Method for Manufacturing a Metal-Polymer Hybrid Part and Metal-Polymer Hybrid Part

Abstract

Disclosed herein are a method for manufacturing a metal-polymer hybrid part, the metal-polymer hybrid part itself, and a laminate component. The method includes the steps of (a) providing a laminate component containing at least one metallic layer covered by at least one first functional layer, (b) providing a polymeric component, (c) bringing into contact the polymeric component with the at least one first functional layer of the laminate component, (d) joining the polymeric component onto the at least one first functional layer by physical treatment and (e) obtaining the metal-polymer hybrid part.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a metal-polymer hybrid part, comprising the steps of a) providing a laminate component containing at least one metallic layer covered by at least one first functional layer, b) providing a polymeric component, c) bringing into contact the polymeric component with the at least one first functional layer of the laminate component, d) joining the polymeric component onto the at least one first functional layer by physical treatment, and e) obtaining the metal-polymer hybrid part, wherein the at least one metallic layer of the laminate component is covered by at least one second functional layer opposite to the at least one first functional layer, and wherein the at least one metallic layer is in substance-locking contact with the at least one first functional layer and/or the at least one second functional layer, obtained by providing an intermediate layer between the at least one metallic layer and the at least one first functional layer and/or the at least one second functional layer.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the physical treatment comprises laser transmission welding, ultrasonic welding, friction welding and/or thermal melt joining.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the material of the polymeric component is at least in part translucent, and the physical treatment comprises laser transmission welding.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the laminate component exhibits at least in part a laser-absorbing property.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein in step d) a joint between the laminate component ROM and the polymeric component is formed, wherein the joint is at least in part substance-locking.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one first functional layer and/or the polymeric component comprises at least one polyamide.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one first functional layer comprises at least in part a laser-absorbing filler material.

8. A metal-polymer hybrid part obtainable by the method according to claim 1.

9. A laminate component ROM, comprising at least one metallic layer and at least one first functional layer covering the at least one metallic layer, wherein the at least one first functional layer comprises at least in part a laser-absorbing filler material.

10. The laminate component according to claim 9, further comprising at least one second functional layer covering the at least one metallic layer opposite to the at least one first functional layer.

11. The laminate component according to claim 9, wherein the at least one first functional layer and/or the at least one second functional layer comprises polyamide.

12. The laminate component according to claim 9, wherein the at least one metallic layer exhibits functional properties.

13. A composite component, comprising a laminate component according to claim 10, a polymeric component joined onto the at least one first functional layer, and an additional component provided on the at least one second functional layer opposite to the at least one first functional layer.

14-15. (canceled)

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the material of the polymeric component is at least in part laser-transmitting, and the physical treatment comprises laser transmission welding.

Description

[0092] Further aims, features, advantages and possible applications result from the following description of preferred embodiments not restricting the invention by means of the figures. All described and/or pictorially depicted features, on their own or in any combination, form the subject matter of the invention, even independently of their summary in the claims or their retrospective relationship. In the Figures

[0093] FIG. 1 depicts a schematic drawing of the laminate component (1) and a polymeric component (3) according to one embodiment of the present invention,

[0094] FIG. 2 depicts a schematic drawing of a joining step between the laminate component 1 and the polymeric component (3),

[0095] FIG. 3 depicts a schematic drawing of the metal polymer hybrid part according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention and

[0096] FIG. 4 depicts a graph showing the Breaking Force per Weld Line Length [N/mm] for the laminate components 1 of the present invention.

[0097] In FIG. 1 at the lower part a laminate component 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention is depicted. A metallic layer 101 is covered by a first functional layer 103 on the top and is covered with another second polymeric 105 on the bottom. The overall laminate component 1 has been formed into a three-dimensional structure which is depicted as a cross section in FIG. 1. Within this overall structure, the first cavity 1 a is formed.

[0098] In the upper part of FIG. 1 the polymeric component 3 is shown which is as well embodied as a three-dimensional structure depicted in the cross section, which comprises a second cavity 3a.

[0099] In FIG. 2 a schematic overview of a particular joining step is given, wherein the laminate component 1 is joined with the polymeric component 3. Within the first functional layer 103, at least in those parts to be joined with the polymeric component 3, a laser absorbing filler material 107 is distributed. The polymeric component 3 has at least in its outer regions a laser transmitting property such that the laser beam L is transmitted via those parts of the polymeric component 3 and hits the laser absorbing filler material 107. This laser absorbing filler material (107) absorbs the energy of the laser beam L and transforms the same into heat. By this heat, the polymeric material of the first functional layer 103 is at least softened or even melted and at least softens or even melts the polymeric material of the polymeric compound 3 being in contact therewith.

[0100] In FIG. 3 the result of the joining step of FIG. 2 is depicted, wherein the polymeric component 3 is substance-locking joined with the laminate component 1 thereby enclosing a hollow space 5.

[0101] The ratio of the metallic layer 101 and the first functional layer 103 in the laminate component 1 can vary in terms of both thickness and surface coverage. The material type or properties are set in relation to the function in the invented metal-polymer hybrid part and the processing/joining process.

[0102] The metallic layer 101 in particular serves for formability, mechanical properties, electro-magnetic properties and/or heat conduction/heat dissipation.

[0103] The first functional layer 103 (as well as the polymeric component 3) serves for mechanical properties, absorption capacity for lasers, electromagnetic properties, surface properties and/or chemical resistance and the like.

[0104] For the production of electronic housings, the following laminate configurations are particularly relevant: [0105] total thickness of the laminate component 1: 0.06 mm-4.0 mm wherein the metallic layer 101 has a thickness of 0.01 mm-2.0 mm and the first functional layer 103 has a thickness of 0.05 mm-1.0 mm [0106] metals: aluminium alloy, soft deep-drawing steels (DC) [0107] lamination of the first and second functional layers 103, 105 on both sides of the metallic layer 101

[0108] The laminate component 1 in accordance with the present invention can be produced by all methods known to the expert. Preferably, the laminate component 1 is manufactured in a continuous process. Preferably, the laminate component 1 according to the present invention is manufactured in a process comprising the following steps: [0109] I providing a first functional layer 103 of a polymer composition (PC) comprising the components [0110] Ia) at least one polyamide and/or one TPU [0111] Ib) may contain a C.sub.2=-C.sub.20 alkene, [0112] II heating a first plate of the metallic layer 101, [0113] III pressing of the heated first plate from step II with the first functional layer 103 provided in step I while maintaining the laminate component 1.

[0114] The C.sub.2-C.sub.20 alkene mentioned above in particular may contain homopolymers or copolymers of ethylene and or acrylic acid esters and/or acrylic acid and/or α-polyolefins and/or maleic acid anhydride and/or styrene and/or propylene, homopolymers of propylene. The homopolymers and copolymers can be grafted with 0.1%-1.0% of malic anhydride.

[0115] For the polymer composition (PC) in the process according to the invention, the previously methods for providing a first functional layer 103 of a polymer composition (PC) are known to the professional as such. Preferably, the first functional layer 103 in step I is provided by an extrusion process.

[0116] Suitable extrusion processes for providing the first functional layer 103 from the polymer composition (PC) are known to the skilled person and are, for example, casting processes, calendering processes, blowing processes or multiblowing processes.

EXAMPLES

[0117] Production of the Laminate Components 1

[0118] The polymers listed in Table 1 were compounded with a ZE 25A UXTI twin-screw extruder in the quantities shown in Table 1 to form cylindrical pellets. A first functional layer 103 was then extruded from the pellets. In the extrusion step, the quantities of carbon black masterbatch listed in Table 2 were added. The first functional layers 103 have the thickness defined in Table 2 and a width of 40 cm. The quantities given in Table 1+2 are each in weight %. [0119] P1: polyamide 6 (Ultramid B24N of BASF SE) [0120] P2: PA6/6.36 (Ultramid Flex F29 of BASF SE) [0121] Co1: Lucalen A2540 D (Basell); ethylene/n-butylacrylate copolymer [0122] Co2: Exxelor 1801 (Exxon Chemicals); maleic anhydride grafted copolymer of ethylene and propylene [0123] Co3: ethylene carboxylic acid copolymer (Luwax EAS 5 of BASF SE) [0124] A1: Irganox B 1171 2×20KG 4G [0125] A2: talcum [0126] R1: carbon black masterbatch 30% in PA6

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 PC1 PC2 P1 [wt.-%] 59.1 P2 [wt.-%] 86.1 Co1 [wt.-%] 25 Co2 [wt.-%] 15 10 Co3 [wt.-%] 3 A1 [wt.-%] 0.5 0.5 A2 [wt.-%] 0.4 0.4

TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 first functional first functional first functional first functional layer 103/1 layer 103/2 layer 103/3 layer 103/4 PC 1 [wt.-%] 100 100 97 PC 2 [wt.-%] 100 R1 [wt.-%] 3 thickness 1000 400 100 400 [μm]

[0127] The first functional layers 103 described in Table 2 are then pressed together with pre-treated metallic layers 101 to form the laminate components 1. The laminate components 1 are cut to the dimensions of 300 mm×200 mm.

[0128] The temperatures and holding times given in Table 3 were used. Laminate components 1 are produced, wherein the metallic layers 101 are briefly designated as layer 101, and wherein the functional layers 103 are briefly designated as layer 103/1, 103/2 and so on.

[0129] The structure of the laminate components 1 is described in Table 3, wherein the laminate components 1 are briefly designated as laminate 1/1, laminate 1/2 and so on.

[0130] As the metallic layers 101 a galvanized steel pretreated with Gardobond (aqueous solution of phosphoric acid and acrylic acid solution, tradename of Chemetal GmbH) having a thickness of 250 μm has been used.

[0131] The laminate components 1 were manufactured as follows. Of the first functional layer 103 sheet 1 and sheet 2 (if any) were laid in sequence on the metallic layer 101 and were then pressed in a hot press using appropriate spacers for 60 s at 250° C. Sheet 1 is always in direct contact with the metallic layer 101. The target thickness is defined by using appropriate spacers (sheets), excess polymer is removed after the pressing process.

TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 3 laminate laminate laminate laminate laminate laminate 1/1 1/2 1/3 1/4 1/5 1/6 metallic layer layer layer layer layer layer layer 101 101 101 101 101 101 101 sheet 1 layer layer layer layer layer layer of first 103/1  103/2  103/2  103/4  103/2  103/3  functional layer 103 sheet 2 layer layer layer layer layer — of first 103/3  103/3  103/3  103/3  103/3  functional layer 103 total 700 600 500 400 400 300 thickness of laminate component 1 [μm]

[0132] The laminate components 1 obtained were cut into strips of 30 mm×60 mm and joined together with a glass fibre reinforced PA6 (Ultramid B3EG6 UN from BASF SE) by laser contour welding. The test specimens of the glass fibre reinforced PA6 were produced by injection moulding and had the dimensions 30 mm×60 mm×2 mm.

[0133] In FIG. 4, a graph is depicted which shows the Breaking Force per Weld Line Length [N/mm] for the laminate components 1 obtained according to the present invention.

[0134] The laser welding equipment was set es follows:

TABLE-US-00004 Model FOBA DP50 Laser Nd: YAG, diode pumped Wavelength 1,064 nm Power 50 Watt Scan Speed 1-15,000 mm/s

[0135] The Contour Laser Welding was carried out with following parameters:

TABLE-US-00005 Laser Power P [W] 30 Scan Speed v [mm/s] variable Number of Scans n (Contour Laser Welding] 1 Meltdown s [mm] (Quasi Simultaneous Laser Welding) / Clamp Pressure p [MPa] 0.2 Distance to Focus z [mm] −50

[0136] The focus diameter in the joining level without the transmitting part d.sub.F was appr. 2.7 mm.

REFERENCE SIGNS

[0137] 1 laminate component [0138] 101 metallic layer [0139] 103 first functional layer [0140] 105 second functional layer [0141] 107 laser-absorbing filler material [0142] 3 polymeric component [0143] 5 hollow space [0144] L laser beam