DESCRIPTION
ACHIENING A MARBLE PAINT EFFECT ON METALS AND OTHER MATERIALS USING THE IMMERSION TECHNIQUE.
A material that may be painted and decorated to produce a marble effect is selected. These materials belong to one of two categories:
A. Materials which can withstand temperatures of over 150°C, such as aluminium, or any other metal, glass, ceramic, special plastic, MDF, etc.
B. Materials which cannot withstand high temperatures such as plastic, wood, wood derivatives, plywood, paper derivatives, compressed paper, thick fabric, etc.
CASE A
Achieving a marble paint effect on metals and other materials using the immersion technique, where the object to be painted is a material which can withstand temperatures of over 150°C, and the basic colour/base coat of the marble effect is achieved with powder.
1. The chosen object is cleaned in such a way as to rid its surface of any dust or bumps and to ensure that it is absolutely dry, clean and ready to be painted.
2. The object is painted with powder.
This paint makes up the basic colour/base coat of the marble effect.
3. The painted object is placed in the kiln at a temperature ranging between 80°C and 250°C and left so that the basic colour/base coat of the marble effect sets on the object.
4. The surface of the object is inspected to ensure that the basic colour/base coat of the marble effect has set onto the surface of the object and that its surface is absolutely dry and free from dust, moisture, bumps, etc.
5. Two or three tanks whose dimensions are suitable for the size of the object are filled with clean water. 6. Various colours of ink, powder or liquidated powder are added to the surface of the first tank.
In order to add various colors of ink, powder or liquidated powder to the surface of the first tank, either a manual or an automated method is used, i.e. an electrostatic spray gun or a electric friction gun, or a simple flow of air or a simple mechanical method, such as a sieve.
These various colors of ink, powder, or liquidized powder do not mix with one another and due to their lower relative densities, they remain on the surface of the water forming random patterns.
At this point special importance is placed on the following: Namely, the way in which the various colours of ink, powder or liquidized powder are added to the surface of the water of the first tank, the quantity of each colour of ink, powder or liquidized powder which is added to the surface of the water, the distance left between the various colours of ink, powder or powdered ink which are added to the surface of the water, the speed in which the various colours of ink, powder or liquidized powder are added to the surface of the water and the height from which the various colours of ink, powder or liquidized powder are added to the surface of the water.
7. The object is immersed in the first tank either manually or using an automated method.
At this point the painted basic colour/base coat of the marble effect, in other words the powder, has set onto the surface of the object. The colours of the ink, powder or liquidated powder adhere to the surface of the specific object and they follow the shape of the object and create a marble effect at the point of immersion.
At this point, the successful decoration of the object depends on the way in which the object is immersed, because depending on the way, speed and angle at which the object is immersed, it receives a higher or lower quantity of the various colours of the ink, powder or liquidized powder on its surface, the quantity of which determines the desired result, namely, a more defined or more subtle pattern, with larger or smaller shapes. The method and speed in which the object is immersed depends and is selected on the basis of the size and complexity of the geometrical shape of the object. This is how the marble effect is achieved.
8. The object is removed from the first tank taking with it an extra quantity of colors of the ink, powder or liquidized powder. The extra quantity of these colours does not, however, adhere to the surface of the object since it is still wet.
9. The object is placed into the second tank or even the third tank if this is considered necessary, in order for it to be rinsed and remain as it was in the first stage. 10. The object is removed from the second or third tank.
11. The surface of the object is inspected to ensure that it is completely free of dust or bumps and is allowed to dry until it is absolutely dry and clean. 12. The object is placed in the kiln for a second time, at a temperature and for a time suitable to its nature and according to the protection and resistance desired of it.
In this way, the object is polymerized and the quantity of ink, powder or liquidized powder that has adhered to its surface is absorbed. The decorated object is removed from the kiln. 13. The object is inspected to ensure that it is absolutely dry and clean. At this point the marbling process and the final result in terms of quality and resistance of the surface has been achieved.
CASE B Achieving a marble paint effect on metals and other materials using the immersion technique, where the object to be painted is a material which can withstand temperatures of over 150°C, and the basic colour/base coat of the marble effect is achieved with powder. The paint stages are the same as in Case A. The difference in Case B lies in that a transparent powder is applied to the final decorated object, which is already clean and dry.
The object is placed for a third time in the kiln at a temperature suitable for the particular object and for a suitable time to achieve simultaneous polymerization of the powder, base coat, ink, powder or liquidized powder and transparent powder.
The surface of the object is inspected to ensure that it is completely dry and clean. At this point the marbling process and the final result in terms of quality, resistance and appearance of marble has been achieved.
CASE C
Achieving a marble paint effect on metals and other materials using the immersion technique, where the object to be painted is a material which can withstand temperatures of over 150°C, and the basic colour/base coat of the marble effect is achieved with powder.
The paint stages are the same as in Case A. The difference in Case C lies in that before stage 11, a transparent powder is applied to the final decorated object, which is already clean and dry.
The object is placed for a second time in the kiln at a temperature suitable for the particular object and for a suitable time to achieve simultaneous polymerization thus absorbing the quantity of ink, powder or liquidated powder and transparent powder which has adhered to its surface and to the layer of transparent paint.
The decorated object is removed from the kiln.
The surface of the object is inspected to ensure that it is completely dry and clean. At this point the marbling process and the final result in terms of quality, resistance and appearance has been achieved.
In all the above cases, it is clear that the powder could have been in its liquidized form, as is mentioned in the above cases.
CASE D
Materials which cannot withstand high temperatures such as plastic, wood, wood derivatives, plywood, paper derivatives, compressed paper, thick fabric, etc. and the basic colour/base coat of the marble effect is achieved using liquid paint or lacquer.
1. The chosen object is cleaned in such a way as to rid its surface of any dust or bumps and to ensure that it is absolutely dry, clean and ready to be painted.
2. The object is painted with liquid paint or lacquer. This paint makes up the basic colour/base coat of the marble effect.
3. The object is allowed to dry at room temperature. In this way the liquid paint or lacquer sets to its surface.
It is, of course, left to our discretion to place the object in the kiln, always at a low temperature.
4. The surface of the object is inspected to ensure that the basic colour/base coat of the marble effect has set onto the surface of the object and that its surface is absolutely dry and free from dust, moisture, bumps, etc. 5. Two or three tanks, whose dimensions are suitable for the size of the object, are filled with clean water.
6. Various colours of ink, powder or liquidated powder are added to the surface of the first tank. In order to add various colours of ink, powder or liquidated powder to the surface of the first tank, either a manual or an automated method is used, namely an electrostatic spray gun or an electric friction gun, or a simple flow of air or even a simple mechanical method, such as a sieve. These various colors of ink, powder, or liquidized powder do not mix with one another and due to their lower relative densities, they remain on the surface of the water forming random patterns. At this point special importance is placed on the following: The way in which the various colours of the ink, powder or liquidized powder are added to the surface of the water of the first tank, the quantity of each colour of ink, powder or liquidized powder which is added to the surface of the water, the distance left between the various colours of ink, powder or powdered ink which are added to the surface of the water, the speed in which the various colours of the ink, powder or liquidized powder are added to the surface of the water of the first tank and the height from which the various colours of the ink, powder or liquidized powder are added to the surface of the water.
7. The object is immersed into the first tank, either manually or using an automated method.
At this point the painted basic colour/base coat of the marble effect, in other words the powder, has set onto the surface of the object. The colors of the ink, powder or liquidated powder adhere to the surface of the specific object and they follow the shape of the object and create a marble effect at the point of immersion.
At this point, the successful decoration of the object depends on the way in which the object is immersed, because depending on the way, speed and angle at which the object is immersed, it receives a higher or lower quantity of the various colours of the ink, powder or liquidized powder on its surface, the quantity of which determines the desired result, namely, a more defined or more subtle pattern, with larger or smaller shapes. The method and speed in which the object is immersed depends and is selected on the basis of the size and complexity of the geometrical shape of the object.
This is how the marble effect is achieved.
8. The object is removed from the first tank taking with it an extra quantity of colors of the ink, powder or liquidized powder. The extra quantity of these colours does not, however, adhere to the surface of the object since it is still wet.
9. The object is placed into the second tank or even the third tank if this is considered necessary, in order for it to be rinsed and remain as it was in the first stage.
10. The object is removed from the second or third tank in order to allow it to dry at room temperature or in a kiln at a low temperature, thus absorbing the quantity of ink or powder or liquidized powder which has adhered to its surface.
11. The surface of the object is inspected to ensure that it is completely free of dust or bumps.
At this point, the marbling process and the final result in terms of quality, resistance and appearance of marble has been achieved.
The use of the liquid mentioned in stage 2 of Case D may clearly also be used for the materials in Case A.
The above invention is superior compared to any other made to date because it is the only one which can decorate faithfully difficult geometric patterns, for example columns and aluminium profiles, other metals, flat and shaped aluminium surfaces, which can be cut and shaped to any three-dimensional geometric shape and can decorate facades of buildings as well as interiors.
Materials such as plywood, plastic, fabric etc, can be used around the home in kitchens, bathrooms, etc, as well as in the workplace.
One further advantage of this invention is that certain surfaces have a low weight and small cost.