MXPA98003166A - Automatic procedure for cerami substrate decoration - Google Patents

Abstract

The procedure is conceived for the production of decorated ceramic substrates, whether superficially vetified or not, using a computer integrated system and ink print heads by means of the "ink jet" technique, being able to perform the ink jet printing in a single operation or in multiple operations, using in the first case a single color printer associated with different ink tanks, and in the second case, using several associated color printers, each of them to a different ink tank, pretending to be the substrate under each of the printers so that they deposit the successive layers of serigraphic inks on the substra

Description

AUTOMATIC DECORATION PROCEDURE OF CER MICOS SUBSTRATES OBJECTIVE OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a decorating process applicable to ceramic substrates, whether these are vitrified in mass and / or superficially, the procedure being based on the design based on computer techniques and in application of the corresponding inks using the jet technique of ink, obtaining a remarkable simplification in the current production lines, a reduction of production costs and an increase in productivity. The process is of special application in the production of decorated ceramic substrates of the ceramic industry, being equally applicable to other types of ceramic materials that are subjected to a thermal treatment that confers the desired properties.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the conventional processes of decorating ceramic substrates screen screens are usually used, based on organic polymer fabric that has a passage light for printing the ink, coated with photosensitive resins that slow the passage of ink to areas that do not They are printed.

The process of making the screen screens themselves while decorating the substrate, requires a series of specific phases, very specific and laborious, and that are summarized in the following: - Preparation of cliché. - Entered of the screen. - Application of paraffin. - Photosensitization. - Washed. - Drying. The cliché is achieved through an impression of the design that aims to build the decoration, which is printed on a transparent organic film. A film is printed for each of the inks to be deposited on the ceramic substrate. At the same time, the organic polymer fabric is placed and glued on a frame and tensioned to obtain a tension pressure on the entire screen, which operation is none other than the coating of said screen. Then a constant layer of photosensitive resin is applied over the entire surface, with the particularity that for the photosensitization it is placed on the cliché screen and illuminated with white light for the hardening or polymerization of the resin, allowing the cliché to pass through of the light but remaining inert in the areas of ink printing.

After this stage of application of the resin and photosensitization, a screen wash is carried out, which is done with water under pressure for the removal of the resin from the areas where it has not been photosensitized. Finally the drying of the screen itself is carried out, in order to be used in the production lines. Well, each design that is intended to be applied with the corresponding ceramic substrate, requires the use of different screen screens, one for each tone of ink, which superimposed and applied one on top of the other make up the intended decoration. Obviously, in the industrial production line, different screens are arranged, as many as are necessary so that the ceramic substrates in their displacements stop under each one to receive the impression, although in other cases said screens are replaced by rollers, so that the impregnation of the ink in the imprint of its surface, these rollers deposit said ink on the substrate which, in its displacement, moves integrally with an arc of the surface of the printing drum. In any case, either the use of several screens, or the use of rollers, it is necessary to replace these elements to modify the decoration, that is, each time the design is changed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The procedure that is recommended, being applicable in the production of decorated ceramic substrates, has been conceived to solve the problems previously exposed, based on the use of computer techniques by means of which the model to be produced is developed, or what is the same the realization of the corresponding design. On the other hand, and according to the process of the invention, the decoration of the ceramic substrate itself is carried out by depositing the inks by means of the ink jet technique, in one or several stages according to the design pattern in the computer. The system on which said process is based is an integrated system in the own production line of ceramic substrates, whether vitrified in mass and / or surface, or not vitrified. Also according to a subsequent process basis, the ceramic substrate once decorated is subjected to a firing process to vitrify the entire surface, said phase being able to be carried out in an intermittent or continuous furnace, depending on the nature of the substrate and the characteristics of the ink, being able to reach even 1400 ° C. Thus, in cases of decorations in which the substrate is already cooked and it is only necessary to vitrify the decoration, cooking cycles can range between 500 and 900 ° C, Being applicable in decorations in third fire on tiles, glass-ceramic, flat glass, etc. However, in the case of decorations in which the substrate and decoration are baked at the same time, which is applicable in the decoration of tiles, porcelain, sanitary ware, etc., then the type of cooking can range between 900 and 1400 ° C. In short, according to the method of the invention, it is based on using a computer integrated system and ink print heads by means of the "ink jet" technique, avoiding the use of polymers and organic resins for the preparation of screen screens and printing vehicles necessarily required in the conventional technique, so that the elimination with the use of polymers and resins will lead to a reduction of the toxic waste that is harmful to the environment. Furthermore, by means of the process of the invention, greater versatility will be achieved in the production changes of the production lines, as well as a reduction in the dead times due to said changes and the cleaning of the heads, thus increasing productivity, that will result in an obvious reduction in industrial production costs. Likewise, the procedure is versatile and integrated into the production lines, as well as simple and simultaneous for several colors and immediate in reproducing the desired design. Finally, with regard to another advantage obtained by the method of the invention, it can be mentioned that the control area of the operator can be separated from the work area, as it is a computer-integrated method, improving the quality of the post of the work of the operators designated in the processes of decoration of ceramic substrates of productive lines.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In order to complement the description that will be made next and in order to help a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, the accompanying descriptive memory is included, as an integral part thereof, a set of plans where, with illustrative character and Figure 1 shows the schematic representation of an example of practical execution to carry out the method of the invention, based on a computer equipped with design computer programs with a color print by jet from ink. Figure 2 shows another schematic representation like that of the previous figure, but in this case with a plurality of ink jet printers to carry out the method of the invention.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION In the diagram represented in figure 1, a computer block (1) is shown which logically is equipped with the corresponding design computer programs, in which the corresponding printer (2) is connected to inkjet colors, to the accessing a series of specific ink tanks (3), representing in said scheme the block (4) corresponding to the ceramic substrate, with the arrows indicating the direction of advance thereof, and that in that advance and through the printer (2) the serigraphic inks coming from the deposits (3) will be deposited, which will cause the corresponding decoration. In figure 2 the schema corresponding to the means to carry out the procedure can be observed, using a plurality of printers. In this case, the system also comprises a computer (1 ') equipped with design computer programs connected to a series of printers (2'), independent and different from each other, each of which is associated with an ink tank (3). ') specific. In this case, the ceramic substrate (4 ') will pass in its advance through each of the printers (2'), in order that each of these is depositing the corresponding layers of screen printing inks to obtain the decorative motif what is intended. Evidently, in said figure 2, the ceramic substrates (4 '), advance continuously in the production line, so that when passing through the lower part of the ink jet printers (2'), the computer (1 ') ) will transfer the indication of the decoration to be deposited with the ink of that first printer, and then on the substrate (4 ') it proceeds by performing an action identical to the previous one but on the area to be decorated with the ink corresponding to that second printer and so on until depositing in the total number of inks, as many as printers (2 ') includes the installation, and thus obtain the selected design. Therefore, the ink jet system can be made in a single printing operation as in the case of Figure 1, or in multiple printing operations as in the case of Figure 2. It is not considered necessary to make more extensive this description so that any expert in the field understands the scope of the invention and the advantages that derive from it. The materials, shape, size and arrangement of the elements will be susceptible to variation as long as this does not entail an alteration in the essence of the invention. The terms in which this report has been written should always be taken in a broad and non-limiting sense.

Claims (5)

NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION CLAIMS

1. - Automatic process of decorating ceramic substrates, which is applicable both to ceramic substrates either vitrified in mass and / or surface or even without vitrifying, and even applicable to other types of ceramic materials that are subjected to a thermal treatment that confers the properties desired, essentially characterized in that it comprises the following operational phases; obtaining the operational design that is intended by computer techniques, to develop the model to be produced; decoration of the ceramic substrate itself by depositing the inks, by means of the "ink jet" technique; firing of the already decorated ceramic substrate.

2. Automatic process for decorating ceramic substrates, according to claim 1, characterized in that the application of the inks that cause the decoration of the ceramic substrate is carried out in a printing operation.

3. Automatic process of decorating ceramic substrates, according to claim 1, characterized in that the application of the inks that cause the decoration is carried out by means of several printing operations.

4. Automatic process for decorating ceramic substrates, according to claim 1, characterized in that the realization of the decorative design is carried out based on a computer-integrated system and the application of color ink jet printing inks.

5. Automatic process of decorating ceramic substrates, according to claim 1, characterized in that the firing of the decorated ceramic substrate is carried out in an intermittent or continuous oven at a temperature of 500 to 900 ° C when it is only intended to vitrify the decoration of the substrate and cooked, while in the case of carrying out the cooking of the substrate and decoration simultaneously, the cooking takes place between 900 and 1400 ° C.