Foam Laminate Release Coating for Thermoforming Adhesion
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for producing thermoformable foam sheet materials, such as watershields, face issues with adhesive sticking and contamination during storage and transportation due to inadequate release coatings, leading to increased handling effort and unnecessary volume requirements.
Innovation Solution
A foam laminate with a transfer-adhesive laminate featuring a carrier film and release coatings with varying adhesion levels, allowing for easy unwinding and detachment during thermoforming, and subsequent removal of the carrier film for adhesive application.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a release coating is applied to prevent adhesive sticking, then the adhesive protection is improved, but the handling effort increases due to careful separation requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a release coating with specifically controlled adhesion parameters to the carrier film. This coating has been optimized to provide sufficient protection during storage while allowing easy separation during application, resolving the contradiction between protection reliability and handling ease through parameter optimization of the release coating's adhesive properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The release coating acts as an intermediary layer between the adhesive and the carrier film. It mediates the interaction by providing controlled adhesion - strong enough to protect the adhesive during storage and transport, but weak enough to allow easy separation when needed, thus resolving the contradiction through the introduction of a mediating substance with specific properties.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If release paper is used to prevent sticking, then adhesive contamination is reduced, but the transport volume increases unnecessarily
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the adhesive protection function and the carrier film into a single integrated structure. The release coating is applied directly to the carrier film, combining the protective function with the support structure, eliminating the need for separate release paper and reducing transport volume while maintaining contamination protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the release coating function from separate release paper and integrates it into the carrier film itself. This extraction and integration eliminates the need for additional protective layers, reducing transport volume while maintaining the adhesive protection function against contamination.
3Reliability
If release paper is used during storage, then adhesive sticking is prevented, but the handling effort increases during final assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The release coating on the carrier film is designed to be self-releaseing during the application process. The controlled adhesion properties allow the coating to automatically separate from the adhesive when the carrier film is removed, eliminating the need for additional handling steps or tools during final assembly, thus resolving the contradiction through self-service functionality.
4Productivity
If adhesive is applied in advance by the supplier, then production efficiency is improved, but the adhesive may dry out or contaminate during storage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the adhesive to the foam layer in advance during foam production, but protects it immediately with a release coating on the carrier film. This preliminary action allows the adhesive to be applied early for production efficiency while the release coating prevents drying out or contamination during storage, resolving the contradiction through preliminary protective action.
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
Enables efficient reshaping and stacking of molded parts without sticking, reduces handling effort, and allows for easier transportation by ensuring the adhesive is only applied just before use, thereby minimizing waste and optimizing space.
Implementation Method 1
the release coating has only low adhesion to the adhesive used
Implementation Method 2
a laminate in which the foam layer, the carrier film and in particular the release coating has an elongation at break at the usual temperature during thermoforming that is higher than the highest elongations occurring during the desired thermoforming
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
The invention relates to a foam laminate having a planar foam layer on the basis of polyolefins and a transfer adhesive laminate connected to the foam layer on part of or the entire surface. The transfer adhesive laminate has at least one backing film composed of thermoplastic resin, at least one release coating connected to the backing film, and an adhesive layer disposed between the release coating and foam layer. The foam layer, the backing film, and the release coating each have an elongation at tear of > 50% at a temperature of 170ºC. The multilayer foam laminate can be used for the production of a three-dimensionally shaped flexible sheet material, particularly a water shield, using thermoplastic deformation.