the indentations made during the press-cycle are presented as if they are transferred 100% throughout the layers. In practise however, the further down you go, the less of the indent is actually pressed into that layer. The present inventors assume that smaller indents might even not reach further down than the coating layer at all. This effect is however by no means in conflict with the present invention. The present inventors assume that one has to take into account the loss of indentation throughout the layers and compensate with amount of printed embossing resin as needed.

EXAMPLE 1

(14) A dcor paper is printed with a specific design with a rotogravure process. Next to the design, there are also register marks printed on the edge of the dcor paper. As a next step this printed dcor paper is impregnated with a radiation curable (meth)acrylic resin, for example a urethane acrylate with a resin content between 20 and 60%. This printed and impregnated dcor paper is then coated with a radiation curable (meth)acrylic resin, for example a urethane acrylate. After removing all volatiles, if any, from the impregnation and coating process, the printed substrate paper with the still liquid coating layer on top is laminated with a release paper, where the release layer of the release paper is facing the wet coating. This composite is cured with radiation, for example with electron beams, to cure the radiation curable resins of the impregnation and coating step. A laminate 10 as shown in FIG. 1 is obtained. It is preferred that the width of the release paper is smaller than the width of the printed dcor paper, leaving the printed register marks uncovered.

(15) As a next and separate step the printed and coated substrate paper with the release paper on top of the now cured coating, is printed with the structure giving layer, most preferably digitally with radiation curable resins, for example UV-curing. By scanning the register marks on the edge of the laminate with the specific design, it is now possible to print in register with the design beneath. Depending on the depth of the embossing necessary on each individual spot of the coated substrate, the thickness of the in register print is adapted. The deeper the desired embossing, the thicker the print needs to be. This can be reached by multiple passes or multi head single pass, with in-between radiation curing of each resin deposit (per head or per pass). Infinite variations up to 500 m over width and length are possible. The resulting composite is shown in FIG. 2. Before entering the press cycle the in register print is cured.

(16) As a next and separate step the composite as shown in FIG. 2 is put in a press, single or multi daylight, continuous or discontinuous, subjected to heat from 100 to 250 C. at a pressure of 15 to 100 kg/cm.sup.2 for 10 seconds up to 1 hour. These variations in the main parameters for the press-cycle depend on the specific press-type used and type and reactivity of the resins, mostly poly-condensation resins like urea-, melamine- or phenol-formaldehyde. The specific built-up of the core (not shown here) depends on the final product, but has no influence on registered embossing of the present invention. During the press-cycle, the cured coating layer on top of the printed substrate is permanently deformed by impressing the printed structures through the release paper onto the coating layer, as shown in FIG. 3. After the press-cycle the release paper with the structure print now pressed into, is removed from the registered embossed laminate or panel (see FIG. 4).

EXAMPLE 2

(17) The same starting materials and steps as discussed in Example 1 were used, except for the release paper. The release paper was replaced by a transparent release film, for example a PET-film, especially for press-cycles with no cooling back cycle. The transparency of the film enables the scanning of the complete design, not just register marks on the edge. This means that all designs can be random, not specific to be able to apply the print in register.

EXAMPLE 3

(18) The same starting materials and steps as discussed in Example 1 were used, except for the step of curing the coating layer on top of the printed substrate. According to this step of curing the coating layer is not brought to its final curing state when the laminate of FIG. 1 is produced. The coating layer is merely solidified to a pre-cured state, making it still overcoatable with other coating resins after the press-cycle.

(19) After removal of the printed release film, the now registered embossed panel has over its surface a coating layer with uniform gloss-level. It is however much more appealing and in some embodiments preferred that the specific top an valleys, which are in register with the underlying print, also have a difference in gloss-level. The present inventors found that this can be achieved by over-coating the tops with a coating, for example a radiation curable coating to achieve chemical bond, having a different gloss-level from the coating already present on the laminate or panel. This is shown in FIG. 4. Coating technologies like roll-coating with rubber rollers or the like can be applied to achieve just the like on other substrates like wood or veneer panels.