Part manufacturing method and injection molding device

Abstract

The present invention comprises a method for manufacturing a part and an injection molding apparatus (40) that sequentially performs the following steps: closing an injection mold, injection molding a substrate by injecting a first plastic material into a first injection mold cavity, opening the injection mold, stamping one or more first film elements, and removing the part from the mold.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a part and an injection molding apparatus therefor. [Background technology]

[0002] It is known to produce plastic parts by injection moulding. To decorate such parts, a method also known as "in-mold decoration" is described, for example, in DE 10 2010020039 A1. For this, a hot stamping film is used, and a cover part made of plastic is produced. This hot stamping film is guided from top to bottom through the injection mould, the film being clamped between the mould parts when the mould is closed. The film is pressed against the wall of the cavity by the pressure of the molten material as it is injected. After cooling, the polyester carrier film of the hot stamping film is then peeled off from the part decorated with the transfer ply of the hot stamping film.

[0003] However, the disadvantage here is that the decoration possibilities are limited due to the large application area defined by the respective injection mold parts and the high pressures and high temperatures to which the decorative layer of the hot stamping film is exposed inside the injection mold during application.

[0004] It is further known to stamp a transfer ply of a hot stamping film onto a substrate for decoration. As described, for example, in DE 10 2012 109 315 A1, such a stamping device has, as a stamping receiver, a holding device in which the workpiece to be stamped is clamped. Also provided is a stamping tool, which presses the hot stamping film against the surface of the workpiece to be decorated. The stamping pressure here is built up between the stamping receiver and the stamping tool. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for manufacturing a part and a part that has improved functional and / or decorative properties and that can be produced cost-effectively. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The invention is achieved by a method for manufacturing a component in which the following steps are carried out: a) closing an injection molding mold comprising a first mold part having a first mold cavity and at least one second mold part such that a first injection molding cavity is formed defined by the first mold part and the at least one second mold part; b) injection molding the substrate by injecting a first plastic material into a first injection mold cavity; c) opening the injection mould such that the substrate remains following the contour of the first mould cavity in the first mould part, such that only a first partial region of the surface of the substrate is exposed and a second partial region of the surface of the substrate remains in the first mould part; d) stamping one or more first film elements into at least one sub-area of ​​the exposed first sub-area of ​​the surface of the substrate such that the substrate remains following the contour of the first mold cavity of the first mold part and the first mold part acts as a stamping receiver for stamping the one or more first film elements; e) Removing the part comprising the substrate and the one or more first film elements from the first mold part.

[0007] Furthermore, this object is achieved by an injection molding apparatus, in particular for manufacturing a part according to the above-mentioned method. The injection molding apparatus comprises at least one first injection molding station and at least one stamping station. The injection molding apparatus further comprises at least one first mold part with a first mold cavity and a second mold part. The at least one first injection molding station comprises a closing device. The closing device is configured to close the first mold part or the injection molding mold comprising one of the first mold parts and at least one second mold part forming the first injection molding cavity and to open the injection molding mold. The at least one first injection molding station comprises an injection unit for injecting the first plastic material forming the substrate into the first injection molding cavity. The stamping station comprises a stamping unit for stamping one or more first film elements into at least one partial area of ​​the surface of the substrate. The substrate is arranged along the contour of the first mold cavity of the first mold part. The first die portion of the stamping unit serves as a stamping receiver for stamping the one or more first film elements.

[0008] Research has shown that it is possible to decorate plastic parts produced in an injection molding process by means of a downstream hot stamping machine. For this, the part is removed and / or ejected from the injection mold after a cooling phase and then placed in a stamping receiver of the stamping machine. The stamping receiver then now, in addition to its function of holding the part, provides the necessary precisely adapted lining structure and is also able to build up a corresponding pressure on the required stamping surface. However, the inventors have discovered that in the case of such a procedure, the following difficulties or economical drawbacks arise:

[0009] The stamping receiver, i.e. the part receiver, always needs to be manufactured very precisely. It is therefore found that the precise manufacture of the stamping receiver is very relevant for the quality during stamping. However, precisely when the injection mould has several cavities, higher part tolerances result, which can only be tolerated with difficulty by the corresponding formation of the stamping receiver in the hot stamping process. Here, the study further shows that the problem of a greater decrease in stamping quality occurs with increasing part size. This is probably due to the distortion of the plastic part in the cooling process and the part tolerances, which increase with increasing part size. Thus, the decrease in stamping quality is particularly noticeable in a negative way in the case of large parts or in the case of several cavities in the injection moulding technique, since here the part tolerances and the shrinkage rates or distortions of the part are higher. Moreover, this shows that the rejection rate increases due to this problem and the process stability of the stamping process reaches its limits. Furthermore, the cost of the stamping receiver also increases with increasing part size.

[0010] The present invention can improve stamping quality and reduce process costs.

[0011] In order to obtain a precisely matched stamping receiver that molds all part tolerances, the stamping process is integrated into the injection molding machine and correspondingly uses as stamping receiver the mold part that molds in particular the so-called underside of the part. The part is thus prevented from being repositioned before stamping is carried out, but instead continues to be held in the injection mold cavity during stamping. Due to the essentially stable construction of the injection molding machine and the injection mold, which is necessary for the very high pressures and temperatures that occur there, the correspondingly required stamping pressures (depending on the decorative surface area, the part size, the plastic material) can now be absorbed during stamping. Furthermore, the residual heat of the injection molding process can be utilized for the part as additional stamping energy, which can also achieve energy savings and / or stamping time reductions and / or improved adhesion between the part surface and one or more film elements.

[0012] The above-mentioned disadvantages are avoided since the part is stamped before being removed from the die, the part remains following the contour of the first die cavity during stamping, and the first die part previously used to form the part serves as a stamping receiver for stamping. This ensures that the stamping receiver is applied to the part in a precisely defined manner and forms all part tolerances in a precisely matching manner. Furthermore, further stamping can be performed before the part is completely cooled and before it is removed from the die. Thereby, part tolerances caused by thermal and possibly mechanical deformations during removal from the die do not have a negative effect on the stamping process and thus on the stamping quality. It has further been shown that due to this, adjustment efforts for optimizing the stamping process can be significantly reduced and stamping quality and process stability are significantly increased.

[0013] Moreover, studies have shown that this also has a positive effect on the adhesion between the substrate produced by injection molding and the stamped film element, probably because the stamping is carried out immediately after the end of the injection molding process, when the substrate therefore still has a particularly reactive surface and, moreover, still has a very high temperature level due to the preceding injection molding process.

[0014] Further advantages are provided when stamping is performed by a hot stamping process, since the process heat of the injection molding process can be used for the stamping process here, and therefore further corresponding energy savings and / or stamping time reductions can be achieved in the overall process.

[0015] A further advantage of the present invention results from the fact that stamping can be carried out during the cooling phase of the injection molding process, so that, despite the additional decoration, the cycle time of the manufacturing process is not lengthened. This "parallelization" results in a corresponding reduction in manufacturing time and is further associated with corresponding cost savings.

[0016] Advantageous embodiments of the invention are set forth in the dependent claims.

[0017] According to a preferred embodiment, the application of a cover layer of a second plastic material, preferably carried out by injection molding and / or flooding and / or partial overspraying, can be carried out in a further step after the stamping of the one or more first film elements. This makes it possible, for example, to provide the surface of the one or more first film elements and / or the substrate with an additional protective layer or to form further functional structures on the part and / or on the part. Particularly advantageously, here the one or more first film elements can be fully or partially integrated into a layer of the part produced by injection molding.

[0018] When this step is performed, the substrate preferably remains following the contour of the first mold cavity of the first mold part, which is thus not only additionally used to form a stamping receiver for the stamping of the one or more first film elements, but also forms a part receiver for the application of the cover layer.

[0019] When this step is performed, preferably the second injection moulding cavity is formed by one or more third mould parts and the second plastic material is injected into the second injection moulding cavity, whereby preferably sealing of the one or more third mould parts to the substrate, the one or more first film elements and / or the first mould parts is performed, thereby allowing a correspondingly large range of variation in terms of the area where the cover layer is provided.

[0020] Here, the cover layer is advantageously applied in such a way that one or more film elements are enclosed between the substrate and the cover layer, which allows the film elements to be correspondingly well protected against environmental influences or to achieve particularly advantageous optical and / or functional effects by the interaction which this brings about.

[0021] Furthermore, the cover layer can also be applied so that it completely overlaps the first partial region of the surface of the one or more first film elements and / or the substrate, thereby making it possible, for example, to form a corresponding closed protective or decorative layer on a corresponding partial region of the surface of the component which forms the outer side of the component exposed to atmospheric conditions.

[0022] Furthermore, the cover layer can also be applied in such a way that it overlaps only a part of the surface with the first partial region of the surface of the one or more first film elements and / or the substrate. Furthermore, this overlap of the part of the surface is performed by being registered with respect to the first partial region of the surface of the one or more first film elements and / or the substrate. Thus, via the cover layer, corresponding registered functions and / or decorative elements can be generated which interact and / or complement correspondingly with the decorative elements and / or functions of the first film elements.

[0023] Registration or registration accuracy or registration precision means the positional precision of two or more elements and / or layers relative to each other. The registration precision is to be within a given tolerance as low as possible. At the same time, the registration precision of several elements, partial regions, in particular one or more first partial regions, films and / or layers relative to each other is an important feature to increase the reliability of the process. Positionally accurate positioning is performed in particular by marking, in particular by sensory, preferably optically detectable registration marks or registration marks. Preferably, these markings, in particular registration marks or registration marks, indicate specific individual elements or regions or layers or are preferably themselves part of the element or region or layer to be positioned.

[0024] The second plastic material may consist of a thermoplastic material and / or a plastic material which hardens by crosslinking, in particular a two-component (2K) material and / or a thermosetting and / or radiation-curable material and / or a mixture of such plastic materials.

[0025] Particularly advantageously, the second plastic material consists of a two-component plastic, which is mixed in a mixhead when the two components are injected in particular into the second injection moulding cavity. The mixture then enters the second injection moulding cavity. The reaction of the mixture takes place in the second injection moulding cavity and can also proceed further after the mould is opened. By using such a material, a particularly hard and weather-resistant cover layer can be achieved.

[0026] Furthermore, the second plastic material can be post-cured or fully cured in a subsequent or multiple subsequent steps, for example by irradiation, in particular UV irradiation and / or electron beam curing.

[0027] Preferably, a plastic material made of polyurethane or polyurea is used as the second plastic material. The thickness of the cover layer is preferably selected in the range between 100 μm and 20,000 μm, in particular between 100 μm and 10,000 μm, preferably between 200 μm and 5000 μm.

[0028] Preferably, the first plastic material consists of a thermoplastic, in particular an impact-resistant thermoplastic. The first plastic material consists in particular of polyethylene (PE), polycarbonate (PC), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene, polybutadiene, polynitrile, polyester, polyurethane, polymethacrylate, polyacrylate, polyamide, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), preferably acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), acrylonitrile styrene acrylate (ASA), ABS-PC, PET-PC, PBT-PC, PC-PBT and / or ASA-PC and / or copolymers or mixtures thereof. In principle, the first and / or the second plastic material furthermore comprises an inorganic or organic filler, preferably SiO 2 , Al 2 O 3 , TiO 2, clay minerals, silicates, zeolites, glass fibers, carbon fibers, glass beads, organic fibers or mixtures thereof. Here, fillers are added especially to the first plastic material in order to further increase the stability of the substrate. Furthermore, these fillers can reduce the proportion of polymeric material and therefore the manufacturing costs and / or the weight of the part.

[0029] It is particularly advantageous to repeat the step of applying a cover layer made of a second plastic material multiple times, in particular by overspray, flooding and injection moulding. Here, different second plastic materials and / or different third mold parts can also be used in successive steps, so that corresponding cover layers that differ with respect to their shaping and / or their material are applied to one another. Furthermore, step d) can also be performed here, i.e. in step d), one or more film elements are stamped in each case one or more times after each application of a cover layer. Thus, for example, after a first cover layer is applied, step d) can be performed again, and then a further cover layer, optionally made of a different shaping and / or different material, can be applied thereto again, one or more first film elements can be stamped thereto again, etc. This allows corresponding complex decorative and / or functional features in the part to be realized cost-effectively.

[0030] In all these steps, the substrate preferably remains following the contour of the first mold cavity of the first mold part. This ensures, on the one hand, a correspondingly high stamping quality for the further stamping steps, and on the other hand also achieves a particularly good registration of the applied further first film element with the further cover layer. As a result, the registration of the applied film element and / or cover layer and therefore the product quality is further significantly improved and waste is correspondingly reduced.

[0031] Preferably, the temporal sequence of steps b) and d), i.e. injection molding of the substrate and stamping of the one or more first film elements, is controlled in such a way that the substrate is only partially cooled when step d) is carried out. This allows the above-mentioned advantages to be achieved. On the one hand, in this way, particularly good interlayer adhesion between the surface of the substrate and the one or more first film elements is achieved. On the other hand, this allows the process energy of the injection molding process to be further used for the stamping process. As a result, energy savings and / or stamping time reductions can be achieved.

[0032] Preferably, a corresponding control of the temporal order is also performed if stamping of one or more film elements is performed again after the step "applying a cover layer" is performed, thus achieving the above-mentioned advantages as in the case of such a method sequence.

[0033] Research has further shown that the above-mentioned advantages are achieved particularly well when the substrate or cover layer, especially in the first partial region of the surface of the substrate, has an average surface temperature of 20° to 120°, in particular 40° to 100°, preferably 50° to 80°.

[0034] Preferably, the stamping of the one or more first film elements in step d) can be carried out by roll-on stamping, partial roll-on stamping or vertical stamping. Furthermore, corresponding stamping methods for this can also be used, such as those described in DE102012109315A.

[0035] Preferably, the stamping of the one or more first film elements is carried out with one or more stamping tools. The stamping tool applies the film or one or more parts of the film as a first film element to the exposed first partial area of ​​the surface of the substrate or to a partial area of ​​the exposed first partial area. Here, the stamping tool is preferably a stamping die or a stamping roller. The stamping tool can optionally also be adapted correspondingly to the shape of the substrate or can also perform or adapt a corresponding following of the contour to the surface contour of the first partial area of ​​the surface of the substrate, which is possible in a guide and roll-on behavior. Preferably, such stamping dies and stamping rollers have in each case an elastomeric substrate or an elastomeric layer, for example made of silicone.

[0036] If step d) is carried out, then in particular transfer films, such as hot stamping or cold stamping films, but also lamination films come into consideration as films.

[0037] Particularly suitable for use herein is a transfer film comprising a carrier ply and a transfer ply detachable from the carrier ply. Here, preferably, the carrier ply consists of a plastic film, for example a PET film having a thickness of 10 μm to 250 μm. Here, preferably, the transfer ply has one or more layers selected from one or more decorative layers, one or more functional layers, one or more protective layers, one or more adhesion-promoting layers, one or more barrier layers, one or more conductive layers.

[0038] Furthermore, advantageously, one or more release layers are disposed between the carrier ply and the transfer ply to improve release properties. Preferably, such layers contain wax and / or silicone and / or polymer.

[0039] If such a transfer film is designed as a stamping film, it preferably has a heat-activatable adhesive layer on the side of the transfer film opposite the carrier ply, which adhesive layer can be activated in particular by the thermal energy of a stamping tool.

[0040] Furthermore, the transfer ply of the transfer film can further have openings, for example introduced by punching, cutting or laser exposure, or the transfer ply can be provided in the form of a patch on the carrier ply. More preferably, such a transfer ply also has one or more other carrier films to stabilize the transfer ply. This further provides the advantage that "sensitive" functional and decorative layers receive additional protection from the thermal and mechanical stresses of the stamping process or subsequent process steps.

[0041] Preferably, the laminate film does not have a "detachable" carrier ply. Preferably, the laminate film has one or more of the following layers: one or more decorative layers, one or more functional layers, one or more protective layers, one or more carrier layers, one or more adhesion promoting layers, one or more carrier films, one or more barrier layers, one or more conductive layers.

[0042] Here, preferably the laminate film has openings, which are in particular introduced by punching and / or cutting and / or laser exposure, or is already supplied to the stamping process in "pill" form during stamping.

[0043] Here, preferably, the one or more first film elements applied by the one or more stamping tools have a shape that can be largely predetermined by the design of the one or more stamping tools, the shape of the film or the transfer ply of the film and / or further measures, as described further below. These film elements are defined with respect to their layer structure by the corresponding layer structure of the film used for stamping or the transfer ply of the film used for stamping. Thus, preferably, the one or more first film elements have one or more layers in each case selected from one or more decorative layers, one or more functional layers, one or more protective layers, one or more adhesion-promoting layers, one or more adhesive layers, one or more carrier layers, one or more carrier films.

[0044] Here, preferably, the decorative layer or layers consist of one or a combination of the following decorative layers: transparent, translucent or opaque varnish layers comprising dyes and / or pigments, in particular organic / inorganic pigments, luminescent and / or fluorescent pigments and / or dyes, optically variable pigments, thermochromic pigments and / or dyes, metallic pigments, magnetically alignable pigments, Volume hologram layer, layers with optically active surface reliefs, in particular diffractive and / or refractive active surface reliefs, holographic surface reliefs, surface reliefs including refractive structures, diffractive structures, in particular lens structures, microlens arrangements, microprisms, micromirrors, matt structures, in particular isotropic and / or anisotropic matt structures and / or any combination of such structures, Reflective layers, in particular metallic or dielectric reflective layers, high or low refractive index layers, especially those whose refractive index differs from 1.5 by more than + / -0.2, Liquid crystal layers, in particular cholesteric and / or nematic liquid crystal layers, A thin film layer exhibiting an optically variable colour changing effect, in particular comprising an absorbing layer, a dielectric spacer layer and a light reflecting layer, or alternatively comprising a multiple sequence of alternating high and low refractive index transparent layers.

[0045] Here, these decorative layers can be applied in any order, adjacent to one another and / or adjacent to one another. Here, the individual decorative layers can be patterned over a portion of the surface, in particular to achieve a desired graphic decoration. Preferably, the decorative layers are arranged in register with one another.

[0046] Preferably, the functional layer or layers consist of one or a combination of the following functional layers: the functional layers include layers with electrical functionality, layers with magnetic functionality, layers with mechanical functionality, layers with optical functionality, layers with tactile functionality. The layers with electrical functionality comprise in particular one or more elements selected from touch sensors, antennas, electromagnetic shields, non-conductive metal layers for preventing electrostatic discharge, displays, LEDs, electrical circuits, solar cells. The layers with magnetic functionality are for example layers with magnetic barcodes. The layers with mechanical functionality are for example reinforcing or stiffening elements made from metals and / or plastics and / or woven fabrics and / or non-woven fibre plies and / or fibrous additives and / or fibrous additional layers. The layers with optical functionality are for example anti-reflective or reflective layers. The layers with tactile functionality are for example layers with soft-touch surface coatings.

[0047] During stamping of one or more first film elements, particularly when hot stamping films are used, preferably the portion of the transfer ply defined by the shape of the stamping tool is applied as the first film element by activating the adhesive layer of the transfer ply or an adhesive layer provided between the substrate and the transfer ply.

[0048] Moreover, advantageously, especially when a cold stamping film is used, the adhesive layer is applied to the carrier ply and / or to a partial area of ​​the surface of the substrate in the first area, but not in the second area, the transfer film is guided by a stamping tool towards the surface of the substrate, the adhesive layer is activated and the transfer film is peeled off again. As a result, the part of the transfer ply defined by the shape of the first area is applied to the substrate as a first film element. Here, the application of the adhesive layer is preferably carried out by a digital printing method, especially an inkjet printhead.

[0049] Preferably, the adhesive layer is cured by high-energy electromagnetic waves. Curing can take place in particular before and / or during and / or after the application of the transfer ply to the adhesive layer. If curing takes place before the application of the transfer ply to the adhesive layer, the adhesive layer can be pre-cured thereby, for example to increase the viscosity of the adhesive layer in a targeted manner. If curing takes place during the application of the transfer ply to the adhesive layer, curing can be carried out in the state where the carrier ply is bonded to the transfer ply. If curing takes place after the application of the transfer ply to the adhesive layer, curing can be carried out in the state where the carrier ply has already been peeled off from the transfer ply and the transfer ply is exposed from the upper side of the substrate.

[0050] During the curing of the adhesive layer, further layers and / or partial regions of the component and / or the first and / or second film elements can also be cured simultaneously or post-cured by radiation acting on the component and the first and / or second film elements.

[0051] Furthermore, advantageously, one or more second film elements are injected into the first injection mould cavity before step a) is carried out, i.e. before the injection mould is closed, for which purpose the one or more second film elements are arranged in the first mould part in particular as individual elements and / or are provided in the form of a film web.

[0052] Preferably, the one or more second film elements may be: Laminated films, preferably formed on parts of the surface, for example as "labels" or so-called "inserts" as preformed part elements, in particular provided with decorative and / or functional elements, or insert parts as reinforcement or reinforcing elements, in particular made from metal and / or plastic and / or fiber composites and / or plastics with fiber components, Or transfer film.

[0053] Next, in step b), the one or more second film elements are back-injection molded and / or extrusion coated with the first plastic material.

[0054] This allows the part to be decorated "on both sides" or to provide a part with desired functional layers on both sides. Thus, for example, the lower side of the substrate is formed by one or more second film elements, and at the upper side of the substrate, one or more first film elements form the upper side of the part.

[0055] The component and / or substrate can be made opaque or translucent or transparent to provide different optical appearances of the component.

[0056] If the part and / or the substrate are made transparent, for example, the decorations on both sides can create a depth effect together through the spacing of the two decorations due to the wall thickness of the part and / or substrate. For this, the thickness of the substrate is preferably selected such that the one or more first film elements on the one hand and the one or more second film elements on the other hand are spaced apart from each other. As a result, an optical depth effect is created by the interaction of the one or more first and one or more second film elements.

[0057] If the component and / or substrate are formed, for example, opaque, the decoration of both sides can provide different optical appearances of the component from different sides via one or more first and second film elements.

[0058] By using one or more first film elements and one or more second film elements, a combination of decorative and functional films can also be implemented, for example decoration can be implemented on one side of the part and the application of a functional element, such as a touch sensor, antenna, or display, can be implemented on the other side of the part.

[0059] The manufacturing process can be designed in such a way that a film element with higher pressure and / or heat resistance is used as the second film element and a film element with lower pressure and / or heat resistance is used as the first film element. In this variant, therefore, functional elements can be applied to the part as one or more first film elements and decorative elements can be applied to the part as one or more second film elements.

[0060] Alternatively, the manufacturing process can be designed such that one or more functional elements are applied to the part as one or more second film elements and one or more decorative elements are applied to the part as one or more first film elements.

[0061] It is particularly advantageous here that the one or more first and second film elements can be arranged in particularly accurate registration with respect to one another by this method, since both in the back-injection molding of the one or more second film elements and in the stamping of the one or more first film elements, the substrate is defined by the first mould cavity of the first mould part and therefore no further registration steps need to be carried out in this respect.

[0062] Furthermore, when step d) is performed, i.e. when one or more film elements are stamped, preferably the one or more first film elements are stamped in accurate registration with respect to the one or more second film elements. For this purpose, advantageously one or more registration marks and / or optical features of the one or more second film elements and / or the first mould part are detected and used to control the stamping. Furthermore, corresponding registration marks and / or optical features of the film can be detected. These are used for stamping the one or more first film elements as described above.

[0063] Furthermore, advantageously, the method further comprises the following step, preferably performed after steps c) and / or d), further preferably before one of steps e) and / or f): printing onto the one or more first film elements and / or onto the exposed first partial areas of the surface of the substrate in the at least one further partial area, the substrate remaining following the contour of the first mould cavity of the first mould part, in particular the first mould part serving as a print holder for printing onto the one or more film elements and / or onto the exposed first partial areas of the surface of the substrate in the at least one further partial area.

[0064] Thus, said printing step can also be carried out between steps c) and d) and / or d) and f).

[0065] Here, the at least one further partial region can be located inside the at least one partial region in which the one or more first film elements are stamped, in which case printing is carried out in particular on the free surface of the one or more stamped film elements.

[0066] However, the at least one further partial region can also be located only in the exposed first partial region of the surface of the substrate, in which case printing is carried out next to or adjacent to the stamped film element or elements.

[0067] Furthermore, the at least one further partial region can be located both inside the at least one partial region in which the one or more first film elements are stamped and in the exposed first partial region of the surface of the substrate, in which case the printing overlaps, at least in a region, both the one or more first film elements and the exposed first partial region of the surface of the substrate.

[0068] More advantageously, the printing is carried out with a printing material, preferably an ink or a varnish.

[0069] Further advantageously, printing is precisely registered with respect to one or more first and / or second film elements, in particular one or more registration marks or optical features of one or more first and / or second film elements and / or first mold parts are detected and used to control printing.

[0070] Furthermore, advantageously, the printing in the at least one further partial region is colored, in particular with an arbitrary and / or different color.

[0071] Colored here means any color that can be represented as a color dot in a color space, for example in a color model such as the RGB color model (R=red; G=green; B=blue) or the CMYK color model (C=cyan; M=magenta; Y=yellow; K=black).

[0072] Preferably, the print in at least one further partial region exhibits at least one decorative or visually recognizable design element, which can be, for example, a graphically designed contour, a graphic representation, an image, a motif, a symbol, a logo, a portrait, a pattern, a grid, alphanumeric characters, text, etc.

[0073] Advantageously here, the printing is carried out by digital printing, preferably by inkjet printing and / or pad printing. Preferably, the digital printing, inkjet printing and / or pad printing is carried out in a printing station or printing unit.

[0074] In addition to carrying out the steps described above, it may also be beneficial to carry out one or more of the following steps multiple times during the manufacture of the part.

[0075] Preferably, a pretreatment of the exposed partial areas of the surface of the substrate and / or of the one or more first film elements is carried out. This pretreatment is therefore preferably carried out between steps c) and d) and / or between step d) and the application of the cover layer and / or before printing. As mentioned above, if further stamping is carried out and / or a cover layer is applied multiple times, such a pretreatment is preferably also carried out before the respective steps are carried out.

[0076] Preferably, as pre-treatment, one or more of the following treatment methods are carried out: surface activation, in particular treatment with gases, flame treatment, plasma treatment, fluorination, irradiation, cleaning, coating.

[0077] Here, it is particularly advantageous that the pretreatment is "close" in time to both the upstream injection molding process and the downstream stamping process, so that the pretreated surface is particularly "accessible" for the treatment method carried out, and due to the closeness in time, denaturation is largely avoided.The effectiveness of the pretreatment is therefore greatly increased, for example improving the adhesion between the substrate and one or more first film elements and / or cover layers.

[0078] Preferably, an optical inspection of the substrate and / or the one or more first film elements and / or the printing and / or the surface of the part is carried out. This is carried out in particular by an optical sensor, for example a camera. Preferably, such an optical inspection is carried out here using image processing methods and can be used to optimize process parameters, for example by being integrated into the corresponding control circuit, and thus for example the reject rate can be further reduced. Furthermore, this optical inspection can also be used for quality assurance. This optical inspection can be carried out several times at different times during the process, for example after the injection molding process and / or after pre-treatment and / or after application of one or more film elements and / or after printing and / or after further coating, flooding, overspray and / or after a cleaning process and / or after removal of the part from the first mould cavity.

[0079] Preferably, the cleaning process is carried out in particular after step d) has been carried out, i.e. after the application of one or more first film elements has been carried out and / or after the step of applying the cover layer has been carried out and / or after printing. This process allows, for example, the exposed surface to be freed of waste products of the stamping process. Preferably, the cleaning process is carried out here as long as the substrate is located in the first mold part. This allows the substrate to be firmly fixed while cleaning is carried out. As a result, cleaning methods that require a stable fixation of the product to be cleaned can also be used.

[0080] Preferably, the cleaning here is carried out by means of a brush and / or compressed air and / or suction.

[0081] While steps b) and d) are being carried out, i.e. between the injection of the substrate and the stamping of the one or more first film elements and / or before the printing step, the first mould part is preferably rotated and / or moved so that the exposed surface of the substrate can be correspondingly treated, e.g. using a stamping unit and / or a printing unit.

[0082] However, it is also possible for the first mold part to remain stationary and for example for a stamping unit arranged on a robot arm to move, so that one or more film elements can be stamped onto the exposed surface of the substrate.

[0083] While the above-mentioned further processing steps are being carried out, preferably in each case a movement and / or rotation of the first mould part is also carried out, so that the substrate can be correspondingly processed using the stations assigned to the respective processing steps. Advantageously, therefore, the injection moulding apparatus is provided with a number of stations, during which the first mould part is moved, for example by movement and / or rotation, in order to process the substrate according to the above-mentioned processing steps corresponding to a given method sequence.

[0084] In addition to the at least one first injection moulding station and the at least one stamping station, further preferably the injection moulding apparatus comprises one or more of the following stations:

[0085] At least one station, in particular at least one second injection molding station, for applying a cover layer made of a second plastic material, in particular by injection molding, flooding and / or partial overspray. Here, preferably at least one second injection molding station has a closing device for forming a second injection molding cavity by one or more third mold parts, in particular by sealing one or more third mold parts against the substrate, one or more first film elements and / or the first mold part. Furthermore, for this, preferably at least one second injection molding station has an injection unit for injecting the second plastic material into the second injection molding cavity. In this respect, reference is made to the above description.

[0086] At least one print station for printing, in particular in at least one further partial region, the one or more first film elements and / or the first exposed partial region of the surface of the substrate, where the substrate remains following the contour of the first mould cavity of the first mould part, in particular the first mould part serves as a print holder for printing, in at least one further partial region, the one or more film elements and / or the first exposed partial region of the surface of the substrate. Advantageously, the at least one print station is a digital printing station, preferably an inkjet printing station and / or a pad printing station.

[0087] At least one pretreatment station for pretreatment, in particular of partial areas of the exposed surface of the substrate, whereby this pretreatment station preferably carries out one or more of the above-mentioned treatment methods, in particular selected from treatment with gases, flame treatment, plasma treatment, fluorination, irradiation, cleaning, surface activation, coating.

[0088] one or more inspection stations for optically inspecting in particular the surface of the substrate, the one or more first film elements and / or the component, where the inspection can be carried out in particular by means of an optical sensor, in particular a camera, as described above.

[0089] a cleaning station for cleaning the surface of the component, in particular by means of a brush and / or compressed air and / or suction. In this respect too, reference is made to the above remarks regarding the cleaning step.

[0090] a demolding station for removing the part comprising the substrate, the one or more first film elements, optionally the one or more second film elements and / or the cover layer from the first mould part, where a corresponding cooling and hardening of the part may also be further carried out before removal from the mould.

[0091] Here, preferably, the movement of the first mold part is realized by the first mold part being arranged on a movably mounted mold carrier, in particular by being rigidly connected thereto. Preferably, this mold carrier is a vertically or horizontally arranged rotating plate or a slide table. Preferably, at least one first mold part is fixed to this rotating plate or slide table. The rotating plate and / or the slide table are further correspondingly movably mounted, such that the first mold part is movable between the stations, in particular between the first injection molding station and the stamping station and / or at least one printing station.

[0092] Here, preferably, the injection molding apparatus does not have just one first mold part, but two or more first mold parts, which are arranged on a common mold carrier. This allows the effectiveness of the manufacturing method and the efficiency of the individual stations to be significantly increased. For example, if two first mold parts are arranged on a common mold carrier, a new substrate can be injection molded in parallel at the first injection molding station while stamping is being carried out at the stamping station, which correspondingly doubles the efficiency.

[0093] Preferably, here, at least n first mold parts are arranged on a common mold carrier of an injection molding apparatus having n stations. Thus, if an injection molding apparatus has, for example, a first injection molding station, a stamping station, a second injection molding station and a demolding station, at least four mold parts are provided on a common mold carrier. Thus, the four process steps carried out by these four stations can in each case be carried out in parallel, whereby the efficiency can be correspondingly improved.

[0094] Preferably, the injection molding apparatus further comprises an adjustment device for moving the first mold part or in particular the mold parts arranged on a common mold carrier between the stations of the injection molding apparatus, where this adjustment device can be provided by a corresponding servo drive and / or hydraulic drive and / or pneumatic drive. Preferably, this adjustment device is actuated by a process control device and cyclically moves one or more first mold parts in a predefined sequence between two or more stations of the injection molding apparatus and supplies them to the respective station for processing.

[0095] The invention will now be described with reference to a number of embodiments using the accompanying drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0096] [Figure 1a]FIG. 1a illustrates the performance of the method for manufacturing a component with reference to several schematic diagrams. [Figure 1b] FIG. 1b illustrates the performance of the method for manufacturing a part with reference to several schematic diagrams. [Figure 1c] FIG. 1c illustrates the performance of the method for manufacturing a part with reference to several schematic diagrams. [Figure 1d] FIG. 1d illustrates the performance of the method for manufacturing a part with reference to several schematic diagrams. [Figure 1e] FIG. 1e illustrates the performance of the method for manufacturing a part with reference to several schematic diagrams. [Figure 1f] FIG. 1f illustrates the performance of the method for manufacturing a part with reference to several schematic diagrams. [Figure 2a] FIG. 2a shows a schematic diagram to illustrate further method steps of the method for manufacturing a component. [Figure 2b] FIG. 2b shows a schematic diagram to illustrate further method steps of the method for manufacturing a component. [Diagram 3] Figure 3 shows a schematic diagram of the components. [Figure 4a] FIG. 4a shows a schematic diagram of an injection molding apparatus for producing the part. [Figure 4b] FIG. 4b shows a schematic diagram of an injection molding apparatus for producing the part. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 shows a schematic diagram of an injection molding apparatus for producing the part. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 shows a schematic diagram of an injection molding apparatus for producing the part. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0097] A method for manufacturing the component will now be described with reference to Figures 1a to 1f.

[0098] FIG. 1 a shows a first mould part 21 and a second mould part 22 of an injection mould 20 .

[0099] The first mold section 21 is the first mold cavity. 211and the second mould part 22 has a second mould cavity 221. When the injection mould 20 is closed, these cavities together form an injection moulding cavity 212. The injection mould 20 is part of an injection moulding apparatus 40, which preferably also comprises further parts (not shown here), in particular a closing device for opening and closing the injection mould 20 and an injection unit for injecting plastic material into the first injection mould cavity 212.

[0100] In the step shown in FIG. 1a, the injection mold 20 is closed, thereby forming a first injection mold cavity defined by two mold halves 21, 22. 212 is formed.

[0101] Here, the film element can also be injected into the injection mold cavity 212 before the injection mold 20 is closed.

[0102] Preferably, this film element, called the second film element, is as follows: A laminate film, preferably formed over a portion of the surface, for example as a "label". Or so-called "inserts" or insert parts, the inserts being formed in particular as preformed part elements provided with decorative and / or functional elements and the insert parts being formed in particular as reinforcement or reinforcing elements made in particular from metal and / or plastic and / or fibre composite material and / or plastic with fibre components. or a transfer film, which is injected into the lower mould part 21 over its entire surface as described at the beginning.

[0103] For this purpose, furthermore, the lower, second mold part 22 has corresponding openings in its mold cavity for guiding these one or more second film elements during the injection molding process, and corresponding holding devices are provided in the injection mold for fixing the one or more second film elements during the subsequent injection molding step.

[0104] Here, preferably, the one or more second film elements are arranged in the first mould part such that a first surface of the one or more second film elements is in direct contact with a surface of the first mould cavity 211. Thereby, the one or more second film elements form the underside or part of the underside of the parts and thereby enhance their functional and / or decorative effect there.

[0105] However, by corresponding retaining means, one or more second film elements can be positioned spaced apart from the first mould part 21 in the first injection moulding cavity 212 so that they are extrusion coated with a plastic material.

[0106] In a next step, as shown in FIG. 1b, a first plastic material 31 is injected into a first injection mould cavity 212, whereby the substrate 11 is injection moulded.

[0107] A thermoplastic resin, preferably consisting of ABS, ASA, ABS-PC, PC, PC-PPT, ASA-PC, is preferably used here as the first plastic material 31. This plastic is then injected in the liquid state into the first injection mould cavity 212.

[0108] Thereafter, the injection mould 20 is opened, as shown in Figure 1c.

[0109] For this purpose, preferably, the second mould part 22 is translated upwards, thus causing the substrate 21 defined in terms of its surface shape by the second mould cavity 221 to be pressed against the substrate 21. 11The upper surface of the molded article 20 is exposed. Here, the time between the infiltration of the first plastic material 31 according to Fig. 1b and the opening of the injection mould 20 according to Fig. 1c is selected such that the first plastic material 31 passes from the liquid state to the solid state by cooling and / or crosslinking. However, at this point, preferably, the first plastic material has not yet fully cooled and / or crosslinked, as will be described in more detail below.

[0110] As shown in Fig. 1c, when the injection mould 20 is opened, the substrate 11 remains following the contour of the first mould cavity 211 in the first mould part 21. Thus, only a first partial region 111 of the surface of the substrate 11 is exposed. However, a second partial region 112 of the surface of the substrate 11 remains in the first mould part. Thus, at this point, the substrate 11 is not completely removed from the mould.

[0111] Then, as shown in Figures 1d and 1e, one or more first film elements 12 are stamped onto at least one of the exposed first partial regions 111 of the surface of the substrate 11.

[0112] During this stamping, the substrate 11 remains following the contour of the first mold cavity 211 of the first mold part 21. The first mold part 21 thus acts as a receiver for stamping the one or more first film elements 12.

[0113] Preferably, stamping of the one or more first film elements 12 is performed by one or more stamping tools 422. The stamping tool applies a film 426, or one or more portions of the film 426, as the first film element 12, to the exposed surface or a portion of the exposed surface of the substrate 11.

[0114] As shown in FIG. 1d, the film 426 arranged between the stamping tool 422 and the exposed surface of the substrate 11 is pressed against at least one partial region of the exposed surface of the substrate 11 over the entire surface or partially during stamping. The stamping pressure is established between the stamping tool 422 and the first mold part 21 as a stamping receiver. As described above, for the contour-following formation of the first mold cavity 211 on the substrate 11, here a precisely fitting stamping receiver is provided on the substrate 11. As a result, a constant stamping pressure can be maintained over the entire exposed surface of the substrate 11 and therefore the required durability can also be precisely imparted.

[0115] Here, preferably one or more film elements 12 The stamping is performed by roll-on stamping, partial roll-on stamping or vertical stamping. Correspondingly, the stamping tool 422 is formed as a stamping roller or a stamping die.

[0116] Instead of one stamping tool, different stamping tools or different stamping methods can also be used, which stamp one or more first film elements 12 in parallel or successively onto the exposed surface of the substrate 11, where in each case a similar or different film 426 can additionally be used.

[0117] Preferably, a transfer film, especially a hot stamping film or a cold stamping film and a lamination film, is used as the film 426 .

[0118] Here, the transfer film preferably has a carrier ply and a transfer ply that is detachable from the carrier ply. Preferably, the carrier ply consists of a plastic film, in particular a PET film with a layer thickness of 10 μm to 250 μm. This is preferably followed by a release layer consisting of wax and / or polymer. The purpose of the release layer is to allow the release of the transfer ply under the conditions of the stamping method. Here, the release layer can also be omitted if the material layers of the carrier ply and the transfer ply adjacent to each other are formed corresponding to each other.

[0119] The transfer ply preferably has one or more decorative layers and / or one or more functional layers in each case, as described above. In this respect, reference is made to the above explanations. Optionally, depending on the stamping method used, the transfer film can have or not have an adhesive layer. Thus, if the transfer film is designed as a hot stamping film, it preferably has an adhesive layer on its underside, consisting of a heat-activatable and / or heat-crosslinkable adhesive, in the simplest case a heat-sealing adhesive. In its design as a lamination film, the film 426 has a carrier ply, in particular a plastic film with a layer thickness of 15 μm to 125 μm, which remains on the applied first film element 12. Ideally, the film has another one or more decorative and / or functional layers, which correspond to the design of the transfer ply of the transfer film, as well as an optional adhesive layer. In this respect, reference is made to the above explanations on this matter.

[0120] Moreover, the transfer ply of the transfer film advantageously has one or more additional protective layers on the side facing the carrier ply, and correspondingly, the film 426 advantageously has one or more protective layers on the side opposite the exposed surface of the substrate 11 in a design as a laminate film.

[0121] Here, these protective layers preferably have one or more layers that can be cured by crosslinking, in particular can be post-cured. For this purpose, after the stamping of one or more first film elements is carried out, a corresponding post-curing is preferably carried out in a subsequent step, for example by irradiation with UV light. Here, the post-curing can also be carried out further by thermal post-curing. By using such protective layers, the protection of the first film element 12 and the substrate 11 from environmental influences is also significantly improved.

[0122] If the film 426 is formed as a hot stamping film, during stamping, the portion of the transfer ply of the hot stamping film defined by the shape of the stamping tool 422 is pressed against the portion of the exposed surface of the substrate 11. Here, the stamping tool 422 is preferably heated. As a result, in the portion defined by the shape of the stamping tool, the adhesive layer of the transfer ply or an adhesive layer provided between the substrate 11 and the transfer ply is activated by the high pressure / temperature there, and thus the transfer ply of the hot stamping film is adhesively bonded to the surface of the substrate 11 in the region of this portion. If, after the injection molding according to FIG. 1b, the stamping according to FIG. 1d is performed correspondingly close in time and thus the substrate 11 still has a correspondingly high surface temperature, the heating of the stamping tool 422 can also be omitted.

[0123] Optionally, a heating device can be used to preheat the hot stamping film before application.

[0124] Preferably, therefore, the injection moulding according to Figure 1b and the temporal sequence of the steps according to Figures 1d and 1e are controlled in such a way that during stamping of the one or more film elements 12 the substrate 11 is only partially cooled and has an average surface temperature, in particular in the first partial region 111 of its surface, of 20°C to 120°C, in particular 40°C to 100°C, preferably 50°C to 80°C.

[0125] After activation of the adhesive layer, the hot stamping film is peeled off again, in the process peeling off again the areas of the transfer ply where the adhesive layer is not activated and the carrier ply, so that the areas of the transfer ply of the hot stamping film remain as first film elements 12 on the substrate 11 where the adhesive layer was activated by the stamping tool 422.

[0126] This can preferably be followed by another post-cure of the adhesive layer and / or further layers of the transfer ply.

[0127] If a cold stamping film is used as the film 426, the adhesive layer is applied to the transfer ply of the cold stamping film and / or to the exposed surface of the substrate 11 in a first area, but not in a second area. Preferably, the adhesive layer is printed by a digital printing method, in particular by an inkjet printhead. By means of the stamping tool 422, the cold stamping film is then guided towards the surface of the substrate 11, the adhesive layer is activated and the cold stamping film is peeled off again. Thereby, the part of the transfer ply defined by the shape of the first area is applied to the exposed surface of the substrate 11 as the first film element 12. Preferably, here, the activation of the adhesive layer is carried out by irradiation with high-energy electromagnetic radiation, for example by UV radiation by a UV LED. The advantage of this method is that the stamping tool 422 does not have to be manufactured separately, but rather the transfer film only has to be pressed correspondingly to a predetermined partial area of ​​the surface of the substrate.

[0128] Furthermore, the transfer ply of the transfer film can also be structured with openings which correspond to the outline of the part to be transferred and thus to the outline of the one or more first film elements 12 .

[0129] Moreover, the transfer ply can already be formed in the form of a preformed film element which is laminated during stamping in correspondence with a predetermined area of ​​the exposed surface of the substrate 11. Furthermore, here, without the need for further measures, a film already supplied to the stamping tool 422 in the form of one or more first film elements 12 can also be formed and then applied thereby to a predetermined area of ​​the exposed surface of the substrate 11.

[0130] As mentioned above, here, stamping of one or more film elements can also be performed multiple times in succession using different films 426, so that one or more first film elements 12 are provided such that they do not overlap, do not partially overlap, or do not completely overlap one another. For correspondingly and precisely registered stamping of the film elements 12, here, corresponding registration marks and / or optical features of the film 426 or the one or more first film elements 12 are advantageously detected to achieve correspondingly and precisely registered application of the one or more first film elements relative to one another.

[0131] As mentioned above, here, when injection molding is performed, if one or more further second film elements are optionally inserted into the first injection molding cavity 212, the one or more first film elements are advantageously stamped in even more accurate registration with respect to these one or more second film elements. For this purpose, one or more registration marks or optical features of the one or more second film elements can additionally be detected. Furthermore, here, it is particularly advantageous that the positioning of the one or more second film elements is clearly influenced by the first mold part 21, which represents a stamping receiver for the stamping process, i.e. the one or more second film elements are arranged in correspondingly accurate registration with respect to the stamping receiver.

[0132] In a next step, the part 10 comprising the substrate 11 and the one or more first film elements 12 is removed from the first mould part 21, as shown in FIG. 1f.

[0133] Furthermore, during the method further steps can be carried out in addition to those mentioned above, for which the following further steps are carried out:

[0134] Thus, after the one or more first film elements 12 have been stamped and before the demolding according to Fig. 1f, one or more further steps of applying a cover layer 13 made of a second plastic material 32 can be carried out. To carry out this step, preferably the procedure here is as shown in Fig. 2a to 2c.

[0135] Thus, in this step, the substrate 11 remains following the contour of the first mould cavity 211 of the first mould part 21. Furthermore, a second injection moulding cavity 213 is formed by one or more third mould parts 23. For this, as shown in Fig. 2a, for example an injection mould formed from the first mould part 21 and the third mould part 23 is closed, i.e. the third mould part 23 is closed so as to seal the one or more first film elements 12 and / or the first mould part 21 against the substrate 11.

[0136] A second injection molding material 32 is then injected into the second injection molding cavity 213, as shown in FIG. 2b.

[0137] Preferably, the second plastic material 32 consists of a thermoplastic material, a plastic material which can be hardened by crosslinking, in particular a two-component material, a thermosetting and / or radiation curable material and / or a mixture of such plastic materials.

[0138] Particularly preferably here, the second plastic material consists of a plastic material which hardens by crosslinking, in particular a polyurethane or a polyurea, so that a particularly weather-resistant "protective layer" can be provided on the first film element or elements 12.

[0139] Furthermore, advantageously, the one or more first film elements 12 have a corresponding adhesion-promoting layer on their upper surface facing the cover layer 13 that is compatible with the second plastic material 32 and / or the second plastic material 32 is post-cured in a subsequent curing step to achieve a particularly well-adhering layer composite and, in particular, a weather-resistant upper surface of the part 10.

[0140] Once removed from the mold, as shown in Figure 2c, Part 10 In addition to the substrate 11 and one or more film elements 12 , the film further comprises a cover layer 13 .

[0141] An example of the layer structure of the component 10 thus manufactured is shown in FIG.

[0142] One or more first film elements 12 are applied to a substrate 11. These are followed by a cover layer 13. Here, the first film elements 12 have one or more decorative and / or functional layers 121 and an adhesion-promoting layer 122 which allows particularly good adhesion between the cover layer 13 and the respective first film elements 12.

[0143] As mentioned above, application of the cover layer 13 may be repeated multiple times and may be performed more than once during the stamping of one or more first film elements 12 .

[0144] Beneficially, the cover layer 13 covers the one or more first film elements 12 over their entire surface and / or the one or more first film elements 12 are contained between the substrate 11 and the cover layer 13 or one of the cover layers 13.

[0145] However, advantageously, depending on the application, the cover layer 13 overlaps only a portion of its surface with one or more film elements 12 and / or with the first partial region 111 of the surface of the substrate 11, thus providing, for example, further decorative and / or functional elements.

[0146] A further useful additional step in carrying out the method is as follows.

[0147] In particular, one or more treatment methods selected from treatment with gases, flame treatment, plasma treatment, fluorination, treatment, cleaning, surface activation, coating are used to pretreat the exposed partial areas of the surface of the substrate 11 and / or the one or more first film elements 12. Preferably, such pretreatment is carried out during the method steps illustrated in Fig. 1c and Fig. 1d, correspondingly pretreating the exposed surface of the substrate 11 or the partial areas of the surface of the substrate 11 to which the one or more first film elements 12 are applied, in order to achieve a particularly good adhesion between the substrate 11 and the one or more first film elements 12. Furthermore, additional decorative functions can also be achieved by such pretreatment. Furthermore, if stamping is carried out several times in succession, such pretreatment can be carried out between the individual stamping steps or before the step shown in Fig. 2a is carried out, improving the adhesion between the second plastic material 32 and the substrate 11 and / or the one or more first film elements 12.

[0148] In at least one further partial region, printing is performed on the exposed first partial region of the surface of the one or more first film elements 12 and / or the substrate 11. Here, the substrate 11 remains following the contour of the first mould cavity 211 of the first mould part 21, in particular the first mould part 21 serves as a print holder for printing on the exposed first partial region of the surface of the one or more film elements 12 and / or the substrate 11 in at least one further partial region. Advantageously, such printing is performed after the method step shown in Fig. 1c, preferably after the method step shown in Fig. 1e. Here, printing can be performed with a printing material, for example a coloured ink, such that the printing material is located on the free surface of the one or more film elements 12 and / or next to the one or more film elements 12, in particular directly on the substrate. Advantageously, as mentioned above, the printing in the at least one further partial region shows a decorative or design element, preferably a coloured decorative or design element, further preferably produced, for example, by inkjet printing.

[0149] Partial regions of the surface of the substrate 11 and / or the one or more first film elements 12 and / or the component 10 are optically inspected. Preferably, this optical inspection is performed by an optical sensor, e.g. a camera, so that on the one hand quality can be guaranteed, e.g. by using image recognition algorithms, and on the other hand readjustment of process parameters can also be controlled. Preferably, such optical inspection is performed between the steps shown in Fig. 1c and 1d, Fig. 1e and 1f or Fig. 1e and 2a.

[0150] In particular, the substrate 11 , the exposed surfaces of the one or more first film elements 12 and / or the cover layer 13. Such cleaning can be carried out in particular by means of a brush, compressed air and / or suction. It is particularly advantageous here that the substrate 11 is held at this point in the first mould part 21 and is therefore correspondingly well fixed in order to absorb the high mechanical forces brought about by the cleaning method.

[0151] The structure of an injection moulding apparatus 40 for carrying out the method described above with reference to Figures 1a to 1f is shown diagrammatically in Figures 4a and 4b.

[0152] The injection molding apparatus 40 according to Fig. 4a comprises at least one first injection molding station 41 and at least one stamping station 42. Furthermore, the injection molding apparatus 40 comprises in the embodiment according to Fig. 4a a movably mounted mould carrier 24. The mould carrier 24 is formed by a horizontally arranged rotating plate. The rotating plate is mounted rotatably about a central axis, as shown in Fig. 4a.

[0153] The one or more first mold parts 21 are arranged on the mold carrier 24 and in particular are rigidly connected thereto, so that the one or more first mold parts 21 can be cyclically supplied to the injection molding station 41 and the stamping station 42 by rotation of the mold carrier 24.

[0154] Figure 5 shows an embodiment of the injection moulding apparatus 40 according to Figure 4a, in which two first mould parts 21 are mounted on the mould carrier 24. Such an arrangement is advantageous compared to the arrangement of only one mould part 21 on the mould carrier 24, since the production speed can be doubled, since further substrates can be cast again by the injection moulding station 41 in parallel with the stamping of one or more first film elements 12 on the substrate 11.

[0155] In addition to the mold carrier 24, the two first mold parts 21, the injection molding station 41 and the stamping station 42, the injection molding apparatus 40 according to FIG. 5 has an adjustment device 25 for moving the first mold parts 21 arranged on the common mold carrier 24, and a process control device 50.

[0156] The injection moulding station 41 comprises at least one second mould part 22, a closing device 411 and an injection unit 412. The closing device 411 performs the closing of the injection mould 20 formed by the first mould part 21 and the second mould part 22 in the injection moulding station 41. This results in the formation of a first injection moulding cavity 212 as described above with reference to Fig. 1a. Furthermore, the closing device 411 performs the opening of the injection mould 20 as described above with reference to Fig. 1c. Here, the closing device 411 preferably consists of corresponding guide devices as well as hydraulic and / or pneumatic elements, allowing a corresponding translational movement of the second mould part 22 relative to the first mould part 21 in the injection moulding station 41.

[0157] The injection unit 412 injects the first plastic material 31 into the first injection mould cavity 212, as described above with reference to Fig. 1b. To this end, the injection unit 412 has corresponding elements for correspondingly melting the first plastic material 31 and injecting it at a corresponding high pressure into the injection mould 20.

[0158] The stamping station 42 comprises a stamping unit 421 for stamping one or more film elements 12 onto at least one partial area of ​​the surface of the substrate 11. The stamping unit 421 thus performs the steps described above with reference to figures 1d and 1e.

[0159] Here, the stamping unit 421 preferably comprises a stamping tool 422, a film supply device 424 and a film discharge device 425. These move the film 426 over the stamping tool 422. The stamping unit 421 performs the steps described above with reference to Fig. 1d and Fig. 1e and is formed as described above in this regard. In the embodiment according to Fig. 5, the stamping tool 422 is moved in the manner of a lifting press translationally towards the stamping receiver, which is formed by the first mould part 21. However, as described above, the stamping tool 422 can also be, for example, a stamping roller or a movably mounted stamping head. The stamping tool 422 applies one or more first film elements 12 to the first surface by rolling on or rolling on movement.

[0160] Preferably, the adjustment device 25 is configured as a servomotor, which brings about a rotary movement of the rotary plate in the case of the configuration of the mould carrier 24 as a horizontal or vertical rotary plate.

[0161] The process control device 50 comprises one or more microprocessors and peripheral components for controlling the injection moulding station 41, the stamping station 42, the regulating device 25 and corresponding software components.

[0162] These software components are here designed to operate the injection molding station 41, the stamping station 42 and the adjustment device 25 to carry out the method described above with reference to Figures 1a to 1c. Thus, first of all, the injection molding station 41, in particular the closing device 411 and Injection Unit 412are correspondingly activated. The adjusting device 25 is then activated to rotate the mould carrier 24 by 180°, thus delivering the first mould part 21 together with the injection moulded substrate 11 to the stamping station 42. The stamping unit 421 then carries out the method steps described above with reference to Figures 1d and 1e in order to stamp the one or more first film elements 12 onto the substrate 11.

[0163] As mentioned above, this basic concept can be modified and expanded in many ways.

[0164] Thus, for example, Fig. 4b shows an embodiment of an injection-molding apparatus 40 in which, instead of the rotary plate-shaped mould carrier 24, a slide table-shaped mould carrier 24 is used. The injection-molding apparatus 40 according to Fig. 4b thus has in each case two mould carriers 24 in the form of slide tables and in each case two first mould parts 21 mounted thereon. Furthermore, two injection moulding stations 41 and two stamping stations 42 are provided, which are arranged as shown in Fig. 4b relative to the respective mould carriers 24. The injection-molding apparatus 40 is constructed as described above with reference to Fig. 5, except that the adjustment device 25 translates the mould carriers 24 to the left and right.

[0165] Here, the arrangement according to FIG. 4b, in which two injection molding stations 41 are arranged adjacent to each other, is particularly beneficial since, due to their spatial proximity, parts can be utilized together by the two injection molding stations 41.

[0166] A further variation is shown in FIG.

[0167] Here, the injection molding apparatus 40 has four stations, namely an injection molding station 41 , a stamping station 42 , a further second injection molding station 43 , and a demolding station 44 .

[0168] Here, the mould carrier 24 is formed as a vertical and / or horizontal rotating plate. The four first mould parts 21 are arranged on the mould carrier 24, each offset by 90° from one another. By rotation of the mould carrier 24, these four first mould parts 21 can therefore be moved cyclically between stations 41, 42, 43 and 44 of the injection moulding device 40.

[0169] Here, the following results are obtained for the additional parts:

[0170] The second injection molding station 43 is configured similarly to the injection molding station 41 according to Figure 3, except that the second injection molding station 43 applies the second plastic material 32 as the cover layer 13 and performs the steps described above with reference to Figures 2a to 2b.

[0171] Demolding station 44 performs the steps described above with reference to Fig. 2c, where demolding station 44 has a robot arm that removes part 10 from first mould part 21, for example as shown with reference to Fig. 2c.

[0172] For the remainder, the injection molding apparatus 40 is constructed as described above with reference to Figure 5. Reference is therefore made to the above description of Figure 5, Figures 1a to 1e and Figures 2a to 2c. [Explanation of symbols]

[0173] 10 parts 11 Base 111 First sub-area 112 Second subregion 12 First Film Element 121 Functional Layer 122 Adhesion promotion layer 13 Cover Layer 20 Injection mold 21 First mold part 211 First mold cavity 212 First injection molding cavity 213 Second injection molding cavity 22 Second Mold Section 221 Second mold cavity 23 Third Mold Part 24 Mold Carrier 25 Adjustment device 31 First plastic material 32 Secondary Plastic Materials 40 Injection molding equipment 41 1st injection molding station 411 Closure device 412 Ejection Unit 42 Stamping Station 421 Stamping Unit 422 Stamping Tools 424 Film supply device 425 Film ejection device 426 Film 43 2nd injection molding station 44 Demolding Station 50 Process Control Equipment

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a component (10), comprising the steps of: a) closing an injection mould (20) comprising a first mould part (21) having a first mould cavity (211) and said at least one second mould part (22) such that a first injection mould cavity (212) defined by said first mould part (21) and said at least one second mould part (22) is formed; b) injection molding the substrate (11) by injecting a first plastic material (31) into said first injection mould cavity (212); c) opening the injection mould (20) so that the substrate (11) remains following the contour of the first mould cavity (211) of the first mould part (21) and so that only a first partial area (111) of the surface of the substrate (11) is exposed and a second partial area (112) of the surface of the substrate (11) remains in the first mould part (21); d) stamping one or more first film elements (12) into at least one partial area of ​​the exposed first partial area (111) of the surface of the substrate (11) such that the substrate (11) remains following the contour of the first mould cavity (211) of the first mould part (21) and the first mould part (21) acts as a stamping receiver for the stamping of one or more first film elements; e) removing the part (10) comprising the substrate (11) and the one or more first film elements (12) from the first mould part (21); the temporal sequence of steps b) and d) being controlled such that when step d) is carried out said substrate (11) is only partially cooled and has an average surface temperature in said first partial region of said surface between 20° C. and 120° C., The steps a) to e) are carried out in that order; A hot stamping film comprising a carrier ply and a transfer ply detachable from the carrier ply is used as a film (426) in step d), and during the stamping, at least one portion of the transfer ply defined by the shape of the stamping tool (422) is applied as a first film element (12) by activating an adhesive layer of the transfer ply or an adhesive layer provided between the substrate (11) and the transfer ply, During stamping, a portion of the transfer ply of the hot stamping film defined by the shape of the stamping tool (422) is pressed against a portion of the exposed surface of the substrate (11); After activation of the adhesive layer, the hot stamping film is peeled off again, in the process the areas of the transfer ply where the adhesive layer is not activated and the carrier ply are peeled off again, so that the areas of the transfer ply of the hot stamping film remain as first film elements (12) on the substrate (11) where the adhesive layer has been activated by the stamping tool (422).

2. After step d), f) carrying out one or more steps of applying a cover layer (13) of a second plastic material (32) by injection moulding and / or flooding and / or partial overspray, 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that when step f) is carried out, the substrate (11) remains following the contour of the first mould cavity (211) of the first mould part (21).

3. 3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that when step f) is performed, a second injection moulding cavity (213) is formed by one or more third mould parts (23) by sealing said one or more third mould parts (23) against said substrate (11), said one or more first film elements (12) and / or said first mould part (21), and said second plastic material (32) is injected into said second injection moulding cavity (213).

4. In step f), the cover layer (13) is applied such that the one or more film elements (12) are contained between the substrate (11) and the cover layer (13); and / or In step f), the cover layer (13) is applied such that it completely overlaps the first partial area (111) of the surface of the one or more film elements (12) and / or the substrate (11); and / or In step f), the cover layer (13) is applied such that it overlaps only a portion of the surface of the one or more film elements (12) and / or the first partial region (111) of the surface of the substrate (11); and / or 4. The method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the second plastic material (32) consists of a thermoplastic material, a plastic material which hardens by crosslinking.

5. the second plastic material (32) is fully or partially cured; and / or the second plastic material (32) consists of polyurethane or polyurea and the first plastic material (31) consists of a thermoplastic; and / or The method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that step f) is performed multiple times with different second plastic materials (32) and / or different third mould parts (23).

6. The method is carried out after step c) and / or d) and before one of steps e) and / or f), printing on the exposed first partial area of ​​the surface of the one or more first film elements and / or the substrate in at least one further partial area, 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the substrate remains following the contour of the first mold cavity of the first mold part, the first mold part acting in the at least one further partial area as a print holder for printing the one or more first film elements and / or the exposed first partial area of ​​the surface of the substrate.

7. 7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that the optical inspection of partial areas of the surface of the substrate (11), the optical inspection of the one or more first film elements (12), the optical inspection of the printing and / or the optical inspection of the component is carried out by an optical sensor between steps d) and e) and / or between steps c) and e) and / or before step d).

8. 8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the temporal sequence of steps b) and d) is controlled such that when step d) is carried out the substrate (11) is only partially cooled and has an average surface temperature in the first partial region of its surface between 40° C. and 100° C.

9. In step d), the stamping of the one or more first film elements (12) is performed by roll-on stamping, partial roll-on stamping or vertical stamping; and / or In step d), the stamping of the one or more first film elements is performed by one or more stamping tools (422) which apply a film (426) or one or more parts of a film as a first film element (12) to the exposed first partial area or to a partial area of ​​the exposed first partial area (111) of the surface of the substrate; and / or 9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that in step d) a hot stamping film comprising a carrier ply and a transfer ply detachable from the carrier ply is used as a film (426), and during the stamping at least one portion of the transfer ply defined by the shape of the stamping tool (422) is applied as a first film element (12) by activating an adhesive layer of the transfer ply or an adhesive layer provided between the substrate (11) and the transfer ply.

10. a transfer film comprising a carrier ply and a transfer ply detachable from the carrier ply is used as film (426) in step d), an adhesive layer is applied to the transfer ply and / or to a partial area of ​​the surface of the substrate (11) in a first area but not in a second area, the transfer film is guided by the stamping tool (422) towards the surface of the substrate (11), the adhesive layer is activated and the transfer film is peeled off again, so that the part of the transfer ply defined by the shape of the first area is applied as a film element (12), and / or 10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that in step d), a laminate film is used as film (426), and during the stamping, the laminate film formed as at least one portion or patch of the laminate film defined by the shape of the stamping tool (422) is applied as a first film element (12) by activating an adhesive layer of the laminate film or an adhesive layer provided between the surface of the substrate and the laminate film.

11. Prior to step a), one or more second film elements are injected into said first injection mould cavity (212) and in step (b) are back-injection moulded and / or extrusion coated with said first plastic material (31).

11. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that while step d) is being performed, one or more of the one or more first film elements (12) are accurately registered and stamped with respect to one or more of the second film elements, and one or more registration marks or optical features of the one or more second film elements and / or the first mold part (21) are detected and used to control the stamping.

12. An injection moulding apparatus (40) for producing a part (10) by the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, comprising: The injection molding apparatus (40) has at least one first injection molding station (41) and at least one stamping station (42); The injection molding apparatus (40) has at least one first mold part (21) with a first mold cavity (211) and at least one second mold part (22); the at least one first injection molding station (41) has a closing device (411) for closing the injection mold (20) comprising the first mold part (21) or the first mold part and the at least one second mold part (22) to form a first injection molding cavity (212), and for opening the injection mold (20); said at least one first injection moulding station (41) having an injection unit (412) for injecting a first plastic material (31) forming a substrate (11) into said first injection mould cavity (212); The stamping station (42) has a stamping unit (421) for stamping one or more film elements (12) into at least one partial region of the surface of the substrate (11), the substrate (11) being arranged to follow the contour of the first mold cavity (211) of the first mold part (21), the first mold part (21) of the stamping unit (421) acting as a stamping receiver for the stamping of the one or more first film elements (12).

13. 13. The injection molding device (40) according to claim 12, characterized in that the injection molding device (40) has at least one station (43) for applying a cover layer (13) of a second plastic material (32) by injection molding and / or flooding and / or partial overspray.

14. the injection molding apparatus (40) comprises one or more third mould parts (23), and at least one second injection moulding station (43) comprises a closing device for forming a second injection moulding cavity (213) by sealing said one or more third mould parts (23) against said substrate (13), said one or more first film elements (12) and / or said first mould part (21), and said at least one second injection moulding station (43) comprises an injection unit for injecting a second plastic material (31) into said second injection moulding cavity (213); and / or the injection molding apparatus (40) has at least one printing station for printing the one or more first film elements and / or the exposed first partial area of ​​the surface of the substrate in at least one further partial area, the substrate remaining following the contour of the first mould cavity of the first mould part, the first mould part acting as a print holder for printing the one or more first film elements and / or the exposed first partial area of ​​the surface of the substrate in the at least one further partial area; and / or 14. The injection molding apparatus (40) according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that the injection molding apparatus has at least one inspection station for optically inspecting partial areas of the surface of the substrate, the one or more first film elements, the printing and / or the part by means of an optical sensor.

15. the injection molding apparatus (40) comprises a movably mounted mold carrier (24) on which the at least one first mold part (21) is arranged, whereby the first mold part (21) can be moved between at least one of the first injection molding stations (41) and the stamping station (42) and / or the printing station; and / or the injection molding apparatus (40) having two or more first mold parts (21) arranged on a common mold carrier (24); and / or the injection molding apparatus (40) has n stations, one or more stamping stations (42), one or more first injection molding stations (41), one or more second injection molding stations (43), one or more pre-treatment stations, one or more cleaning stations and one or more demolding stations (44), and the at least one first mold part (21) is arranged on the mold carrier (24); and / or The injection molding apparatus (40) has a common between the stations of the injection molding apparatus (40).

15. The injection molding apparatus (40) according to claim 12, further comprising an adjustment device (25) for moving the first mold part (21) arranged on the mold carrier (24).

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