FR2928350A1 - Bi-material monobloc tracing die for loading pallet, has cavity in which plastic material is directly molded and permanently thermo-sealed by plastic injection, where material supports visible information signs and hidden tracing units - Google Patents

Abstract

The die (25) has a wooden element (1) including a cavity (2) in which a plastic material (4) is directly molded and permanently thermo-sealed by plastic injection. The element is made of sawn timber or pressed wood. The plastic material supports visible information signs (6) and hidden tracing units i.e. active or passive type radio frequency identification units. The plastic material is injected using injection nozzles.

Description

10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 Improvements to bi-material packaging

The invention relates to wooden packaging elements, and more particularly the dice of pallets and crates.

Most manufactured goods and other goods are packed on crates or pallets in order to promote storage or transport operations. To this end, pallets or wooden crates have a load-bearing tray, a tray resting on pieces of wood. called dice creating a vacuum allowing the forks of lifting devices to take charge. Pallets and crates are used in hundreds of millions of copies worldwide; the raw material used is mainly raw wood or agglomerated wood. A small part of the market is made of pallets all plastic or metal, for specific technical reasons. For various reasons of identification, traceability and also safety required by certain standards, the pallet must be marked. The markings used are from the most rudimentary to the most elaborate, according to the needs and requirements required by customers and regulations. This ranges from hot iron marking to specific platelets as described in Leuvrey patents No. FR 0605212 of 07 06 06 and FR No. 07 01509 of 28 02 07.

These specific pads are thermo-plastic material and are reported on one or more dice of the pallet. The dice are in rough sawn wood, or in agglomerated wood (wood fibers assembled and held by plastic resin), or while plastic, or all-metal, the latter two types of pallet used because having very high costs. Let us therefore preferentially retain the first two types. Hot stamping is very rudimentary and often not very accurate. The requirements of modern traceability require markings incorporating color, more or less sophisticated signs that are clear and sustainable, modern means such as the integration of RFID (radio frequency identification), and the impossibility of defrauding by substitution or falsification. .

These modern traceability means, such as the marking plate NIMP15 described in the above-mentioned patents, are made separately and then reported on the pallet die, by an additional operation during the manufacture of the pallet or any other element of the invention. packaging, additional operations that generate additional costs; These give for die 3 operations of manufacture: 1 / to make the dice in raw wood or in agglomerated wood, 2 / to realize the element of marking 3 / to bring back and to put said element of marking in die. The costs are of great importance as they are also to be taken into account in the issues of pallet lifespan, pallet park management, unjustified downtimes, pallet repair and recycling, a modern traceability that fits throughout the life cycle of the pallet.

We could also imagine dice made entirely of plastic; this is not the aim, in view of a high differential in raw material costs, wood being less expensive; hence the interest of a solution of a dice mainly based on wood.

This cost issue is also directly related to sustainable forest management; example: if the optimized management of a park for example requires the use of 2 million pallets, in reality, compared to the inconsiderate number of pallets immobilized 1 15 10 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 without logistical reason and or lost in nature, the park will have to use for example 2400 000 pallets, 400 000 too many and made unnecessarily.

It should also be said that the question of using suitable materials such as plastic as a modern traceability element in addition to and associated with the basic material is therefore relevant; plastic is here used nobly in its technical contribution to the marking and its contribution to the benefit of modern and sustainable traceability, to the credit of a global energy and CO2 positive balance. The combination of the two basic material elements, wood and plastic, is therefore desirable.

In the same way, to use at best the raw wood, for a die of modern technical pallet in its design, realization and cost, without having to return it in agglomerates (heavy and expensive transformation operation) brings a CO2 balance largely gaining. Preferentially, it is better to use mainly raw wood from the tree, a rare renewable resource on the planet; However, the agglomerated wood is nevertheless mainly composed of wood, generally resulting from the recovery and regrinding of the woods out of service, and therefore may also be suitable in the application according to the invention described below.

The present invention provides a technical solution to these stakes and constraints, by proposing a new technique of manufacturing a dice preferably in rough sawn wood or agglomerated wood, with integrated marking element, without subsequent recovery of this element to be placed in the die, bringing a reduced cost and a required modern traceability; this die is therefore made of bi-materials; this die is monobloc composed of these materials, wood and plastic ..

The invention will be better understood through the following drawings: • FIG 1 represents a handling pallet • FIF 2 represents a pallet die and the marking area • FIG 3 represents a view of the die according to the horizontal BB section of the pallet die of FIG. 2, with a view of the location of the RFID • FIG. 4 represents an RFID • FIG. 5 represents a pallet die with a marking in a peripheral zone • FIG. 6 represents a pallet die with a central marking zone in the form Figure 7 shows a view according to section AA of the die of FIG. 6 • FIG. 8 represents a mill for producing the cavity for the marking element according to FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 • FIG 9 represents a module of FIG. multi-injection plastic injection of the die • FIG 10 shows an example of making dice from an undivided wooden bar, with in-line injection battery of the information elements • FIG 11 shows a die comprising s information elements made by extrusion.

The technique according to the invention is as follows: the die (1) generally of cubic or other shape is preferably based on sawn hardwood, dried and calibrated, or also secondarily also based on agglomerated wood. The die (1) by initial machining operations comprises one or more cavities (2) of adapted shapes (3) and oriented, intended to receive a plastic material (4) molded by plastic injection process comprising the closure elements ( 7) and injection nozzles (10). In the manufacturing process, this die (1) is then introduced between the plates (5) of a plastic injection machine and undergoes the conventional injection cycle, ie a) locking the trays (5), b) injection of the material (4) melt, c) cooling time of the material, d) opening of the trays and ejection of the workpiece; The part produced is then a bi-material monoblock die (25) obtained by directly filling the cavities (2) with the thermo-plastic material (4) molded and permanently sealed to the wood of the dice The material thus makes visible the visual information elements (6) previously engraved on the face of the plates (5) or on elements associated with the plates in contact with the molded plastic material (4); The two basic trays (5) connected to the closing-opening direction of the injection device (7) can be supplemented with complementary trays (8) according to the drawings and variants of the die; all these plates now molding the die called to receive and contain the plastic material (4) molded and cool in the required spaces defined by the cavities (2). Indicatively, one can imagine a neighboring process of cold molding a thermosetting material. The cavities of the die have adapted shapes (3) for blocking and holding the plastic element integrated into the wood durably and indissolubly.

In an optional version, the cavity (2) previously receives a means of information and traceability hidden and inaccessible from the outside such as an RFID (9) of active type (RFID with battery, readable at a long distance) or a Passive RFID (RFID without battery). RFID (passive or active type) is previously placed in a suitable location of the cavity (2) made in the die before injection of the plastic material; during the injection of the plastic material, the RFID is then embedded in this material; its position in house meets one of the aims of the invention, to protect the RFID shocks and possible fraud attempts. The RFID (9) may include stops (11) for centering and holding the latter at the required location, these stops (11) preventing the RFID during the injection of the plastic material is moved from its location central to the edge of the die and thus it is thus sensitive to shocks and accessible from the outside and thus not more secure. Remember that an RFID includes a unique and tamper-proof identification number, qualities giving it a strategic interest for the future in the control of all events on time, transport, traceability of goods and therefore pallets.

The material (4) used is chosen for its qualities of resistance to violent shocks, in order to keep operational the elements of identification and traceability. The die (25) thus produced is a one-piece bi-material dice and immediately operational when it is mounted on a pallet according to the technical and commercial guidelines of the customer users.

Another form of maintenance and location of the traceability element defined by the die-cast material (4) is obtained by a lateral and peripheral cavity (12) in the central zone of the die, ie at least on two opposite faces. , or 3, or 4 faces; this makes it possible to obtain the piece of information (6) made of plastic (4) of flat shape in a closed belt (12) around the die, giving it essential security, except destruction and proof of fraud. Another form of retention and location of the traceability element defined by the die-cast material (4) is obtained by a groove (13) in the form of a mortise (1 4) open on one side only. The bottom of the mortise comprises in its central zone a clearance (17) more important wood material; this is achieved by the use of a milling cutter (18) with two cutting diameters, the first initial diameter (19) of breaking up greater than its second diameter (20), in order to realize a larger mortise in its background . the operational mode of creation of the mortise being the following: piercing of the die, longitudinal advance in depth, recovery and exit of the cutter. This device thus makes it possible to reinforce the position and the security of the plastic information element (6) that can not be extracted. 3 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55

The production line can adapt and integrate other known plastic injection processes, such as the bi-injection process; here the injection of the plastic material is carried out in several times, by several nozzles (10) of injection, alternatively or at the same time; each of these two nozzles sends a variant of the plastic material in different characteristics such as different colors or other different technical characteristics such as degree of hardness, according to the intended purposes, such as for example to obtain color contrasts for good legibility of information. An engraving (21) for reproducing the visible information signs (6) of the material (4) is placed on the face (21) of the plates (5) in contact with the molding material; finally, the various plastics (4) molded together in association are inseparable from them. This solution by the use of multi-nozzles, or multi-injections, thus multi-variants of materials meets new requirements required by the market; thus, the production line optionally comprises more than 2 nozzles, either tri-injection, or quadrijection, or for example multi-color information markings and signs integrated in and by the plastics material (4). Here, the production of a conventional mold and already sophisticated in bi-injection and therefore at a high cost is no longer useful, since it is the wooden die, which acts mold, including the print by the cavity (2)) which will be filled by the plastic material (4) during the injection. These are the plates (5) in contact with the plastic material at the outer edge of the die, previously engraved in relief or in hollow side of die, which will concretely finalize the visibility and readability of the information signs (6) and thus of traceability in hollow or in relief on the die. The production line can be automated or semi-automated. the rough sawn woods are already already already cut to the length of the die, according to the previous description.

In another method of manufacture, the wood is not a cut die but is a wood in length type chevron in the form of a bar (22) section corresponding to that of a die; this bar (22) is presented and machined according to the principle below: Here, the manufacturing process starts from a bar (20) of wood which passes through the following operations: a) creation of the mortises (13), by a tool cluster comprising strawberries; the locations of the mortises are calculated according to the intervals (23) later intersections of the bar to obtain dice; b) Injection of the plastic material in order to produce the information elements (6), with possible prior incorporation of the RFIDs, in the mortises (13) c) Possible recovery of multi-injections of materials in the color variants, the bar of wood previously operating a lateral displacement of the value of an interval (23). d) Creating the dice (25) finished, by cuts (24) of the bar (22). This model of production line can receive all the possible technical arrangements and useful for this application. The interest lies in the simplicity of the operations and their implementation, and the battery operation of milling, injection and cutting; the main interest lies in obtaining competitive rates in manufacturing a de traceability, high-end .par its technique and its qualities.

In another embodiment of the finished die (25), the die (25) is obtained by an open cavity (2) (FIG. 2) on at least two opposite faces of the wooden die, and by the integration into this cavity of the plastic material (4) in one or more components (28, 29) extrusion-shaped in form of a profile (28) associated or not with one or more other profiles (29) associated with the signs of information (6). The invention also relates to the identification of all objects made of wood or similar materials. 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 50

Claims (9)

claims 1. De (25) monobloc bi-material handling pallet traceability characterized in that it is made from 2 basic elements, the wood (l) and a plastic material (4), the wood comprising in its an open cavity (2) in which the plastics material (4) is directly molded and permanently sealed by plastic injection molding (4), said plastic material serving as a support for visible information signs (6) and for means hidden traceability (9). 2. A one-piece two-material traceability pallet handling according to claim 1, characterized in that the wood element (l) is of dried and calibrated raw sawn timber or agglomerated wood. 3. The one-piece two-material handling pallet traceability die according to claims 1, 2, characterized in that the plastic material (4) is integrated by one or more injections by means of one or more nozzles (10). injection, each of these nozzles injecting a variant of the material (4) having differences in color and or hardness. 4. A one-piece bi-material traceability handling pallet according to claims 1, 2, 3, characterized in that in another version the cavity (2) of the die is located on at least 2 opposite sides on the periphery of the die and in its central zone to realize and place the information element (6) of plastic material (4) of flat shape in belt (12) closed around the die. 5. De monobloc bi-material handling pallet traceability, according to claims 1,2,3, characterized in that in another version, the cavity (2) is formed by a mortise (13) open on one side , said mortise being made from a milling cutter with two diameters, the first initial diameter (19) of breaking up stronger than its second (20), in order to achieve a wider mortise in its bottom (17) . 6. A one-piece two-material handling pallet traceability according to claims 1, 2, 3, 5 characterized in that another manufacturing process, from a bar (22) of wood, includes operations successive creation of the mortises by a battery of cutters (18), the possible poses of the RFID, the injections of plastic materials (4), and finally the cutting operation (24) of the bar, the latter operation releasing the dice ( 25) finished in their usual size. 7. A one-piece bi-material traceability pallet handling unit, according to claims 1, 6 characterized in that the plastic material (4) in different characteristics is injected by several injections by means of a battery of several nozzles (10) Injection. 8. A one-piece two-material pallet traceability of handling pallet, according to claims 1, 2, characterized in that in another manufacturing variant, the die (25) finished is obtained by integration into the cavity (2) made on at least one face of the die, the plastic material (4) in one or more components (29) extrusion-shaped in the form of a profile (28) associated or not with one or more profiles (29) having the signs information (6). 9. The one-piece two-material traceability pallet handling according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that hidden traceability means, inaccessible from the outside and integrated in the die (25) are a Active RFID or passive RFID .5