Method for manufacturing a microchip support with a surface effect

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for producing a support body in a card format, with a graphic customization, that has a surface finishing effect that is more or less smooth, rough, mirrored or matte on the support body. The method includes supplying a support body having a layer of material configured to allow a marking by punching or lamination. The layer is exposed on the main external face and the surface finishing effect is equivalent to that obtained by a step of marking or lamination while not including a step of depositing varnish.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a support body, in card format, with graphics personalisation and a surface finish effect on said support body, such that the surface finish is variably smooth, rough, mirror or matt; wherein said method comprises the step of applying a film on the support body thereby providing a layer of material configured to allow marking by punching or lamination, wherein raised graphics patterns are exposed on said layer of film on a main external surface of said support body, thereby providing said surface finishing effect similar to that of a coating obtained by the punching or lamination step on said film without use of a coating application step.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said marking is carried out by said punching through said film placed between a punch and said main surface.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the film is in the form of a continuous tape.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the continuous tape is moved step by step from one punch strike to the next to offer a new surface of unpunched tape at each punch strike or after a predetermined series of punch strikes.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the film has a matt or mirror surface.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein the punch has a personalisation pattern that is raised and/or recessed relative to a main surface of the punch.

7. A method according to claim 2, wherein the film is made of polymer material or metal.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the material of the polymer film is chosen from polyethylene terephthalate, polycarbonate.

9. The method according to claim 2, wherein the film comprises a raised graphics pattern and/or a surface finish with a matt or mirror effect.

10. The method according to claim 2, wherein several punch strikes are performed with different films and different punches.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein marking or punching is carried out hot between 100° C. to 250° C.

12. The method according claim 11, wherein said graphics personalisation comprises the application of a hologram and/or embossing and/or thermal transfer marking.

13. A support body, in card format, with graphics personalisation exhibiting a surface finish effect on said support body that is variably smooth, rough, mirror or matt; wherein said support body include a film applied on a main external surface, thereby providing a layer of material configured to allow marking by punching or lamination, wherein raised graphics patterns are exposed on said layer of film on the main external surface exhibits a surface finishing effect similar to that exhibited by a coating process, with raised patterns marked or formed in said layer of film due to said punching or lamination, yet free from coating.

14. The support body according to claim 13, wherein said layer of film is a polymer or metallic material.

15. The support body according to claim 13, wherein the support body forms a smart bank card body.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 illustrates a test card based on a smart card of the prior art with an area 3 that is free from coating;

(2) FIG. 2 schematically illustrates the method for obtaining a smart card with a matt or mirror effect according to the prior art;

(3) FIG. 3 illustrates an installation for implementing the method according to the invention in a preferred embodiment (with the use of intermediate film 12);

(4) FIG. 4 illustrates the steps of the current method for manufacturing a card with a touch effect (mirror or matt);

(5) FIG. 5 illustrates the steps of the method according to the invention in its preferred embodiment.

DESCRIPTION

(6) FIG. 1 illustrates a support body in card format according to the prior art exemplified here in the form of a smart bank card. The card acts as an observation test to identify the problems to overcome and show the way to a solution. It conventionally comprises a card body 1 with graphics personalisation and with an area 2 on the left, exhibiting a touch surface effect on the card body, wherein said effect is obtained by applying coating by screen printing or spraying material 6. On the right, there is an area 3 with a surface that intentionally does not comprise surface coating. The test (or observation) card 1 has embossed characters 4 such as a bank card number or other information which extends over the two areas 2 and 3.

(7) It can be seen visually that the characters “5678” referenced 4 in the area with coating exhibit coating damage (cracks, crazing (C1, C2)) over time and also damage to the underlying material of the card body. The same applies to the characters “CARD” located in area 2 with coating: the characters exhibit cracks C3.

(8) Conversely, the characters “3456” in area 3 (without coating) do not exhibit such physical and mechanical damage in the material under the embossing.

(9) This test card produced by the inventors particularly highlights the effects or behaviour of the coating.

(10) FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of the conventional coating step of the prior art 6a on a card 1 of the type of FIG. 1A. The card 1 may conventionally comprise, according to the prior art, embossed areas 4 (hollows 7 and corresponding bumps 4) and areas comprising on their surface added material 8 (hologram, marking) applied by transfer, in particular by thermal transfer, using hot transfer film 9 (not shown in this figure but identical or similar to the film of FIG. 2A).

(11) According to the prior art, the coating spray 6a is respectively applied on the card and respectively forms a layer 6b, 6c on the main flat surface of the card and on the embossing areas 4; Then the material 8 (e.g., a hologram, marked information) is transferred by hot transfer onto the layer of coating 6b.

(12) FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic installation for implementing the steps of the method (FIG. 5) of the invention in accordance with a preferred example or embodiment.

(13) To allow a comparison between the invention and the prior art, the steps of the method for making a smart card body with graphics on the surface corresponding to that of FIG. 1A for area 2 will first be described in FIG. 4.

(14) The methods for manufacturing a support body in card format with graphics personalisation exhibiting a variably smooth, rough, mirror or matt surface finish effect on said support body, respectively according to the prior art and according to the invention, share step 100 or (100i) which consists in providing a support body 1 having a layer of material configured to allow marking by punching or lamination,

(15) In the example, the support body 1 is a smart card body obtained by lamination with a layer of plastic material on the surface such as ABS, PE, PET or PC. The body may also be obtained by injection and comprise a single layer. It may however be a card body with no microchip in difference sizes or surfaces or thicknesses.

(16) Where appropriate, the body may have a metal layer on the surface (aluminium, silver, platinum, steel, gold or alloy).

(17) In step 110 (FIG. 4), the prior art implements a graphics printing step (by screen printing, inkjet, offset, etc.) on the support body 1 or said external layer;

(18) In step 120, the prior art implements a step of spraying 6a or applying a layer of coating on the surface of the support body (here card body 1□-□ see area 2 of FIG. 1); In the final step 130, the prior art implements one or more steps of embossing and/or marking by punching to create a raised surface, or marking by thermal transfer with the application or transfer of material, such as a hologram or any personalisation information.

(19) The method is characterised in that said layer is exposed on the main external surface and in that said surface finishing effect is obtained by a marking or lamination step without comprising a coating application step.

(20) On the contrary, the method of the invention (illustrated in FIG. 5) by steps 100i, 105, 130i, differs through a step 105 in that steps 100i and 130i are identical to steps 100, 130 of the prior art (shown in FIG. 4).

(21) In step 105, said “layer of material configured to allow marking by punching or lamination”, is exposed on the main external surface;

(22) In addition, the invention provides for obtaining said surface finishing effect by a marking or lamination step without comprising a coating application step.

(23) The implementation of such surface marking 105 (or lamination) can be obtained by punching the surface or the external layer of the card body. Punching may be carried out in the preferred example with an installation 16 illustrated in FIG. 3.

(24) The installation comprises punching means shown here by a punch 10. The punch is configured with actuating means for exerting striking or pressing force (preferably when hot) on a striking surface. The striking surface has a raised pattern (here a hollow 11) relative to the main surface of the punch.

(25) Punching or marking 105 can be carried out according to one embodiment using a punch 10 (FIG. 3) comprising a raised pattern 11 on its striking surface (intended to press or strike against the film. Alternatively, punching or marking can be carried out, (in a less preferred secondary embodiment), directly (without intermediate film 12) on the surface of the support body or card 1.

(26) Alternatively (according to the preferred embodiment with intermediate film 12), the raising 11 can be formed directly on the film 12 rather than on the punch 10. After that, a punch with a flat striking head in particular (with no raised parts 11), can apply pressure on the support body, via the film 12, and form the corresponding raised part 11 of the film on the surface of the support body by deforming (or stamping) the main surface of the card body.

(27) The installation 16 shows the conveying of the card to a position under a punch P with a raised part 11 on the striking surface;

(28) The card is stamped using the punch 10 to mark the raised part

(29) In the case of the preferred embodiment, marking is carried out by punching using the above punch through film 12 or tape placed between the punch 10 and said main surface. The film in the example is transparent film of PET material with a surface condition for a matt finish on the card. PET is preferred for temperature resistance, the card being in PVC or at least having an external layer of PVC.

(30) To that end, the invention has an installation 16 (FIG. 3) for the graphics personalisation of a smart card body with a surface touch effect on the card body. The installation may comprise means for conveying the card body to punching means 10.

(31) On their main surfaces, the card bodies have a layer of material with hardness that allows marking by punching.

(32) The installation comprises means for punching 10, 11 or for marking the surface of the card. These means comprise a punch 10 with a striking surface and a raised pattern 11 on its striking surface; A plate (or anvil) for supporting the card and counter-reacting to the pressure of the punch is not shown. The installation 16 comprises conveying (or insertion) means for interposing (or inserting) film 12 between the punch 10 and the surface 15A of the card (surface visible in detail A FIG. 3). To that end, the installation may provide pay-out and take-up rollers (not shown) to pay out and take up a tape of film 12 and card body pickers and stackers (not shown). The installation preferably comprises means for carrying out said marking, by punching or lamination, through the film 12 placed between the punch 10 and said main surface 15A.

(33) In the example, the installation is a Kurz MM 7000 machine. The film 12 is placed directly between the punch 10 and the card body 1. Also in the example, the film 12 is a PET polymer film from Kurz. It may be 12 μm thick. For a mirror effect, the part number of the film is glandzend 93324 and for a matt effect, the part number of the film is Mat 93325.

(34) The film or tape 12 may be at least as wide as the card or as the raised pattern to be punched (or laminated) as the punch. Preferably, the film may be film that is harder than the surface layer of the card body. The film may be metallic film.

(35) Preferably, in the case of hot punching, the softening temperature of the film may preferably be higher than that of the surface layer of the card body.

(36) Preferably, the film (or tape) takes the form of continuous tape and is paid out continuously between the punch and the card by a motor between two pulleys or drive rollers (or film pay-out rollers).

(37) The continuous tape 12 may be moved, at each punch strike or after a predetermined series of punch strikes, from one punching position to the next to offer a new unpunched tape surface. To that end, the installation can use a step motor (not shown).

(38) According to one characteristic, the film or tape may have a matt or mirror surface. A matt or mirror surface effect is produced on the card due to the roughness or smoothness on the surface of the film. Thus, an effect similar to that of coating can be obtained.

(39) In FIG. 3, the film 12 has a rough surface condition on its underside 15 F for a matt effect equivalent to matt effect coating.

(40) The card conveyed to the start of the path before punching has (for example) a smooth surface 15A (Detail A, FIG. 3) or a surface specific to PET.

(41) At the punching station, the card is subjected to the pressure of the punch (preferably hot) through the film 10.

(42) The raised pattern 11 appearing on its striking face is reproduced through the film 11 on the external face of the card body.

(43) Similarly, the surface condition (or roughness) 15F (detail B) on the surface of the film 12 is reproduced on the surface of the card body in the form of a corresponding surface condition 15B (Detail C).

(44) According to one characteristic, the punch may have a personalisation pattern that may be raised and/or recessed relative to a main surface of the punch. The pattern may have a variety of extents and forms. For example, raised grid lines, circles, symbols, logos, alphanumeric characters, etc. may be formed on the striking face 11 of the punch. The patterns 11 on the punch may be of a larger dimensional level than those appearing on the surface of the film (for example, the raising (height, width may be 10 to 1,000 times greater).

(45) The material of the polymer film or tape is chosen from polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polycarbonate (PC) etc.

(46) Marking or punching is preferably carried out hot, for example between 100° C. to 250° C.

(47) Alternatively, the punching film or tape may itself exhibit raised areas formed by other means. The raised area may be in material that is identical to or different from that of the film or tape.

(48) The raised area may be formed by additive or subtractive method. For example, a raised pattern can be formed by a 3D printer on the film or tape.

(49) The advantage is to be able to change the patterns to be punched or stamped on the card very easily by varying them along a tape according to graphics personalisation requirements.

(50) Alternatively, metallic or plastic raised patterns (the graphics of which are to be transposed onto the surface of the card) may be attached to the tape, in particular with adhesive.

(51) Thus, the method of the invention makes it possible to obtain a support body, in card format, with graphics personalisation having a variably smooth, rough, mirror or matt surface finish effect on said support body.

(52) The support body has a layer of material configured to allow marking by punching or lamination.

(53) According to one characteristic, the layer of material is exposed on the main external surface and exhibits a surface finishing effect with raised patterns marked or formed in the material of said layer, at the same time being free from coating.

(54) The layer of external material may or may not be of the polymer type (metal, wood, etc.) and forms a finished main external surface of the support body of the invention.

(55) The external layer, located on the main surface of the card, may exhibit, on its external surface, raised patterns formed in the thickness of the external layer of material (that located outermost on the card body).

(56) Where appropriate, the method of the invention may carry out several punch strikes with different film and different punches. For example, graphics to be reproduced on a medium are on a first film and are reproduced using a punch with a flat head (without a raised pattern), then at another station the method uses a second film having a micro-raised surface 15F (or surface finish) for a touch surface effect (matt or mirror) which is reproduced on the medium using a punch with a striking head which is also flat.

(57) Subsequently, if it is necessary to reproduce a bank number, it can be formed by direct embossing on the medium or by inkjet directly on the card body.

(58) According to an alternative embodiment, the film 12 may include both patterns to give a matt surface finish and other patterns to give a mirror finish to the support body 1. In that way, graphics personalisation patterns can be obtained on the support body and are visible through the contrast between the different surface finishing effects (matt or mirror) of the different patterns. Indeed, on their own, different surface finishes on different predetermined areas can constitute the graphics personalisation of the support body.