3D Wood Grain Board Surface Embossing With Precise Texture Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for forming three-dimensional wood grain on board surfaces fail to achieve a texture similar to natural wood due to inconsistencies in width, depth, and visual clarity, and often result in inaccurate alignment with the underlying two-dimensional structure.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a wood grain base layer formed by curing resin liquid on the ink layer, followed by applying embossing liquid to form a three-dimensional wood grain layer, with controlled resin application and curing steps to ensure depth and alignment, and using a polymerization inhibitor to facilitate embossing layer removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If additive stacking method is used to form three-dimensional wood grain, then the forming process is simple, but the texture angles become rounded and differ significantly from natural wood grain
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional additive stacking approach by using a subtractive embossing method. Instead of adding material to create protrusions, the embossing liquid is applied to the resin layer and then removed, creating recesses that form the wood grain texture. This inversion allows for sharper, more natural-looking texture angles while maintaining process feasibility through the use of embossing liquid and UV curing technology.
2Manufacturing precision
If subtractive indentation method is used to form three-dimensional wood grain, then the texture angles are more accurate, but the clarity decreases significantly with whitening and large color differences
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary resin layer between the ink layer and the embossing liquid. This resin layer serves as a mediator that allows the embossing liquid to form accurate texture patterns while preventing direct contact between the embossing liquid and the ink layer, thereby avoiding whitening and color differences. The resin layer acts as a protective barrier that maintains visual clarity while enabling precise texture formation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies a resin layer to the ink layer before applying the embossing liquid. This preliminary action of coating the resin layer first creates a suitable substrate for the embossing liquid to work upon, ensuring that the texture is formed on the resin surface rather than directly on the ink, thus preventing degradation of the ink layer's visual properties.
3Manufacturing precision
If conventional embossing liquid is used without polymerization inhibitor, then the embossing layer forms properly, but the embossing layer cannot be removed after curing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the polymerization function from the embossing liquid by adding a polymerization inhibitor. This allows the embossing layer to form initially through UV curing, then be easily removed afterward since the inhibitor prevents complete polymerization. The embossing layer can be extracted or removed after serving its purpose of transferring the texture pattern, enabling a clean final surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical parameter of the embossing liquid by adding a polymerization inhibitor, which alters the curing behavior. This parameter change allows the embossing layer to remain partially uncured or easily removable after the texture transfer is complete, facilitating the removal step without compromising the formation of the embossing layer during the patterning process.
4Shape
If multiple resin layers are applied to achieve sufficient depth, then the three-dimensional effect is enhanced, but the process complexity and curing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameters of the resin layer by adjusting the coating amount to at least 150 g/m² and using resin with specific viscosity and curing properties. This optimized parameter selection allows a single resin layer to provide sufficient depth for the three-dimensional wood grain effect, eliminating the need for multiple layers and reducing process complexity while maintaining the desired depth.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method produces a three-dimensional wood grain that closely mimics natural wood in texture and visual clarity, with improved alignment and enhanced wear resistance.
Implementation Method 1
curing at least a portion of the resin liquid on the ink layer surface to form a wood grain base layer
Implementation Method 2
applying embossing liquid to at least a portion of the surface of the resin liquid on the wood grain base layer surface
Data Source
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AI summary
A method for forming three-dimensional (3D) embossed wood grain on the surface of a panel, comprising at least the following steps: applying a resin solution onto at least a portion of an ink layer surface and curing it to form a wood grain base layer; covering at least a portion of the wood grain base layer surface with at least one layer of resin solution; applying an embossing liquid onto at least a portion of the resin surface along the wood grain pattern of the ink layer to form an embossing layer; curing the areas of the resin solution other than the embossing layer and then removing the embossing layer, thereby forming a three-dimensional wood grain layer on the surface of the wood grain base layer. By this method, a three-dimensional wood grain surface can be produced on the panel that visually and tactilely approximates real wood grain, thereby meeting the demand for a more realistic combination of visual and tactile effects. The disclosure also relates to the panels produced by this method and their applications.