FR3062812A1 - ALUMINUM PANELS - Google Patents

Abstract

An aluminum panel includes an upper surface and a lower surface, and the upper surface includes at least one recessed area. The panel has a reduced thickness in the at least one recessed area. Both the top surface of the panel and the at least one recessed area comprise an aluminum oxide coating and the aluminum oxide coating of Pau minus a recessed area comprises at least one colored dye. A method for producing an aluminum panel is also provided.

Description

© Publication number: 3,062,812 (to be used only for reproduction orders)

©) National registration number: 18 70148 ® FRENCH REPUBLIC

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY

COURBEVOIE © Int Cl ⁸ : B 32 B 15/20 (2017.01), C 25 D 11/04

A1 PATENT APPLICATION

©) Date of filing: 09.02.18. © Applicant (s): MULTITECHNIC LIMITED - GB. © Priority: 10.02.17 GB 17022138. @ Inventor (s): EDGE COLIN. ©) Date of public availability of the request: 17.08.18 Bulletin 18/33. ©) List of documents cited in the report preliminary research: The latter was not established on the date of publication of the request. (© References to other national documents ® Holder (s): MULTITECHNIC LIMITED. related: ©) Extension request (s): © Agent (s): CABINET CHAILLOT.

* 54) <strong style = “mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;“> ALUMINUM PANELS </strong>.

FR 3 062 812 - A1 (5 /) An aluminum panel comprises an upper surface and a lower surface, and the upper surface comprises at least one recessed area. The panel has a reduced thickness in the at least one recessed area. Both the upper surface of the panel and the at least one recessed area have an aluminum oxide coating and the Pau aluminum oxide coating at least one recessed area comprises at least one colored dye. A method for producing an aluminum panel is also provided.

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Aluminum panels

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to panels made of anodized aluminum and anodized aluminum alloys and a method for producing such panels and, in particular, panels comprising a recessed design.

Invention Background

Aluminum signs or nameplates are typically made of anodized aluminum panels.

Anodizing is an electrochemical treatment that coats the surface of a metal, such as aluminum, with an oxide coating. This anodized coating is porous and can absorb dyes to provide the panel with a colored layer. The anodized coating can then be sealed using a sealant treatment that clogs the pores in the coating. Anodizing increases the panel's corrosion and wear resistance and the anodized coating does not conduct electricity.

Sulfuric acid is commonly used in the preparation of anodized aluminum, producing coatings of moderate thickness, for example from 1.8 µm to 25 µm thick. These coatings are known to be Type II coatings.

Various clogging treatments are commonly used, including hot water clogging in which the panel is immersed in boiling deionized water for a period of time, and cold clogging methods, in which for example the panel can be immersed in a solution of a nickel salt, such as nickel fluoride.

Pre-anodized aluminum sheets are often used to make signs. Drawings can be engraved or marked in anodized panels and paint can be added to marked or engraved areas. However, since the paint is applied to the metal surface, it is less durable than dyes encapsulated inside the anode layer and also vulnerable to wear, damage and degradation by solvents, pollutants or the environment.

Ano printing is another known process for printing on aluminum panels to make signage. This treatment involves printing on a porous, unclogged, recently anodized surface, allowing the dyes to soak into the surface. After the color has been applied, the anodized coating is sealed to trap the dye inside the anodized surface layer. In this treatment, there is no attack and / or etching, so that the surface of the placards is smooth and, when a smooth surface is contaminated with dirt or soot, it can be difficult. to read. With such signage, there is no option to make the surface of the signs tactile, and it may be difficult to read such signage from certain angles or under certain light conditions, since reflection by the surface is uniformly Esse. In addition, if the printed image becomes discolored, for example by exposure to heat or light, the image will be reduced in intensity or will be completely lost. This type of signaling is also inappropriate for use on a floor because the Esse surface is likely to constitute a risk of buildup, especially when it is wet.

It would therefore be desirable to offer an améEoré aluminum panel.

Summary of the Invention

According to the invention, there is provided an aluminum panel or an aluminum bore panel comprising an upper surface and a lower surface, the upper surface comprising at least one recessed area, the panel having a reduced thickness in the at least a recessed area, both the top surface of the panel and the at least one recessed area having an aluminum oxide coating, and the aluminum oxide coating of the at least one recessed area comprising at least a colored dye.

Preferably, the depth of the recessed area is sufficient to be perceptible by sight or touch, preferably said depth is at least 0.1 mm relative to the upper surface of the panel.

Preferably, the aluminum oxide coating is obtained by electrolytic anodization treatment. More preferably, the electrolytic anodizing treatment is an electrolytic anodizing treatment with sulfuric acid.

The aluminum oxide coating on at least one recessed area may not be clogged. Alternatively, the aluminum oxide coating of the at least one recessed area can be sealed. Anodized aluminum oxide coatings are preferably clogged using a standard clogging treatment chosen from the group comprising: clogging treatments with hot water, steam clogging, clogging cold with nickel salt, clogging with chromate and clogging with dichromate.

The aluminum oxide coating on the recessed area may include more than one colorant. The aluminum oxide coating on the top surface of the panel may include at least one dye. Both the aluminum oxide coating on the top surface of the panel and the aluminum oxide coating on the recessed area may each include at least one dye. The at least one dye included in the aluminum oxide coating of the upper surface of the panel may be of a different color from the at least one dye included in the aluminum oxide coating of the recessed area .

The aluminum panel can be chosen from the group comprising: labels, nameplates, signs, badges and floor covering.

According to another aspect, a method is proposed for producing an aluminum panel comprising the following steps:

(a) taking an aluminum panel, the panel comprising an upper surface and a lower surface, the upper surface having an anodized coating, and removing part of the aluminum oxide coating and a proportion of the underlying aluminum to create a recessed area on the panel; and (b) connect the panel to a power supply and anodize the exposed aluminum portions of the recessed area of the panel, so that the recessed area has an aluminum oxide coating.

The process can include a final step:

(c) sealing the anodized coating of the recessed area.

Preferably, the aluminum oxide coating on the panel in step (a) is obtained by electrolytic anodizing treatment. More preferably, the electrolytic anodizing treatment is an electrolytic anodizing treatment with sulfuric acid.

The method can be a method for producing an aluminum panel as defined above and can comprise an additional step, of applying at least one colored dye to the panel after step (b) and, if necessary , before step (c).

Preferably, the recessed area created in step (a) is at least 0.1 mm deep from the top surface of the panel.

Step (a) can be a two-step treatment, and includes the steps of first removing the anodized coating, then later removing the underlying aluminum. Each stage of the two-stage treatment can use a different withdrawal treatment.

In step (a), the anodized coating can be removed by a treatment chosen from the group comprising: chemical attack, etching, laser engraving and sandblasting.

In step (a), the underlying aluminum can be removed by a treatment chosen from the group comprising: chemical attack, etching, laser engraving and sandblasting.

Preferably, in step (c), the anodized coating is clogged using a standard clogging treatment chosen from the group comprising: clogging treatments with hot water, clogging with steam, cold clogging with nickel salt, chromate clogging and dichromate clogging. When the clogging treatment is a clogging treatment with hot water and the anodized coating is clogged by immersion in hot water, preferably water at a temperature between 96 ° C and 100 ° C, for a period of at least 20 minutes.

The aluminum panel used in the process can be selected from group 5 comprising: labels, nameplates, signs, badges and floor covering.

The term aluminum panel includes panels made of aluminum or aluminum alloys.

Brief Description of the Drawings

In the drawings, which illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention:

Figure la is a perspective view of an aluminum panel with an applied stencil;

Figure 1b is a cross section of the panel of Figure 1a, along the line

X-X;

Figure 2 is the cross section of Figure lb after a first attack treatment;

Figure 3 is the cross section of Figure lb after a second attack treatment;

Figure 4 illustrates the cross section of Figure 1b after re-anodizing the attacked areas of the panel;

Figure 5 illustrates the panel after immersion in a dye solution;

Figure 6a illustrates a cross section through the panel after the etching stencil has been removed; and Figure 6b illustrates a perspective view of the panel of Figure la after treatment with the method according to the invention.

Detailed Description of the Prior State of the Technique and Preferred Embodiments of the Invention

Figure la illustrates an anodized aluminum panel 1. A cut vinyl stencil 3 was applied to the anodized surface coating, leaving exposed area 4 of the surface.

Figure 1b illustrates the cross section taken along line X-X. It can be seen in Figure 1b that the aluminum panel 1 has an anodized coating 2 on its upper surface. The anodized coating 2 is a layer of aluminum oxide formed during an electrolytic treatment which was subsequently sealed using a standard sealing treatment. The anodized coating 2 may have been immersed in a dye solution before clogging, so as to be colored.

The anodized coating 2 is removed from the exposed area 4 by application of an etching solution. Figure 2 shows the anodized coating removed in area 4 exposed by stencil 3, exposing the underlying aluminum metal 5.

Panel 1 is then further etched or etched to increase the depth of image area 4 to form a recessed area on panel 1, as shown in Figure 3. Any suitable etching or etching process which removes material to produce a recessed area can be used.

The panel 1 is then connected to a power supply and the exposed aluminum surface 5 is re-anodized by a standard anodizing process, to produce an anodized coating 6, as shown in Figure 4, typically about 25 gm thick. Since the original anodized coating 2 does not conduct electricity, it is not affected by this second anodizing step.

At this point, the recently anodized coating 6 is porous and can be colored by immersion in a dye solution, resulting in a colored anodized coating 6 'as shown in Figure 5. Since only the recently anodized coating is porous, c It is only this part which absorbs the dye, which means that the recessed parts of the panel can be colored in a different color from the original panel. The panel 1 is then sealed using standard sealing methods known in the art, such as hot water sealing methods or cold sealing methods, using nickel salts for example.

Finally, as shown in Figures 6a and 6b, the stencil 3 is removed to reveal a recessed area 4 which has been colored in a different color from the original anodized coating 2.

Applying dye is an optional step and the anodized coating can be sealed without staining to produce a clear coat.

The following example illustrates the process according to the invention:

Example 1 (i) A piece of anodized aluminum plate with an anodized coating 25 µm thick had a simple cut vinyl stencil applied to the anodized surface.

(ii) The anodized coating from the area exposed by the stencil was then removed by etching in 5% NaOH solution at 20 ° C for about 3 minutes until the aluminum metal surface became visible.

(iii) The panel was then rinsed in water.

(iv) Using a standard jet attack machine, the panel was then etched in 20% ferric chloride solution at 20 ° C for 15 minutes to increase the depth of the area exposed by the stencil.

(v) The panel was then rinsed in water.

(vi) The panel was then connected to a power supply and anodized in a tank using lead cathodes in a 10% H ₂ SO ₄ solution at 20 ° C using a current of 0.018 A at 15 V for 50 minutes to produce an anodized coating approximately 25 µm thick.

(vii) The panel was then removed from the power supply and rinsed in deionized water.

(viii) The panel was then immersed in a standard black anodizing dye solution for 20 minutes at 20 ° C until the dye has fully colored the applied anodized portions of step (vi).

(ix) The panel is then rinsed in water.

(x) The panel was then immersed for 30 minutes in a standard sealing tank containing water at 97.5 ° C.

(xi) The stencil was then peeled off from the surface and the adhesive residue was removed using a patented multi-purpose washing solvent.

Masking, or the like, can be used to allow more than one colored dye to be on the panel.

Signs produced using this process include recessed designs or details and are useful as labels, nameplates, signs, badges or flooring, for example. The recessed detail can help enable improved tactile discernment of information or designs. The recessed design can also produce different reflection properties between the top surface of the panel and the recessed surface.

Claims (21)

Claims 1. Aluminum panel comprising an upper surface and a lower surface, characterized in that the upper surface comprises at least one recessed area, the panel having a reduced thickness in the at least one area 5 recessed, both the upper surface of the panel and the at least one recessed area comprising an aluminum oxide coating, and the aluminum oxide coating of the at least one recessed area comprising at least one colored dye. 2. Aluminum panel according to claim 1, characterized in that the 10 aluminum oxide coating of at least one recessed area is not clogged. 3. Aluminum panel according to claim 1, characterized in that the aluminum oxide coating of the at least one recessed area is clogged. 4. Aluminum panel according to any one of claims 1 to 3, 15 characterized in that the depth of the recessed area is sufficient to be perceptible by sight and / or touch. 5. Aluminum panel according to claim 4, characterized in that the depth of the recessed area is at least 0.1 mm relative to the upper surface of the panel. 20 6. Aluminum panel according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the aluminum oxide coating is obtained by electrolytic anodization treatment. 7. Aluminum panel according to claim 6, characterized in that the electrolytic anodization treatment is an anodization treatment 25 electrolytic with sulfuric acid. 8. Ahiminium panel according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the aluminum oxide coating of the upper surface of the panel comprises at least one dye. ίο 9. Aluminum panel according to claim 8, characterized in that the at least one dye included in the aluminum oxide coating of the upper surface of the panel is of a color different from the at least one dye included in the aluminum oxide coating of the recessed area. 5 10. Aluminum panel according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the panel is chosen from the group comprising: labels, nameplates, signs, badges and a floor covering. 11. Process for producing an aluminum panel, characterized in that the 10 process includes the steps: (a) taking an aluminum panel, the panel comprising an upper surface and a lower surface, the upper surface having an anodized coating, and removing part of the aluminum oxide coating and a proportion of the underlying aluminum to create a recessed area on the 15 panel; and (b) connect the panel to a power supply and anodize the exposed aluminum portions of the recessed area of the panel, so that the recessed area has an aluminum oxide coating. 12. Method according to claim 11, characterized in that the method comprises 20 also a final step: (c) sealing the anodized coating of the recessed area. 13. Method according to claim 12, characterized in that, in step (c), the anodized coating is sealed using a standard sealing treatment chosen from the group comprising: hot water 25 steam sealing, cold sealing with nickel salt, sealing with t chromate and dichromate clogging. 14. Method according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that the clogging treatment is a clogging treatment with hot water and the anodized coating is clogged by immersion in hot water, preferably water at a temperature between 96 ° C and 100 ° C, for a period of at least 20 minutes. 15 Method according to any one of claims 11 to 14, characterized in that, in step (a), the aluminum oxide coating on the panel is obtained by electrolytic anodization treatment. 16. Method according to any one of claims 11 to 14, characterized in that the electrolytic anodization treatment is an electrolytic anodization treatment with sulfuric acid. 17. Method according to any one of claims 11 to 16, in which the aluminum panel is an aluminum panel as defined in any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the method comprises an additional step , applying at least one colored dye to the panel after step (b). 18. Method according to any one of claims 11 to 17, characterized in that, in step (a), the recessed area of the panel has a depth of at least 0.1 mm relative to the upper surface of the panel. 19. Method according to any one of claims 11 to 18, characterized in that step (a) is a two-step treatment and comprises the steps first of removal of the anodized coating and then of subsequent removal of the underlying aluminum. 20. Method according to any one of claims 11 to 19, characterized in that, in step (a), the anodized coating is removed by a treatment chosen from the group comprising: chemical attack, etching, laser engraving and sandblasting. 21. Method according to any one of claims 11 to 19, characterized in that, in step (a), the underlying aluminum is removed by a treatment chosen from the group comprising: a chemical attack, a engraving, laser engraving and sandblasting. 22. Method according to any one of claims 11 to 21, characterized in that the aluminum panel is chosen from the group comprising: labels, nameplates, signs, badges and a floor covering. 1/2 f-ιθτ. ib Fîô ^ q- 2l Fiâr, 3 Ψ 2_ l Flô-