DIGITAL THERMAL BINDER AND POWDER PRINTING
A method of forming a digital print on a surface ( 2 ) by applying powder of dry ink ( 15 ) including colourants ( 7 ) on the surface, bonding a part of the dry ink ( 15 ) powder to the surface ( 2 ) by a digital heating print head ( 80 ) such that the digital print is formed by the bonded dry ink colourants ( 7 ) and removing non-bonded dry ink ( 15 ) from the surface ( 2 ).
1 . A method of forming a digital print on a surface, wherein the method comprises:
applying a powder of dry ink, the dry ink comprising colourants, on the surface;
bonding a part of the powder of dry ink to the surface by a digital heating print head such that the digital print is formed by the bonded colourants of the dry ink; and
removing non-bonded dry ink from the surface.
2 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the dry ink comprises a heat sensitive resin.
3 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the surface comprises a heat sensitive resin.
4 . The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the heat sensitive resin is a thermosetting or thermoplastic resin.
5 . The method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the heat sensitive resin is a thermosetting resin comprising melamine.
6 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the digital heating print head applies heat on a heat transfer foil that is in contact with the digital heating print head and the dry ink particles.
7 . The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the heat transfer foil comprises copper or aluminium.
8 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the surface is a part of a building panel.
9 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the dry ink comprises mineral particles.
10 . The method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the dry ink comprises aluminium oxide particles.
11 . The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the heat transfer foil comprises individual small elements with high thermal conductivity.
12 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the dry ink comprises wood fibres.