US3775261A - Process for producing an embossing cylinder - Google Patents

Process for producing an embossing cylinder Download PDF

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Publication number
US3775261A
US3775261A US00120607A US3775261DA US3775261A US 3775261 A US3775261 A US 3775261A US 00120607 A US00120607 A US 00120607A US 3775261D A US3775261D A US 3775261DA US 3775261 A US3775261 A US 3775261A
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United States
Prior art keywords
cylinder
portions
lands
bared
pattern
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Expired - Lifetime
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US00120607A
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English (en)
Inventor
J Rieth
F Castejon
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Uniroyal Chemical Co Inc
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MARECHAL ETS
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Assigned to UNIROYAL CHEMICAL COMPANY, INC., WORLD HEADQUARTERS, MIDDLEBURY, CT. 06749, A CORP. OF NEW JERSEY reassignment UNIROYAL CHEMICAL COMPANY, INC., WORLD HEADQUARTERS, MIDDLEBURY, CT. 06749, A CORP. OF NEW JERSEY ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST. Assignors: UNIROYAL, INC., A NEW YORK CORP.
Assigned to UNIROYAL CHEMICAL COMPANY, INC. reassignment UNIROYAL CHEMICAL COMPANY, INC. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST. Assignors: UNIROYAL, INC., A NJ CORP.
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    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C25—ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES; APPARATUS THEREFOR
    • C25D—PROCESSES FOR THE ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PRODUCTION OF COATINGS; ELECTROFORMING; APPARATUS THEREFOR
    • C25D5/00—Electroplating characterised by the process; Pretreatment or after-treatment of workpieces
    • C25D5/02—Electroplating of selected surface areas
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41C—PROCESSES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR REPRODUCTION OF PRINTING SURFACES
    • B41C1/00—Forme preparation
    • B41C1/18—Curved printing formes or printing cylinders

Definitions

  • ABSTRACT A cylinder is provided with a photographic emulsion which is then exposed to light as a function of a desired pattern. Portions of the exposed emulsion are removed from the cylinder as a function of the exposure obtained in the step of exposing the emulsion to light. The bared portions of the cylinder are then electroplated to provide lands as a function of a pattern to be embossed onto articles.
  • the present invention relates to a process for fabricating an embossing cylinder useful for embossing decorative patterns onto films of plastic material, to the cylinder itself, and to a process of using the cylinder.
  • a smooth cylinder is machined to provide grooves and lands corresponding to a desired pattern.
  • This process is generally suitable only for the reproduction of geometric designs having small dimensions. A high accuracy is not possible.
  • the designs can be placed in very regular arrays. Highly trained machinists must be used; otherwise smooth surface finishes can not be reliably achieved.
  • the desired pattern is reproduced'on a cylinder by the electrodeposition of nickel on a form made of plastic.
  • a problem associated with this'process is a poor closure of the pattern.
  • the grooves of a pattern are produced by photoengraving.
  • a negative of the desired pattern is reproduced on a photosensitive layer previously deposited on a cylinder.
  • the surface of the cylinder is subjected to a chemical attack. This process is little utiliz'ed, since the grooves are of shallow depth.
  • the pattern is not faithfully reproduced, and the edges of the lands are sharp and cause tearing and preforating of plastic films being embossed.
  • An object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved process for fabricating an embossing cylinder, which process yields an accurate placement of a desired pattern onto a cylinder.
  • Another object of the invention is to provide a process yielding lands and grooves having smooth surfaces yet not requiring skilled machinists.
  • Another object of the invention is to provide aprocess yielding lands which do not cut and tear an article being embossed and which are adequately elevated from the grooves to yield excellent embossing results.
  • Yet another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved embossing cylinder and a process of using such a cylinder.
  • FIGS. 1 to are sections through a portion of the surface of a cylinder, with the axis of the cylinder lying in the planes of the sections.
  • FIG. 111 is a perspective view showing the cylinder of the invention in use.
  • FIGS. 12 and 13 are flow diagrams of two embodiments of the process of the invention.
  • a decorative pattern is first selected. This may be a drawing, or it may be a natural design occurring on some object such as a piece of marble, fabric, leather, etc..
  • a photographic negative film is made of the se- 0 lected pattern. The size of the film may be chosen to have a length equal to l/n times the circumferential length of the cylinder, where n is an integer, so that the positive film made as described below will close correctly on itself.
  • the negative film may be retouched by standard methods.
  • a larger positive film is produced by successive exposures of the original negative on a step and repeat machine, for example of the Bouzard type.
  • the layout of the larger film should correspond exactly to the layout desired on the surface of the cylinder.
  • This larger film may be retouched, for example, to remove any mismatch occurring at the borders between separate exposures of the original negative and at the two edges of the larger film that must close on themselves in the finished pattern on the cylinder.
  • the cylinder is of steel having a coppered surface.
  • the surface is turned on a lathe for the purpose of making it perfectly cylindrical and for bringing it to a1diameter such that its surface can be covered exactly by the positive film. Then the surface is carefully polished.
  • the polished surface of cylinder l is then coated with a photosensitive layer 2.
  • a photosensitive layer 2 Portions of this layer which have been'exposed to light must not dissolve in subsequently used solutions such as the iron perchloride solution mentioned below. Otherwise, its particular composition is unimportant.
  • An example of a suitable layer material is Kodak KIR emulsion.
  • the cylinder is next placed on a Mettenheimer' copying machine with the larger positive film closing upon itself around the cylinder and in contact with-the emulsion and, by means of a powerful light source, for example a xenon lamp a latent image is formed on the photosensitive layer 2.
  • a powerful light source for example a xenon lamp a latent image is formed on the photosensitive layer 2.
  • the positive film is removed,
  • the image thus obtained on the cylinder can then, if necessary, be retouched either by scraping away unwanted parts of portions 3 or by providing a coating onto bared surface at portions 4.
  • the bared surface portions are next cleaned, for example by means of a cotton pad impregnated with a solution having a composition: one part by weight sodium dichromate, (Na Cr O two parts by wieght 66Be sulfuric acid, and eight parts by weight water. Following this, the surface is rinsed thoroughly.
  • the bared surface regions are next subjected to a chemical attack to effect a better adherence of the metal to be subsequently electroplated on such bared regions.
  • the cylinder is rotated in a solution of 36Be iron perchloride (FeCl for 5. minutes.
  • the bared surface regions are attacked to a depth of the order to 0.02 to 0.04 millimeters, as shown in FIG. 3.
  • This is followed by a thorough rinsing of the cylinder.
  • the above cleaning step can also be repeated, followed by a thorough rinsing and drying.
  • Coating 5 must be of a material that is nonconductive and does not disslove, for instance, in the elegtroplating bath. Otherwise, its particular composition is unimportant.
  • a suitable coating material is coating ST 90 020 sold by the Societe de Produits Chimiques de Parnasse de Paris. The coating 5 is applied using a lathe and a leather (flesh side) roller. It is allowed to dry for several hours.
  • Copper is then electrodeposited on the bared surface portions in a thick coppering tank.
  • the cylinder Before commencing current flow, the cylinder is first rotated for about five minutes in the 25 to 30C bath in the tank. Then current is allowed to flow through the cylinder as cathode with a current density of 4 amperes per square decimeter of bared wetted surface.
  • the bath composition is 230 grams of copper sulfate (CuSO and 50 grams of sulfuric acid per liter of water.
  • the bared surface portions With the current flowing, the bared surface portions become filled with copper lands 6, as shown in FIG. 5, at locations reproducing the desired pattern.
  • the electrodeposition should be stopped, since otherwise the lands will grow laterally over the coating 5 and connect up with their adjoining lands.
  • the height of the lands is thus limited by the fineness of the decorative pattern. For a fine pattern, land heights would be of the order of 0.1 millimeter,'while for a coarser pattern heights as great as 0.3 to 0.4 millimeters can be attained.
  • the cylinder is thoroughly washed and then dried.
  • Lands of different heigths can be obtained by selective masking at different times during the electrodeposition process.
  • electrodeposition can be halted and the ridges coated with a protective varnish 8, such as above-mentioned coating ST 91 020, whence the electrodepositing is recommenced in order to fill the craters by a new deposit of metal 9.
  • a protective varnish 8 such as above-mentioned coating ST 91 020
  • the protective coating 5 is removed by washing with solvent-naphtha and the portions 3 are removed by washing in trichloroethylene, to obtain the structure shown in FIG. 8.
  • the cylinder is given continuous chrome plate by electroplating in a bath having the composition 250 grams of chromic acid and 2.5 grams of sulfuric acid per liter of water. A current density of 25 amperes per square decimeter is used.
  • the relief of the cylinder surface is reinforced by first coating the surface of the lands of FIG. 8 with a coating 12, as shown in FIG. 10.
  • This coating may be the above-mentioned coating ST 91 020.
  • the cylinder is subjected for 6 to 7 minutes to chemical attack by a 36 Be iron perchloride solution. This creates actual grooves 13 in the surface of the cylinder, as contrasted to the relative grooves present in the structure of FIG. 8. After this attack, the cylinder is thoroughly rinsed and coating 12 is removed. The cylinder is then chromed as in FIG. 9.
  • the photosensitive layer 2 of FIG. 1 is encircled by a negative film, rather than a positive film.
  • the bared surface portions are chemically attacked to a depth of 0.02 to 0.04 millimeters with iron perchloride and then protected with a wax.
  • the light-exposed portions of the photosensitive layer are removed to form new bared surface portions on the cylinder surface and copper lands are electrodeposited on the thus newly bared surface portions in the manner explained above.
  • the steps following step number 13 in FIG. 13 are the equivalents of steps 10 to 14 in FIG. 12.
  • the process according to the invention permits the attainment, by a simple and inexpensive process, of embossing cylinders which are perfectly cylindrical and which exhibit the high degree of accuracy characteristic of photographic locations in the placement of the lands reproducing the desired pattern.
  • the lands 6 have rounded edges 25 and this permits embossing without fear of cutting or tearing. Embossed products are given a very soft appearance. Nevertheless, the peaks 26 of the lands are very flat, as is also shown in FIG. 9, and this permits the making of embossed sheets having very flat embossed depressions whose reverse sides can be subsequently successfully printed upon.
  • embossed patterns having different depths are possible, and, since a single land can be formed with several different heights by the masking process described above, an embossed sheet having different depths in any given depression is possible.
  • FIG. 11 illustrates a method of using a cylinder 1 made according to the invention.
  • the cylinder is rotatably mounted on the ends of arms 15a and 15b, while arms 15a and 15b are pivoted to swing downwardly at points 16a and 16b.
  • Springs 17a and 17b urge the cylinder 1 with force against thermoplastic film l8 interposed between cylinder 1 and hard-rubber coated backup roll 19.
  • Film 18 is continuously fed from roll 20, in the unembossed state, through the nip 21, and thence, in the embossed state, onto roll 22.
  • lands 6 produce depressions 24.
  • Infrared radiator 23 heats cylinder 1 so that it is continually maintained at a temperature appropriate for embossing the film 18.
  • the phrase accuracy characteristic of a photographic locating process means that points in a pattern formed by lands on the surface of a cylinder are located within a tolerance of i 0.02 millimeters.
  • a process for producing an embossing cylinder having a predetermined pattern comprising the steps of: placing a photosensitive layer on the surface of a cylinder; exposing portions of the layer to light as a representation of the predetermined pattern; removing portions of said layer as a function of the exposure obtained in said step of exposing, thus forming bared portions of said surface representing the predetermined pattern; chemically attacking said bared portions preparatory to electrodepositing metal onto said bared portions for modifying the surface at such bared portion so as to improve the adherence of such metal to said bared portions; electrodepositing such metal onto said bared portions to form lands of electro-deposited metal all of which protrude above the surface of the cylinder and which conform to the predetermined pattern and removing the remainder of said layer to expose the surface of said cylinder.

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  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • Electrochemistry (AREA)
  • Materials Engineering (AREA)
  • Metallurgy (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Electroplating Methods And Accessories (AREA)
  • Electroplating And Plating Baths Therefor (AREA)
  • Shaping Of Tube Ends By Bending Or Straightening (AREA)
  • Moulds For Moulding Plastics Or The Like (AREA)
US00120607A 1970-03-05 1971-03-03 Process for producing an embossing cylinder Expired - Lifetime US3775261A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR7007853A FR2082154A5 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1970-03-05 1970-03-05

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US3775261A true US3775261A (en) 1973-11-27

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US (1) US3775261A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
BE (1) BE763297A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
DE (1) DE2109391A1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
ES (1) ES388923A1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
FR (1) FR2082154A5 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
NL (1) NL7102456A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4414317A (en) * 1982-04-21 1983-11-08 Armstrong World Industries, Inc. Transparency, a method for forming it and a photographic mask whose optical densities are correlated with the contour of a surface
US5358794A (en) * 1991-09-03 1994-10-25 Nippon Steel Corporation Steel strip and method for producing rolling dull roll
US5406705A (en) * 1994-02-03 1995-04-18 Gencorp Inc. Method of producing an embossing cylinder
US20040151857A1 (en) * 2002-03-06 2004-08-05 Stratum Oy Coating method for a roll or cylinder

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE3337961A1 (de) * 1983-10-19 1985-05-09 Fa. Eduard Hueck, 5880 Lüdenscheid Oberflaechenstrukturierte matrize zur erzeugung von praegegravuren auf pressplatten aus kunststoff, kunststofflaminaten u. dgl. und verfahren zu deren herstellung
DE3337962A1 (de) * 1983-10-19 1985-05-23 Fa. Eduard Hueck, 5880 Lüdenscheid Verfahren zur bildung von oberflaechenstrukturen auf einer matrize, insbesondere fuer die erzeugung von praegegravuren auf pressplatten aus kunststoff oder kunststofflaminaten

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1151459A (en) * 1911-03-17 1915-08-24 Hugo Knudsen Process of producing planographic printing-plates.
US2024086A (en) * 1927-12-12 1935-12-10 Standard Process Corp Process for producing a printing plate
US2453404A (en) * 1945-06-01 1948-11-09 Walter S Bohlman Apparatus for making plastic masses
US2726200A (en) * 1952-06-07 1955-12-06 Kemart Corp Lithographic plates and method of preparing
US3293156A (en) * 1963-06-25 1966-12-20 Beck Engraving Company Inc Method and apparatus for plating etched half-tone printing plates
US3300286A (en) * 1964-07-10 1967-01-24 Mirror Polishing And Plating C Composite metallic roll or other member and method of making same

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1151459A (en) * 1911-03-17 1915-08-24 Hugo Knudsen Process of producing planographic printing-plates.
US2024086A (en) * 1927-12-12 1935-12-10 Standard Process Corp Process for producing a printing plate
US2453404A (en) * 1945-06-01 1948-11-09 Walter S Bohlman Apparatus for making plastic masses
US2726200A (en) * 1952-06-07 1955-12-06 Kemart Corp Lithographic plates and method of preparing
US3293156A (en) * 1963-06-25 1966-12-20 Beck Engraving Company Inc Method and apparatus for plating etched half-tone printing plates
US3300286A (en) * 1964-07-10 1967-01-24 Mirror Polishing And Plating C Composite metallic roll or other member and method of making same

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
Two New Photo Resists, Photo Methods for Industry Vol. 12 No. 10 Oct. 1969 pgs. 64, 66, 68. *

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4414317A (en) * 1982-04-21 1983-11-08 Armstrong World Industries, Inc. Transparency, a method for forming it and a photographic mask whose optical densities are correlated with the contour of a surface
US5358794A (en) * 1991-09-03 1994-10-25 Nippon Steel Corporation Steel strip and method for producing rolling dull roll
US5406705A (en) * 1994-02-03 1995-04-18 Gencorp Inc. Method of producing an embossing cylinder
US20040151857A1 (en) * 2002-03-06 2004-08-05 Stratum Oy Coating method for a roll or cylinder
US7052780B2 (en) * 2002-03-06 2006-05-30 Stratum Oy Coated roll or cylinder and machine having same

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
BE763297A (fr) 1971-08-23
NL7102456A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1971-09-07
DE2109391A1 (de) 1971-09-16
ES388923A1 (es) 1973-06-01
FR2082154A5 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1971-12-10

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AS Assignment

Owner name: UNIROYAL CHEMICAL COMPANY, INC., WORLD HEADQUARTER

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNOR:UNIROYAL, INC., A NEW YORK CORP.;REEL/FRAME:004488/0204

Effective date: 19851027

AS Assignment

Owner name: UNIROYAL CHEMICAL COMPANY, INC., WORLD HEADQUARTER

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST. EFFECTIVE DATE OCTOBER 27, 1985.;ASSIGNOR:UNIROYAL, INC., A NJ CORP.;REEL/FRAME:004754/0186

Effective date: 19870130