Process and apparatus for manufacturing a honeycomb composite material
The present invention relates to for a continuous production of a web of a composite material. The process comprises the steps of: providing a web of honeycomb material; providing at least one web of face sheet material having a corrugated medium with at least one linerboard on at least one face thereof; carrying the web of honeycomb material and the at least one web of face sheet material along a production line; and adhesively applying the at least one web of face sheet material to one face of the honeycomb material while the honeycomb material is being conveyed through the production line and maintained in an expanded state. The present invention also relates to a packaging material manufactured with a process described hereinabove and an apparatus to manufacture same.
1. A process for a continuous production of a web of a composite material, the process comprising the steps of:
providing a web of honeycomb material;
providing at least one web of face sheet material having a corrugated medium with at least one linerboard on at least one face thereof;
carrying said web of honeycomb material and said at least one web of face sheet material along a production line; and
adhesively applying said at least one web of face sheet material to one face of said honeycomb material while said honeycomb material is being conveyed through the production line and maintained in an expanded state;
wherein the step of providing the at least one web of face sheet material further includes providing the face sheet material in a stack and unfolding the stacked face sheet material into the at least one web.
2. A process as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising the step of expanding said honeycomb material from a collapsed state to said expanded state while said honeycomb material is being conveyed through the production line.
3. A process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the step of adhesively applying said at least one web of face sheet material to one face of said honeycomb material further comprises
applying an adhesive on one of at least one face of said web of honeycomb material and a face of each of said at least one web of face sheet material;
laminating said at least one web of face sheet material on said web of honeycomb material, said adhesive being located therebetween; and
permitting said adhesive to set to keep said at least one web of face sheet material laminated with said web of honeycomb material.
4. A process as claimed in claim 3 , wherein said adhesive is applied on at least one face of said web of honeycomb material.
5. A process as claimed in claim 3 , further comprising heating said adhesive.
6. A process as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising trimming said web of composite material.
7. A process as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising cutting one of said at least one face sheet material of said web of composite material and bending said web of composite material to a predetermined angle.
8. A process as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising cutting longitudinally said web of composite material.
9. A process as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising cutting transversally said web of composite material.
10. A process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said at least one web of face sheet material comprises a linerboard on each face of said corrugated medium.