LV14196B - High productive apparatus for vacuum coating of roll substrate - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention pertains to highly productive apparatus (1) for vacuum coating roll substrate (3) without touching any elements of the winding system by the substrate front surface, thereby preventing damage of the substrate front side and deposited coating. The apparatus comprises at least one loop winding device (9), which is installed between separate units (7) of the substrate cooling device. The said device comprises an input turning roller (11), central turning roller (12) and output turning roller (13), while each pair of neighboring turning rollers touches the substrate in a single plane. The suggested apparatus provides highly productive deposition of up-to-date high-technology coatings onto comparatively wide polymer films, metal foils and similar substrates. Necessary quality is provided, including for composite coatings. The possibility of processing fairly long roll materials provides uninterrupted operation of the deposition apparatus during long operation cycles, thus ensuring high productivity of the equipment.

Description

The invention relates to a device for vacuum coating of a garmer material (substrate) wrapped in a roll, mainly garmer and remarkably wide polymer film and metal foil. In this technique, the length of the roll material generally provides a continuous process that is long enough to achieve effective machine productivity.

Vacuum coating roller devices are quite widely used in various industries. Such devices are widespread in the production of wrapping and decorative materials and are increasingly being used in more sophisticated high-tech industries to produce a variety of products for electronics, electrical engineering, communication equipment, etc. In recent years, active efforts have been made to create solar power converters using such equipment. High-tech industries are imposing stricter requirements on the quality of applied layers, with the number of layers in a single coating structure increasing and the list of applied materials expanding. Often the composition of these materials is very complex and they are very sensitive to mechanical and thermal effects during vacuum processing. It is also very important not to damage the side (front) of the substrate on which the coatings are to be applied.

There is a known device for applying coatings in a vacuum according to Japanese Patent Application 8325731 (Applicant is TEIJIN LTD). The purpose of this application is to prevent damage to the front of the base and coatings. As shown in Fig. 1, the known device (20) comprises a starting material roller roller (21), a guide roller (22) system, a base (23), a cooling drum (25), a feed material source (26) and a finished product winding roller (27). ). The guide roller system is arranged in such a way as to prevent contact of the front face (24) of the base with these rollers during processing. This prevents damage to the front face of the base (24), which could be caused by friction with the roller surface, especially if the roller surface is not perfect due to wear or machining failure. It is particularly important that the contact of the roller applied to the known device with the rollers is avoided, however, it should be noted that the known device has a number of significant disadvantages:

- firstly, it is of little use to high-throughput systems where high-power substrate cooling is required for high power and / or process (plasma technology, CVD processes, etc.) and high intensity of coating sources (magnetron sputtering, thermal evaporators and the like). particularly effective cooling is also required for applying coatings on very thin and / or extremely heat sensitive substrates. However, the specific arrangement of the guide rollers in the device does not allow sufficient contact of the substrate surfaces with the cooling unit (in this case, the cooling drum). As shown in Fig. 1, the maximum drum surround angle with the base is much less than 180 degrees. The possibility of extending the contact surface by increasing the diameter of the drum is quite limited within the vacuum chamber, as it requires an increase in the size of the machine and the additional high-power vacuum pumps that are associated with the overall price increase of the machine;

- Secondly, as mentioned above, the application of compound multi-component coatings is often necessary for the production of modern high-tech materials. Arrangement of two or more zones is required for the application of multiple layers of multi-component coating within a single vacuum unit to achieve sufficiently productive processes. The known design features of the device do not allow for the creation of such an area.

The object of the present invention is to increase the productivity of the apparatus by applying two or more coating application zones without contacting the front surface of the substrate with any elements of the winding system. It is also an object of the present invention to extend the technological capabilities of the apparatus by applying multiple layers of multi-component coatings to different areas of the vacuum apparatus. Another object of the present invention is to extend the technological capability of the device by applying coatings on a thin gauge roller base of relatively large widths from 300 to 2000 mm.

The performance of a vacuum device when applied to a thin gauge roller substrate is generally limited, since such substrates, and in particular the multi-component coatings applied to them, are subject to technological degradation. Expanding the substrate surface contact and extending the work surface of the cooling unit is required to increase productivity. Therefore, the set goal is achieved by extending the contact surface by using two or more cooling blocks and a loop winding unit between each pair of cooling blocks. If necessary, the cooling unit may comprise three or more cooling units, in which case a loop winding unit is mounted between each pair of cooling units. Each cooling unit is generally made according to the prior art in the form of a truncated ring segment. The ring has a sufficiently large radius to ensure maximum contact of the substrate surfaces with the curved surface of the segment. The cooling units may be in the form of drums, the application of which for cooling the substrate is well known in vacuum technology. In any design of a cooling unit, its surface is in contact with the substrate, and therefore the cooling efficiency is limited by the limits of the tensioning forces of the substrate during its winding at a significant contact surface. The contact force between the substrate and the cooling surface as determined by the substrate tension is determined by the radius of the surface of the cooling curve. The contact force decreases as the surface radius of said curve increases. Applicant practice shows that extending radii beyond 10 m does not have a positive effect. The proposed design eliminates such a restriction. The use of multiple cooling units also extends the technological capabilities of the unit, as it allows the application of multiple layers of multi-component coating to different areas of the vacuum unit while maintaining the known principle of rewinding without contacting the winding system with the front face.

It is well known that with the planned increase in the width of the roller substrate, the risk of damage during high-throughput processing in vacuum equipment increases. The installation of a loop wrapping unit between each pair of cooling units provides an extension of the technological capabilities of the vacuum unit due to the use of a relatively wide (within the aforementioned limits) roller base, as said assembly with cooling units prevents base erosion or other damage.

Fig. 1 shows schematically the best embodiment of the invention, in which two cooling units are used in the form of truncated segments, between which is mounted a loop winding unit (9) with a diameter of 1 to 10 m and one loop winding unit.

FIG. Fig. 2 shows an embodiment of the invention with three adjacent cooling units in the form of truncated drums, between which two loop winding units (9) are mounted. Depending on the type of coatings applied, the type and width of the substrate and the required throughput, the device may also comprise more cooling blocks and loop wrapping units according to the present invention, but a loop wrapping unit is installed between each pair of cooling pads.

Figures 3a and 3b show schematically a loop winding assembly comprising an input cutting roller (11), a central cutting roller (12) and an output cutting roller (13). Next to the loop winding assembly are shown the guide rollers (6) of the base winding system, the axes of which are perpendicular to the main direction of movement of the base from the reel to the winding roll.

Fig. 4 shows a rotating roller.

Fig. 5 shows a fragment of a pivotable roller and a mechanism (17) for returning the moving plate of the roller to its starting position.

Fig. 6 shows a known technical solution according to Japanese Patent Application 08-325731, wherein the front side of the base does not touch the guide rollers of the winding system.

The specification of the designations used in the drawings is as follows: 1 - a device for applying coatings in vacuum on a rolled substrate; 2 - Coating application areas; 3 - base; 4 - Unroll roller; 5 - winding roll; 6 - roller guide rollers; 7 - cooling unit in the form of a truncated ring segment; 8 drum cooling unit; 9 - loop rewinding unit; 10 - source of the carrier material; 11 - entrance spinning roller; 12 - center cutting roller; 13 output spinning rollers; 14 - loop winding frame; 15 - center of rotation of the loop node; 16 - movable plates of the outer surface of the roller; 17 - mechanism for returning the moving plates to the starting position; 18 - tread; 19 - Tread roll; 20 known vacuum deposition devices on roller-coiled substrates; 21 is a roll-up roll of a known device; 22 - Guides of a known device; 23 - base of known device; 24 is the front side of the base in a known device; 25 - the cooling drum of the known device; 26 - the source of the carrier material for the known device; 27 is a winding roll of a known device.

The proposed construction is a high-yielding device (1) for applying a vacuum to a garmer roller under vacuum, comprising one or more areas (2) for applying a coating through which the roller (3) is wound from a roll (4) to a winding roller. (5). Each coating application area may be in a separate vacuum chamber or in a common vacuum chamber in separate compartments. The base cooling device comprises two or more cooling blocks in the form of a truncated ring segment (7) or a drum (8), the construction of which is well known and widely used in the art. The base wrapping device comprises one or more loop wrapping units (9), each of which is mounted between the cooling units.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the coating applicator shown in Fig. 1 comprises two cooling blocks in the form of truncated annular segments (7), two coating application zones and a loop wrapping unit (9).

The device works as follows. The base (3) is conveyed from the roller (4) along the guide rollers (6) and along the curved surface of the first cooling unit (7), whereby the coating is applied to the base by means of a coating source (10). Known PVD devices (magnetron sputtering devices, thermal evaporators and the like), CVDs, PECVDs and other sources can be used as coating application sources. After applying the coating layer (s) to the first cooling unit, the base is guided by a guide roller (6) to a loop wrapping device (9) mounted above the top edge of the cooling unit, providing the required substrate tension and its optimum contact with the curved surface of the cooling unit. . In addition, the roller (6) and the first rotating roller (inlet roller) (11) of the loop winding assemblies are arranged in one plane, and the axis of the inlet roller (11) is rotated against the main transport direction of the base. according to the rotation angle of the input roller (11). From the roller (11), the base moves to a central rotating roller (12), the axis of which is perpendicular to the new direction of movement of the base which is driven by the roller (11). In addition, the roller (12) is flush with the roller (11). When the roller (12) is wound, the base is brought into the output rotating roller (13), the axis of which is rotated to the main direction of transport of the base at an angle such that the axis of the roller (11) and the roller (13) are flush with the roller (12) next to the guide roller (6). As the output rotating roller (13) is wound, the base changes direction and moves again in the main transport direction.

Thus, the successive rotation of the roller at a certain angle to the main direction of movement of the base and the successive arrangement of the adjacent rollers in one plane ensure the desired function of the loop winding assembly. During the passage of the foot through the loop wrapping assembly, the foot loop is rotated under these conditions without contact of the front surface with any rollers or other elements of the device. The angle of rotation of the rollers (11) and (13), as well as the distances between all rollers of the loop winding assembly, are selected such that the axial offset for the main winding of the base is equal to the base width + 100 - 200 mm. After turning, the substrate enters the second cooling unit, where the subsequent coating layer (s) is applied, and is then wound onto the finished product roll (5). After rotation of the base, a certain directional correction is useful for its further transport. This can be done by means of a known centering device, which is mounted between the loop winding assembly and the next cooling unit.

In the best embodiment of the invention, the centering device is integrated in the design of the loop winding assembly (see Fig.3B). Following the edge sensor, not shown in the figure, the actuator of the signal (not shown) executes a slight rotation of the frame (14) and all the rotating rollers mounted on it. In this way, the loop winding assembly centers the direction of movement of the base while rotating the rotating rollers about the center (15) at a slight angle. Since the invention is intended to treat a relatively wide substrate (300 ... 2000 mm), the displacement of the substrate along the axes of the rotating rollers is performed without direct sliding on the roller surface using any of the known methods.

In the best embodiment of the invention, the outer surfaces of each roller consist of narrow plates (16) as shown in Fig. 4. These plates can move easily through bearings, not shown in the figures, in the axial direction. As the base contacts the surfaces of the rotating roller plates and shifts axially during turning, the base also moves the plates in this direction at a distance ΔΙ, as shown in Fig.4. When the base comes out of contact with the rotating roller, the plates are released and return to the starting position by the return mechanism (17). The spring or rubber band can be used as a return device.

Because the proposed device provides a high quality of applied coating without contact with the rollers of the winding system, in many cases it is useful to use means to maintain that quality during the winding of the material on the roll of the finished product. This can be achieved by known methods of protecting the coating using, for example, a soft material tape (tread) as shown in FIG. The tread (18) is fed from the roll (19) and the base together with the tread is wound onto the finished product roll (5).

In general, the proposed device provides high-performance coatings on relatively wide polymer films, metal foils and the like, with the necessary quality being assured for composite coatings. The ability to process sufficiently wide and long roll materials ensures continuous operation of the machine over a sufficiently long cycle and contributes to high productivity of the machine.

Claims (7)

1. A high performance vacuum deposition device on a rolled substrate comprising a coating application source, a substrate cooling device, a substrate winding system mounted on a non-overlapping substrate, such as to increase the productivity and product quality of the substrate when there is no contact of the front surface of the base with the elements of the winding system, the winding system comprises at least one base leg winding unit mounted between the individual units of the base cooling device. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that said base shoe winding assembly comprises an input cutting roller, a central cutting roller and an output cutting roller, each pair of adjacent rotating rollers touching the base in one plane. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that each pair of adjacent elements, in particular the respective input roller and the respective surface of the winding system or the respective surface of the respective cooling block and the corresponding output roller and the respective roller of the winding system the respective surface of the cooling unit touching the base in one plane. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that said base loop wrapping unit is mounted above the upper edge of the cooling device. 5. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that said base loop wrapping assembly is located below the lower edge of the cooling device. 6. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that said loop wrapping assembly is integrated with a base centering device. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the width of the base of the roll is in the range of 300 to 2000 mm.