DIGITAL PRINTING-STRUCTURED ANTIWEAR FILM HAVING ADJUSTABLE GLOSS LEVEL

Abstract

The present disclosure proposes a process for producing a structured antiwear film, comprising the process steps of: a. providing a base antiwear film, b. applying a formable outer paint layer to at least part of the area of the base antiwear film, c. at least partially structuring the outer paint layer by means of a digital printing process to create a structuring of the outer paint layer, and d. curing the outer paint layer such that the outer paint layer is first partly cured, wherein UV radiation with a wavelength in a range from ≥150 nm to ≤250 nm is used for the partial curing, and wherein the outer paint layer is then cured to completion, and wherein e. the outer paint layer, before being supplied to the printing unit for partially structuring the outer paint layer and/or during the printing operation for partially structuring the outer paint layer in the printing unit, is treated with means for changing the electrostatic charge of the outer layer, in that the outer layer is electrostatically discharged.

Claims

1. A method of producing a structured antiwear film, comprising: a. providing a base antiwear film; b. applying a formable lacquer-containing top layer onto at least a partial area of the base antiwear film; c. at least partial structuring of the lacquer-containing top layer by use of a digital printing process in order to produce a structuring of the lacquer-containing top layer; and d. curing the lacquer-containing top layer in such a way that the lacquer-containing top layer is first partially cured, wherein UV radiation having a wavelength in a range from ≥150 nm to ≤250 nm is used for the partial curing, and wherein the lacquer-containing top layer is subsequently finally cured, and wherein e. the lacquer-containing top layer is treated before being fed to the printing unit for partial structuring of the lacquer-containing top layer and/or during the printing process for partial structuring of the lacquer-containing top layer in the printing unit by means for changing the electrostatic charge of the top layer by electrostatically discharging the top layer.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the base antiwear film and/or the formable lacquer-containing top layer comprises an acrylate-based plastic composition, in particular a polyurethane-modified acrylate plastic composition.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the base antiwear film and/or the moldable lacquer-containing top layer comprises hard materials, preferably in an amount between ≥5 wt.-% and ≤40 wt.-%, wherein the hard materials preferably have an average grain diameter between ≥10 μm and ≤250 μm.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the formable lacquer-containing top layer comprises a material curable by electromagnetic radiation, in particular a material curable by UV radiation and/or IR radiation.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least partial structuring of the lacquer-containing top layer is carried out by use of a digital printing process by spraying on a displacement ink by use of an ink-jet process, in particular wherein at least one of a droplet speed, a droplet volume and a position of the sprayed on displacement ink are varied according to a three-dimensional digital template.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the digital template is generated based on a decoration, wherein the digital template provides complementary depressions and elevations corresponding to the haptics of the decoration.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the displacement ink consists essentially of an ink composition selected from the group consisting of acrylate-based plastic, polyurethane-modified acrylate plastic, water, organic solvent, or mixtures thereof.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein radiation having a wavelength in a range from >150 nm to ≤450 nm, preferably from ≥300 nm to ≤410 nm, is used in the final curing.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein monochromatic UV radiation having a wavelength in a range of 172 or 222 nm is used for partial curing.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein a defined amount of charge is supplied to the lacquer-containing top layer subsequently to the electrostatic discharge.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein an electrostatic discharge is carried out in a range of greater than or equal to 7 kV and/or wherein the electrostatic charging is carried out in a range of greater than 0 kV to less than or equal to 15 kV.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: f. providing a carrier comprising a decoration on at least a partial area of the carrier; and g. applying the base antiwear film onto the decoration, wherein the application of the base antiwear film onto the decoration is carried out prior to the application, structuring and at least partial curing of the lacquer-containing top layer, wherein the structuring of the lacquer-containing top layer is preferably produced at least partially synchronously with the decoration.

13. A structured antiwear film preferably produced according to the method according to claim 1, comprising a base antiwear film which comprises a lacquer-containing top layer applied and fixed at least to a partial area of the base antiwear film, wherein the lacquer-containing top layer has structures produced by the digital printing process.

14. The structured antiwear film according to claim 13, wherein the base antiwear film comprises at least one polymer selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene, polymethylpentene, polyisobutylene, polybutylene and cycloolefin copolymers, or copolymers or mixtures of the aforementioned components.

15. The use of a textured antiwear film according to claim 13 for protecting a decorative panel, wherein the decorative panel comprises a carrier and a decoration on at least a partial area of the carrier, wherein the structured antiwear film is applied onto the decoration, and wherein during the application of the structured antiwear film the structuring of the lacquer-containing top layer is aligned at least partially synchronously with the decoration.

16. A decorative panel with a structured antiwear film, comprising a carrier with a decoration applied at least to a partial area and a structured antiwear film applied onto the decoration according to claim 13, wherein the structuring of the structured antiwear film is at least in partial areas synchronous with the decoration.

Description

DRAWINGS

[0106] The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0107] The disclosure is explained in more detail below with reference to a figure.

[0108] FIG. 1 shows the process sequence of a method according to the disclosure for producing a structured antiwear film in the course of production of a decorative panel 32.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0109] Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0110] First, a base antiwear film 12 is provided. In the embodiment according to FIG. 1, this is arranged on a carrier 14 and, more precisely, on a decorative layer or a decoration 16 of the carrier 14. The carrier is arranged on a conveying device 100 which moves the carrier 14 in the direction of the arrow.

[0111] Further, an application unit 18 is shown, which applies a formable lac-quer-containing top layer onto at least a partial area of the base antiwear film 12. It may be provided that the base antiwear film 12 and/or the formable lacquer-containing top layer comprises an acrylate-based plastic composition, in particular a polyure-thane-modified acrylate plastic composition. Alternatively or in addition it may be provided that the base antiwear film 12 and/or the formable lacquer-containing top layer comprises hard materials, preferably in an amount between 5 wt.-% and 40 wt.-%, wherein the hard materials preferably have an average grain diameter between 10 μm and 250 μm. According to a further embodiment, the base antiwear film 12 can comprise at least one polymer selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene, polymethylpentene, polyisobutylene, polybutylene and cycloolefin copolymers, or copolymers or mixtures of the aforementioned components.

[0112] Moreover, a device 22 for dissipating electrostatic charges from the top layer 20 is provided, which may contact the top layer 20 or operate contactless, and a device 24 for supplying electrostatic charges to the top layer 20 and disposed behind the device 22 for dissipating electrostatic charges from the top layer 20 is provided, which device can also contact the top layer 20 or operate contactless. Here, it may be preferred that a discharging is carried out in a range greater than or equal to 7 kV and/or that the electrostatic charging is carried out in a range greater than 0 kV to less than or equal to 15 kV.

[0113] Downstream of the device 24 for supplying electrostatic charges to the top layer 20, the carrier 14 is guided into a printing unit in which the lacquer-containing top layer 20 is structured by use of a digital printing process for producing a structuring 26 of the lacquer-containing top layer 20. In detail, it is provided that the at least partial structuring of the lacquer-containing top layer 20 is carried out by use of a digital printing process by spraying on a displacement ink by use of an inkjet process, in particular wherein at least one of a droplet speed, a droplet volume and a position of the sprayed-on displacement ink are varied according to a three-dimensional digital template. In this regard, the digital template may be generated based on the decoration, wherein the digital template provides complementary depressions and elevations corresponding to the haptics of the decoration.

[0114] Particularly preferably, the displacement ink consists essentially of an ink composition selected from the group consisting of acrylate-based plastic, polyurethane-modified acrylate plastic, water, organic solvent, or mixtures thereof.

[0115] After the structuring 26 is incorporated into the top layer 20, the lacquer-containing structured top layer 20 can be cured. This is done in particular in such a way that the lacquer-containing top layer 20 is first partially cured by a first radiation source 28, wherein UV radiation having a wavelength in a range from ≥150 nm to ≤250 nm is used for partial curing, and wherein the partially cured lacquer-containing top layer 20 is then finally cured by a second radiation source 30.

[0116] With regard to the curing process, it may be provided that monochromatic UV radiation with a wavelength in a range of 172 or 222 nm is used for partial curing and/or that radiation with a wavelength in a range from >150 nm to ≤450 nm, preferably from ≥300 nm to ≤410 nm is used.

[0117] At least the partial curing can be realized in such a way that the top layer 20 in the area of the treatment with the UV radiation is present in an atmosphere comprising an oxygen content reduced with respect to ambient conditions, for example in an inert gas atmosphere.

[0118] After the curing of the top layer 20, the antiwear film, in particular comprising the base antiwear film 12 and the structured cured top layer 20, may be finished. It should be noted that the method by use of a base antiwear film 12 on a carrier 14 is only exemplary and the carrier 14 is not mandatory, so that the base antiwear film 12 can also be arranged directly on the conveying device 100.

[0119] According to a further embodiment of the disclosure, it may be provided that directly after the at least partial structuring of the lacquer-containing top layer by use of a digital printing process by means of a printing unit, a fixing step is carried out in which the introduced structuring is fixed by irradiation at a wavelength in the range from 350 nm to 410 nm, such as 395 nm. Such fixing can preferably be carried out by means of LED emitters and thus, in particular, with low energy consumption.

[0120] Subsequently, after the fixing step and prior to partial curing by means of the radiation source 28, it may be provided that the structured lacquer-containing layer is initially gelled by means of further irradiation at a wavelength in the range from 350 nm to 410 nm. In this case, the amount of energy introduced for gelling the structured top layer is preferably greater, in particular significantly greater, than the amount of energy introduced in the upstream fixing step and can be carried out, for example, by using a gallium emitter.

[0121] The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are inter-changeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are to be regarded as a departure from the disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure.