Rapid prototyping and filling commercial pipeline

• US 20050247216A1
• Filed: 03/29/2005
• Published: 11/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AFI Licensing LLC (Armstrong World Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: AWI Licensing Company (Armstrong World Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Reichwein, David P., Ramachandra, Sunil, Myers, Matthew S., Fickes, C. Timothy, Burk, Timothy B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,383,768 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 101/32
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/0015 for treating before, during or after printing or for uniform coating or laminating the copy material before or after printing selective coating B41J2/2114
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/407 for marking on special material

Abstract

Methods and apparatus provide a means to rapidly develop and modify prototype surface coverings for customer review and approval, and fill the commercial pipeline while more conventional production equipment is obtained, installed and tested. The present apparatus to rapid prototype and fill the commercial pipeline includes a digital printing system to print a film and a press for laminating and embossing the printed film to a substrate. The press uses an embossing plate or roll, which is made from ebonite or by three-dimensional printing equipment. These plates and rolls can be produced within two or three days or less.

Claims

1. Apparatus for rapid prototyping and commercial production of surface coverings having a substrate, a print layer and an embossed wear layer, the apparatus comprising

a. a digital printing system for printing a substrate, and

b. a press for embossing the wear layer, wherein the press comprises an embossing tool selected from the group consisting of an embossing plate and an embossing roll, the embossing tool being capable of being made within three days.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wear layer comprises a film and the press simultaneously laminates the wear layer to the substrate and embosses the wear layer.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the digital printing system prints the print layer onto the film and the printed film is laminated to the substrate with the print layer adjacent the substrate.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a film-cutting machine for cutting the printed film to size.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the press is a stacker press comprising a plurality of embossing plates.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the stacker press comprises a laser triangulation registration system.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a wear layer application means and a curing means, wherein the digital printing system prints the print layer onto the substrate, the wear layer is applied to the printed substrate with the application means, the applied wear layer is cured with the curing mean, and the cured wear layer is embossed.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a composite cutter for cutting the consolidated composite to the desired dimensions for the finished product.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the composite cutter comprises an ultrasonic knife punch press.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an edge finisher for forming edge configurations selected from the group consisting of beveled edges and decorative edges.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a back coater for adhering a self-stick adhesive and release paper.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the embossing tool is selected from the group consisting of an ebonite cylinder, an ebonite plate, a cylinder made by three-dimensional printing and a plate made by three-dimensional printing.

13. A method of rapid prototyping and manufacture of surface coverings having a substrate, a print layer and a wear layer, the method comprising:

a. producing a prototype surface covering using a digital printing system to print a substrate and a press to emboss the wear layer, wherein the press comprises an embossing tool selected from the group consisting of an embossing plate and an embossing roll, the embossing tool being capable of being made within three days, and

b. using the digital printing system and press to fill the commercial product pipeline.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the wear layer comprises a film and the press simultaneously laminates the wear layer to the substrate and embosses the wear layer.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the digital printing system prints the print layer onto the film and the printed film is laminated to the substrate with the print layer adjacent the substrate.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the press is a stacker press comprising a plurality of embossing plates and the surface covering is laminated and embossed in the stacker press.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the wear layer is applied to the printed substrate, the wear layer is cured, and the cured wear layer is embossed.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the surface covering is laminated and embossed using an embossing tool selected from the group consisting of an ebonite cylinder, an ebonite plate, a cylinder made by three-dimensional printing and a plate made by three-dimensional printing.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising replacing the digital printing system and press with a rotogravure printing cylinder and a standard embossing roll after the commercial pipeline is filled to continue production of commercial product.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising applying a blowing agent modifier to the substrate with the digital printing system.