EP2783043B1 - Method for producing a security document substrate, apparatus and security document substrate - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a device for producing a value document substrate. The invention further relates to a method for producing a value document substrate.
Value documents within the meaning of the invention include, among others, banknotes, stocks, bonds, certificates, vouchers, checks, air tickets, high-quality admission tickets, labels for product security, credit or debit cards, but also other documents that are subject to counterfeiting, such as passports, identity cards or other identity documents.

From the WO 2005/116335 A1 For example, a method for producing security paper having at least one transparent area is known. The security paper here consists of at least one layer of substantially non-transparent material having an opening or a window. The opening is first closed on one side by a transparent cover layer, in particular a film or lacquer layer, and then filled by extrusion coating with a transparent filling. In general, the physical properties, in particular the flatness of a substrate having an opening, are substantially influenced by a one-sided application of a film. The expansibility of the substrate, which consists of paper and / or a plastic film is dependent on the parameters of temperature, humidity and orientation of the fiber strands and polymer strands of the paper or the film. If a substrate provided with a through opening is closed on one side with a film whose expansibility is very different from that of the Substrate differs, moisture and / or temperature changes can affect the flatness of the substrate greatly.

According to the WO 2011/015622 A1 Bumps of the substrate due to moisture and temperature influences can be avoided by the substrate provided with an opening is closed on one side with an at least partially translucent or transparent film and on the film opposite side of the substrate in the region of the opening and substantially in the Film surface is applied a coating. The coating is applied in such a way that no or substantially no coating material is present within the opening, ie the coating material does not "flow" into the opening. As a result, a counterforce to the at least partially translucent or transparent film is built up by the coating. The value document substrate proves to be particularly advantageous during stacking or during further processing, for example printing or embossing, because in this case a planar surface is required. Moreover, the at least partially translucent or transparent film applied over the through opening ensures unrestricted overprintability of the area of the opening and, in conjunction with the coating applied to the side of the substrate opposite the film, provides increased stability during buckling or bending by stress and strain voltage compensation.

The US 2007/194934 A1 describes a security paper containing both sides or one-sided film elements.

The DE 10 2009 053706 A1 describes a security paper with an opening which is covered on both sides with a film element or film strip.

The EP 2199 095 A1 describes a security paper with an opening that can be covered on both sides with a film element.

The object of the invention is to provide a machine configuration for producing a value document substrate provided with foil elements on both sides. Another object is to provide a method of fabricating a flat document improved value document substrate.

These objects are achieved by the apparatus for producing a value document substrate according to claim 1 and by the method for producing a value document substrate according to claim 3. The dependent claims indicate advantageous embodiments of the invention.

Summary of the invention

A first aspect of the invention relates to an apparatus for producing a value document substrate according to claim 1

• Die Folienelemente werden durch die spiegelbildliche Anordnung der Folienapplikationseinrichtungen mit Bezug auf die Substratebene ohne Wendung des Substrats auf unterschiedliche Substratseiten appliziert. Da keines der applizierten Folienelemente durch eine Wendeeinrichtung geführt werden muss, verringert sich das Risiko des Verkratzens der Folienoberfläche.
• Zusätzliche Komponenten, wie etwa (Sieb-)Druckwerke und Trocknungseinrichtungen, können vor den Folienapplikationseinrichtungen angeordnet werden, so dass keines der applizierten Folienelemente durch diese Komponenten geführt werden muss. Das Risiko der hitzebedingten Blasenbildung innerhalb der Folie beim Durchlaufen z.B. eines Siebdrucktrockners kann auf diese Weise vermieden werden.
• Mittels der erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung können alle Kombinationen aus zwei Folienapplikationen und zwei Druckvorgängen (z.B. zwei Siebdrucke) beliebig auf die zwei Seiten des Substrats verteilt werden.

The device according to the invention combines the following advantages:

• The film elements are applied to different substrate sides by the mirror-image arrangement of the film application devices with respect to the substrate plane without turning the substrate. Since none the applied film elements must be guided by a turning device, the risk of scratching the film surface is reduced.
• Additional components, such as (screen) printing units and drying devices, can be arranged in front of the film application devices, so that none of the applied film elements has to be guided through these components. The risk of heat-induced bubble formation within the film when passing through eg a screen-printing dryer can be avoided in this way.
• By means of the device according to the invention, all combinations of two film applications and two printing processes (eg two screen prints) can be distributed arbitrarily on the two sides of the substrate.

A second aspect of the invention relates to a method of manufacturing a value document substrate according to claim 3

The "first substrate side" and the "second substrate side" are to be understood respectively as the front side and the back side (or vice versa) of the substrate. The printing layer, which is optionally applied to the first and / or second substrate side, can in particular effect pigments, e.g. Pearlescent pigments such as Iriodin®, or a luminescent feature substance. The printing layer can moreover be based on paints which are obtainable in particular from solvent-containing two-component paints, aqueous dispersions or UV paints, or have crosslinked gum arabic. The value document substrate obtainable by the method according to the invention is distinguished by its particularly stable flatness.

Detailed description of the invention

There are no conditions attached to the nature of the substrate that can be used according to the invention. The substrate may be formed in one or more layers and consist of paper and / or a plastic film. As paper, usual papers from fibers of annual plants come into consideration, in particular cotton fibers or pulp fibers. However, it is also possible to use papers which at least partially consist of synthetic fibers, preferably polyamide fibers. As a plastic film such as a polyester film into consideration. The film may also be monoaxially or biaxially stretched. The stretching of the film, inter alia, leads to it receiving polarizing properties that can be used as a security feature. It may also be expedient if the substrate material is a multilayer film composite which has a central layer of paper or a paper-like material which is embedded between two outer plastic films (corresponding film composites are known, for example, from US Pat WO 2004/028825 A1 known). Such a composite is characterized by an extremely high stability, which is for the durability of the paper of great advantage. It is also conceivable to use a multilayer, paper-free composite material as the substrate material. This composite material can be used to advantage in certain climatic regions of the earth.

All materials used as substrate material may additionally be provided with security features to make it difficult to readjust the value document substrate. In the case of a paper substrate, the security features may for example be applied to the paper layer or incorporated into the volume of the paper layer. Security features that are incorporated into the volume of the security paper are preferably already introduced into the paper pulp in the papermaking process. As a classic security feature in particular a watermark may have been incorporated into the paper layer. At one in the paper volume introduced Security feature may further be a feature substance with a visually and / or machine-detectable physical property. The substance may, for example, have magnetic, electrically conductive, luminescent, light-diffractive, light-polarizing, photochromic, thermochromic or light-interfering properties and may be uniformly distributed over the entire area or introduced in the form of patterns. The luminescent feature substances may, for example, be luminescent substances which are excitable with UV light and emit in the visual spectral range. In the case of a machine check, however, emitting luminescent substances can also be used in the invisible spectral range, preferably in the IR spectral range.

For the film elements applied to the substrate (in particular by the film application devices of the device according to the invention), e.g. Polyolefin films (e.g., PE (polyethylene), PP (polypropylene) or cycloolefinic copolymers), films of polyolefin derivatives or polycarbonate, PMMA, especially PET (polyethylene terephthalate), PP or PA (polyamide). The film can be applied for example by means of an adhesive or a paint on the substrate. For example, hot-melt adhesives or reaction lacquers can be used as the adhesive. Suitable adhesives for applying the film are e.g. Polyvinyl acetates, polyvinyl chloride derivatives, acrylates, polyurethanes, polyesters, copolymers of these groups and UV adhesives.

The film elements, like the substrate, can be equipped with security features which are applied to the film surface and / or introduced into the volume of the film.

A security feature introduced into the volume of the foil element can be a feature substance with a visually and / or mechanically detectable physical property. The substance may, for example, have magnetic, electrically conductive, luminescent, light-diffractive, light-polarizing, photochromic, thermochromic or light-interfering properties and may be uniformly distributed over the entire area or introduced in the form of patterns. The luminescent additives may, for example, be luminescent substances which are excitable with UV light and emit in the visual spectral range. In the case of a machine check, however, luminescent substances emitting in the invisible spectral range, preferably in the IR spectral range, can also be used.

In the case of security features applied to the surface of the film element, the security feature may come to lie on the side facing away from the substrate and / or the side facing the substrate. In particular, security features that undergo a less strong bond with the film, preferably come to rest on the inside of the substrate-film element composite, so that the poor accessibility makes forgery more difficult.

The security features applied to the surface of the film element may be the above-mentioned visually and / or machine-detectable security features. Likewise, optically variable security elements can be provided on the film element. Optically variable elements or printing inks, which show a viewing angle-dependent color play due to light diffraction or interference, require as smooth a surface as possible, in particular foils, for a good visibility of this effect. security elements These types include, for example, holograms, Kinegrame® or other diffraction structures, film-like liquid crystal or interference layer structures, but also printing inks containing interference layer or liquid crystal pigments or other effect pigments, such as glossy metallic effect pigments. Even simple metal layers or metal effect imprints are conceivable. The security features applied to the film element can also be present in the form of an encoding.

As a security feature that can be applied to the surface of the film element, e.g. also a special imprint. In particular, suitable as a special imprint of intaglio printing, in which an easily tactile relief surface is generated. The pressure can be effected on the one hand on the substrate-film element composite obtained by means of the device according to the invention. The intaglio printing can be executed in color and / or blind embossing. On the other hand, the film element can be printed separately before it is applied to the substrate by means of the film application device and applied to the substrate only after the printing process.

With respect to the optically variable elements or printing inks with which the film element can be equipped, in particular metallizations of the film, possibly in combination with diffraction structures are suitable. The metallization can be made opaque or semitransparent, wherein the semitransparency is achieved by very thin metal layers or by screening the metal layer. By "semitransparency" is meant translucency, ie the metallization usually has a light transmission of less than 90%, preferably between 80% and 20%. Furthermore, it is possible to use or combine different colored metallizations. In particular, is suitable for Metallization aluminum and / or copper. The metallization directly applied to the film shows the decisive advantage of exceptionally high brilliance. This is due to the extremely smooth surface of the film, which allows particularly directional reflections in the security feature. By contrast, such metallizations on paper are becoming increasingly dim as the unevenness in the paper causes disturbances in the reflection. These highly reflective metallizations of the film are preferably only partially with the so-called washing process, as in WO 99/13157 described, which is incorporated herein by reference. If the metallizations are additionally provided with, for example, embossed diffraction structures, extraordinarily brilliant holographic effects result, which can not be produced in a conventional manner.

The film element (applied in particular by the film application devices of the device according to the invention) may be e.g. as a strip, patch or label. A patch here is a label-shaped single element. A strip has a width substantially less than its length, the strip preferably extending from one edge of the substrate to an opposite edge. The film element may be provided on its front side and on its back side either with similar or with different optical effects. In addition, the film element may have a heat-seal adhesive on one of its surfaces. The film element can furthermore be a carrier-based film variant in which after the film element has been stuck to the substrate, the carrier film is removed again (so-called transfer film) or remains on the substrate (so-called laminate film).

It is expedient that the application of the first and / or second film element to the substrate register exactly to a previously in the substrate introduced or applied to the substrate register mark. The register mark may be a printed mark, an opening in the substrate or a bright spot present in the substrate. For example, a watermark is suitable as the highlight. A particularly register-accurate positioning of the film elements on the substrate can be achieved by a plurality of register marks (eg watermarks) are detected and averaged by a suitable sensor and the average of several register marks is used as a control variable for the positioning. The sensory detection of register marks for controlling further process steps is known in the prior art (see, for example, US Pat WO 2008/017392 A2 ).

In the transport direction of the substrate between the first film application device and the second film application device, the device according to the invention additionally has a cutting device for producing a (continuous) opening within the substrate provided with the first film element. The cutting device may e.g. be designed as a punch or as a laser cutting device. As mentioned above in connection with the register-accurate arrangement of the film elements, the production of the opening can take place in register with a register mark previously introduced into the substrate or applied to the substrate.

The device according to the invention is adapted to be suitable for producing a value document substrate having a front and a back film element, wherein the substrate has an opening within the substrate layer (or within the substrate core or substrate structure) and within a film element that is separated from the one is closed further film element. The front and the back film element lead to a stable substrate flatness.

The device according to the invention has, in the direction of transport of the substrate between the device for providing a substrate and the first film application device, a printing unit, e.g. a screen printing, on.

By means of a (screen) printing unit, as mentioned above, security features can be applied to the substrate by printing technology. The security features produced by printing technology can in particular be based on effect pigments and / or on feature substances with a visually and / or mechanically detectable physical property. The feature substance can have, for example, magnetic, electrically conductive, luminescent, light-diffractive, light-polarizing, photochromic, thermochromic or light-interfering properties. The luminescent feature substances may, for example, be luminescent substances which can be excited by UV light or IR light and emit in the visible or non-visible spectral range. In the case of a machine check, emitting luminescent substances are preferably used in the invisible spectral range, preferably in the IR spectral range. Furthermore, the printing layer applied to the substrate (or the security feature applied by printing technology to the substrate) may in particular have effect pigments, for example pearlescent pigments such as Iriodin®.

In addition, the flatness of the substrate (ie the avoidance of bulges of the substrate) can be improved by a suitable, technically applied coating. As coatings for improving the substrate flatness are suitable in the WO 2011/015622 A1 substances described, such as paints, in particular solvent-containing two-component coatings, aqueous dispersions and UV coatings, preferably Lacquers with high solids content. As a varnish, a transparent varnish or a colored varnish can be used. Particularly suitable is a crosslinked gum arabic based coating. Gum arabic is a branched polysaccharide that has weakly acidic properties and occurs naturally as a neutral or weakly acidic potassium, calcium or magnesium salt. To form the coating, an aqueous mixture can be used, which by means of an ion exchange resin (eg, "Levatit Monoplus SP 112 H" Lanxess) into the H ⁺ form converted gum arabic (eg "Quickgum Type 8074" from Norevo GmbH) and contains a crosslinking agent. As crosslinking agent, a polyfunctional aziridine crosslinker (eg "Crosslinker CX-100" from DSM-Neoresins) can be used with advantage. The aqueous mixture can be applied to the substrate by means of a (screen) printing unit provided in the device according to the invention and then dried at room temperature or at elevated temperature and cross-linked. The treated by ion exchange resin, converted into the H ⁺ form gum arabic has a very advantageous water resistance after crosslinking.

It is particularly preferred that the device in the transport direction of the substrate between the means for providing a substrate and the first film application means comprises a (screen) printing unit, a turning device and another (screen) printing unit. In this way both the front side and the back side of the substrate can be e.g. with security features or the above, the substrate flatness-improving coatings are printed.

The (screen) pressure, as mentioned above in connection with the register-accurate arrangement of the film elements, register exactly to a previously carried in the substrate or applied to the substrate register mark.

According to a further preferred embodiment, the device according to the invention additionally has a turning device in the transport direction of the substrate between the first film application device and the second film application device, such that the first film element and the second film element are applied by the first film application device or the second film application device on the same side of the substrate become.

The invention will be explained below with reference to preferred embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying figures, in the representation of a scale and proportionate reproduction has been omitted in order to increase the clarity.

Fig. 1

eine schematische Darstellung eines Wertdokumentsubstrats, das durch das Verfahren gemäß dem zweiten Aspekt der Erfindung erhältlich ist;

Fig. 2

eine schematische Darstellung einer Vorrichtung gemäß dem ersten Aspekt der Erfindung.

Show it

Fig. 1

a schematic representation of a value document substrate, which is obtainable by the method according to the second aspect of the invention;

Fig. 2

a schematic representation of an apparatus according to the first aspect of the invention.

Fig. 1 shows a schematic representation of a value document substrate 1 according to the invention, which has a paper substrate 2 with an opening 3, wherein the opening 3 on one side with an at least partially translucent or transparent film 4 is closed and on the opposite side of the film 4 of the paper substrate 2 in the region of the opening 3 is a further film 5. The further film 5 may likewise be an at least partially transparent or translucent film. Within the opening 3, the film 5 is not present, but has a recess in this area. The paper substrate 2 is optionally on its front side and / or on its back in each case with a printing layer obtainable eg by means of screen printing (in US Pat Fig. 1 not shown), via which the paper substrate 2 is connected to the translucent or transparent film 4 or the further film 5. The optionally existing print layer (as well as one or both of the print layers, if several are present) can have, for example, effect pigments, in particular pearlescent pigments such as Iriodin®.

Fig. 2 shows a schematic representation of an apparatus according to the first aspect of the invention. On the paper substrate, which is provided by the device 6, a register mark is first applied via the printing device 7, which is used by means of suitable sensors for register-accurate positioning of the later to be applied to the substrate film elements and register accurate hole production. Via a first screen printing unit 8 and the drying unit 9, the paper substrate is optionally provided on its first side with a suitable lacquer coating which is based, for example, on a composition comprising Iriodin®. After turning the substrate through the turning device 10, the opposite side of the paper substrate is optionally provided with a further lacquer coating by means of a second screen printing unit 8 and a drying unit 9. The further lacquer coating can also be based on an Iriodin®-containing composition, for example. The paper substrate is then fed to a first film application device 11, which applies a first film element to the back of the substrate. In the paper substrate provided with the first film element, a through-hole is produced via a punch 12, the state and position of which can optionally be monitored via an inspection device 13. A second film application device 14, which is arranged mirror-symmetrically in its core components to the first film application device 11, applies a second film element to the front side of the substrate. If necessary, the device may have a re-wetting device 15, an inspecting device 13 and a device for applying a so-called "waste-mark", which optionally marks the substrate as production waste.

In the Fig. 2 between the first film application device 11 and the punch 12, a further turning device 10 is shown. This turning device is merely optional and does not exist in the device described in the preceding paragraph. Their presence would allow the application of two film elements on the same side of the paper substrate.

Claims (4)

1. An apparatus for manufacturing a value document substrate (1), wherein the apparatus is suitable for manufacturing a value document substrate (1) with a first foil element on the front side and a second foil element on the back side, wherein the substrate has an opening within the substrate layer (2) and within the first foil element (5), said opening being closed by the further, second foil element (4), wherein the apparatus has the following configuration in the transport direction of the substrate:

   a device (6) for making available a substrate (2), in particular a paper substrate;

   a printing unit (8);

   a first foil application device (11) for applying a first foil element (5) to a first substrate side;

   a cutting device (12) for producing an opening (3) within the substrate (2) supplied with the first foil element (5);

   a second foil application device (14) for applying a second foil element (4) to a second substrate side;

   wherein the first foil application device (11) and the second foil application device (14) are arranged within the apparatus such that the first foil element (5) and the second foil element (4) are applied to the opposite sides of the substrate (2) without turning the substrate (2).
2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus in the transport direction of the substrate between the device (6) for making available a substrate (2) and the first foil application device (11) has a printing unit (8), a turning device (10) and a further printing unit (8), so that both the front side and the back side of the substrate (2) can be printed.
3. A method for manufacturing a data value document substrate (1) by means of the apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, comprising the steps of:

   making available a substrate (2), in particular a paper substrate;

   applying print layers to a first substrate side and/or a second substrate side,

   applying a first foil element (5) to the first substrate side optionally supplied with a print layer;

   producing an opening (3) within the substrate (2) supplied with a print layer or electively with two print layers and the first foil element (5),

   applying a second foil element (4) closing the opening (3) to the second substrate side optionally supplied with a print layer.
4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the print layer, or in the case of the presence of two print layers, one or both of the print layers, is/ are based on a lacquer with effect pigments, in particular pearl luster pigments.

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