METHOD OF APPLYING AN ADHESIVE FILM

Abstract

In a method for applying an adhesive film (10) to the surface (20) of a component, an adhesive film (10) including an adhesive layer (11) is provided. Furthermore, a component including a surface (20) to which the adhesive film is to be applied is provided. A physical surface activation of the adhesive layer (11) of the adhesive film (10) is carried out. The adhesive layer (11) of the adhesive film (10) is moistened before the surface-activated and moistened adhesive film (10) is brought in contact with the surface (20) of the component to which the adhesive film is to be applied.

Claims

1. A method for applying an adhesive film to the surface of a component, comprising: a. carrying out a physical surface activation of an adhesive layer of an adhesive film; b. moistening the adhesive layer of the adhesive film; and c. bringing the surface-activated and moistened adhesive film in contact with a surface of the component to which the adhesive film is to be applied.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of the following: a. carrying out the physical surface activation of the adhesive layer by a plasma treatment; b. carrying out the physical surface activation of the adhesive layer by a corona treatment; c. carrying out the physical surface activation of the adhesive layer by a flame treatment; and d. carrying out the physical surface activation of the adhesive layer under vacuum.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: a. moistening the adhesive layer by the atomization of water.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: a. bringing the adhesive film in contact with the surface to which the adhesive film is to be applied by initially pressing the adhesive film in a localized manner onto the surface to which the adhesive film is to be applied.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: a. bringing the adhesive film in contact with the surface to which the adhesive film is to be applied using an elastic membrane, which can be deflected for pressing the adhesive film onto the surface to which the adhesive film is to be applied.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising: a. deflecting the membrane by generating a negative pressure in a space between the elastic membrane and the surface of the component.

7. A device for applying an adhesive film to a surface of a component, comprising: a. a unit for receiving an adhesive film including an adhesive layer; b. a unit for the physical surface activation of the adhesive layer of the adhesive film; c. a unit for moistening the adhesive layer of the adhesive film; d. a unit for bringing the surface-activated and moistened adhesive film in contact with the surface of the component to which the adhesive film is to be applied.

8. The device according to claim 7, further comprising at least one of the following: a. the unit for the surface-activation of the adhesive layer comprises a unit for generating a plasma; b. the unit for the surface-activation of the adhesive layer comprises a unit for corona treatment; c. the unit for the surface-activation of the adhesive layer comprises a unit for flame treatment; d. the unit for the surface-activation of the adhesive layer comprises a unit for generating a vacuum.

9. The device according to claim 7, further comprising: a. the unit for moistening the adhesive layer comprises an atomization unit, and in particular a water atomizer.

10. The device according to claim 7, further comprising at least one of the following: a. the unit for bringing the adhesive film in contact with the surface to which the adhesive film is to be applied comprises a deflectable elastic membrane for pressing the adhesive film onto the surface of the component to which the adhesive film is to be applied. b. the unit for bringing the adhesive film in contact with the surface to which the adhesive film is to be applied comprises at least one ram means for bringing the adhesive film in contact with the surface to which the adhesive film is to be applied in a localized manner.

11. The device according to claim 10, further comprising: a. the unit for bringing the adhesive film in contact with the surface to which the adhesive film is to be applied comprises a unit for generating a negative pressure in a space between the elastic membrane and the surface of the component for deflecting the elastic membrane.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0146] In the drawings:

[0147] FIG. 1 shows a schematic sectional illustration of a preferred embodiment of a part of the device according to the invention for applying an adhesive film to the surface of a component;

[0148] FIG. 2 shows a schematic sectional illustration of a further preferred embodiment of a part of a device according to the invention for applying an adhesive film to the surface of a component;

[0149] FIG. 3 shows a schematic sectional illustration of a further preferred embodiment of a part of a device according to the invention for applying an adhesive film to the surface of a component;

[0150] FIG. 4 shows a sectional view through a treatment hood as an integral part of a device according to the invention for applying an adhesive film to the surface of a component; and

[0151] FIG. 5 shows a side view of the treatment hood from FIG. 4 at a robotic arm.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

[0152] FIG. 1 shows a schematic sectional view of a part of a device 100 for applying an adhesive film 10 to the surface 20 of a component. The adhesive film 10 is provided with an adhesive layer 11 on the side facing the component. In accordance with the method according to the invention, the adhesive layer 11 was subjected to a physical surface activation and thereafter moistened with water vapor, so that a water film 12 has formed on the adhesive layer 11.

[0153] The unit for the physical surface activation of the device 100 not shown in greater detail here is preferably a plasma treatment unit. The plasma treatment preferably takes place under vacuum, so that further more an evacuation unit is provided. As an alternative, a corona treatment unit or a flame treatment unit may be provided.

[0154] To create the water film 12, the device 100 comprises an atomization unit not shown here in greater detail, preferably an ultrasonic atomizer, or a spray gun or a comparable spraying unit.

[0155] A deflectable, elastic membrane 101 is provided for pressing on the adhesive film 10 that has been surface-activated and moistened on the adhesive side. A positive pressure chamber 102 is provided on the side of the elastic membrane 101 which faces away from the adhesive film 10. The positive pressure (positive pressure: >1 bar) is generated by means for generating a positive pressure in the positive pressure chamber 102, which are not shown in greater detail here. The positive pressure deflects the elastic membrane 101 in the direction of the surface 20 of the component in that the elastic membrane 101 convexly protrudes. During the further convex protrusion of the elastic membrane 101 in the direction of the surface 20 of the component not shown in greater detail here, the interposed adhesive film 10 is increasingly pushed against the surface 20 of the component, resulting in adhesion of the adhesive surface 10 to the surface 20 of the component by means of the surface-activated and moistened adhesive layer 11.

[0156] For the surface activation and the moistening of the adhesive layer 11 of the adhesive film 10, initially receiving the adhesive film 10 in a treatment hood can be provided, which is not shown in greater detail in this figure, wherein the adhesive layer 11 of the adhesive film 10 is oriented toward the open side of the treatment hood. A carrier film, to which the adhesive film adheres with the side facing away from the adhesive layer, can be provided for receiving the adhesive film 10 in the treatment hood. In the process, first the adhesive film 10 is attached to the carrier film, and then the carrier film is inserted into the treatment hood. The treatment hood including the adhesive film 10 is positioned at a plasma generation unit, which in particular comprises a corresponding plate including an electrode. An evacuation for generating a vacuum in the interior of the treatment hood is carried out in the now sealed space of the treatment hood, so that the plasma treatment of the adhesive layer 11 provided according to the invention can be carried out. Thereafter, the treatment hood, including the adhesive film that is present therein and includes the surface-activated adhesive layer, can be positioned at a moistening station, which is not shown here and in which the surface-activated adhesive layer 11 is moistened by means of an atomization unit, and in particular an ultrasonic atomizer.

[0157] Thereafter, the treatment hood, including the adhesive film 10 that is present therein and includes the surface-activated and moistened adhesive layer 11, can be positioned at the component to which the adhesive film is to be applied, for example at a motor vehicle body. The adhesive film 10 is then in particular pressed onto the surface 20 of the component to which the adhesive film is to be applied by means of the described elastic membrane 101, wherein the adhesive film 10 detaches from the optionally provided carrier film. The treatment hood can now be positioned in an ejection station for removing the carrier film. After the carrier film has been removed, the treatment hood is available again for another pass.

[0158] FIG. 2 shows a further preferred design of a part of a device 200 for applying an adhesive film 10 including an adhesive layer 11 to the surface 20 of a component. Here as well, the adhesive film 10 is pressed onto the surface 20 of the component by means of a deflectable, elastic membrane 101.

[0159] In contrast to the design of the device in FIG. 1, a space 103 that is designed as a negative pressure chamber is provided in the device 200 shown in FIG. 2 between the deflectable elastic membrane 101 and the surface 20 of the component. The pressure-tightness of the negative pressure chamber 103 is ensured by seals 105, wherein these seals 105 seal the bounds of the negative pressure chamber 103 with respect to the surface 20 of the component.

[0160] A negative pressure is applied in the negative pressure chamber 103 for pressing the adhesive film 10 onto the surface 20 of the component, wherein an evacuation is preferably carried out for generating a vacuum by means not shown in greater detail here. Atmospheric pressure continues to be present in the space 104 situated on the other side of the membrane 101, so that the pressure differential between the space 104 and the negative pressure chamber 103 causes the elastic membrane 101 to be deflected in the direction of the surface 20 of the component. As a result of this deflection of the membrane 101, the adhesive film 10, leading with the surface-activated and moistened adhesive layer 11 present thereon, is pressed against the surface 20 of the component.

[0161] FIG. 3 shows a schematic sectional view of a further, particularly preferred embodiment of a part of a device 300 according to the invention for applying an adhesive film 10 including an adhesive layer 11 to the surface 20 of a component. In a manner corresponding to the embodiments shown in FIG. 1 and in FIG. 2, the adhesive layer 11 of the adhesive film 10 here has also been exposed to a physical surface activation and moistening for forming a water film 12 on the adhesive layer 11 of the adhesive film 10. The embodiment of the device 300 in large parts corresponds to the embodiment 100 shown in FIG. 1, wherein a deflectable membrane 101 is provided here in a corresponding manner, which can be deflected by means of a positive pressure in the positive pressure chamber 102 in the direction of the surface 20 of the component, and in this way causes the adhesive film 10, leading with the adhesive layer 11, to be pressed against the surface 20 of the component. A ram means including an actuatable cylinder 31, an extendable piston 32, and a ram head 33 is additionally provided in this embodiment. By means of this ram means, the adhesive film 10 can be deliberately pushed against the surface 20 of the component in a localized manner by way of the interposed membrane 101. As a result, it is above all achieved that, from a central starting point, the surface-activated and moistened adhesive layer 11 of the adhesive film 10 is uniformly placed against the surface 20 of the component in a radially outwardly progressing manner. This facilitates a particularly uniform and reliable application of the adhesive film 10.

[0162] Similarly, such a ram means 31, 32, 33 can also be used for devices in which the adhesive film 10 is applied to the surface 20 of a component by means of a negative pressure, for example in the device 200 of FIG. 2. In such designs for the application of the adhesive film 10, it is possible, in particular in the case of particularly pressure-sensitive components, for the component to become deformed by the applied negative pressure, and in particular to protrude in the direction of the device 200. Such a protrusion can be counteracted by an accordingly extended ram means 31, 32, 33, so that the ram means additionally serves to stabilize a pressure-sensitive and possibly particularly flexible component.

[0163] It is particularly preferred that the advancement of the ram means 31, 32, 33 and the adjustment of the pressure differential, and in particular the adjustment of a negative pressure, take place concurrently. It is expediently taken into consideration in the process that a deformation of pressure-sensitive components may optionally occur right at the start of the evacuation, so that the ram means 31, 32, 33 is advantageously extended right at the start of the evacuation until contact is made with the component.

[0164] An advancement of the ram head 33 is preferably carried out in coordination with the adjustment of the negative pressure. In other words, the adjustment of the pressure differential, which results in a deflection of the elastic membrane 101, and the advancement of the ram means 31, 32, 33 are preferably matched to one another. The coordination of the advancement of the ram head 33 with the adjustment of the negative pressure can in particular take place by matching these steps in terms of time or as a function of the actual negative pressure that arises. In a particularly preferred manner, the ram means 31, 32, 33 is advanced in a controlled or regulated manner. The actuation of the ram means is in particular designed in such a way that the force acting on the component as a result of the pressure differential during the process of applying the adhesive film 10 to the component is compensated for, resulting in an equilibrium of forces.

[0165] It may be provided that the ram means 31, 32, 33 is extended as a function of time. For example, the ram means 31, 32, 33 can be extended after several seconds have elapsed or after a predefinable time interval has elapsed, for example after 2 s or 3 s or 4 s or 5 s, after the start of an evacuation.

[0166] In other designs, the ram means 31, 32, 33 can be extended as a function of an actually measured pressure acting on the membrane 101, that is, in particular when a drop below a predefinable pressure threshold occurs during the adjustment of the negative pressure. In this embodiment, one or more pressure sensors may advantageously be used. For example, the ram means 31, 32, 33 can be extended when a pressure of 100 mbar or another pressure threshold is reached. Such control can in particular also be matched to the properties of the component to which the adhesive film is to be applied and can in particular be adapted as a function of the pressure sensitivity of the particular component.

[0167] FIG. 4 shows a side view of a treatment hood 200, which corresponds to the device 200 from FIG. 2 in terms of the basic design. Corresponding elements are thus denoted by like reference numerals. With the aid of the treatment hood 200, the adhesive film 10 can, for example, be applied to a painted surface 20 of a motor vehicle.

[0168] The treatment hood 200 comprises a rectangular frame, which is composed of a rectangular sub-frame 130 and a rectangular sub-frame 140. The sub-frames 130 and 140 are connected in an air-tight manner by way of a seal 142. A carrier film 150 is fixed in the sub-frame 130, for example by means of several pins. For this purpose, the carrier film 150 can have several corresponding holes into which the pins can be pushed.

[0169] The elastic membrane 101, which is made of natural rubber, for example, is arranged parallel to the carrier film 150. The membrane is clamped between a base plate 110 of the treatment hood 200 and the sub-frame 130 in an air-tight manner. It closes the opening of the frame defined by the sub-frame 130. For this purpose, for example, several screws are screwed through the sub-frame 130 into the base plate 110. Together with the elastic membrane 101, the base plate 110 encloses the pressure equalization chamber 104. Air can be allowed to enter the pressure equalization chamber 104 by way of a valve 114.

[0170] The frame composed of the sub-frames 130 and 140, together with the surface 20 of the component 170 to which the adhesive film is to be applied and with the elastic membrane 101, is designed to form the negative pressure chamber 103, in which the carrier film 150 including the adhesive film 10 is arranged and in which the elastic membrane 101 can curve when negative pressure is applied to the negative pressure chamber 103. The sub-frame 140 is adapted to the geometry of the surface 20 for this purpose, so that form-locked contact is ensured between the surface 20 and the sub-frame 140 of the treatment hood 200. The elastic sealing element 105 is fixed to the edges of the opening of the frame which is defined by the sub-frame 140. The frame is sealingly connected to the surface 20 by way of this sealing element. The negative pressure chamber 103 can be evacuated via a connection 148 that is coupled to a negative pressure source and the channel 146 that is routed through the sub-frame 140. In the state shown here, the elastic membrane 101 is not curved, which means that the same pressure is present in the pressure equalization chamber 104 and in the negative pressure chamber 103.

[0171] A pressure differential is generated between the negative pressure chamber 103 and the pressure equalization chamber 104 for deflecting the elastic membrane 101, wherein the higher pressure is set in the pressure equalization chamber 104. This can in particular be achieved by initially evacuating both the negative pressure chamber 103 and the pressure equalization chamber 104. Thereafter, the pressure equalization chamber 104 is ventilated by way of the valve 114, so that the pressure in the pressure equalization chamber 104 approaches atmospheric pressure again. As a result, the elastic membrane 101 curves in the direction of the surface 20 of the component 170, thereby pushing the adhesive film 10, which has been surface-activated and moistened in accordance with the invention, onto the surface 20 of the component.

[0172] After the pressing of the adhesive film 10 against the surface 20 of the component 170 has been completed, the negative pressure chamber 103 and the pressure equalization chamber 104 can be fully ventilated. The elastic membrane 101 can then return to the original state. In general, the carrier film 150 is peeled off the adhesive film 10 in the process, and the adhesive film 10 remains on the surface 20.

[0173] FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of the device according to the invention in which the treatment hood 200 is coupled by way of a substructure 180, which is situated on one side of the base plate 110 of the treatment hood 200, to a robotic arm 430 or, generally speaking, to lifting gear of an automated system 400. The automated system 400 is provided with a base 410 including a pivotable upper part 420. The upper part 420 can rotate freely about an axis of rotation 2. The robotic arm 430 can be pivoted about a pivot axis 4. This allows a height adjustment of the treatment hood 200.

[0174] A push cylinder 440 is arranged between the robotic arm 430 and the treatment hood 200. The push cylinder 440 can be linearly expanded along a displacement direction 8. The push cylinder 440 can additionally be rotated about an axis of rotation 6. As a result, a precise distance and alignment between the treatment hood 200 and the surface 20 of the component can be set.

[0175] With the aid of the automated system 400, the treatment hood 200, including the adhesive film 10 present herein, can run through various stations for carrying out the described steps for the surface activation and the moistening of the adhesive layer 11 of the adhesive film 10. With respect to the various stations of the treatment hood, in particular an evacuation unit and a plasma treatment unit as well as a moistening unit, reference is also made to the description of FIG. 1.