Coating, method for producing a coating and method for removing a coating

Abstract

The invention relates to a coating (10), in particular for a vehicle component (20), wherein the coating (10) comprises at least a film (12) and a paint (11), characterized in that the film (12) is arranged between the vehicle component (20) and the paint (11). Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for producing a coating and a method for removing a coating.

Description

[0001] In modern vehicle manufacturing, exterior body and vehicle components are typically colored by applying a coat of paint. The paint is applied either directly to the body or body part, or to an adhesion primer that has been applied beforehand. A transparent clear coat is then applied over the colored paint layer.

[0002] Removing paint from plastic body components, such as bumper covers or fenders, is particularly complex and time-consuming. This makes reuse or recycling of the vehicle body part virtually impossible. Painted plastic parts are typically shredded and incinerated. Alternatively, they could be used in the production of lower-value components, such as flower boxes or temporary parts for civil engineering and construction. Due to the stringent quality requirements for so-called Class A surfaces in vehicle manufacturing, plastic components intended for use as body parts are generally made from 100% virgin raw materials.

[0003] Starting from this prior art, the present invention aims to provide a coating, a method for producing a coating, and a method for removing a coating, which overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.

[0004] This problem is solved by a coating according to claim 1, a method for producing a coating according to claim 7, and a method for removing a coating according to claim 9. Advantageous embodiments are specified in the respective dependent claims.

[0005] To solve this problem, the invention teaches a coating, in particular for a vehicle component, wherein the coating comprises at least a film and a paint. The film can be arranged between the component and the paint.

[0006] Furthermore, the film can be multi-layered.

[0007] The film can be formed in particular as a three-layer film, with a bonding layer facing the vehicle component, a cover layer facing away from the vehicle component and a transfer layer arranged between the bonding layer and the cover layer.

[0008] To ensure the required surface properties, especially adhesion properties, between paint, film and component, the film can be designed to be sandable.

[0009] The top layer can be made of ethylene propylene diene / polypropylene (PP-EPDM), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), polyethylene (PE), polyamide (PA) or including their polymer blends, copolymers and compounds.

[0010] The transfer layer can be made of the same materials as the topcoat. In addition, the transfer layer can be made of soft polyethylene, thermoplastic elastomers, bio-based polyurethane, rubber, and polyurethane, including their polymer blends, copolymers, and compounds. The transfer layer material should compensate for temperature-induced geometric changes, particularly thermal expansion or shrinkage, including the rate of such changes, between the topcoat and the bonding layer or the vehicle component (different coefficients of expansion of the materials), at least to the extent that the paint layer is not damaged during temperature changes / adaptation to temperatures and throughout the vehicle component's life cycle (aging / influences of aging, shrinkage). Furthermore, the transfer layer can be inhomogeneous, depending on the application / component.The transfer layer can have microscopically small geometric structures or reinforcing layers. Alternatively, a foamed structure is also possible (especially microfoam).

[0011] The bonding layer can be designed as an adhesive layer, in particular made of a physically setting adhesive, an acrylic-based pressure-sensitive adhesive, and / or a rubber-based adhesive. The use of chemically heat-curing adhesives as a bonding layer is also possible.

[0012] Alternatively, it would be possible to use a material for the bonding layer which, when combined appropriately with the material of the vehicle component, establishes the bond / adhesion via intermolecular forces, in particular via the so-called "van der Waals forces".

[0013] The vehicle component can be made of sheet metal, a non-ferrous metal, or plastic. Alternatively, it can be made of wood, materials of natural origin, or other composite materials. All of the materials mentioned for vehicle components can contain up to 100% recycled material.

[0014] In another aspect, the invention relates to a method for producing a coating comprising the following steps: - Applying a film to at least one section of a surface of a vehicle component, and - direct application of a coating to at least one section of a surface of the film facing away from the vehicle component, or - indirect application of a coating to at least one section of a surface of the film facing away from the vehicle component, an intermediate layer is arranged between the paint and the foil.

[0015] The need for a primer can be eliminated if the plastic used for the top layer of the multilayer film meets the required adhesion and homogeneity properties necessary for the design of the surface to be painted.

[0016] In an alternative embodiment of the method, the film can be applied in a previous production step of the vehicle component. Such production steps could be the injection molding process of the vehicle component or the final forming / pressing step in the manufacture of the vehicle component.

[0017] Furthermore, after applying the film as an intermediate layer, a primer layer can be applied to the film and the paint can then be applied to the primer layer.

[0018] The surface of the vehicle component and / or the surface of the topcoat can undergo an activation step to increase the required holding forces / surface energies for the bond between the vehicle component surface and the bonding layer, as well as between the topcoat surface and the paint.

[0019] This surface activation can be achieved using physical methods such as plasma or corona treatment, in particular flame treatment with a gas or plasma flame. Alternatively, so-called wet chemical processes are also possible.

[0020] In another aspect, the invention relates to a method for removing a coating from a vehicle component, wherein the paint is removed from the vehicle component by removing the film.

[0021] Furthermore, before removing the film and any paint applied to it, the film can be subjected to pressure and / or heat. Applying pressure and / or heat to the film can reduce the adhesive layer that bonds the film to the vehicle component, thus making it easier to remove the film and reducing the risk of tearing. An activator can also be used to facilitate film removal from the vehicle component.

[0022] The advantages of the invention will be explained below, whereby advantages relating to the coating also apply to the process, and advantages relating to the process also apply to the coating.

[0023] The invention offers fundamentally improved recycling possibilities for painted individual components or materials. This allows the usability of raw parts made from recycled material to be extended to components that must meet very high surface quality requirements, such as exterior body panels of vehicles, which must have a so-called Class A surface.

[0024] Cutouts and punched holes in plastic vehicle components can be created directly during the injection molding process, as the film covers potential sink marks and flow lines. This eliminates individual expenses, such as those required for punching machines, thereby reducing the complexity of the manufacturing process and minimizing production costs. Furthermore, the wall thickness of the vehicle components can be reduced while simultaneously increasing the rigidity of the assembled part.

[0025] The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the figures. They show, in schematic representation: Fig. 1. For example, a vehicle component in the form of a roof, and Fig. 2 a cross-section through the structure of a coating.

[0026] Fig. Figure 1 shows an example of a vehicle exterior body component 20 in the form of a roof. Other vehicle exterior body components can be fenders, front and rear hatches, doors, bumpers, and the like. The vehicle component 20 can, for example, be made of fiber-reinforced plastic. Bumper covers are generally made of plastic. Side panels are generally made of sheet metal. Doors and hatches are made of non-ferrous metals. The basic materials for the vehicle components therefore include plastic, fiber-reinforced plastic, sheet metal, wood, non-ferrous metals, and composite materials.

[0027] The structure of the coating is determined based on the Fig.2 explained below. The vehicle component 20 is shown in the figure below. The surface of the vehicle component 20 is at least partially or completely covered with a film 12. The film 12 is a multilayer lacquer film with a structure of at least three layers. A bonding layer 12c is provided on one side of the film 12 facing the vehicle component. The film 12 is in contact with the surface of the vehicle component 20 via the bonding layer 12c. The bonding layer 12c is designed as an adhesive layer for the material of the vehicle component 20. The bonding layer 12c is designed with respect to the material used, depending on the surface energies, adhesion properties, coefficients of thermal expansion, and surface roughness of the vehicle component.

[0028] On a side of the bonding layer 12c facing away from the vehicle component 20, at least one transfer layer 12b is arranged on the bonding layer 12c. The design of the transfer layer and / or the material of the transfer layer is also based on the base material to be coated and thus depends on the surface energy, the adhesion properties, the coefficient of thermal expansion and / or the surface roughness of the vehicle component 20. The bonding layer 12c is therefore arranged between the transfer layer 12b and the vehicle component 20.

[0029] On a surface of the transfer layer 12b that faces away from the bonding layer 12c and thus also from the vehicle component 20, the film 12 comprises a cover layer 12a. The cover layer must have paintable properties. The cover layer is designed methodically analogous to the transfer layer and / or the bonding layer.

[0030] The multilayer coating film 12 can be transparent or opaque, depending on the requirements of the vehicle's appearance. A transparent multilayer coating film 12 can be used, for example, if the appearance of the vehicle component 20 does not affect the color of the paint 11. Alternatively, the multilayer coating film can also be opaque and thus have a color to avoid negative effects / interactions in the color between the vehicle component 20 and the paint 11.

[0031] For example, a dark color of the vehicle component 20 can make the paint 11 appear darker, and a light color of the vehicle component 20 can make the paint 11 appear lighter. Advantageously, the perceived color of the paint 11 can thus be selected and adjusted independently of the color of the vehicle component 20. This increases the degree of freedom in the choice of materials for the vehicle component. Vehicle components 20 can therefore be made from recycled material, which may have been recycled from components of different colors, resulting in a multicolored vehicle component 20. This offers the advantage that additives for coloring plastic components can be omitted, and irregularly multicolored components can be used with 100% recycled material.

[0032] The multilayer lacquer film 12 must meet specific manufacturing parameters of the lacquering process, in particular the chemical and temperature influences prevalent during lacquering. A lacquer layer 11 is applied to a surface of the film 12 facing away from the component 20. This lacquer layer can also be composed of three layers: a primer facing the film, a clear coat facing away from the film, and a topcoat layer positioned between the clear coat and the primer. The topcoat is the colored layer.

[0033] The invention allows suitable body and vehicle components, both exterior and interior, to be coated with a multilayer lacquer film 12. The lacquer 11 is then applied directly to the film or to an adhesion primer, which is applied to the film or to the component 20 covered with the film 12 before the lacquer is applied. Subsequent stripping or recycling is achieved by removing the lacquered film 12, thereby simultaneously removing both the film 12 and the lacquer layer 11 on it. Advantageously, the vehicle components to be painted can be made from 100% recycled material, as the film 12 covers minor surface defects / irregularities in the surface of the vehicle component 20. Existing paint inserts, customization options, and repair systems can also continue to be used.Advantageously, the film 12 itself can also be recycled up to 100%, e.g. reused as transfer layer 12b in the multilayer film.

Claims

[1] Coating (10), in particular for a vehicle component (20), wherein the coating (10) comprises at least a film (12) and a paint (11), characterized by , that the film (12) is arranged between the vehicle component (20) and the paint (11). [2] Coating (10) according to claim 1, characterized by , that the film (12) is multi-layered. [3] Coating (10) according to one of the preceding claims 1 or 2, characterized by that the film (12) is at least three-layered, with - a connecting layer (12c) facing the vehicle component (20), - a cover layer (12a) facing away from the vehicle component (20), and - at least one transfer layer (12b) arranged between the bonding layer and the cover layer. [4] Coating (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by, that the top layer (12a) is made of ethylene propylene diene / polypropylene (PP-EPDM), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), polyethylene (PE), polyamide (PA) or their polymer blends, copolymers and compounds. [5] Coating (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the transfer layer (12b) - is made from the same materials as the top layer, - made from soft polyethylene, thermoplastic elastomers, bio-based polyurethane, rubber, and polyurethane and / or - whose polymer blends, copolymers and compounds are formed. [6] Coating (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the connection layer (12c) - is formed as an adhesive layer, in particular from a physically setting adhesive, from pressure-sensitive adhesive based on acrylic and / or rubber, - as a chemically heat-curing adhesive, or - is made of a material which, when combined appropriately with the material of the vehicle component, establishes the connection / adhesion via intermolecular forces, in particular via the so-called "van der Waals forces". [7] Method for producing a coating (10) according to claims 1 to 6, comprising the steps: - Applying a film (12) to at least one section of a surface of a vehicle component (20), and - Applying a paint (11) directly to at least one section of a surface of the film (12) facing away from the vehicle component (20) or indirectly applying a paint (11) to at least one section of a surface of the film (12) facing away from the vehicle component (20), wherein an intermediate layer is arranged between the paint (11) and the film (12). [8] Method according to claim 7, characterized by, that after the application of the film (12) as an intermediate layer a primer layer is applied to the film (12) and the paint (11) is then applied to the primer layer. [9] Method for removing a coating (20) from a vehicle component (20) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized by , that the paint (11) is removed from the vehicle component (20) by removing the film (12). [10] Method according to claim 9, characterized by , that before removing the film (12) with the lacquer (11) attached to it, at least the film (12) is subjected to pressure and / or temperature.

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