Granted Patent B2

US 12,605,866 · App. 18/060,336 · Granted Apr 21, 2026

Inventors: Bruno Vermeulen (Wielsbeke, BE); Laurent Meersseman (Mont de l'Enclus, BE); Hans De Cock (Herzele, BE)

Assignee: UNILIN, BV

B29C33/3842B29C33/424B29C59/022B29C59/026B29C2059/023

Abstract

Claims (31)

1 . A method for manufacturing a structured press element, wherein the method comprises at least the following steps:

providing a metallic base element;

applying a mask on a surface of the metallic base element, wherein the mask has a certain resistance to a surface treatment so as to cover the surface at least temporarily from the surface treatment at a level of the mask;

carrying out the surface treatment;

wherein said mask has a heterogeneous build, and at least the build determines an extent of said resistance to the surface treatment;

wherein the mask divides said surface of the metallic base element into one or more shielded portions, on which the mask is located, and one or more non-shielded portions, on which there is no mask, and wherein the mask comprises one or more edge portions and one or more internal portions, wherein the one or more internal portions are each completely surrounded vertically by one or more adjoining edge portions, and the one or more edge portions extend between one or more adjoining non-shielded portions of the surface, and one or more adjoining internal portions of the mask, wherein the build of the mask is at a level of at least the edge portion, the resistance to the surface treatment increases gradually, from a respective adjoining non-shielded portion to a respective adjoining internal portion;

wherein the method comprises one or more of the following features, provided these are not incompatible;

the mask is made from at least one curable substance, wherein a degree of cure at the level of an aforementioned edge portion is lower than the degree of cure at the level of a respective adjoining internal portion;

the aforementioned one or more portions all have an identical first chemical composition and the aforementioned one or more internal portions all have an identical second chemical composition, wherein the first chemical composition is less resistant to the surface treatment than the second chemical composition;

the mask is at least printed on the surface, use is made of at least two printheads, each being intended to print with an ink with a different composition, in order to print a heterogeneous mask, wherein the edge portions are printed with a first of said at least two printheads and the internal portions are printed with a second of said at least two printheads.

2 . The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the method comprises one or more of the following features, provided these are not incompatible:

the build of the mask is at the level of at least one aforementioned edge portion

the mask is made from at least one curable substance, wherein a degree of cure at the level of an aforementioned edge portion is lower than the degree of cure at the level of a respective adjoining internal portion;

the aforementioned one or more edge portions all have an identical first chemical composition and the aforementioned one or more internal portions all have an identical second chemical composition, wherein the first chemical composition is less resistant to the surface treatment than the second chemical composition;

the mask is at least printed on the surface, use is made of at least two printheads, each being intended to print with an ink with a different composition, in order to print a heterogeneous mask, wherein the edge portions are printed with a first of said at least two printheads and the internal portions are printed with a second of said at least two printheads.

3 . The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the surface treatment comprises one or more treatments including: an etching treatment, a sandblasting treatment or a polishing treatment.

4 . The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said surface treatment comprises at least one etching treatment, and wherein the etching treatment comprises two or more sub-steps, in which in each case an etchant is brought into contact with said surface and wherein etching parameters, are identical in said two or more sub-steps, or at least differ for one etching parameter.

5 . The method in accordance with claim 4 , wherein in two sub-steps, following each other directly, called a first sub-step and a second sub-step hereinafter, the etching parameters are different at least for one parameter, wherein the edge portions break down at least partially during the first sub-step and the edge portions have completely broken down after the second sub-step, and wherein the internal portions still cover the surface of the metallic base element after the second sub-step.

6 . The method in accordance with claim 4 , wherein the mask breaks down partially during one or more of said sub-steps.

7 . The method in accordance with claim 4 , wherein at least the edge portions break down almost completely during one or more of said sub-steps.

8 . The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the build of the mask is heterogeneous on account of one or more points of difference from a list comprising: thickness, chemical composition, degree of cure, strength of bond with the surface.

9 . The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the mask is printed on the surface, is digitally printed, and wherein the mask is printed on the surface with different thicknesses.

10 . The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the mask comprises at least one curable substance, wherein the mask, after application thereof on the surface, is cured and wherein the curing is uneven, so that the mask comprises portions with a higher degree of cure and portions with a lower degree of cure.

11 . The method in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the curing of the mask takes place by a curing source, wherein the curing source is controlled digitally, comprises a digitally controlled curing beam, and/or the curing source is controlled in register with the applied mask.

12 . A method for manufacturing a structured press element, wherein the method comprises at least the following steps:

providing a metallic base element;

applying a mask on a surface of the metallic base element, wherein the mask has a certain resistance to a surface treatment so as to cover the surface at least temporarily from the surface treatment at a level of the mask;

carrying out the surface treatment;

wherein said mask has a heterogeneous build, and at least the build determines an extent of said resistance to the surface treatment;

wherein the mask divides said surface of the metallic base element into one or more shielded portions, on which the mask is located, and one or more non-shielded portions, on which there is no mask, and wherein the mask comprises one or more edge portions and one or more internal portions, wherein the one or more internal portions are each completely surrounded vertically by one or more adjoining edge portions, and the one or more edge portions extend between one or more adjoining non-shielded portions of the surface, and one or more adjoining internal portions of the mask, wherein the build of the mask is at a level of at least the edge portion, the resistance to the surface treatment increases gradually, from a respective adjoining non-shielded portion to a respective adjoining internal portion;

wherein a chemical composition of the one or more edge portions differs from the chemical composition of the one or more internal portions.

Assignments (2)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (17)