WO2017064736A1

WO2017064736A1 - Method for glueing, handling and storing die-cut materials

Info

Publication number: WO2017064736A1
Application number: PCT/IT2016/000234
Authority: WO
Inventors: Nicola Gerardi
Original assignee: Tecma Snc Di Vino Cosimo
Priority date: 2015-10-13
Filing date: 2016-10-10
Publication date: 2017-04-20
Also published as: CN108521770A; EP3362288A1; WO2017064736A8; ITUB20154853A1; BR112018007401A2

Abstract

Method for glueing, handling and storing die-cut materials (C) comprising, in the order, the following steps: a lamination step, in which a die-cut material (C) is placed in contact with a transfer web (S) that is moved along a predetermined advancement direction (DS) and is laminated between two lamination rollers (EU, EL), the lamination rollers pressing the die-cut material on a surface of the transfer web (S) coated with glue such that the die- cut material is glued on a surface thereof contacting the transfer web (S); a detachment step, in which the glued die-cut material (C) is temporarily detached from the transfer web (S); a cleaning step, in which the glue external to the profile of the die- cut material (C) is removed from the transfer web (S); a storing step, in which the die-cut material (C) is positioned on the clean transfer web (S) from which the glue external to the profile of the die-cut material (C) has been removed; and wherein in said lamination step only the transfer web (S) and the die-cut material (C) pass between the lamination rollers (E); in said detachment step the die-cut material (C) is transferred from the transfer web (S) to one or more conveying belts (H) on which the die-cut material (C) remains until the execution of the storing step while the transfer web (S) is subjected to the cleaning step; in said storing step the die-cut material (C) is transferred from said one or more conveying belts (H) to the clean transfer web (S); the surface tension of the glue is greater in respect of the die-cut material (C) compared to the transfer web (S) and the conveying belts (S) such that the die-cut material (C) remains glued both when it is detached from the transfer web (S) and when it is transferred from the conveying belts (H) to the clean transfer web.

Description

TITLE

Method for glueing, handling and storing die-cut materials.

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a method for glueing, handling and storing die-cut materials.

A known method for glueing, handling and storing die-cut materials implies the use of a first glued web, commonly said transfer web, for glueing the die- cut materials and conveying them along a predetermined path and the use of a second web made of plastic material and superimposed to the first web. A surface of the second web is treated such that the surface tension of the glue spreaded on the first web is greater relative to the second web. The die-cut materials are laminated between the first and the second web, such that the die-cut materials are adhesivized on their surface contacting the first web. The second web comes into contact with the glue of the first web externally to the profile of the die-cut materials and therefore it adheres to the first web externally to the profile of the die-cut materials. Downstream of the station where said lamination step is performed, the second web is detached from the first one so that the glue of the first web external to the profile of the die-cut materials is removed. A further lamination step is executed to ensure a proper adhesion of the die-cut materials to the first web, i.e. to the transfer web. In practice, the second web is used to remove the glue external to the die-cut materials from the transfer web. The lamination step is executed by means of soft lamination rollers that imply operative drawbacks. In fact, when the thickness of the die-cut materials exceeds a given value, the second web does not come into contact with the glue to be removed from the first web externally to the die-cut materials. In general, the maximum thickness of the die-cut materials must not be greater than 1 mm according to said known method. Further drawbacks arise from the use of the second web made of plastics: there is a negative environmental impact connected with the production and the disposal of the second web; in addition, there is the need to properly handle the second web with the adoption of suitable mechanical handling means that require higher costs for the implementation of the method; furthermore, there is the need to substitute the second web when it is exhausted which also implies higher costs in relation to the current industrial needs.

WO0066350 discloses an adhesive transfer apparatus comprising a frame, a first feed roll carrying a supply of an adhesive transfer substrate, and a second feed roll carrying a supply of an adhesive mask substrate. The adhesive transfer substrate has a layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive disposed on an adhesive carrying side thereof.

The main object of the present invention is to avoid the above-mentioned drawbacks.

This result has been achieved, according to the present invention, by means of a method having the features indicated in claim 1. Other features of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

Thanks to the present invention it is possible to avoid the use of the second web and, thus, to avoid its environmental and economic drawbacks. It is also possible to treat die-cut materials having a higher thickness. Furthermore, only one web is required according to the present invention so that only one web, instead of two, must be handled and loaded when the machine performing the method is started or re-started.

These and other advantages and features of the present invention will be best understood by the skilled in the art from the following descriprion and the attached drawings, given for exemplificatory purposes but not to be intended in a limitative way, wherein:

^■ Fig.l schematically shows a machine adapted to execute a method according to the present invention;

^■ Fig.2 schematically shows the lamination rollers of the machine shown in Fig.1 ;

^■ Fig.3A is a schematic side view of the detachment blades in a step of detachment of a die-cut material from the transfer web;

^■ Fig.3B shows the detachment blades of Fig.3 A seen from the above. Reduced to its basic structure, a method according to the present invention comprises the following steps:

^■ a lamination step, in which a die-cut material (C) is placed in contact with a transfer web (S) that is moved along a predetermined advancement direction (DS) and in which the die-cut material is laminated between two lamination rollers (EU, EL), the laminating rollers compressing the die-cut material on a surface of the transfer web (S) coated with glue such that the die-cut material is glued, i.e. adhesivized, on a surface thereof contacting the transfer web (S);

^■ a detachment step, in which the glued or adhesivized die-cut material (C) is temporarily detached from the transfer web (S);

^■ a cleaning step, in which the glue external to the die-cut material (C) is removed from the transfer web (S);

^■ a storage step, in which the die-cut material (C) is positioned on the clean transfer web (S) from which the glue external to the die-cut material (C) has been removed.

The die-cut material (C) can be positioned manually on the transfer web (S). In said lamination step only the transfer web (S) and the die-cut material (C) pass between the lamination rollers (EU, EL).

In said detachment step the die-cut material (C) is transferred from the transfer web (S) to one or more conveying belts (H) on which the die-cut material (C) remains until the execution of the storage step while the transfer web (S) is subjected to the cleaning step.

In said storing step the die-cut material (C) is transferred from said one or more conveying belts to the clean transfer web (S).

The surface tension of the glue is greater in respect of the die-cut material (C) compared to the transfer web (S) and the conveying belts (S) such that the die-cut material (C) remains glued, or adhesivized, both when it is detached from the transfer web (S) and when it is transferred from the conveying belts (H) to the clean transfer web coming from the cleaning step.

The cleaning step for cleaning the transfer web (S) is advantageously executed by means of a cleaning roller (F) with which the transfer web comes into contact downstream of the detachment step. Preferably, the cleaning roller (F) is provided with an outer cardboard surface.

Advantageously, the die-cut material (C) is laminated again on the transfer web (S) downstream of its transferring from the belts (H) to the clean transfer web (S).

For example, the die-cut materials (C) are made of cardboard, leather or fabrics and they may have any suitable shape and size.

The transfer web (S) is of the type commonly available on the market: it is made by a web of silicone coated paper on which it is spreaded a pressure- sensitive glue.

Said detachment step is advantageously executed by means of two opposite detachment blades (A, B) provided along the path followed by the transfer web (S) downstream of the lamination rollers (EU, EL). Said detachment blades (A, B) are a pair of detachment blades, i.e. they are a first detachment blade (A) and a second detachment blade (B), the first detachment blade (A) being provided upstream of the second detachment blade (B) with respect to the direction (DS) of the transfer web (S).

The detachment blades (A, B) are spaced from each other so as to delimit a space that can be crossed by both the transfer web (S) and the belts (H), such that both the transfer web (S) and the belts (H) exhibit a portion above and a portion below the detachment blades (A, B) as particularly shown in Fig.3A where the arrow "S2" represents the deviation of the transfer web (S) with respect to its original direction (DS), the arrow "HI" represents the direction followed by the belts (H) below the second detachment blade (B), and the arrow "H2" represents the direction followed by the same belts (S) above the second detachment blade (B).

Within the space comprised between the detachment blades (A, B) the transfer web (S) and the belts (H) move along opposite directions (S2, HI). In detail, the transfer web (S) moves downwards (direction shown by the arrow S2) while the belts (H) move upwards (direction shown by the arrow HI). For example, the distance (x) between the opposite distal ends of the detachment belts (A, B) is 1/10 mm. In more general terms, said distance (x) is less than the thickness of the die-cut materials that, for example, is 5/10 mm even if a method according to the present invention allows the glueing, handling and storing of die-cut materials having a thickness higher than 1 mm (for example, a thickness comprised between 0.5 and 6.0 mm).

The detachment blades are preferably made of teflon or they are coated with teflon or a similar material to facilitate the detachment of the die-cut materials (C) from the transfer web (S) and, therefore, its transferring onto the belts (H).

As further disclosed below, the detachment belts are also used as guide means for the transfer web (S) and the belts (H). The transfer web (S) is unwound from a reel (R) positioned at a predetermined point and is driven with predetermined speed along said operative path by means of pulleys (PS) also provided at predetermined points of the path.

The speed of the belts (H) is synchronized with that of the transfer web (S). To this end, the belts (H) can be driven by motors whose speed is adjustable in function of the speed of the transfer web (S) according to procedures known per se to those skilled in the art.

As shown in Fig.l, the transfer web (S) with the die-cut materials (C) are moved along a horizontal plane (D) provided upstream and downstream of the lamination rollers (S) and the detachment blades (A, B) are provided along an ideal prolongation of said plane (D). The reel (R) is provided upstream of the plane (D).

The second detachment blade (B) has an upper convex surface, whose convexity is turned upwards, to facilitate the detachment of the die-cut materials and their transferring onto the belts (H).

The lamination rollers (EU, EL) are preferably made of teflon or they are made of steel and coated with teflon to avoid the adhesion of the glue spreaded on the transfer web (S) on the surface of the same lamination rollers (E). Alternatively, the upper lamination roller (EU) is made of steel coated with silicone and the lower lamination roller (EL) is made of steel coated with Teflon.

The lamination executed upstream of the detachment blades (A, B) is intended to press the die-cut materials on the transfer web so as to provide the glueing or adhesivization of the die-cut materials.

The upper lamination roller is mounted on elastic supports. Therefore, the passage of the die-cut materials determines the raising of the upper lamination roller that, as a consequence, does not come into contact with the glue spreaded on the transfer web (S).

The distal ends of the detachment blades (A, B) are slightly rounded (for example, they have a circular profile of radius comprised between 1/10 mm and 2/10 mm). The first detachment blade (A) acts as a guide means for the latter that, in fact, slides on the distal end of the first detachment blade (A) while moving towards the cleaning roller (F). The belts (S) are coated with teflon. Alternatively, the belts (S) are coated with silicone.

If only one belt (H) is used, the latter has, for example, a width (w) of at least 10 mm, the maximum width of the belt corresponding to the width (ws) of the transfer web (S). If a plurality of belts (H) are used, these are parallel to each other and spaced from each other so as to leave a space between them, and the second detachment blade (B) has, on its front side turned towards the first detachment blade (A), a plurality of recesses parallel to each other in each of which a corresponding belt (H) can slide. If only one belt (H) is used, then the second detachment blade (B) may have, on its front side turned towards the first detachment blade (A), a recess in which the belt (H) can slide

The second detachment blade (B) is also used as a guide means for the belts (H), the latter sliding on the distal end of the second detachment blade (B). In addition, the belts (H) are driven over corresponding pulleys (GH).

While sliding on the convex top surface of the second detachment blade (B), the belts (H) provoke an upward deviation of the die-cut materials (C) with respect to their original direction (DS). Therefore, the die-cut materials pass over the space (x) between the detachment blades (A, B) and are transferred onto the belts (H). Since the surface tension of the glue spreaded on the silicone coated paper of the transfer web (S) is less than the surface tension of the same glue in contact with the die-cut materials, the glue will remain adherent to the die-cut materials not to the silicone coated paper. Therefore, during this step the glue is detached from the transfer web on each area occupied by the die-cut materials and remains on the transfer web only on the other areas, i.e. those external to the areas where the die-cut materials have been previously positioned.

The distance (x) between the detachment blades (A, B) is suitably chosen in order to permit also the passage of the glue retained by the transfer web (S) while the latter is directed towards the cleaning roller (F).

As said above, after the detachment of the die-cut materials from the transfer web, the latter is directed to the cleaning roller (F). The cardboard coating fitted on the cleaning roller retains the glue still adhered to the transfer web. In other words, the cardboard coating of the cleaning roller removes the glue from the transfer web. Thus, the transfer web is now clean on both its sides and can be used for repositioning on it the die-cut materials as disclosed above: from the cleaning roller (F), the transfer web (S) is directed, guided over several rollers (G, LG), downstream of the second detachment blade (B). As shown in Fig. l , the last roller (LG) is also the fixed lower roller of the second lamination unit, the first lamination unit being that provided upstream of the detachment blades (A, B). The second lamination unit comprises said last roller (LG) and an upper roller (T) that is mounted on elastic supports as provided for the upper lamination roller of the first lamination unit. The upper roller (T) of the second lamination (T) is driven by a corresponding electric motor (not shown in the drawings).

The die-cut materials thus re-associated to the transfer web (S) can be stored as reels formed by means of a rewinding unit (not shown in the drawings) known per se.

During the process, several layers of glue are formed on the cardboard coating of the cleaning roller (F).

Preferably, the apparatus comprises a loop-closed belt (M) guided over said upper roller (T) of the second lamination unit and a shaft (MP) whose axis is horizontal, i.e. parallel to the axis of the rollers (EU, EL, G, GL, T) previously mentioned. Said belt (M) extends between the second detachment blade (B) and the second lamination unit and it constitutes a guide means for guiding the die-cut materials (C) above the second detachment blade (B).

A method according to the present invention, even if making use of only one web, namely only the transfer web (S), makes it possible to provide for the glueing, handling and storing of die-cut materials with means that are very simple from the mechanical point of view and are relatively cheap. In addition, the cost of the process is reduced thanks to the elimination of the plastic web commonly used to remove the glue from the transfer web which is also beneficial for the environment.

In practice the execution details maybe varied in any equivalent way concerning the single steps and means disclosed above, thus remaining within the protection conferred by this patent.

Claims

1) Method for glueing, handling and storing die-cut materials (C) comprising, in the order, the following steps:

^■ a lamination step, in which a die-cut material (C) is placed in contact with a transfer web (S) that is moved along a predetermined advancement direction (DS) and is laminated between two lamination rollers (EU, EL), the lamination rollers pressing the die-cut material on a surface of the transfer web (S) coated with glue such that the die- cut material is glued on a surface thereof contacting the transfer web (S);

^■ a detachment step, in which the glued die-cut material (C) is temporarily detached from the transfer web (S);

^■ a cleaning step, in which the glue external to the profile of the die-cut material (C) is removed from the transfer web (S);

" a storing step, in which the die-cut material (C) is positioned on the clean transfer web (S) from which the glue external to the profile of the die-cut material (C) has been removed;

and wherein

^■ in said lamination step only the transfer web (S) and the die-cut material (C) pass between the lamination rollers (EU, EL);

^■ in said detachment step the die-cut material (C) is transferred from the transfer web (S) to one or more conveying belts (H) on which the die- cut material (C) remains until the execution of the storing step while the transfer web (S) is subjected to the cleaning step;

■ in said storing step the die-cut material (C) is transferred from said one or more conveying belts (H) to the clean transfer web (S);

^■ the surface tension of the glue is greater in respect of the die-cut material (C) compared to the transfer web (S) and the conveying belts (S) such that the die-cut material (C) remains glued both when it is detached from the transfer web (S) and when it is transferred from the conveying belts (H) to the clean transfer web.

2) Method according to claim 1 , wherein said detachment step is executed by means of two opposing detachment blades (A, B) placed along the direction (DS) followed by the transfer web and spaced apart by a predetermined value (x) so as to delimit a space traversable respectively by the transfer web (S) and by said one or more conveying belts (H), both the transfer web (S) and the conveying belts (SH) exhibiting a portion above and a portion below the detachment blades (A, B).

3) Method according to claim 2, wherein said detachment blades (A, B) are made of Teflon or coated with Teflon.

4) Method according to claim 2, wherein in said space between the detachment blades (A, B) the transfer web (S) and the conveying belts (H) are moved along opposite directions.

5) Method according to claim 2, wherein said detachment blades (A, B) serve as guide means for the transfer web (S) and respectively for said one or more conveying belts (H).

6) Method according to claim 1 , wherein said one or more conveying blades (H) are synchronized with the transfer web (S).

7) Method according to claims 1 and 6, wherein the speed of said conveying belts (H) is adjustable.

8) Method according to claim 1, wherein after the transfer of the die-cut material (C) from said one or more conveying belts (H) to the clean transfer web (S) a further lamination of the die-cut material (C) on the clean transfer web (S) is performed.

9) Method according to claim 1, wherein said cleaning step is performed by means of a cleaning roller with which the transfer web (S) comes into contact after said detachment step.

10) Method according to claim 9, wherein the cleaning roller (F) has a cardboard outer surface.