Micro-Patterned Low-Gloss Metal Plate for Cost-Effective Light Scattering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current metal parts in display housings fail to meet the new EK1-ITB 2000:2020 standard for gloss levels, leading to increased manufacturing costs in attempts to comply, as existing solutions require additional materials or labor.
Innovation Solution
A low-gloss metal plate is fabricated using a metal body with regularly arranged metal pattern units formed through physical processing steps like rolling, stamping, or malleating, adjusting the height, interval, and angle of the pattern units to control surface light reflectivity and reduce gloss without additional materials or manpower.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If spray painting or pasting polyester film is used to reduce gloss, then the gloss of metal parts can be reduced to meet the standard, but manufacturing costs increase substantially
Solution Approach 1:
The metal plate surface is segmented into multiple pattern units with different heights, creating a micro-structured surface that scatters light. This segmentation approach reduces gloss inherently through the physical structure rather than requiring additional coating materials or assembly steps, thereby avoiding the cost increase associated with spray painting or film pasting.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses curved or inclined surfaces in the pattern units (with sidewalls forming angles between 10°-80° with the base) to scatter light reflections. This curvature approach modifies the surface geometry to achieve low gloss effects without adding materials, contrasting with the conventional spray painting or film pasting methods that increase manufacturing complexity and cost.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If additional materials or assembling steps are used to reduce gloss, then the gloss requirement can be met, but manufacturing complexity and labor increase
Solution Approach 1:
The gloss-reducing pattern units are integrated directly into the metal plate structure during the forming process, merging the aesthetic function with the structural function. This eliminates the need for separate assembly steps involving polyester films or additional coating processes, thereby reducing manufacturing process complexity and labor requirements while meeting the gloss standard.
Solution Approach 2:
The metal plate structure itself provides the gloss-reducing function through its integrated pattern units, making the structure self-sufficient for meeting the EK1-ITB standard. This self-service approach eliminates the need for external materials or additional assembly operations, simplifying the manufacturing process compared to conventional methods that require separate gloss-reducing components.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the sidewall angle of pattern units is increased, then light scattering improves and gloss reduces, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention optimizes the sidewall angle parameter within a specific range (10°-80° relative to the base) to achieve effective light scattering while maintaining manufacturability. This parameter optimization balances gloss reduction performance with manufacturing precision requirements, avoiding excessively steep angles that would be difficult to manufacture while still achieving the required gloss levels below 20 GU.
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 effectively reduces the gloss of metal plates to less than 20 GU, meeting the new standard while being cost-effective by adjusting the ratio of pattern height to interval and angle, without requiring additional materials or labor.
Implementation Method 1
the surface light reflectivity of the metal plate can be adjusted between 15% and 75% by adjusting the ratio of the height of the metal pattern units to the interval of two adjacent ones of the metal pattern units, by adjusting the angle formed by the sidewall and the base of the metal pattern units
Data Source
AI summary
A low-gloss metal plate includes a metal body and a plurality of metal pattern units. The metal body has a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other. The plurality of metal pattern units protrude from the first surface and are arranged to form a regular pattern. One of the plurality of metal pattern units has a top, a base and a sidewall. The base at least partially overlaps with the first surface. The sidewall connects the top with the base and forms an angle less than 60° with the base.