Method and apparatus for producing a decorative workpiece and workpiece

1. Method for producing a decorative workpiece with a structured surface comprising the following steps:

feeding the decorative workpiece with the structured surface into a coating station for entirely applying a first liquid lacquer having a coarse structuring over the structured surface, wherein a difference in thickness between thicker regions and thinner regions is at least 50 μm;

feeding the decorative workpiece with the structured surface into a further coating station for applying a second lacquer for producing a fine structuring in some regions of the structured surface, wherein while applying, the second lacquer is in a liquid state, and wherein the second lacquer is at least partially transparent,

wherein at least one step of a group consisting of the following method steps is carried out:

applying the first lacquer by means of at least one printing roller which unrolls on a surface of the workpiece,

at least partial curing of the applied first lacquer, and

curing of the second lacquer, wherein

the difference in thickness in the region of fine structuring on the second lacquer layer is less than 50 μm.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a gloss level in the region of the fine structuring is different by at least 10 gloss units as compared to the gloss level in the region of the coarse structuring.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the second lacquer is applied by means of at least one digital print head.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the material for the first and the second lacquer is identical.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least one intermediate layer is applied between the workpiece and the first lacquer layer.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus further comprises one or more members of a group consisting of:

an application device configured to apply a decorative image to a workpiece and/or one of the applied lacquer layers, wherein the application device comprises a multicolour digital printer,

the coating station,

a device for feeding the workpiece to the coating station,

a curing station for at least partial curing of the first lacquer, and

a further curing coating station for curing the second lacquer, wherein the difference in thickness in the region of the fine structuring of the second lacquer layer is less than 50 μm.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the decorative workpiece is made of

a wooden workpiece, a carrier material on which at least one decorative image is printed, and at least one lacquer layer having a coarse structuring, in which a difference in thickness between thicker regions and thinner regions is at least 50 μm, and at least one second lacquer layer comprising an at least partially transparent material having a fine structuring, in which a. difference in thickness is less than 50 μm.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein

the first lacquer layer has a layer thickness of between 100 and 500 μm, and/or in that

the second lacquer layer has a layer thickness between 10 and 100 μm.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the difference in thickness between the thicker regions and the thinner regions is at least 100 μm.

10. The method according to claim 5 , further comprising applying a decorative image by multicolour printing before the applying of the first liquid lacquer or after the at least partial curing of the applied first lacquer.

11. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the difference in thickness in the region of the fine structuring of the second lacquer layer is less than 30 μm.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the difference in thickness in the region of the fine structuring on the second lacquer layer is less than 30 μm.

13. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the at least partially transparent material having the fine structuring, in which the difference in thickness is less than 30 μm.

14. A method for producing a decorative workpiece with a structured surface comprising the following steps:

applying a first liquid lacquer having a coarse structuring over the entire surface, wherein a difference in thickness between thicker regions and thinner regions is at least 50 μm;

applying a second lacquer for producing a fine structuring in some regions, wherein while applying, the second lacquer is in a liquid state, and wherein the second lacquer is at least partially transparent,

wherein a liquid lacquer is first applied to produce the second lacquer layer and then a plurality of lacquer droplets of the second lacquer layer are sprayed into a still liquid lacquer layer to produce a fine structuring.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the plurality of lacquer droplets are made of the same material as the liquid layer.

16. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the application of the plurality of lacquer droplets onto the still liquid lacquer layer is carried out by digital print heads: wherein each of the lacquer droplets has a volume of less than 10 pL, and the velocity of each lacquer droplet upon impact on the still liquid lacquer layer is greater than 1 m/sec.

17. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the plurality of lacquer droplets consist of a material other than the liquid lacquer and undergo a chemical reaction with the liquid lacquer after impact, which changes the surface optically and/or haptically at the respective locations.

18. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the plurality of lacquer droplets consist of a different material than the liquid lacquer and after a physical reaction due to the impact on the liquid lacquer they volatilize within less than 5 minutes by evaporation.