WO2008067812A1

WO2008067812A1 - Method of making a laminated metal plate

Info

Publication number: WO2008067812A1
Application number: PCT/DK2007/000440
Authority: WO
Inventors: Henrik Kaa Andersen
Original assignee: Metalcolour A/S
Priority date: 2006-12-05
Filing date: 2007-10-11
Publication date: 2008-06-12
Also published as: DK200700576A; DK176881B1

Abstract

A method of making laminated metal plates for panels, cabinets and the like, wherein a coiled metal plate (8) is uncoiled and passed through rollers (6, 7) at the same time as a film (2) is uncoiled and likewise passed through rollers (6, 7) to be joined with glue to form a laminate (10). Prior to the joining, the film is passed through a printer (3) which applies a motif (4). The laminated metal plate (10) may then be cut to an object (14), which may be shaped such that the punched object (13) constitutes a panel or the like with a film coating everywhere on the surface.

Description

METHOD OF MAKING A LAMINATED METAL PLATE

The prior art

The present invention relates to a method of making laminated metal plates, in particular for panels, cabinets and the like.

Metal plates are used in the industry as doors, walls and bottoms in the manufacture of e.g. refrigerators. To obtain an aesthetic surface on a re- frigerator door, a piece of film is adhered to a metal plate adapted to the size of the door, said metal plate having been punched, deep-drawn and bent before a film is adhered thereon.

Various methods of making metal plates are described in the literature. An example of a method is described in GB2265568. This method employs a coiled metal plate and a coiled film sheet. Both the metal plate and the film sheet are uncoiled, and the film sheet is adhered to the metal plate and thus forms a laminate plate.

The method according to GB2265568 is used for making small plate objects for e.g. cans. If, instead, it is desired to make a refrigerator door of the plate object manufactured by this method, it is necessary to combine several plate objects to achieve a size which corresponds to the dimensions of an ordinary household refrigerator. Finally, the method of Daiwa Can is not suitable for individual plate objects, since the film, which is adhered to the metal plate, is prefabricated. This means that it is not possible to change decorations on the film en route in the process, since, then, the entire film has to be replaced.

Another example of a method of making laminated metal plates is described in US2005/0017605. According to this method, a film is likewise applied to a metal plate, following which the laminated plate is mounted on a refrigerator. However, the film is applied after the metal plate has been punched. This is a cumbersome and also expensive manufacturing process.

Finally, it is known from US 4,475,975 A to laminate a metal plate with a film web which, prior to this lamination, has been provided with a printed motif and with an applied layer of glue.

The object of the invention

It is the object of the invention to remedy these constraints in the manufacturing process and to achieve a simplification of the method, which may be used for larger plate objects for e.g. white goods and the shipbuilding in- dustry, and wherein it is possible to individualize the plate objects en route in the manufacture.

The present invention remedies the problems of the prior art by providing a method of making a laminated metal plate, in particular for panels, cabinets and the like, wherein a metal plate is passed through rollers and a film web is passed through a printer which applies a motif, following which the film is conveyed over a glue applicator and is then adhered together with the metal plate in rollers to constitute a laminated metal plate.

The laminated metal plate may be punched or shaped in another manner into finished panels, which are used e.g. for refrigerator cabinets.

Thus, even large plate objects may be manufactured and decorated en route in the manufacture. If the laminated metal plate is to be used e.g. as a door or the like, where a nice decoration is desired on both sides of the metal plate, film is adhered to both sides of the metal plate.

In order to achieve the best possible quality of the printing while having the possibility of user adaptation en route in the manufacture, the film is passed through a digital printer, which optionally prints in colours.

In order to achieve the best result of the finished object which is to be punched, the film is applied everywhere on the metal plate.

The film may be a soft PVC film, which is coil coated to the metal plate to achieve the easiest possible application.

The drawing

The invention will be explained more fully below with reference to the drawing, in which

fig. 1 shows a first system for the manufacture of the laminated plate,

fig. 2 shows a second system for the manufacture of the laminated plate, and

fig. 3 shows an object punched and shaped to form the finished object.

Description of exemplary embodiments

With reference to figure 1 , this figure shows a first embodiment of a method of making a laminated metal plate for cabinets and panels. In the example, the laminated metal plate is made from a coiled metal plate 8 and a coiled film web 1. The coiled metal plate may be obtained in any dimension found in practice, and which is normally available in a coiled state (called coils).

The metal plate may e.g. have a thickness of between 0,4 and 1 ,2 mm and a width of up to 2,000 mm.

The film web may be a soft PVC film coiled into a coil 1.

The film 2 is passed through a digital printer 3, optionally on an external unit, where printing currently takes place at the passage through the printer in the desired determined format, both as regards motif and as regards colours.

After this digital printing, where the motif is indicated on the film web by 4, the film web 2 is passed over a roller 5 and then a glue applicator 16 for applying glue to the lower side of the film web 2.

Fig. 2 shows a second embodiment of a system for manufacture according to the invention. Here, the glue applicator roller 16 is arranged above the metal plate 9 for the application of the glue layer.

In both embodiments, the metal plate 9 runs together with the film web 2 between a roller 6 and a counter-pressure roller 7 for adhesive joining and thus lamination of the metal plate, which then forms the finished, laminated metal plate, which may be coiled into a coil 11 , as shown in fig. 3.

Where provision of laminate is needed on both sides of the metal plate, glue may be applied to the laminated metal plate on both sides, following which film is laminated on both sides in the same process. With reference to figure 3, this figure shows a finished, laminated metal plate which is coiled into a coil 11.

As indicated, the film with the print 4 is disposed on the outer side and/or on both sides of the coiled metal plate.

Then, 12 objects 14 may be punched from this laminated web 10 in a generally known manner, and thus form the basis for the subsequent processes for the configuration of the desired object 13.

The punching or the configuration is carried out in a generally known manner by means of a tool 15, as indicated in the figure.

The finished object 13 is formed in this manner, which may be a panel e.g. for a slot machine, a refrigerator or the like.

The print 4 will extend uninterruptedly over all bends and curves, as the film will follow the plate and thus constitute an uninterrupted coating on the plate and thus on the object 13.

The entire manufacture of the object from the printing, the lamination and the subsequent punching may take place in a continuous or separate process, which gives the possibility of using the method to achieve a safe and precise production of objects having a perfect surface, where the appear- ance may be with motifs in an unprecedentedly high resolution because of the digital printing.

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS

1. A method of making a laminated metal plate, in particular for panels, cabinets and the like, wherein a metal plate (9) is passed through rollers (6, 7) and a film web (2) is passed through a printer (3) which applies a motif (4), following which the film (2) or the metal plate (9) is conveyed over a glue applicator (16) and is then adhered together between rollers (6, 7) to constitute a laminated metal plate (10).

2. A method of making a laminated metal plate according to claim 1 , ch a ra cte ri zed in that the laminated metal plate (10) is punched and/or is shaped into panels, cabinets and similar objects (13, 14).

3. A method of making a laminated metal plate according to claim 1 , ch aracte ri zed in that film (2) is adhered to the one side or both sides of the metal plate (9).

4. A method of making a laminated metal plate according to claim 1 , characterized in that the film (2) is passed through a digital printer (3).

5. A method of making a laminated metal plate according to claim 4, characterized in that the film (2) is passed through a digital colour printer (3).

6. A method of making a laminated metal plate according to claims 1 and 3, c h a racte rized in that the film (2) is a PVC film, which is coil coated to the plate (9).