METHOD FOR PRODUCING A PRINTED, COATED PANEL

Abstract

A method for producing a coated and printed glass panel, includes providing a glass substrate having a metal-containing coating on at least one first surface and a polymeric protective layer arranged on this metal-containing coating, removing the temporary polymeric protective layer and the metal-containing coating only in a predetermined region, applying a ceramic ink in the predetermined region, wherein the removing is carried out with a laser and the polymeric protective layer and the metal-containing coating are intact outside the predetermined region after the removing.

Claims

1. A method for producing a coated and printed glass panel, comprising: a) providing a glass substrate having a metal-containing coating on at least one first surface and a polymeric protective layer arranged on said metal-containing coating, b) removing the temporary polymeric protective layer and the metal-containing coating only in a predetermined region, c) applying a ceramic ink only in the predetermined region, wherein step b) is carried out with a laser and the polymeric protective layer and the metal-containing coating are intact outside the predetermined region after step c).

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising d) subjecting the glass panel to a temperature treatment at >600 C., wherein the polymeric protective layer is removed on the entire first surface and the ceramic ink is fired in the predetermined region.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the glass panel is thermally toughened during the temperature treatment.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the ceramic ink is applied with a roll coater or a digital printer.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined region is subjected to plasma cleaning before the application of the ceramic ink.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the application of the ceramic ink is done in the predetermined region under camera control, wherein the camera detects a difference between the de-coated predetermined region and the region provided with the polymeric protective layer.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the glass panel is between 1 m.sup.2 and 54 m.sup.2 in size.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined region extends along at least one edge of the glass panel and, measured from the panel edge, has a width b between 0.5 cm and 30 cm.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the polymeric protective layer is not water-soluble and is produced from a composition that contains meth(acrylates).

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the metal-containing coating has an IR-reflecting function and contains at least two silver-containing layers as well as at least three dielectric layers.

11. A glass panel produced in a method according to claim 1.

12. An apparatus for carrying out the method according to claim 1, comprising a laser scanner and a roll coater or a laser scanner and a digital printer.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the laser scanner and the roll coater are mounted in one axis.

14. The apparatus according to claim 12, additionally including an apparatus for plasma cleaning.

15. A method comprising utilizing the glass panel produced in a method according to claim 1 as building glazing indoors or outdoors.

16. The method according to claim 3, wherein the thermally toughened glass panel is a single-pane safety glass or is partially toughened.

17. The method according to claim 7, wherein the glass panel is between 3 m.sup.2 and 10 m.sup.2 in size.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the glass panel is between 10 m.sup.2 and 30 m.sup.2 in size.

19. The method according to claim 8, wherein the width b is between 1 cm and 20 cm.

20. The method according to claim 15, wherein the glass panel is part of an insulating glazing.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0054] In the following, the invention is explained in detail with reference to drawings and exemplary embodiments. The drawings are schematic representations and not to scale. The drawings in no way restrict the invention.

[0055] They depict:

[0056] FIG. 1 a plan view of a glass panel produced in accordance with a method according to the invention,

[0057] FIG. 2 a cross-section through the edge region of a glass panel produced in accordance with the method according to the invention,

[0058] FIG. 3 a schematic representation of a method according to the invention, and

[0059] FIG. 4 a schematic representation of errors that can occur during the printing of glass panels.

[0060] FIG. 1 depicts a plan view of a glass panel 1 according to the invention and FIG. 2 a cross-section through an edge region of the glass panel 1. The glass panel 1 is a 1 m1 m glass panel with a thickness of 6 mm. The glass substrate 2 is a clear float glass, as is marketed, for example, by SAINT GOBAIN GLASS under the name PLANICLEAR. A silver-containing IR-reflecting coating 4 is applied on the first surface 3.1 of the glass substrate 2. The coating 4 contains two functional silver layers that are arranged alternatingly with 3 dielectric layers. The total thickness of the metal-containing coating 4 is between 150 nm and 200 nm. A temporary polymeric protective layer 5 is arranged on the metal-containing coating 4. The polymeric protective layer is produced from a composition that contains meth(acrylates) and was cross-linked under UV light. The polymeric protective layer 5 has a thickness of 15 m. A suitable polymeric protective layer is offered by SAINT GOBAIN GLASS under the name EASYPRO. A black ceramic ink 7 is applied in the predetermined region 6. The predetermined region 6 forms a frame around the glass panel 1 with a width b of 10 mm. The frame serves as a masking print behind which the fastening materials and the edge seal of the finished insulating glazing panel are hidden.

[0061] FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of the method according to the invention. Step a) starts with a 6-mm-thick glass substrate 2 with a metal-containing coating 4 with a total thickness of 200-250 nm comprising three silver layers and four dielectric layers, with the metal-containing coating 4 being covered by a 15-m-thick polymeric protective layer 5. The first surface 3.1 of the glass substrate 2 is provided over its entire area with the layers 4 and 5. In step b), the predetermined region 6 with the width b=20 mm is de-coated using a 2D laser scanner. The de-coating takes place under ambient conditions without exclusion of oxygen. In the following step c), a black ceramic ink 7 is applied in the de-coated region 6. In the last step d), the panel 1 is subjected to a temperature treatment at 690 C. for 8 minutes. Simultaneously, the panel 1 is toughened, the polymeric protective layer 5 is removed without residue, and the ceramic ink 7 bonds with the glass surface and is fired. In the drawing, the firing is indicated by a different hatching and a thinner ink layer.

[0062] FIG. 4 depicts two error patterns that can develop as a result of incorrect alignment of the print. In Fig. a), the print is not positioned exactly adjacent the metal-containing coating such that a bright line develops along the print that disrupts the optical appearance of the product. In Fig. b), the print is positioned partially overlapping the metal-containing coating, likewise resulting in optical defects.

[0063] In the following, the advantages of the method according to the invention (Example) are explained in comparison with a prior art method (Comparative Example).

[0064] In both cases, a 1 m2 m glass substrate of clear float glass was produced with the same silver-containing coating comprising 3 functional silver layers. A black edge printing in the shape of a frame was applied with different widths b. After printing, the panels were toughened at a temperature of 690 C. for a period of 500 seconds. The thermal emissivity was determined using an INGLAS TIR100-2.

Example

[0065] Glass panel: 1 m2 m clear float gas
Metal-containing coating: contains 3 silver layers
Polymeric protective layer: 15 m SGG EasyPro; (meth)acrylate-based layer
Emissivity of the unprinted region (metal-containing coating and polymeric protective layer; measured before the temperature treatment): 45%
Emissivity of the printed region (measured after the temperature treatment): 89%

Comparative Example

[0066] Glass panel: 2 m1 m clear float glass
Metal-containing coating: contains 3 silver layers
Emissivity of the unprinted region (only metal-containing coating; measured before the temperature treatment): 2%
Emissivity of the printed region (measured after the temperature treatment): 89%

TABLE-US-00001 Deformation in mm measured at a distance of 5 mm from the edge of the glass panel Example Comparative Example Width b of the (with polymeric (without polymeric frame in mm protective layer) protective layer) 24 None 0.10 96 0.05 0.15 192 0.10 Glass breakage

[0067] The deformation was measured as a change in thickness of the glass panel at a distance of 5 mm from the edge. The comparison shows that the method according to the invention results in substantially less or no deformation at all in the printed region. In the case of larger frame prints, there was even glass breakage without the use of a protective layer.

LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS

[0068] 1 glass panel [0069] 2 glass substrate [0070] 3.1 first surface of the glass substrate [0071] 3.2 second surface of the glass substrate [0072] 4 metal-containing coating [0073] 5 polymeric protective layer, temporary protective layer [0074] 6 predetermined region, de-coated region [0075] 7 ceramic ink [0076] 8 laser, laser scanner [0077] 12 a panel edge [0078] b width of the predetermined region