Decorative Building Board Surface Smoothing for Fire Resistance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for producing decorative building boards fail to achieve fire resistance while maintaining high surface quality, particularly due to irregular surfaces and non-uniform coating thicknesses, making it difficult to meet fire resistance standards like class A2, and the use of combustible materials poses risks.

Innovation Solution

An automated method involving a smoothing compound layer and color coat applied in thin, uniform layers to achieve a calibrated surface with minimal height differences, using UV-light curable materials and digital printing for high-quality, fire-resistant decorative boards that meet class B1 or A2 standards.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If a great thickness of lacquer layer is applied for levelling the surface, then an attractive surface quality is achieved, but fire resistance is compromised due to large quantity of combustible lacquer

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesurface qualityVSAvoidfire resistance
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The invention changes the key parameter of lacquer layer thickness from millimeter range to micrometer range (1-10 µm), transforming the coating from a thick combustible layer to an ultra-thin protective layer that maintains surface quality while ensuring fire resistance

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The invention replaces traditional mechanical levelling methods (sandblasting, grinding) with a chemical/physical coating process using sol-gel technology, where the coating material automatically levels itself through fluid dynamics and chemical bonding, achieving smooth surfaces without thick material application

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If automated coating is used to reduce material quantity, then fire resistance improves, but control of uniform layer thickness becomes difficult due to irregular surfaces

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefire resistanceVSAvoidlayer thickness uniformity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The invention performs preliminary surface preparation through sandblasting and grinding before coating application, creating a uniformly roughened surface that ensures even coating distribution and eliminates the problem of variable thickness caused by irregular surfaces

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The sol-gel coating material exhibits self-leveling properties, automatically distributing itself uniformly across the surface through capillary action and chemical bonding, eliminating the need for complex automated thickness control systems

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

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 ensures decorative building boards with high optical quality and fire resistance, meeting class B1 or A2 standards by achieving uniform coating and minimizing combustible material usage, thereby preventing smoke and component detachment during fires.

Implementation Method 1

pressing the smoothing compound into the surface structures of the building board

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPressure: Pressure Increase

Implementation Method 2

UV-light curable materials

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPhotopolymerisation: Photopolymerisation

Data Source

PatentEP3347212B1Decorative building board and method for producing such a building board
Publication Date: 2024.04.03 KNAUF GIPS KG

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for the automated decoration of a building board, comprising at least one smoothing compound layer and preferably at least one colour coat. The method comprises the steps of smoothing and decorating the building board, wherein the smoothing includes the steps of (i) calibrating the building board to a nominal thickness, so that a surface of the building board has a height difference of at most 1 mm, (ii) applying a layer of a smoothing compound, (iii) pressing the smoothing compound into the surface structures of the building board, and (iv) recalibrating to the nominal thickness. Preferably, a plurality of smoothing compound layers are pressed into a calibrated surface of the building board and partially ground away again. The method is particularly well suited for the production of fire-resisting building boards.