Dipping Roller Coating for 3D Cushion Tips
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing coating processes for three-dimensional surfaces, such as Direct Gravure, Reverse Gravure, and Reverse Roll, struggle to restrict the fluent coating to the tips of three-dimensional profiles, resulting in excessive deposition on side walls and between elements due to mechanical pressure, lacking a cost-effective means to achieve high coat weight on the uppermost surface.
Innovation Solution
Applying adhesive to the tips of protrusions on a cushion mounted between a plate cylinder and a flexographic plate surface, utilizing a dipping roller configuration with precise wet film thickness control and surface tension to ensure the majority of the coating resides on the uppermost surface, reducing mechanical pressure and preventing coating flow to side walls.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If Direct Gravure, Reverse Gravure, or Reverse Roll coating processes are used, then coating can be applied to three-dimensional surfaces, but the coating flows to side walls and between elements due to mechanical pressure, resulting in excessive deposition outside the desired area
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical pressure-based coating systems (Direct Gravure, Reverse Gravure, Reverse Roll) with a system that uses surface tension and capillary action. The protrusions are dipped into a fluent coating reservoir, allowing the coating to be drawn up the sides and tips through capillary forces rather than mechanical pressure, thereby preventing coating flow to side walls while achieving high coat weight on the uppermost surface
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the coating process by controlling the viscosity and surface tension of the fluent coating. By adjusting these parameters, the coating exhibits controlled flow behavior that allows it to reside primarily on the uppermost surface of the protrusions without flowing down the sides, achieving both high coat weight and precise area restriction
2Ease of manufacture
If brushing or spraying is used, then coating can be applied to three-dimensional surfaces, but there is no cost-effective means to restrict the coating to just the tips of the three-dimensional profile
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a self-service mechanism where the protrusions themselves serve as the coating receptacles. As the protrusions are dipped into the fluent coating reservoir, the coating automatically adheres to the tips and uppermost surfaces through surface tension and capillary action without requiring additional masking devices or complex restriction mechanisms, achieving both cost-effectiveness and precise area restriction
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
Achieves a high coat weight of 50% or greater on the uppermost surface of three-dimensional objects without masking or additional devices, ensuring uniform and consistent coating across varying gauges and orientations, while minimizing pressure-induced coating flow to side walls.
Implementation Method 1
utilizing a dipping roller configuration with precise wet film thickness control and surface tension to ensure the majority of the coating resides on the uppermost surface
Implementation Method 2
The adhesive is applied to the tips of the protrusions that make up the structure of the cushion
Data Source
AI summary
A method and system for applying and coating a cushion with adhesive for mounting the cushion between a plate cylinder surface and a flexographic plate surface whereby the adhesive is applied to the tips of the protrusions that make up the structure of the cushion. The cushion, mounted between the plate cylinder surface and the flexographic plate base, is typically glued to both the cylinder surface and to the flexographic plate surface. The apparatus and process of the instant invention provide for a consistent and uniform application of a heavy deposition of said fluent coating whereby the majority of the deposition of said fluent coating resides on the upper/outer most surface of the three-dimensional work or substrate being coated resulting in a coat weight of 50% or greater then prior art coating apparatus.