METHOD AND PLANT FOR THE PRODUCTION OF MATERIAL PLATES AND A MATERIAL PLATE

Description

1 / 27 METHOD AND PLANT FOR THE PRODUCTION OF MATERIAL PLATES AND A MATERIAL PLATE

[0001] The invention relates to a method for producing material plates from a spread-out material to form a pressing mat, according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] The invention also relates to a plant according to the preamble of claim 26 for the production of material plates.

[0003] In addition, the invention relates to a plate of material produced by the above method or in the above plant, according to claim 34.

[0004] The production of material boards by pressing loose or spread material in calendered, intermittent, or double-belt presses is known in the art. Mixtures of materials containing lignocellulose, such as wood, woody plants, or annual plants, are spread in one or more layers with or without binders and cured as press mats with pressure and / or heat to form stable material boards. The material boards can be flexible or malleable (thin MDF boards made of fibers), but still have a certain inherent rigidity against pressure. There are also material boards for furniture construction, mainly particleboard (or multilayer and foil-laminated) or so-called coarse particleboard (OSB) made from flat chips. Substitution with plastics, wood waste, or other fillers is common.

[0005] For production, the materials are mixed with a binder, usually methylene diphenyl isocyanate (MDI) or polymeric methylene diphenyl isocyanate (pMDI), urea-formaldehyde (UF) resins or melamine-reinforced urea-formaldehyde (MUF) resins or other curable adhesives.

[0006] Pressing mats can be produced or spread in single or multiple layers. Particleboard sheets are generally multilayered and optionally also distributed in a sorted manner, so that the coarse material is arranged in the flat central plane between the sides of Petition 870250091934, dated 08 / 10 / 2025, page 12 / 137 2 / 27 surface and thin covering layers of material are located on one or both sides of the surface. OSB boards are also multilayered, but they generally have layers oriented differently and can also vary in material size accordingly.

[0007] There are also combined boards with a multilayer design, for example, inner layers of particleboard (in German: innen liegende Spanschichten) with fiber layers arranged externally as covering layers. Fiber layers or externally arranged particleboard layers are now also used in the production of OSB.

[0008] The expansion or production of the press mat is sufficiently known in the prior art and can be considered to be, to a large extent, independent of the present method. The production of single-layer or multi-layer press mats essentially influences the material sheet as a product. The necessary settings in the individual plant devices or in the method are made as a function of the press mat, the material used, its moisture content, the layer structure and the like to obtain the desired quality of a material sheet.

[0009] Previous double-belt press systems are generally over 20 m long and require a complex overall setup for heating, pressure generation, and load flow distribution within the press structure. Furthermore, operating a double-belt press correctly over such lengths is technologically complex in terms of control. Errors or problems during operation can cause considerable damage and downtime. Additionally, the steel construction and control technology itself are complex and can generally only be operated and maintained by specialists.

[0010] The development of these long and large presses was due to the glue and binder liquids used in the past. Progress and the necessary improvement in terms of environmental compatibility have led to new advances in development in this area, so that the new binders are characterized by Petition 870250091934, dated 08 / 10 / 2025, page 13 / 137 3 / 27 or require different configuration behavior in terms of pressure, temperature, and exposure time.

[0011] The objective of the present invention is to create a method and a plant that make it possible to avoid the aforementioned disadvantages. In particular, it should be possible to divide the complex previous technology of long and large plants into subsections that can be less susceptible to failures or damage. Furthermore, a material plate should be created that can also be produced with high quality in a simplified system. In particular, it should be possible to produce the material plate at a lower cost, especially in terms of investment costs and manufacturing costs.

[0012] As an extension of the objective, it should be possible to improve the speed and quality of production of existing binders, in particular for aminophenol-based binders (UF, MUF, MUPF, PF, UFMP). It should also be possible to use bio-based binders (tannins and mixed polymers, animal and vegetable proteins, lignins and mixed polymers, carbohydrate-containing binders), as well as PVA, acrylics, epoxy or MDI with advanced properties.

[0013] The invention is essentially based on a continuous method for producing material plates, in which the material is spread to form a pressing mat, which is mixed with at least one binder that can be cured by heat and / or pressure, and is cured.

[0014] The objective of the invention is solved by the method, insofar as the pressing mat is continuously compressed in a double belt press with steel belts that are hotter than the pressing mat and is heated by thermal conduction,

[0015] wherein at least one cover layer that is close to the surface or adjacent to a steel belt is heated to a temperature above the binder cure temperature and is at least partially cured,

[0016] in which the uncured parts of the pressing belt, in particular Petition 870250091934, dated 08 / 10 / 2025, p. 14 / 137 4 / 27 The uncured intermediate layer is heated and cured in a downstream injection press by introducing quenched fluids at a temperature above the binder's curing temperature.

[0017] in which fluids are introduced into or through the press belt via one or both of the cover layers.

[0018] Surprisingly, the invention now recognizes that it is possible to significantly reduce the previously known effort to continuously operate double belt presses with a length of 25 m or more, using the heavy double belt press essentially only for at least partial curing of the cover layers, while the main part of the curing of the press mat or intermediate layer can be carried out by a pure injection press. This reduces, for example, excessively long steel belts and roller supports, as well as the corresponding effort required to guide and control them.

[0019] In particular, it has been recognized that it is possible to inject heated fluids, such as steam, hot air or the like, into the press belt to cure the intermediate layer and subsequently obtain a fully cured material sheet with sufficient quality properties, despite the partially or fully cured cover layers.

[0020] The invention understands that a partially or fully cured portion of the press mat or cover layer is inherently or dimensionally stable and essentially no longer changes, even if chemical or physical reactions continue to occur within it. As a result, although fluids may escape into or out of the mat when the cover layers are cured or nearly cured, a resilient or decompressive behavior of the intermediate layer after the double belt press or in the transition to the injection press does not damage the press mat or the subsequent product itself.

[0021] The invention recognized, among other things, that partially cured or fully cured coating layers are partially elastic and Petition 870250091934, dated 08 / 10 / 2025, page 15 / 137 5 / 27 also sufficiently continuous so as not to rupture due to internal vapor overpressure after plate production, as is the case with conventional surface ruptures. Typically, there is even a cooling effect or a reduction in the internal pressure of the press mat, as cold ambient air can flow into the press mat in a decompression area or the volume of the intermediate layer or press mat increases.

[0022] In a specific exemplary embodiment, the invention even proposes that the decompressed pressing mat receives an environment with hot or temperate fluid, preferably without moisture content, after the double belt press and before or at the beginning of the injection press. This measure can further accelerate the production process in an advantageous way. The environment can be created, for example, by a chamber or compartment that excludes the environment or by injection plates that provide a sufficient quantity of fluid for absorption by the pressing mat, which increases in volume.

[0023] When a chamber or type of compartment is arranged, the opening of the pressing mat, which requires volume, creates a vacuum in the area around the pressing mat, so that the seal does not need to be absolutely airtight, provided that sufficient fluid is supplied in this compartment.

[0024] Optionally, decompression can also be assisted by the active introduction of fluid, for example, by overpressure. The opening gradient can be set in a controlled manner to avoid cracking in the surface layers or inside the pressing belt.

[0025] Alternatively or additionally, the method can be carried out in such a way that the subsequent compression area is used to replace the volume lost during decompression of the pressing belt. The air flowing out against the transport direction or in the decompression area is absorbed again by the pressing belt and / or the compression area displaces the excess volume against the transport direction within the pressing belt in the direction of the decompression area. Petition 870250091934, dated 08 / 10 / 2025, page 16 / 137 6 / 27

[0026] Advantageously, tempered fluids could, alternatively or additionally, be introduced into the compression area and the existing volume within the pressing belt could be displaced to the decompression area against the direction of production and / or to increase the temperature in the intermediate layer already existing there.

[0027] Fluids can also be supplied, injected and / or extracted on the narrow sides. Generally accompanying or diametrically opposed to the processes on the sides of the surface. Regarding the compression and / or decompression area, extreme sealing of the chamber or compartment only seems necessary in individual cases. Instead, walls, optionally with flexible seals or friction-reducing elements, are sufficient to provide adequate protection from the environment, for example, above or beside the circulating belts. Air leakage can be regulated by appropriate pressure control within the chamber or compartment.

[0028] The following definitions and references are useful for understanding the invention and its teachings:

[0029] The surface sides are the flat sides of a press mat or material plate that come into contact with the belts, while the narrow sides represent the thickness or height of the press mat or material plate. The outer surface sides contain the cover layers to be at least partially cured by the double belt press.

[0030] The invention relates to the curing of a coating layer on the sides of the outer surface by a continuously operating double belt press. This coating layer to be at least partially cured should not be confused with a layered structure or with the spreading of coating layers of the press belt production technology or with the designation in the case of multi-layer press belts. Any type of single or multi-layer press belt can be used in the present method or plant. For example, spreading layers close to the surface. Petition 870250091934, dated 08 / 10 / 2025, p. 17 / 137 7 / 27 of a pressing mat can be at least partially cured during the process in the double belt press, these layers being interpreted, according to the invention, as “a” cover layer to be at least partially cured, which leaves the double belt press relatively dimensionally stable, while the intermediate layer is not dimensionally stable and, in the decompression area, after the surface pressure of the double belt press is no longer present, it bounces back or increases in volume. The aforementioned intermediate layer may also consist of several different (dispersed) layers, but is defined here as the area that has not yet reached the temperature required to initiate the binder setting process near the central plane of the pressing mat.

[0031] In short, the use of the word “layers” cured or hardened in the plant or by the method described in the invention does not refer to the different stratified layers of a carpet, but only symbolizes the thickness of the cured areas adjacent to the steel belts of the double belt press or to the middle (area) of the carpet in the injection press. Of course, it may be possible that three stratified layers of a three-layer carpet may coincidentally align with the cured cover layers and the intermediate layers.

[0032] Another exemplary alignment can occur in a carpet with five stratified layers, where the top layers are cured and the middle layer consists of the three remaining layers in the middle of the carpet.

[0033] Of course, it is also possible that only a part of an outer spread layer of a multilayer conveyor belt is cured by thermal conduction in the double belt press or, conversely, one or more spread layers are cured by thermal conduction, which are referred to in both cases as the “cover layer” according to the invention.

[0034] Therefore, the uncured area in the middle of the conveyor belt after the double belt press may comprise or consist of a portion of a layer. Petition 870250091934, dated 08 / 10 / 2025, p. 18 / 137 8 / 27 intermediate spread, an intermediate layer spread as a whole or several layers spread before pressing.

[0035] According to the invention, a single-layer spread material carpet consisting of only a single material (combination), for example, fibers, can also be produced, whereby one or both outer areas of a single-layer carpet are cured as one or two cover layers and while the rest of the uncured areas are cured by or in the injection press.

[0036] In the special case where only one surface is heated to establish a cured coating layer, the invention refers to the uncured intermediate layer or the remaining uncured material as the intermediate layer.

[0037] In addition to temperature, humidity or a similar physically detectable limit value may also be used as a limit value (start value) for the setting process, as some binders do not react solely or not at all to temperature, but also require a certain level of humidity or other basic conditions for the setting process to occur chemically correctly.

[0038] Technologically, the depth of cure or the thickness of at least partially cured surface layers is essentially determined by the transfer time or speed of the steel belt, the type of material, the temperature of the steel belts and / or the curing temperature of the binder, respectively; these are the technological parameters that must be taken into account or adjusted during production.

[0039] The invention also understands compression in the double belt press as the mere surface contact of the steel belts with the pressing mat for heat transfer, which would physically require at least an approximate, even if infinitesimal, “compression”.

[0040] The invention comprises a plate of material such as a mat of Petition 870250091934, dated 08 / 10 / 2025, page 19 / 137 9 / 27 pressing (almost) completely cured. In the nature of things, this emerges from the mill or individual devices as a thread and is split into sheets of material by diagonal saws, which are not shown in detail but are common, and subsequently cooled and optionally stacked.

[0041] The belts used in the injection molding press can be made of a thinner steel compared to the double-belt press or of a heat-resistant plastic that is not damaged by the high radiation temperature of the steel belts in the double-belt press. The belts have openings for fluid passage and / or distribution.

[0042] The upper and lower belts in individual devices, if present, are preferably of the same design in the upper and lower parts and are guided accordingly around deflection or drive rollers.

[0043] The double belt press can be designed as an isobaric press, but also as a conventional continuous press with rolling elements (e.g., bar conveyor) arranged between the heating plates and the steel belts. Typically, the heating plates, which are used for heat supply, are heated with a hot fluid flowing through the heating plates.

[0044] To make the plant structure according to the invention a little clearer, the individual machines of the device may also be referred to as: pre-press (optional), coating layer press (double belt press), injection press (curing) and calibration press (optional).

[0045] In the case of a pre-press, it should be noted that although optional heating according to the previous technique is preferably carried out during deactivation, curing will not or cannot occur on the press belt, as the binder curing temperature must not be reached. Normally, the intention is to control or regulate the method or plant so that the curing temperature is reached as close as possible.

[0046] With regard to the curing temperature, the invention relates to a Petition 870250091934, dated 08 / 10 / 2025, p. 20 / 137 10 / 27 temperature at which the ligand begins to react chemically and transforms into a dimensionally stable cross-linked or plasticized state. This reaction is irreversible with most ligands, provided it has been initiated with sufficient initial energy.

[0047] The cover layers cured in the cover layer press are used to facilitate the transport of the press mat, but also to cover the press mat to minimize springback when switching between the double belt press and the injection press. This creates a certain apparent density profile throughout the thickness of the press mat. However, it is possible or even sensible to provide options between the individual devices that control or even deliberately allow springback to create certain production conditions, for example, to facilitate the introduction of fluids into the press mat due to the negative pressure in the press mat during decompression.

[0048] In addition to the procedural advantages of the invention, the following features include other properties that can be combined as desired to improve the method or the plant:

[0049] Heated air, steam, preferably superheated steam, or a mixture of steam and air can be used as a tempering fluid. These fluids have proven their worth in the past for heating a press belt upstream of a main press.

[0050] Preferably, with unsaturated air or a mixture of vapor and air, the dew point can be set so that the moisture contained in the fluid only condenses after entering the cover layer or after passing through a cover layer on the pressing belt. This prevents water spots or rupture of the cover layer.

[0051] Alternatively, it can be predicted that a limiting temperature and / or water content will be reached in the intermediate layer by the fluids, which is suitable for causing the binder to cure, preferably until the material plate exits the injection press. In addition to the limiting temperature, there are other Petition 870250091934, dated 08 / 10 / 2025, page 21 / 137 11 / 27 limiting physical values ​​that activate curing, for example, the water content present, the pressure and / or, optionally, a hardener concentration that is achieved by adding hardening agent to the fluid.

[0052] In the double belt press, a pressing pressure greater than 1 or 2 N / mm2 can be applied to the pressing belt. Preferably, the pressing pressure should not exceed 6 N / mm2. A lower pressure is also possible. This may be indicated for thermal insulation boards or lightweight boards.

[0053] After exiting the double belt press, a cured coating layer should at least be thicker than 1 mm, preferably more than 2 mm, and most preferably 3 mm to 4 mm, so that there is sufficient inherent rigidity or dimensional stability.

[0054] The liquid and / or hardening agent can be applied to the side of the pressing mat surface for the binder. This can have a positive effect on the complete curing or speed of the surface layers. Application is normally carried out shortly before pressing from below and / or above.

[0055] An anti-caking agent may be applied to a steel belt of the double belt press and / or to one side of the press mat surface before contact with the double belt press, so that the cover layer does not stick or adhere to the steel belt when exiting the double belt press and possibly lead to ruptures in the intermediate layer and / or in the transition of the cover layer or intermediate layer.

[0056] The thickness of the at least partially cured cover layer can be determined after the mat exits the double belt press. A non-destructive testing method can be arranged for this purpose.

[0057] These and other settings or regulations in the plant or for the execution of the method may be used in a control or regulation device to implement or optimize the method according to the invention and / or carry out the plant. Preferably, the values ​​are used in a control or regulation system to adjust the double belt press or thickness. Petition 870250091934, dated 08 / 10 / 2025, page 22 / 137 12 / 27 of the cover layer.

[0058] In the injection press, the press mat can be pressed with a surface pressure of less than 0.75 N / mm2, preferably less than 0.6 N / mm2, and more preferably with a surface pressure or pressing pressure of less than 0.5 N / mm2.

[0059] Alternatively or cumulatively, flat injection plates and / or perforated rollers with covers for areas not facing the press belt with openings to guide and dispense the fluid can be used to introduce the fluid into the press belt.

[0060] In an advantageous application, the fluid is introduced into the pressing conveyor at a pressure greater than 0.5 bar, preferably approximately 1.5 bar, and more preferably greater than 2 bar. The value can also be determined and / or defined as the fluid exits or enters the injection plates.

[0061] The pressing mat may be guided through the injection mat with at least one permeable belt on one side of the surface, in particular for the passage of fluid through it. The belt may be designed as a perforated metal or plastic belt, as a fabric belt or as an iron mesh belt.

[0062] The belts can be compressed together with the press belt in the injection press or in the upstream transport direction of the injection press by a compression unit or a calender and / or subjected to a thrust force in the transport direction, preferably by the calender or the drive rollers of the injection press.

[0063] After the intermediate layer of the material plate has cured, it can be compressed and / or held in a calibration press between two belts, preferably steel belts, to the nominal dimension, preferably with a surface pressure or a pressing pressure of less than 2.5 N / mm2.

[0064] It is preferable that the coating layers of the material plate be smoothed, heated and / or cooled in the calibration press. Petition 870250091934, dated 08 / 10 / 2025, page 23 / 137 13 / 27

[0065] The waste heat extracted in the calibration press due to a cooling process can be reused. For this purpose, it is preferable that a heat pump, a heat exchanger or other low-temperature device be provided in active connection with the calibration press. It is particularly preferable that the waste heat can be used in parts of the plant in the upstream transport direction from the calibration press.

[0066] The material plates to be produced preferably have a nominal thickness greater than 8 mm, preferably greater than 30 mm and, more preferably, greater than 60 mm. Solid plates are preferably produced with a thickness of up to 80 mm.

[0067] Defective press mats or material plates, especially those that have not received the necessary curing, can be discarded in a waste container after the injection press or after the calibration press. This protects the finishing process of the material plates with diagonal saws, sanding units and / or transport rollers against fragile and partially hardened material plates.

[0068] Before entering the double belt press, the produced or spread carpet may be subjected to pre-compression in a pre-press for de-airing. Preferably, it is de-aired there with at least one air-permeable fabric belt and, preferably, without preheating.

[0069] Depending on the process application, the cured material sheet in the injection press or emerging from the injection press may be subjected to a tensile force in the transport direction. This can be done, for example, by the injection press drive rollers, by the calibration press or by a separate calender.

[0070] A control or regulation device may be used to control or regulate the production speed or individual parts of the plant, preferably the double belt press, the injection press and / or the calibration press. Preferably, a master-slave system is controlled or regulated for this purpose, in which only one individual device is provided. Petition 870250091934, dated 08 / 10 / 2025, page 24 / 137 14 / 27 as master or reference variable. Preferably, the injection curing press or the double belt press or its production speed is used.

[0071] Preferably, a single-layer or multi-layer pressing belt, preferably three-layer or five-layer, is used in the plant or for the method, which is suitable for the production of MDF, HDF, particleboard, OSB (particleboard), a mixed panel made of fibers and chips, in which the fibers are preferably arranged in the outer layers, or a thermal insulation panel.

[0072] It is also possible to use a press mat to produce a thermal insulation panel with only one or both outer layers.

[0073] At least proportionally aminophenol-based binders, methylene diphenyl isocyanate (MDI), polymeric methylene diphenyl isocyanate (pMDI), urea-formaldehyde (UF) resins, melamine-reinforced urea-formaldehyde (MUF) resins, bio-based resins, preferably tannins with or without mixed polymers, vegetable and / or animal proteins, lignins with or without mixed polymers, carbohydrate-containing binders, PVA, acrylic and / or epoxy resins can be used as curable binders in the press mat.

[0074] Due to the method and / or the plant, an intermediate area is formed between the two presses, the double belt press and the injection press, in which the press mat changes shape in a guided or unguided manner from one press to the other. Most of the time, a compressed press mat will increase in volume after the double belt press, as the behavior of the intermediate layer is elastic due to the lack of cure of the binder in the intermediate layer and the binder cannot contribute to plasticization.

[0075] In this way, the press mat or uncured intermediate layer can be aerated or regain its elasticity in a decompression area after exiting the double belt press, where a tempered fluid can be made available in this decompression area to the press mat on at least one side of the surface and / or on the narrow sides to Petition 870250091934, dated 08 / 10 / 2025, page 25 / 137 15 / 27 incorporation into the pressing mat. This can be achieved by submerging the area around the expanding pressing mat with the fluid. To reduce the effort involved, submersion can preferably be carried out in a suitable chamber, compartment or tunnel in that area. In addition to being supplied, the pressing mat can also be actively pressurized with the fluid, for example, with an overpressure in the chamber, compartment or tunnel.

[0076] After the double belt press, the press mat can be compressed in a compression area, preferably on the entry side of the injection press. Preferably, in this compression area, the tempered fluid from the press mat is injected on at least one side of the surface and / or passively absorbed on one side of the surface, preferably on the opposite side of the surface.

[0077] In a particularly preferred and independent exemplary embodiment, the pressing mat is compressed in the double belt press to 0 to 20%, preferably to 0 to 10%, and more preferably to + / - 5% above the nominal dimension of the material sheet during the production of the cover layers. In other words, the compression in the double belt press corresponds to up to 120%, preferably up to 110%, and preferably 95% to 105% of the height of the finished material sheet.

[0078] In another distinct embodiment, the elastic recovery is limited to less than 25%, preferably less than 15%, particularly less than 10% after the double belt press.

[0079] In addition to the classic layers constructed symmetrically with respect to the central plane of the press mat or material board, it can also be provided that only one cover layer is at least partially or completely cured and that the uncured intermediate layer or its area extends to the other side of the surface. Press mats of this type are produced, in particular, in the manufacture of flexible or relatively rigid thermal insulation boards, especially those based on fiber. Petition 870250091934, dated 08 / 10 / 2025, p. 26 / 137 16 / 27 natural. However, MDF boards, for example, for furniture back panels, also often have a smooth, compacted surface on one side (surface), while the other side corresponds to the intermediate or residual layer.

[0080] In addition to the options described for injecting fluids, or as an alternative to them, other alternative designs are possible. For example, fluids can be injected and extracted in alternating cycles along the transport direction. Fluids can be injected into the pressing belt on one side and extracted on the other. This process can occur alternately or in cycles in the transport direction, at predetermined intervals. Narrow sides can be incorporated into the fluid guide with positive or negative pressure.

[0081] The material used for the pressing mat may comprise pure lignocellulosic materials and / or mixtures thereof, such as natural wood, recycled wood, woody plants, wood waste, vegetable waste and / or annual plants. Filler materials may be added as needed, especially for lightweight boards.

[0082] The objective of a plant for the production of material plates from at least one material that is spread to form a press mat and that is mixed with at least one binder that can be cured by heat and / or pressure, is resolved in such a way that a double belt press with two steel belts in continuous circulation to compress and heat the press mat and to cure at least partially at least one layer or cover layer supported against a steel belt by heating above the curing temperature of the binder is arranged in the direction of conveying the press mat, and an injection press with at least one means for injecting quenched fluids into one side of the surface of the press mat to quench and cure the uncured parts of the mat or intermediate layer is arranged downstream of the double belt press.

[0083] The process engineering features and positive improvements already listed for the method can be used together for a plant with Petition 870250091934, dated 08 / 10 / 2025, page 27 / 137 17 / 27 the characteristics mentioned above.

[0084] Advantageously, the individual features listed in the table below can be combined with these or the following advantageous features, as desired or independently, to improve the plant or method solution: - The preferred means for injecting tempered fluids are injection plates, injection rollers or injection nozzles, preferably with openings to supply heated air, steam, superheated steam and / or a mixture of steam and air. - An anti-caking agent application can be provided to apply an anti-caking agent to a steel belt of the double belt press and / or an additive application to apply additives and / or water to the pressing belt upstream of the double belt press. - One or two continuously circulating belts can be arranged in the injection press. These are preferably designed as a perforated metal or plastic belt, a fabric belt, or a wire mesh belt. A compression and / or calendering unit can be placed on or adjacent to the injection molding press. - A calibration press and / or discharge vessel may be arranged downstream of the injection press. A discharge vessel may also be arranged downstream of the calibration press, either as a standalone unit or separately. - A sheet of semi-finished material or an uncured press mat would not be suitable for feeding through the finishing process. A baffle can be arranged to force the hardened cover layers towards the discharge vessel. The calibration press for recycling residual heat from the material plates is operationally connected to a low-power device. Petition 870250091934, dated 08 / 10 / 2025, page 28 / 137 18 / 27 temperature, preferably to a heat exchanger, a heat pump and / or parts of the apparatus upstream of the calibration press. A low-temperature apparatus is preferably suitable for use with a medium with a temperature below 60 °C, more preferably below 40 °C, to save energy. - A decompression area with a chamber, tunnel, compartment and / or injection plates can be arranged between the double belt press and the injection press to supply temperature-controlled fluids to the press belt, which increases in volume.

[0085] The solution to the objective of creating a new material plate is solved by producing a material plate using the method according to the invention and / or in a plant according to the invention.

[0086] In a separate and particularly preferred embodiment, the method or plant consists of three stages: a) Curing on one or both sides, at least partially, in a double belt press; b) Curing of the remaining uncured areas or the intermediate layer in an injection or steam press and c) Calibration / adjustment of the thickness of the material plate in a double belt press.

[0087] Finally, it should be emphasized once again that curing does not necessarily mean the complete and final chemical development of the entire binder. Instead, curing must be initiated or accelerated by exceeding the curing temperature, a temperature at which the binder reacts (increasingly), so that other process or manufacturing steps can be carried out.

[0088] These additional process or manufacturing steps may include smoothing the surface, calibrating the overall thickness, calibrating the different thicknesses of the layers, and / or creating surface relief.

[0089] Other advantages can be obtained by using or combining the Petition 870250091934, dated 08 / 10 / 2025, page 29 / 137 19 / 27 following characteristics:

[0090] The continuous belts used in the injection press can be dried and / or cleaned using cleaning units in the return flow. This ensures that the quality of the compression and / or injection of the fluid in the press belt is consistent throughout the process. These units for the circulating belts can also be installed in the other two presses.

[0091] Injection plates may have openings for fluid to be injected into the press mat. On the opposite side of the press mat, injection plates may also introduce fluid or apply a corresponding vacuum to pass the fluid through the press mat. The introduction and heat dissipation of the fluid in the press mat cures the binder and then forms a sheet of material. Injection plates may be heated to prevent the formation of droplets or water due to condensation. Pre-heaters may be arranged for the circulating belts in any of the presses used.

[0092] Optionally, a calibration press may be arranged downstream of the injection press, which adjusts or recompresses the thickness of the material plate using belts. The belts are preferably designed as steel belts. The steel belts may be cooled by cooling plates to further strengthen the material plate. The steel belts may smooth the surface.

[0093] A discharge vessel may be disposed downstream of the injection press, which receives defective sheets and / or plates of material or incompletely cured press mats.

[0094] A deflector may be arranged to force the already cured cover layers towards the discharge vessel. The discharge vessel may also be arranged after the calibration press or any other press. Discharge vessels normally have shredding means so that the discharged material can be subsequently transported in shredded form.

[0095] Preferably, the steel belts mentioned and used in Petition 870250091934, dated 08 / 10 / 2025, page 30 / 137 20 / 27 double belt presses or calibration presses are impermeable. They may have a particularly smooth surface. Thus, energy transfer is optimized and / or the surface of the cover layer is uniform or smoothed. A closed steel belt is more suitable for conducting energy, respectively, transferring heat to or from the belt or to the surface / cover of the belt. Depending on the expected temperature and the forces required, any type of belt with heat-conducting characteristics is capable of functioning as a steel belt. Therefore, steel belts or other belts should preferably be hermetically sealed or closed to prevent fluid penetration, although exceptions may exist in calibration presses.

[0096] Other advantageous measures and designs of the object of the invention are evident in the secondary claims and the following description with the drawing, in which: Figure 1 shows a schematic side view of a consecutive mechanism of the double belt press and the injection press according to the invention, with optional pre-press in the front transport direction and optional calibration press in the rear transport direction, and Figure 2 shows, in another exemplary embodiment, a possible enlarged representation of an alternative transition between the double belt press and the injection press according to the invention.

[0097] Identical reference signs are generally used for identical or similar machine elements or device parts. In front of, within, or opposite the direction of transport is understood by the invention in relation to a location or direction in which a pressing mat, which is cured to form a sheet of material, normally passes through the plant. The plant according to the invention consists of at least two individual presses, which together form the technical system for implementing the method. Petition 870250091934, dated 08 / 10 / 2025, page 31 / 137 21 / 27

[0098] According to Figure 1, a spread press mat 1 is transferred to a double belt press 10 in the transport direction 8 by a transport device not shown, usually a forming belt, which passes under spreading devices (not shown) to produce the press mat 1. Optionally, the press mat may be pre-compressed in a pre-press 6 before this transfer to de-aerate it as much as possible.

[0099] During compression or, optionally, without compression in the double belt press 10, heat is transferred after contact between the steel belts 12, which circulate continuously over deflection drums 14, at the top and bottom with the pressing belt 1, and the cover layers 2 of the pressing belt 1 are cured. The depth of curing or the thickness of the cover layers 2 is essentially determined by the transfer time / speed of the steel belt, the type of material, the temperature of the steel belts and / or the curing temperature of the binder. Heating plates 11 are arranged to heat the steel belts and the required pressing pressure, which can be subjected to force through a pressing frame using hydraulic cylinders (not shown) and can be raised and lowered.For the bearing support of the steel belts 12 in relation to the heating plates 11, a bearing bar circulation system 13 may be provided. An anti-caking agent applicator 15 may be provided to apply an anti-caking agent to the steel belts 12. The anti-caking agent may also be applied to the surface or surface sides of the pressing mat. In addition, it is also conceivable to apply an additive or water to the surface sides of the pressing mat 1, for example, to accelerate curing in the cover layers 2 or to create a vapor shock effect in the double belt press 10 through the superheated steel belts 11 towards the intermediate layer 3. For this purpose, an additive applicator 16 or a water spray device may be installed in a suitable location. Petition 870250091934, dated 08 / 10 / 2025, page 32 / 137 22 / 27

[0100] The partially cured press mat 1 is discharged from the double belt press 10 and then transferred to an injection press 20 together with the intermediate layer 3, which may have been heated but not yet cured. In the injection press 20, the press mat 1 is conveyed and guided by belts 22. The injection plates 21 are used to cure the intermediate layer 3 or the uncured areas by supplying tempered fluid 5 to the press mat 1. Instead of the injection plates 21 or in conjunction with them, known steam rollers (not shown) may be arranged, which roll over the press mat 1 or the belts 22 and are otherwise enclosed by metal sheets, so that the fluid-permeable steam rollers only dispense the fluid 5 on the side of the press mat.The quantity or temperature of fluid 5 is adjusted so that the binder reaches the curing temperature throughout the cut section of the pressing mat and begins to harden.

[0101] The belts 22 are endlessly guided by drive rollers 24 and are deflected as needed by deflection rollers 26. A compression unit 27 may be disposed on the feed side of the injection press 20, which may adjust the feed or compression gradient to the press mat 1 by means of corresponding adjustment means (not shown). Additionally or alternatively, a calender 25 may also be disposed, which initiates the compression of the press mat 1 and ensures a corresponding reduction in the friction of the belts 22 on the injection plates 21. The calender 25 may be disposed as desired and preferably depending on the process, for example, between the double belt press 10 and the injection press 20, inside the injection press 20 or after it, or between the injection press 20 and the optional calibration press 30. The belts 22 may be dried and / or cleaned by means of cleaning units 23 in the return flow.This ensures that the quality of the fluid injection 5 onto the pressing mat 1 is consistent throughout the process. The units for the circulating belts can also be arranged on the other two presses. Petition 870250091934, dated 08 / 10 / 2025, page 33 / 137 23 / 27

[0102] The injection plates 21 have openings for the fluid 5 to be injected into the pressing mat 1, for example, steam, hot air or superheated steam. On the opposite side of the pressing mat 1, the injection plates 21 can also introduce fluid 5 or apply a corresponding vacuum to pass the fluid through the pressing mat 1. The introduction and heat dissipation of the fluid in the pressing mat 1 cures the binder and forms a plate of material 4. The injection plates can be heated to prevent the formation of droplets or water due to condensation. Pre-heaters can be arranged for the circulating belts 22.

[0103] Optionally, a calibration press 30 may be arranged downstream of the injection press 20, which adjusts or recompresses the thickness of the material plate 4 using belts. The belts are preferably designed as steel belts 28. The steel belts 28 may be cooled by cooling plates 29 to further strengthen the material plate. The steel belts may smooth the surface.

[0104] A discharge container 7 may be arranged downstream of the injection press 20, which receives defective sheets and / or material plates 4 or incompletely cured press mats 1. A deflector may be arranged to force the already cured cover layers 2 towards the discharge container 7. The discharge container 7 may also be arranged after the calibration press. Discharge containers 7 normally have shredding means so that the discharged material can be subsequently transported in shredded form.

[0105] In terms of method and process technology, the procedure for manufacturing a plate from material 4 can be summarized as follows:

[0106] A pressing mat 1 is produced and fed into a double belt press 10 in the conveying direction 8, where it is normally compressed and heated. The steel belts 12 are supported and heated by heating plates 11, which also transmit the pressing force. The heat transfer from the indirectly heated steel belts 12 heats the surfaces Petition 870250091934, dated 08 / 10 / 2025, p. 34 / 137 24 / 27 or the sides of the pressing mat surface to such an extent that the binder in the surface layers 2, or at least one surface layer, begins to cure. The curing process is shown schematically by a black line that becomes thicker in the conveying direction as part of the pressing mat 1. At the exit of the double belt press, the pressing mat 1 expands, since the compressed intermediate layer 3 does not yet have a cured binder and the material of the intermediate layer 3 has been elastically compressed. The cover layers 2 are at least partially cured in such a way that they are permeable to penetrating fluids or ambient air, but retain their optionally compressed shape.The press mat 1 with the cover layer 2 at least partially cured and an uncured intermediate layer 3 is transferred to an injection press 20, where it may optionally be compressed and reshaped and, during the injection press 20, subjected to fluids 5 that ensure that the curing temperature or other limit values ​​required for the curing of the intermediate layer 3 are reached. The increasing curing in the transport direction 8 along the length of the injection press 20 is shown with increasingly thick hatching, which finally merge into a continuous black material plate 4.

[0107] Regarding the directional arrows of fluids 5, it should be noted that the introduction of fluids 5 is shown in a simplified process. The introduction and / or discharge may occur alternately, in a pulsating manner or in other variants, and must be essentially known from the prior art in the course of vaporizing the press belt upstream of a double belt press in a pre-press or similar.

[0108] Figure 2 shows another preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention. Here, the decompression area 17 between the double belt press 10 and the injection press 20, as well as the compression area 18 and the curing area 19 within the injection press 20, are shown enlarged.

[0109] After the double belt press 10, the pressing mat 1 will (normally) increase in volume due to elastic restoring forces in the layer Petition 870250091934, dated 08 / 10 / 2025, page 35 / 137 25 / 27 intermediate layer 3, despite the cover layers 2 being almost completely cured. At the same time, ambient air will flow into the pressing mat 1 or into the intermediate layer 3 and optionally provide a cooling effect. This can be reduced by pressing countermeasures such as sliding shoes or rollers. However, it is preferable that the area around the pressing mat 1 in the decompression area 17 be supplied with a corresponding heated fluid, a different fluid or preferably the same fluid 5 as the injection press 20. As it rises, the pressing mat 1 absorbs the hot air or the tempered fluid 5 from the environment and is heated rather than cooled in the cover layers 2 and / or the intermediate layer 3. Subsequently, the pressing mat 1 is again compressed or transferred to the injection press 20 and compressed in the compression area 18.Fluid 5 can be injected into the pressing mat again or for the first time, but preferably suitable compression units 27 ensure the necessary compression pressure and, optionally, specifically absorb or even extract excess pressure when venting the pressing mat.

[0110] It is particularly preferable that a fluid be introduced on one side through the compression unit 27 and discharged on the other side of the surface. The compression unit may also be fitted with injection plates 21 or have calenders 25 with rotating rollers that can introduce or suck / absorb fluids 5 in the direction of the pressing belt 1. For this purpose, the rollers are provided with openings in the circumference, wherein the rollers are covered with a plate in the circumference and the plate has only one opening in the direction of the pressing belt 1.

[0111] Alternatively or cumulatively, a structure or chamber 9 or compartment may be provided, preferably enclosing the end of the double belt press and the beginning of the injection press 10 or covering the decompression area 17. This chamber is shown clearly enlarged in Figure 2 for optimal visualization. Alternatively, it may be Petition 870250091934, dated 08 / 10 / 2025, page 36 / 137 26 / 27 provided here a tunnel, through which the pressing belt 1 is fed and the tunnel is or will be filled with a fluid, which is absorbed by the pressing belt or the intermediate layer 3 due to the increase in volume in the decompression area 17. The fluid may also be absorbed or supported by the narrow sides of the pressing belt 1439.

[0112] List of reference signs 1439: 1. Pressing mat 2. Cover layer 3. Intermediate layer 4. Material plate 5. Fluid 6. Pre-press 7. Discharge container 8. Direction of transport 9. Camera 10. Double belt press 11. Heating plates 12. Steel belt 13. Roller bar circulation system 14. Deflector drum 15. Application of anti-caking agent 16. Application of additive 17. Decompression area 18. Compression area 19. Healing area 20. Injection molding press 21. Injection plates 22. Belt 23. Cleaning unit 24. Drive rollers Petition 870250091934, dated 08 / 10 / 2025, page 37 / 137 27 / 27 25. Calender 26. Deflection rollers 27. Compression unit 28. Steel belt 29. Cooling plate 30. Calibration press Petition 870250091934, dated 08 / 10 / 2025, p. 38 / 137

Claims

1 / 8 CLAIMS 1. Method for the continuous production of material plates from at least one material that is spread to form a flat press mat and that is mixed with at least one binder that can be cured by heat and / or pressure, wherein the mat can be spread as a single or multiple horizontally layered mat, characterized in that the press mat (1) is compressed in a double belt press (10) with steel belts (12) that are hotter than the press mat (1) and is heated by thermal conduction, wherein at least one cover layer (2) supported against a steel belt (12) is heated to a temperature above the curing temperature of the binder and this is at least partially cured, wherein the uncured parts of the press mat (1), in particular the uncured intermediate layer (3),are heated and cured in a downstream injection press (20) by introducing quenched fluids (5) at a temperature above the binder curing temperature, wherein the fluids (5) are introduced into or through the press mat (1) through one or both cover layers (2).

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that heated air, steam, preferably superheated steam, or a mixture of steam and air is used as the tempered fluid (5).

3. Method, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that, in the case of unsaturated air or a mixture of vapor and air, the dew point is defined in such a way that the moisture contained in the fluid (5) condenses on the pressing mat (1) only after entering the cover layer (2) or after passing through a cover layer (2).

4. Method, according to any of the preceding claims, Petition 870250091934, dated 08 / 10 / 2025, page 39 / 137 2 / 8 characterized in that a limit temperature and / or a water content are reached in the intermediate layer (3), which is suitable for effecting the cure of the binder, preferably until the material plate comes out of the injection press (20).

5. Method, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that a pressing pressure greater than 2 N / mm2 is applied to the pressing mat (1) in the double belt press (10) and, preferably, the pressure does not exceed 6 N / mmf.

6. Method, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that a cured coating layer (2), after exiting the double belt press (10), has a thickness greater than one millimeter, preferably greater than 2 millimeters and, more preferably, from 3 to 4 millimeters.

7. Method, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the liquid and / or hardener for the binder is applied to the surface side of the pressing mat (1) or an anti-caking agent is applied to a steel belt (12) and / or to the surface side of the pressing mat (1).

8. Method according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the thickness of the cured cover layer (2) is determined after the press mat (1) has exited the double belt press (10), preferably using a non-destructive testing method, and, more preferably, the values ​​are used in a control or regulation system to adjust the double belt press (10) or the thickness of the cover layer (2).

9. Method, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that, in the injection press (20), the pressing mat (1) is subjected to a surface pressure of less than 1 N / mitf, preferably less than 0.6 N / mm2 and, most particularly, to a pressure of less than 0.5 N / mm2.

10. Method, according to any of the preceding claims, Petition 870250091934, dated 08 / 10 / 2025, p. 40 / 137 3 / 8 characterized in that the use of flat injection plates (21) and / or perforated rollers with caps for areas that are not facing the direction of the pressing mat (1) to introduce the fluid (5) into the pressing mat (1), with openings to guide and discharge the fluid.

11. Method, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the fluid is introduced into the pressing belt (1) at a pressure greater than 0.5 bar, preferably about 1.5 bar, more preferably more than 2 bar, and / or emerges from the injection plates (21).

12. Method, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pressing mat (2) is guided through the injection press (20) with at least one permeable belt (22) supported on one side of the surface for the passage of the fluid (5), wherein the belt (22) is preferably designed as a perforated metal or plastic belt, as a fabric belt or as an iron mesh belt.

13. Method, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the belts (22), together with the pressing belt (1), are compressed in the injection press (20) in the transport direction (8) upstream of the injection press (20) by a compression unit (27) or a calender (25) and / or are subjected to a thrust force in the transport direction (8), preferably by the calender (25) or by the drive rollers (24).

14. Method, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that, after curing of the intermediate layer (3), the material plate (4) is compressed and / or held in a calibration press (30) between two steel belts (28) to the nominal dimension, preferably with a pressure less than 2.5 N / mm2.

15. Method, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the covering layers (2) of the material plate (4) are smoothed, heated and / or cooled in the calibration press (30). Petition 870250091934, dated 08 / 10 / 2025, page 41 / 137 4 / 8 16. Method, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the residual heat extracted in the calibration press (30) as a result of a cooling process is reused, preferably in a heat pump, a heat exchanger or other low temperature apparatus, wherein the residual heat is used in a particularly preferential manner in parts of the plant in the transport direction (8) upstream of the calibration press (30).

17. Method, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the material plates (4) are produced with a nominal thickness greater than 8 mm, preferably greater than 30 mm and, more preferably, greater than 60 mm, wherein solid material plates of up to 80 mm are preferably produced.

18. Method, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that, after the injection press (20), the uncured press mats (1) are discarded into a discharge container (7).

19. Method, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pressing mat (1) is subjected to pre-compression in a pre-press (6) for deaeration before entering the double belt press (10), preferably with at least one belt of air-permeable fabric and, preferably, not tempered.

20. Method, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the material plate (4) cured in the injection press (20) or exiting the injection press (20) is subjected to a tensile force in the direction of production, preferably by the drive rollers (24) of the injection press (20), by the calibration press (30) or by a separate calender (25).

21. Method, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the speed of production or of the individual parts of the plant, preferably of the double belt press (10), the injection press (20) and / or the calibration press (30), is controlled or regulated in a master-slave system by a control or regulation device, wherein the injection press (20) or its production speed is preferably used as a master or as a reference variable.

22. Method, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the use of a single-layer or multi-layer pressing mat (1), preferably three or five layers, is suitable for the production of MDF, HDF, particleboard, OSB (chipboard), mixed panels made of fibers and chips, in which the fibers are preferably arranged in the outer layers, or thermal insulation panels.

23. Method, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that, at least proportionally, binders based on aminophenol, methylene diphenyl isocyanate (MDI), polymeric methylene diphenyl isocyanate (pMDI), urea-formaldehyde resins (UF), melamine-reinforced urea-formaldehyde resins (MUF), melamine-formaldehyde resins (MF), bio-based resins, preferably tannins with mixed polymers, vegetable and / or animal proteins, lignins with mixed polymers, carbohydrate-containing binders, PVA, acrylic and / or epoxy-based resins can be used as a curable binder in the pressing mat (1).

24. Method, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pressing mat (1) or the uncured intermediate layer (3) is aerated or recovers its elasticity in a decompression area (17) after exiting the double belt press (10), wherein a tempered fluid (5) is made available in this decompression area (17) to the pressing mat (1) on at least one side of the surface and / or on the narrow sides for incorporation into the pressing mat (1).

25. Method, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pressing mat (1) is compressed after the double belt press (10) in a compression area (18), preferably on the entry side of the injection press (20), Petition 870250091934, 08 / 10 / 2025, p. 43 / 137 6 / 8 wherein the tempered fluid (5) of the pressing mat is preferably injected on at least one side of the surface in this compression area (18) and / or is passively collected or extracted on one side of the surface, preferably on the opposite side.

26. A method, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pressing mat material comprises pure lignocellulosic materials and / or mixtures thereof, such as natural wood, recycled wood, woody plants, wood waste, vegetable waste and / or annual plants, and preferably with the addition of filler materials.

27. Plant for the continuous production of material slabs from at least one material that is spread to form a flat mat of pressed material and that is mixed with at least one binder that can be cured by heat and / or pressure, while the mat can be spread as a single or multiple horizontally layered mat, characterized in that a double belt press (10) with two steel belts (12) in continuous circulation to compress and / or heat the press mat (1) and to cure at least partially a cover layer (2) supported against a steel belt (12) by heating above the binder curing temperature is arranged in the conveying direction (8) of the press mat (1),and an injection press (20) with at least one means for injecting tempered fluids (5) onto one side of the pressing mat surface (1) for tempering and curing the uncured parts of the mat or the intermediate layer (3) is disposed downstream of the double belt press (10).

28. Plant, according to the preceding claim, characterized in that injection plates (21) or injection nozzles are arranged as means for injecting tempered fluids (5), preferably with openings to supply, preferably, heated air, steam, superheated steam and / or a mixture of steam and air over a large area.

29. Plant, as defined in any of the preceding claims Petition 870250091934, dated 10 / 08 / 2025, page 44 / 137 7 / 8, characterized in that an anti-caking agent applicator (15) for applying an anti-caking agent to a steel belt (12) of the double belt press (10) or to the pressing mat (1) and / or an additive applicator (16) for applying additives and / or water to the pressing mat (1) is disposed upstream of the double belt press (10).

30. Plant, as defined in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that one or two continuously circulating belts (22) are arranged in the injection press (20), preferably a perforated metal or plastic belt, a fabric belt or a steel mesh belt.

31. Plant, as defined in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that a compression unit (27) and / or a calender (25) are disposed in or adjacent to the injection press (20).

32. Plant, as defined in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that a calibration press (30) and / or a discharge vessel (7) is disposed downstream of the injection press (20) and / or a discharge vessel (7) is disposed downstream of the calibration press (30).

33. Plant, as defined in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the calibration press (30) is provided with a heating and / or cooling system for the mat, respectively the plate, and is preferably operationally connected to a low-temperature device for recycling the residual heat from the material plates (4), preferably to a heat exchanger, a heat pump and / or plant parts upstream of the calibration press (30).

34. Plant, as defined in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that a decompression area (17) with a chamber (9), a tunnel, a compartment and / or injection plates is disposed between the double belt press (10) and the injection press (20) to supply tempered fluids (5) to the pressing belt (1), which increases in volume.

35. Plate of material characterized in that it is preferably produced by a method, as defined in any of the preceding method claims, and / or produced in a plant, as defined in any of the preceding plant claims. Petition 870250091934, dated 08 / 10 / 2025, p. 46 / 137

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