Floor panel for forming a floor covering and method for manufacturing such floor panels
A method for manufacturing a panel having a substrate, a decorative layer that includes a digital print, and a translucent or transparent wear layer. The method may involve providing the substrate with the digital print by jetting one or more inks from a set of inks using a digital inkjet printer. The ink may include a binding agent and/or a primer or an adhesion layer may be provided between the digital print and the translucent or transparent wear layer. The digital print may be performed directly on the substrate.
1. A method for manufacturing a panel having a substrate, a decorative layer that includes a digital print, and a translucent or transparent wear layer, the method comprising:
providing the substrate with the digital print by jetting one or more inks from a set of inks using a digital inkjet printer;
wherein the ink includes a binding agent and/or wherein a primer or an adhesion layer is provided between the digital print and the translucent or transparent wear layer;
wherein the digital print is performed directly on the substrate.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the digital print is performed directly with an intermediary or a preparative layer.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the intermediary or the preparative layer comprises plastisol coatings of a uniform color.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of inks comprise solvent based inks, UV based inks or water-based inks.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the inks in the set of inks comprise pigments.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of inks is CMYK.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate substantially consists of synthetic material and/or filler material.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is a PVC-containing substrate.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is composed of a thermoplastic material.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the panel is a supple panel.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the panel is a wall-to-wall covering panel.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the translucent or transparent wear layer is provided above the decorative layer.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the translucent or transparent wear layer is made of a thermoplastic material.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the thermoplastic material is PVC.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the translucent or transparent wear layer has a thickness of 150 micrometers or more.
16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the primer or the adhesion layer is provided between the digital print and the translucent or transparent wear layer.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the primer or the adhesion layer comprises a binder or a binding agent.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the binding agent comprises VC-VAC copolymer or polymer latexes, either acrylates or urethane components.
19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the primer or the adhesion layer is applied using a roller coating or a printhead.