DIE-CUT APPLICATOR AND METHOD FOR APPLYING A DIE-CUT

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a die-cut applicator with a die-cut tape roll made of a die-cut tape, comprising a liner tape and die-cuts arranged on the liner tape in a longitudinal direction separated from one another, with a liner tape winding roll and with a dispensing edge arranged in a running direction between the die-cut tape roll and the liner tape winding roll, around which the liner can be peeled off.

[0002] The invention also relates to a method for applying a die cut to a surface by unrolling a die cut strip from a die cut strip roll and guiding it around a deflection edge.

[0003] During the manufacture of motor vehicles, the problem often arises that openings in body parts have to be re-glued after processing. For example, body parts can be surface-treated with a liquid. The liquid required for the surface treatment drains naturally through openings previously made in the body parts. The openings are subsequently closed again. The openings are often closed by hand, with punched parts being removed from a punched part strip or a punched part sheet and glued onto the openings by hand. The punched parts have a carrier layer and an adhesive layer applied to one side of the carrier layer. The adhesive layer is usually applied over the entire surface of the carrier layer.

[0004] Robot arms are also known in the state of the art.

[0005] For this purpose, a die-cutting reel is provided onto which a die-cutting strip is wound in the conventional manner. The die-cutting strip is usually a strip-shaped liner. Die-cuts with a carrier layer and adhesive layer are applied one after the other to this liner at a distance from one another in such a way that the free side of the adhesive layer is glued to the liner, so that the side of the adhesive layer opposite the liner is covered by the carrier layer, thus completely protecting the adhesive. The die-cutting strip can then be wound up in such a way that the liner is arranged on the outside of the winding and the die-cuttings on the inside of the winding on a die-cutting reel. This is the preferred variant, but a winding in which the liner is arranged on the inside of the winding and the die-cuttings on the outside of the winding is also possible.As is well known, the free end of the stamped part strip is pulled off and clamped in a fixture, and a robot arm suctions the stamped parts one after the other from the stamped part strip. The robot arm is designed like a trunk and suctions the stamped part onto the carrier layer, detaches it from the liner, and presses the stamped part onto the opening in the specified position.

[0006] The disadvantage of this process is that it is relatively time-consuming, since the robot arm has to be moved back to the die-cutting roll after each gluing process in order to remove the next die-cutting part from the die-cutting strip, known to those skilled in the art as a "pick-and-place application".

[0007] Applicators in the form of label dispensers are also known. The label dispenser is mounted on a robot arm. The label dispenser contains the die-cut roll. The die-cut roll is guided to a pressure roller, where the liner is automatically removed and the die-cut is pressed onto the hole by moving the label dispenser with the aid of the pressure roller. The disadvantage of this method is that it takes up a lot of space, as the label dispenser must be pulled a certain distance with the aid of the robot arm. This is disadvantageous, for example, in hard-to-reach areas of a car panel, such as when the opening to be sealed is located directly next to a raised edge.

[0008] JP S59 1 15231 A discloses a device for sticking labels to passing objects. The device first dispenses a label at a dispensing edge, then holds it at the non-adhesive side via a suction unit, and then sticks it onto an object via a spring-loaded boom.

[0009] Die-cut applicators with a dispensing edge are also known, with a roller at the end that presses the die-cut, detached from the liner, onto a surface. A disadvantage of this die-cut applicator is the fact that the roller must roll completely over the die-cut, requiring an additional area in front of and behind the die-cut that roughly corresponds to the radius of the pressure roller.

[0010] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a die-cut applicator which reduces the above-mentioned disadvantage.

[0011] It is also an object of the invention to provide a method for gluing die cuts which reduces the above-mentioned disadvantage.

[0012] With regard to the die-cut applicator, the object is achieved by a die-cut applicator as mentioned above having the features of claim 1.

[0013] The die-cut applicator according to the invention comprises a die-cut tape roll made of a die-cut tape, comprising a liner tape and die-cuts arranged on the liner tape in a longitudinal direction separated from one another, a liner tape winding roll, a dispensing edge arranged in a running direction between the die-cut tape roll and the liner tape winding roll, around which the liner tape can be pulled off, and a suction belt according to the invention with a pressing surface on an applicator tip, on which a die-cut detached from the die-cut tape and transferred to the suction belt can be positioned.

[0014] The die-cut applicator according to the invention utilizes the concept of detaching the die-cut from the die-cut strip. To do this, the die-cut strip is pulled around the dispensing edge, and the die-cut, which separates during the pulling process, is transferred to the suction belt, which transports it to the applicator tip.

[0015] The suction belt comprises a perforated endless belt driven by a second drive. A suction device is located inside the closed suction belt, which draws air through the perforation and thereby sucks the die-cuts to the outside of the suction belt. The die-cut is transported by the circulating suction belt from the dispensing edge to the pressing surface. The pressing surface can be flat or slightly curved outwards, i.e., concave. The die-cut is positioned on the pressing surface.

[0016] Advantageously, a control system is provided that is connected to a first drive for the liner tape take-up reel and to the second drive for the suction belt, and that coordinates the speeds of the liner tape take-up reel and the suction belt. The connections are preferably data-conducting, and the speed of the liner tape take-up reel and the suction belt are coordinated such that the speed of the liner tape at the dispensing edge is exactly the same as the speed of the suction belt at the dispensing edge. The suction belt and the dispensing edge can preferably overlap slightly in the running direction of the liner tape and the suction belt.

[0017] A sensor is provided on the pressing surface to detect whether a die cut is positioned on the pressing surface. When a die cut is positioned on the pressing surface, the sensor sends a signal to the control system, which then shuts off the first and second drives. The die cut then remains on the pressing surface, as the air flow continues.

[0018] Advantageously, a robot arm is provided on which the suction belt is arranged and which is connected to the controller via a data-conducting connection. The robot arm presses the pressing surface with the die-cut positioned thereon in a vertical movement to a predetermined position on a surface. The robot arm is preferably connected to the entire die-cut applicator, or at least to the device on which the suction belt and the pressing surface are arranged, so that the pressing surface, after the die-cut has been positioned on it, can be pressed onto the surface in a movement perpendicular to the surface, and the die-cut is adhered to the surface by the pressing movement.

[0019] For this purpose, the die-cuts advantageously comprise a carrier layer and an adhesive layer. The die-cut is positioned on the suction belt and is conveyed in this position so that the carrier layer rests directly on the suction belt and the adhesive layer is exposed, facing away from the suction belt. The die-cut can then be pressed onto the surface by the vertical back-and-forth movement of the pressing surface. The die-cut applicator is therefore particularly suitable for sealing holes, especially in car bodies. Since it does not perform a rolling movement, as required in the prior art, only a very small space is required around the hole so that the die-cut can be firmly adhered to the hole. Of course, the die-cut must be slightly larger than the outer circumference of the hole so that it can be adhered to the outer peripheral edge of the hole.

[0020] Preferably, the size and contour of the die cuts are adapted to the pressing surface; advantageously, the die cuts and the size and contour of the pressing surface are shaped identically. The die cuts can be shaped identically to one another in pairs; however, it is also conceivable for some die cuts on the die cut strip to have a first shape and others to have a second shape, with the shapes preferably being arranged in successive groups on the die cut strip.

[0021] The object is achieved in its second aspect by a method having the features of claim 6.

[0022] According to the method, a die-cut strip is unwound from a die-cut strip reel and guided around a dispensing edge. There, the die-cut is detached from the die-cut strip and transferred to a suction belt, which conveys the detached die-cut onto a pressing surface on an applicator tip. The pressing surface is pressed onto the surface with the die-cut. The method according to the invention is particularly suitable for implementation with one of the above-mentioned die-cut applicators. Conversely, any of the above-mentioned die-cut applicators is suitable for implementation of this method or one of the methods mentioned below.

[0023] Ideally, the suction belt with the suction-loaded die-cut is advanced in a timed manner until the die-cut is positioned on the pressing surface, at which point the suction belt is stopped. The die-cut positioned on the pressing surface is then pressed onto the surface by an up-and-down movement of a robot arm. The control system reactivates the first and second drives so that the next die-cut is advanced onto the pressing surface. As the die-cuts are advanced on the suction belt, the liner tape is wound around the liner tape take-up reel.

[0024] The invention is described using an exemplary embodiment in two figures. Showing: Fig. 1 a basic side view of a die-cut applicator according to the invention, Fig. 2 basic side view of a die-cut strip.

[0025] Fig. 1shows the basic structure of a die-cut applicator according to the invention; a housing on which the individual components are arranged, as well as a robot arm on which the die-cut applicator is guided, are not shown.

[0026] The die-cut applicator comprises a holder 1 for a die-cut strip roll 2. A die-cut strip 3 is wound on the die-cut strip roll 2. The die-cut strip 3 is wound in the Fig. 1 The embodiment shown comprises the die-cut strip 3, a liner strip 4 and a layer of die-cuts 6 placed next to one another on the liner strip 4 and spaced apart from one another. The arrangement of the die-cuts 6 on the liner strip 4 is shown in Fig. 2shown. The liner tape 4 consists of a tape that is essentially endless in length and has a constant width and a constant thickness. Diecuts 6 are applied to the liner tape 4 next to one another and at a distance from one another. In the present case, the diecuts 6 are identical in shape in pairs. They each comprise a carrier layer 7 and an adhesive layer 8. The diecuts 6 are applied to the liner tape 4 in such a way that the adhesive layer 8 is adhered directly to the liner tape 4 and the adhesive layer 8 is arranged between the liner tape 4 and the carrier layer 7. The carrier layer 7 serves to give the diecut 6 its external shape.

[0027] The carrier layer 7 consists of common plastics; by way of example, but not by way of limitation,

[0028] Polyethylene, polypropylene - in particular oriented polypropylene produced by mono- or biaxial stretching (OPP), cyclic olefin copolymers (COC), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyesters - in particular polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH), polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polyacrylonitrile (PAN), polycarbonate (PC), polyamide (PA), polyethersulfone (PES) or polyimide (PI).

[0029] Adhesive layer 8 consists of a conventional pressure-sensitive adhesive. The pressure-sensitive adhesive comprises a base and a crosslinkable component, also known as a reactive resin.

[0030] Various materials, especially non-polar elastomers, can be used as a basis for pressure-sensitive adhesives.

[0031] Nonpolar elastomers, such as vinyl aromatic block copolymers, are characterized by their ability to dissolve in nonpolar solvents, i.e., solvents and / or solvent mixtures whose polarity corresponds to ethyl acetate or which are less polar. These are, in particular, solvents and / or solvent mixtures with a dielectric constant of less than 6.1 [http: / / en.wikipedia.org / wiki / Solvent] and / or with Hansen parameters δP Polar ≤ 5.3; δH Hydrogen bonding ≤ 7.2 [Abbott, Steven and Hansen, Charles M. (2008) Hansen Solubility Parameters in Practice, ISBN 0-9551220-2-3 or Hansen, Charles M. (2007) Hansen solubility parameters: a user's handbook CRC Press, ISBN 0-8493-7248-8].

[0032] If block copolymers are used as elastomers, they contain at least one block type with a softening temperature of greater than 40 °C, such as vinyl aromatics (including partially or fully hydrogenated variants), methyl methacrylate, cyclohexyl methacrylate, isobornyl methacrylate and isobornyl acrylate.

[0033] Further preferably, the block copolymer contains a block type with a softening temperature of less than - 20 °C.

[0034] Examples of polymer blocks with low softening temperatures ("soft blocks") are polyethers such as polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol or polytetrahydrofuran, polydienes such as polybutadiene or polyisoprene, (partially) hydrogenated polydienes such as polyethylene butylene, polyethylene propylene or polybutylene butadiene, polybutylene, polyisobutylene, polyalkyl vinyl ethers, polymer blocks of α,β-unsaturated esters such as acrylate copolymers in particular.

[0035] The soft block is designed to be non-polar and preferably contains butylene or isobutylene or hydrogenated polydienes as a homopolymer block or copolymer block. The latter are preferably copolymerized with themselves or with each other or with other, particularly preferably non-polar comonomers. Suitable non-polar comonomers include, for example, (partially) hydrogenated polybutadiene, (partially) hydrogenated polyisoprene, and / or polyolefins.

[0036] The crosslinkable component, also referred to as reactive resin, consists of a cyclic ether and is suitable for radiation-chemical and, if necessary, thermal crosslinking with a softening temperature of less than 40 °C, preferably less than 20 °C.

[0037] Reactive resins based on cyclic ethers are primarily epoxides, i.e., compounds containing at least one oxirane group, or oxetanes. They can be aromatic or, in particular, aliphatic or cycloaliphatic in nature.

[0038] Usable reactive resins can be monofunctional, difunctional, trifunctional, tetrafunctional or higher functional up to polyfunctional, where the functionality refers to the cyclic ether group.

[0039] Examples, without wishing to be limited, are 3,4-epoxycyclohexylmethyl-3',4'-epoxycyclohexanecarboxylate (EEC) and derivatives, dicyclopendadiene dioxide and derivatives, 3-ethyl-3-oxetanemethanol and derivatives, tetrahydrophthalic acid diglycidyl ester and derivatives, hexahydrophthalic acid diglycidyl ester and derivatives, 1,2-ethanediglycidyl ether and derivatives, 1,3-propanediglycidyl ether and derivatives, 1,4-butanediol diglycidyl ether and derivatives, higher 1,n-alkanediglycidyl ethers and derivatives, bis-[(3,4-epoxycyclohexyl)methyl]-adipate and derivatives, vinylcyclohexyl dioxide and derivatives, 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol bis-(3,4-epoxycyclohexanecarboxylate) and Derivatives, 4,5-epoxytetrahydrophthalic acid diglycidyl ester and derivatives, bis-[1-ethyl(3-oxetanyl)methyl] ether and derivatives, pentaerythritol tetraglycidyl ether and derivatives, bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (DGEBA), hydrogenated bisphenol A diglycidyl ether, bisphenol F diglycidyl ether, hydrogenated bisphenol F diglycidyl ether, epoxyphenol novolaks, hydrogenated epoxyphenol novolaks,Epoxycresol novolaks, hydrogenated epoxycresol novolaks, 2-(7-oxabicyclo)spiro[1,3-dioxane-5,3'-[7]oxabicyclo[4.1.0]-heptane], 1,4-bis((2,3-epoxypropoxy)methyl)cyclohexane.,

[0040] Reactive resins can be used in their monomeric or dimeric, trimeric, etc. up to their oligomeric form.

[0041] Mixtures of reactive resins with each other, but also with other coreactive compounds such as alcohols (monofunctional or polyfunctional) or vinyl ethers (monofunctional or polyfunctional), are also possible.

[0042] The adhesive layer 8 is applied over the entire surface of one side of the carrier layer 7.

[0043] According to Fig. 1The die-cut strip is wound on the die-cut strip roll 2 in such a way that the liner strip 4 is arranged on the inside of the winding and the die-cuts 6 are arranged on the outside of the winding. According to the invention, it is also possible to wind in such a way that the liner strip 4 is arranged on the outside of the winding

[0044] A free end of the unwound die-cut strip 3 is guided around a first deflection roller 9 and from there to a dispensing edge 11. The liner strip 4 is guided around the dispensing edge 11 and wound onto a liner strip take-up roller 12. A second deflection roller 13 is arranged between the dispensing edge 11 and the liner strip take-up roller 12. The liner strip take-up roller 12 is driven by a first drive (not shown). The first drive is connected to a control system (not shown). The first drive of the liner strip take-up roller 12 winds the liner strip 4 onto the liner strip take-up roller 12 and is thereby pulled around the dispensing edge 11 and unwound from the die-cut strip roll 2. When the die-cut strip 3 is deflected around the dispensing edge 11 at an angle of approximately 180°, the die-cut 6 that is currently resting against the dispensing edge 11 is detached.

[0045] In the running direction of the die-cut strip 3, before the outermost leading end of the dispensing edge 11, a suction belt 14 begins. The suction belt 14 is closed and arranged in an elongated loop. The suction belt 14 overlaps the dispensing edge 11 slightly at an end facing away from an applicator tip 16. The overlap is in Fig. 1 not shown. The die-cut strip 3 is passed between one end of the suction belt 14 and the dispensing edge 11, and in this overlapping area, the die-cut strip 6 detaches from the liner strip 4 when the liner strip 4 is advanced, and is picked up by the suction belt 14.

[0046] The suction belt 14 consists of a circulating endless belt which has perforations, wherein a suction device is arranged in a loop interior of the endless belt, which suction device generates a negative pressure which sucks air through the perforations from the outside to the inside into the loop and thereby sucks the die-cut 6 onto the outside of the suction belt 14.

[0047] The suction belt 14 has a second drive. The suction belt 14 is guided over at least two deflection pulleys, one of which is driven. However, multiple deflection pulleys can also be provided. The suction belt has a pressure surface 17 on the applicator tip 16. The pressure surface 17 can be flat, but it can also be convexly curved outwards. During operation, the suction belt 14 runs over the applicator tip 16 and conveys diecuts 6 over the applicator tip 16 and over the pressure surface 17. The diecuts 6 contact the suction belt 14 directly with their carrier layer 7, while the adhesive layer 8 is arranged on the carrier layer 7, facing away from the suction belt 14. The second drive of the suction belt 14 is also connected to the controller in a data-conducting manner.A sensor (not shown) is provided at the applicator tip 16, which detects the presence of one of the die cuts 6 at the applicator tip 16 on the pressing surface 17. The sensor is also connected to the controller via a data transmission line.

[0048] The control system drives the first drive of the liner tape take-up roll 12. This unwinds the die-cut strip 3 from the die-cut strip roll 2, and first the die-cut 6 is detached by deflecting the liner tape 4 around the dispensing edge 11 and guided a short distance over the suction belt 14. The control system is also connected to a suction device, and the control system activates the suction device before the first drive is switched on. The die-cut 6 detached at the dispensing edge 11 is sucked up by the suction belt 14. The control system activates the second drive of the suction belt 14 and thus transports the die-cut 6 towards the applicator tip 16, while simultaneously the liner tape 4 is wound up. The die-cut 6 is continuously detached from the liner tape 4 and guided further by the suction belt 14 to the applicator tip 16.The speed of the liner tape 4 at the dispensing edge 11 is exactly the same as the speed of the suction belt 14 in the direction of the applicator tip 16. The speeds are aligned parallel to each other. The die-cuts 6 are detached one after the other from the die-cut tape 4. The suction belt 14 runs until a first die-cut 6 is positioned on the pressing surface 17. There, the presence of the die-cut 6 is detected by the sensor and the second drive of the suction belt 14 is stopped. At the same time, the first drive of the liner tape take-up roll 12 is stopped. During the transport of the die-cut 6 or afterwards or beforehand, the pressing surface 17 is moved over a predetermined area of ​​a surface 18 to be bonded and stopped there at a certain distance from the surface 18.The pressing surface 17, with its punched piece 6 positioned on the pressing surface 17, is then pressed onto the surface 18 in a movement perpendicular to the surface 18 and adhered to the surface 18. The pressing surface 17 is then moved away from the surface 18 again perpendicular to the surface 18, and the next punched piece 6 is moved onto the pressing surface 17 by simultaneously switching on the second drive and the first drive again until the sensor detects that the next punched piece 6 is positioned on the pressing surface 17. During this time, before or after this, the punched piece applicator is moved by means of the robot arm and the pressing surface 17 is moved over a second predetermined position. There, the corresponding pressing process is repeated. The punched piece applicator is particularly suitable for closing openings 20 in car bodies.The punched pieces 6 are then selected to be slightly larger than the opening 20 to be closed, and the punched pieces 6 can be glued with the pressing surface 17 onto the opening 20 to be closed by gluing the punched piece 6 onto the body on the outside edge around the opening 20 and pressing it there. List of reference symbols

[0049] 1Receptacle 2Diecut tape roll 3Diecut tape 4Liner tape 6Die cut 7Carrier layer 8Adhesive layer 9First pulley 11Dispensing edge 12Liner tape take-up roll 13Second pulley 14Suction belt 16Applicator tip 17Pressing surface 18Surface 20Opening

Claims

1. Applicator for stamped parts with a stamped part strip roll (2) made of a stamped part strip (3), comprising a liner strip (4) and stamped parts (6) arranged separated from each other in a longitudinal direction on the liner strip (4), a liner strip take-up reel (12), a dispensing edge (11), which is arranged between the stamped part strip roll (2) and the liner strip take-up reel (12) in the running direction, and around which the liner strip (4) can be stripped off, a suction belt (14), arranged at the dispensing edge (11), with a pressing surface (17) on an applicator tip (16), on which a stamped part (6), detached from the stamped part strip (3) and transferred to the suction belt (14), can be positioned, characterized by a controller which is connected to a first drive for the liner strip take-up reel (12) and is connected to a second drive for the suction belt (14), and which coordinates the speeds of the liner strip take-up reel (12) and the suction belt (14), and characterized by a robotic arm on which the suction belt (14) is arranged and which is connected to the controller which presses the pressing surface (17) with the stamped part (6) positioned thereon onto a surface (18) in a perpendicular movement.

2. Applicator for stamped parts according to Claim 1, characterized in that the pressing surface (17) has the size and contour of the stamped parts (6) and the stamped parts (6) are identically shaped.

3. Applicator for stamped parts according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the dispensing edge (11) slightly overlaps with the suction belt (14) and the stamped part strip (3) is guided between the dispensing edge (11) and the suction belt (14).

4. Method for applying a stamped part (6) on a surface (18), in that a stamped part strip (3) is unwound from a stamped part strip roll (2) and guided around a deflection edge and the stamped part (6) is detached there from the stamped part strip (3) and transferred to a suction belt (14) which conveys the detached stamped part (6) onto a pressing surface (17) on an applicator tip (16) and presses the stamped part (6) positioned on the pressing surface (17) onto the surface (18) with the pressing surface (17) in a perpendicular movement.

5. Method according to Claim 4, characterized in that the suction belt (14) with the suctioned stamped part (6) is advanced in a clocked way until the stamped part (6) is positioned on the pressing surface (17) and then the suction belt (14) is stopped.