Method for producing a number of chip cards
A method for producing a number of chip cards includes a step for preparing a supporting film comprising a number of locations each of which constituting a card support and being provided with a cavity capable of receiving an integrated circuit, a step for processing this supporting film carried out, in part, by a multi-head tool, one of the heads of this tool being provided for carrying out an operation on a location of the film essentially at the same time as another head of this tool carries out the same operation on another location of this film, and a step for separating the locations after the processing step.
1. Method for producing a plurality of chip cards having a length and width equal to or smaller than those defined for the ID-000 format, the method comprising:
preparing a support film including a plurality of locations each of which is intended to form, after separation, a chip card and is provided with a cavity adapted to receive a microcircuit, this step including an operation of molding the support film with said cavities together with slots between adjacent ones of the plurality of locations leaving slots or scorelines in a thickness of the support film;
processing said support film carried out at least in part by means of a multiple head tool while indexing and positioning the support film, at least one of the heads of this tool being adapted to effect an operation on one location of the film substantially at the same time as another head of the multiple head tool is effecting the same operation on another location of the support film, wherein each of said heads is separated from an adjacent one of said heads by one of the slots or scorelines of the support film; and
separating the locations after said processing step so as to form the chip cards, this step being facilitated by the slots or scorelines provided during the preparing step.
2. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the multiple head tool is used for an operation of personalizing the cards.
3. Method according to claim 1 , wherein all the heads of the multiple head tool effect the same operation at the same time.
4. Method for producing a plurality of chip cards, comprising:
preparing a support film including a plurality of locations each of which is intended to constitute a card support and is provided with a cavity adapted to receive a microcircuit;
processing the support film carried out at least in part by means of a multiple head tool, at least one of the heads of the multiple head tool being adapted to effect an operation on one location of the support film substantially at the same time as another head of the multiple head tool is effecting the same operation on another location of the support film; and
separating the locations after said processing step,
wherein the multiple head tool includes a plurality of laser printing heads.
5. Method according to claim 4 , wherein the preparing step includes an operation of injection molding the support film with said cavities.
6. Method according to claim 4 , wherein the preparing step includes an operation of forming slots between the locations leaving mechanical connection bridges to facilitate the subsequent separation operation.
7. Method according to claim 6 , wherein the operation intended to facilitate the subsequent separation operation is carried out when molding the support.
8. Method according to claim 4 , wherein the preparing step includes an operation of formation of scorelines in the thickness of the support film to facilitate a subsequent separation operation.
9. Method for producing a plurality of chip cards, comprising:
preparing a support film including a plurality of locations each of which is intended to constitute a card support and is provided with a cavity adapted to receive a microcircuit;
processing said support film carried out at least in part by means of a multiple head tool, at least one of the heads of the multiple head tool being adapted to effect an operation on one location of the support film substantially at the same time as another head of the multiple head tool is effecting the same operation on another location of the support film; and
separating the locations after said processing step,
wherein the heads of the multiple head tool have variable gaps between them corresponding to different card formats.
10. Machine for fabrication of chip cards having a length and width equal to or smaller than those defined for the ID-000 format, the machine comprising:
a multiple head tool adapted to execute a same operation at several locations of a support film provided in an injection molding operation with cavities and with slots or scorelines, the support film forming, after separation, future chip cards having a length and width equal to or smaller than those defined by the ID-000 format,
wherein plural heads of said multiple head tool are arranged so that when the same operation is being executed, each one of said plural heads is separated from an adjacent one of said plural heads by one of the slots or scorelines of the support film.
11. The machine according to claim 10 , wherein the multiple-head tool is arranged to personalize the cards.
12. The machine according to claim 10 , wherein the multiple-head tool includes a plurality of laser printing heads.
13. The machine according to claim 10 , wherein all the heads of the multiple head tool execute the same operation at the same time.
14. The machine according to claim 10 , wherein the heads of the multiple-head tool have variable gaps between them corresponding to different card formats.