Card and method of manufacturing it

Abstract

A card is described, which comprises a card substrate, and a biodegradable film covering at least a portion of the card substrate. In this way, a surface finish similar to a plastic card (for example permitting certain forms of printing) can be achieved, while forming the card entirely from biodegradable materials, thereby providing a more environmentally friendly product.

Description

[0001] Card

[0002] Technical Field

[0003] The present invention relates to a card, and to a method of manufacturing a card. Embodiments of the invention relate to a card which is both environmentally friendly yet capable of being printed on by desktop dye sublimation printers and ink ribbons.

[0004] Background

[0005] Plain white plastic cards are widely used for various purposes globally, including ID cards, membership cards, loyalty cards, transport cards, and gift cards. These cards may serve as a physical form of identification or authentication and often contain embedded information or technology that enables their functionality.

[0006] For example:

[0007] • ID Cards: Plain white plastic cards are commonly used to print identification cards by individuals, employees, or students. They typically display personal information, such as name, photo, identification number, and other relevant details. ID cards are used to verify identity, access controlled areas, and perform various transactions.

[0008] • Membership Cards: Many organizations, clubs, or institutions issue membership cards to their members. These cards often feature the organization's logo, the member's name, a unique identifier, and sometimes additional information like membership level or expiration date. Membership cards grant access to specific privileges, discounts, or exclusive services within the organization.

[0009] • Loyalty Cards: Retailers and businesses frequently issue loyalty cards to customers as part of their loyalty programs. These cards offer incentives for customers to make repeat purchases and foster brand loyalty. Loyalty cards typically have a barcode, magnetic stripe, or a contactless chip that allows customers to earn points or receive discounts when they shop or interact with the business.

[0010] Transport Cards: Plain white plastic cards are commonly used to print transport cards or smart cards for public transportation systems in many cities. These cards are loaded with a pre-paid amount or linked to a payment account, allowing users to conveniently pay for fares by tapping or swiping the card at designated terminals. Transport cards often use RFID or NFC technology to enable contactless transactions.

[0011] • Gift Cards: Plain white and pre-printed plastic cards are frequently used as gift cards, offering a convenient way to give someone a pre-loaded monetary value for purchases at a specific store or service. Gift cards usually have a unique code or magnetic stripe that can be scanned or swiped during the transaction, deducting the appropriate amount from the card's balance.

[0012] According to an ICMA (International Card Manufacturers Association) report in 2019 (most recent), there was a total of 37.1 billion cards produced. Within this total number, it has been have identified that approximately 9.3 billion cards (UK, EU, USA) are produced in sectors including transportation, unprinted blanks, Loyalty / promo / gift, Access control, ID and membership. In all these applications, plain white or pre-printed plastic cards provide a durable and cost-effective medium for storing essential information or integrating technology for authentication and transaction purposes. The specific features and functionalities may vary depending on the card issuer and the intended use. In many cases, these plastic cards are over-engineered for their use, are energy hungry to manufacture, and are difficult to recycle. However, non-plastic cards (such as those based on paperboard) cannot be readily printed on using desktop dye sublimation printers and ink ribbons, making them conventionally unviable for applications requiring a subsequent printing process using these printing technologies.

[0013] The disposal and end-of-life management of plastic cards can vary depending on local waste management practices, recycling capabilities, and regulations in different regions. In the UK, there is no recognised method for plastic card waste management. Of the options available in developed countries, there are several possible scenarios for what can happen to plastic cards at the end of their life cycle, including recycling, landfill, incineration, repurposing or upcycling and return programs. It is important to promote responsible waste management practices and prioritize recycling or environmentally-friendly disposal methods whenever possible. Encouraging the use of alternative materials, such as biodegradable or compostable card substrates, can also help mitigate the environmental impact of plastic cards at their end of life. The present technique seeks to tackle the widest use case for plastic cards today, as identified above, and provide a more environmentally friendly alternative.

[0014] Summary of the Invention

[0015] Various aspects and features of the present invention are defined in the claims.

[0016] According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a card, comprising a card substrate; and a biodegradable film covering at least a portion of the card substrate.

[0017] In this way, a surface finish similar to a plastic card (for example permitting certain forms of printing) can be achieved, while forming the card entirely from biodegradable materials, thereby providing a more environmentally friendly product.

[0018] The card substrate may be formed of (100%) paperboard, for example, or similar. Paperboard cards typically last for 3 to 5 years or more depending on treatment - most reside in a wallet / purse or lanyard, so are protected.

[0019] Preferably, the biodegradable film is one of a polyactide film and a cellulose acetate film. These are both biodegradable, and in at least some instances provide the appropriate physical characteristics when laminated to a card substrate.

[0020] The biodegradable film may be a biaxially oriented polylactic acid, PLA or BOPLA film, preferably a 20N130 Gloss Nativia Wet. This has been found to have highly suitable physical properties, when applied to a paperboard substrate, for supporting certain forms of printing.

[0021] Alternatively, the biodegradable film may be a cellulose diacetate film, preferably a Clarifoil (cellulose) matte T17 film. Again, this has been found to have highly suitable physical properties, when applied to a paperboard substrate, for supporting certain forms of printing. In some implementations the biodegradable film may cover at least one face of the card substrate. However, the biodegradable film preferably covers both faces / sides of the card substrate (or in the case of a multi-layered structure, covers an opposing face of the multi-layered structure).

[0022] The biodegradable film (when supported by the card substrate) is preferably capable of receiving printed text or images using thermal transfer printing. This is a common printing technique applied to plastic cards, which does not work directly on paperboard or similar, or even on most forms of film. The thermal transfer printing may use dye sublimation.

[0023] Preferably, the biodegradable film is compostable.

[0024] In order to support the requirement for printing as discussed above, the biodegradable film when applied to the card substrate preferably has similar surface characteristics to the surface of a PVC card. Preferably, the surface of the card is compatible with desktop dye sublimation printers and ink ribbons.

[0025] The card may comprise a magnetic tape applied directly to the surface of the biodegradable film.

[0026] The card may be recyclable through separation by a de-inking process.

[0027] An RFID component may be disposed between the card substrate and the biodegradable film, or between the card substrate and a further card substrate.

[0028] According to another aspect, there is provided a method of manufacturing a card, comprising the steps of:

[0029] (a) providing a card substrate; and

[0030] (b) applying a biodegradable film to at least a portion of the card substrate.

[0031] The method may further comprise a step of thermal transfer printing text and / or images onto the biodegradable film applied to the card substrate. The method may further comprise a step of applying a magnetic tape onto the biodegradable film applied to the card substrate through a thermal transfer process.

[0032] The method may further comprise a step of providing an RFID component between the card substrate and the biodegradable film, or between the card substrate and another card substrate.

[0033] Brief Description of the Drawings

[0034] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings where like parts are provided with corresponding reference numerals and in which:

[0035] Figure 1 schematically illustrates a card, and its component parts, according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0036] Figure 2 schematically illustrates the layered structure of the card, including substrate, film layer and adhesives;

[0037] Figure 3 schematically illustrates a variant in which an RFID layer is provided; and Figure 4 schematically illustrates the manufacturing method as a whole.

[0038] Detailed Description

[0039] Referring to Figure 1 , a card 1 is shown. The term card here is not indicative (in itself) of the material, but rather the general form and use - that is “a usually rectangular piece of stiff paper, thin pasteboard, or plastic for various uses, as to write information on or printed as a means of identifying the holder”. The card 1 comprises a card substrate, which is a planar paperboard element, in this shape rectangular. One preferred substrate is Invercote Duo 790micron, however, similar substrates are also suitable. One or both surfaces of the card substrate may either be plain or pre-printed surface. The card substrate 10 is sandwiched between a first biodegradable film 20a and a second biodegradable film 20b. The first and second biodegradable film each cover one entire face of the card substrate, protecting it from moisture, and providing a printable surface for text and / or graphics. More specifically, the biodegradable film provides a surface finish similar to a conventional plastic card, with the result that certain forms of printing can be achieved, while forming the card entirely from biodegradable materials, thereby providing a more environmentally friendly product.

[0040] Through a significant research and development programme, it has been established that a small number of existing, environmentally friendly bio-based (PLA & Cellulose - compostable) films have similar characteristics to the surface of PVC when applied to a paperboard substrate. Applying these films makes the cards compatible with most desktop dye sublimation printers and ink ribbons. Notably, when films other than these (or similar) films are used, the resulting cards have been found not to be printable using desktop dye sublimation printers and ink ribbons, providing a significant obstacle to providing a recyclable card. The paperboard cards and biolam inate / films are both preferably compostable to EN13432.

[0041] Two different films are considered. The first is a polyactide (PLA) film / lam inate which makes the card compatible with dye sublimation printers for CMYKO and resin ribbons. One option for this film is a PLA gloss - more specifically a biaxial ly oriented polylactic acid, PLA or BOPLA film, to be specific a 20N130 Gloss Nativia Wet. However, it will be appreciated that other similar films having similar surface characteristics (able to be printed on in the same way) may be used instead. Such a gloss PLA film may be applied to both sides of the plain or printed sheets, using an acrylic adhesive during a wet lamination process.

[0042] The PLA film is a base film whose main characteristic is that the raw materials used to manufacture it come from renewable sources of a vegetable origin like starch or sugar, therefore making the film renewable and sustainable as well. The use of this type of film in graphic art is very recent and its availability is more limited compared to BOPP, BOPET or BOPA. The BOPLA base film is industrially compostable.

[0043] The second film is a cellulose film (preferably the Clanfoil (cellulose) matte T17 cellulose diacetate film), which provides another option which has a rich, deep surface matt finish which makes the cards compatible with the Evolis dye sublimation printers for mono Blackflex ribbons. This matte Cellulose acetate film may be applied to both sides of the plain or printed sheets using an acrylic adhesive during a wet lamination process.

[0044] At this time, no other films have been found which are able to provide a suitable printing surface for these kinds of printing, when adhered to a paperboard substrate. Referring to Figure 2, the film 20a can be seen to be bonded to the card substrate 10 by a layer 30a of acrylic adhesive, for example an ST4403 acrylic adhesive for a PLA film, or a SB7300 water based acrylic adhesive for a cellulose film. Similarly, the film 20b can be seen to be bonded to the (other side of) the card substrate 10 by a layer 30b of adhesive. In this example, the card substrate may be 660 or 790 microns in thickness (other thicknesses are of course possible), while the bio laminate film is approximately 20 microns in thickness (other thicknesses are of course possible).

[0045] Referring to Figure 3, a variation of the above card is shown in which a paper integrated circuit inlay 40 with an aluminium / conductive ink antenna 42, connected to an RFID / NFC chip 44. The inlay 40 is disposed between two card substrates 10a, 10b, each formed of and in the same manner as the card substrate 10 referred to above. The card substrates 10a, 10b are bonded to the inlay 40 using a waterbased acrylic adhesive 50a, 50b, while the films 20a, 20b are bonded to the card substrates 10a, 10b in the same manner as described above in relation to the card substrate 10 (and dependent on the selected type of film). As an alternative, instead of an RFID inlay 40, a magnetic tape may be provided instead (in this case surface affixed to the laminated sheet).

[0046] Referring to Figure 4, a method of manufacture is shown in relation to the equipment used. At a step S1 , a stack of plain or printed sheets are provided in a sheet feeder. At a step S2 the sheet feeder picks up one sheet at a time and forwards it onto a conveyer with a slight (circa 5 mm) underlap at the front edge and a similar overlap at the back edge. At a step S3 the sheets are forwarded now as a continuous web under a pressure roller in contact with the laminating film that has had a layer of adhesive applied to it. As a result, the film is in contact pressure with the sheets and adheres as a result of the adhesive. At a step S4 the laminated (on one side) sheets are cut (separated) from each other by a hot knife system. This forms a stack of cut sheets with laminate applied at a step S5. At a step S6 the laminated (on one side) sheets are passed back to the step S1 to form a new stack (inverted) which will be fed through the steps S2 to S5 to be laminated on the reverse side, resulting in a stack of sheets of card with film laminated to both sides. In an expanded version of this method, an RFID layer (as per Figure 3) can be provided, by a separate pre-processing step (a step SO) of bonding two card substrates to either side of the RFID layer, and passing the resulting structure through the steps S1 to S6.

[0047] In a further expanded version of the method, a magnetic tape can be applied directly to the surface of the laminated material through a thermal transfer process. This would represent a step S7, carried out by a separate apparatus.

[0048] Following the steps S1 to S5, the cards may then be punched to shape with rounded corners (and other shapes, including slots or circular holes for a lanyard) on a flatbed or rotary punch (separate apparatus).

[0049] The method may be viewed as including a separately carried out step of thermal transfer printing text and / or images onto the biodegradable film applied to the card substrate. Generally this will be carried out on individual punched cards at a subsequent time, using a desktop printing device, and may be considered as a step S7 (or S8, if the magnetic tape is to be applied first).

[0050] When no longer required, the cards are recyclable through (amongst other steps) a standard de-inking process (this cannot be done on plastic cards), where ink, laminate and mag tape are separated from the material of the card substrate, whereupon the card substrate can be fully recycled, the laminate (which is also biodegradable) may be recycled or composted, and in some cases the inks may also be biodegradable (and if not, they have a tiny mass and volume compared with the card substrate and film / lam inate).

[0051] It will be appreciated from the above that the present technique is specifically intended to replace plastic cards that receive printed images using thermal transfer (dye sublimation) printing on desktop printers.

Claims

Claims1. A card, comprising a card substrate; and a biodegradable film covering at least a portion of the card substrate.

2. A card according to claim 1 , wherein the card substrate is formed of paperboard.

3. A card according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the biodegradable film is one of a polyactide film and a cellulose acetate film.

4. A card according to claim 3, wherein the biodegradable film is a biaxially oriented polylactic acid, PLA or BOPLA film, preferably a 20N130 Gloss Nativia Wet.

5. A card according to claim 3, wherein the biodegradable film is a cellulose diacetate film, preferably a Clarifoil (cellulose) matte T17 film.

6. A card according to any preceding claim, wherein the biodegradable film covers at least one face of the card substrate.

7. A card according to claim 6, wherein the biodegradable film covers both sides of the card substrate.

8. A card according to any preceding claim, wherein the biodegradable film supported by the card substrate is capable of receiving printed text or images using thermal transfer printing.

9. A card according to claim 8, wherein the thermal transfer printing uses dye sublimation.

10. A card according to any preceding claim, wherein the biodegradable film is compostable.11 . A card according to any preceding claim, wherein the biodegradable film when applied to the card substrate has similar surface characteristics to the surface of a PVC card.

12. A card according to any preceding claim, wherein the surface of the card is compatible with desktop dye sublimation printers and ink ribbons.

13. A card according to any preceding claim, comprising a magnetic tape applied directly to the surface of the biodegradable film.

14. A card according to any preceding claim, wherein the card is recyclable through separation by a de-inking process.

15. A card according to any preceding claim, wherein an RFID component is disposed between the card substrate and the biodegradable film, or between the card substrate and a further card substrate.

16. A method of manufacturing a card, comprising the steps of:(a) providing a card substrate; and(b) applying a biodegradable film to at least a portion of the card substrate.

17. A method according to claim 16, comprising a step of thermal transfer printing text and / or images onto the biodegradable film applied to the card substrate.

18. A method according to claim 16 or claim 17, comprising a step of applying a magnetic tape onto the biodegradable film applied to the card substrate through a thermal transfer process.

19. A method according to any one of claims 16 to 18, comprising providing an RFID component between the card substrate and the biodegradable film, or between the card substrate and another card substrate.

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