WO2014013481A1

WO2014013481A1 - Laser-sintered dies in package manufacture

Info

Publication number: WO2014013481A1
Application number: PCT/IL2012/050259
Authority: WO
Inventors: Alex Veis
Original assignee: Hewlett-Packard Industrial Printing Ltd.
Priority date: 2012-07-18
Filing date: 2012-07-18
Publication date: 2014-01-23

Abstract

A method for preparing sheet material for folding into a container using dies manufactured by fusing powder through contact with a laser beam.

Description

LASER-SINTERED DIES IN PACKAGE MANUFACTURE

BACKGROUND

[001] Typically, in box and container manufacture, sheet materials are cut and creased by custom manufactured dies so that that the folding activities produce the desired container configuration. Die manufacture is often a time and labor intensive activity. Pre-existing steel rules are cut and formed into the required geometrical configurations and then mounted in precisely positioned slits cut in a high-density substrate. Package manufacturing employing such die construction techniques require large throughput to be economically viable.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[002] The subject matter regarded considered to be novel and non-obvious is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. The components, features, method of operation, and advantages may best be understood by reference to the following detailed description and accompanying drawings in which:

[003] FIG.1A is general schematic view of a Direct Laser Sintering system (DLS), according to an example;

[004] FIG. IB is a schematic diagram of a DLS system during operation , according to an example;

[005] FIG. 2A is a schematic diagram, of a Selective Laser Sintering device (SLS) during an early stage of die or rule construction, according to an example;

[006] FIG. 2B is a schematic diagram, of a Selective Laser Sintering device (SLS) during a late stage of die or rule construction, according to example;

[007] FIGS. 3 A and 3B are schematic side and end views of a cutting rule constructed from powder fused through contact with a laser beam, according to an example;

[008] FIGS. 3C and 3D are schematic side and end views of a rounded-tip scoring rule, respectively, constructed from powder fused through contact with a laser beam, according to an example; [009] FIGS. 3E and 3F are schematic side and end views of a blunt-tip scoring rule, respectively, constructed from powder fused through contact with a laser beam, according to an example;

[0010] FIG. 3G is a schematic, top view of the cutting rule of FIG. 3A connected to a substrate, according to an example;

[0011] FIG. 4A is a schematic, bottom view of a curved, cutting rule disposed on a substrate; according to an example; and

[0012] FIG. 4B is a schematic, side view of a die cutting machine in operation, according to an example.

[0013] It will be appreciated that for the sake of clarity, certain elements may not be drawn to scale and reference numerals may be repeated in different figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] In the following detailed description, the details set forth are directed at providing a thorough understanding and it should be understood by those skilled in the art that these specific details are only examples. For the sake of clarity, well-known methods, procedures, and components are not described in detail.

[0015] The present process is directed at reducing manufacture time of dies used by a die cutting machine to cut and crease sheet materials used to form boxes, and containers. Specifically, the dies maybe manufactured through an additive manufacturing process in which a laser beam fuses together fusible power on a layer- by-layer basis in accordance with a digital representation of each cross-section of a rule, and in some cases its substrate, until a complete rule fused to a substrate is formed.

[0016] The rules may be fused directly onto an existing substrate or the substrate may be formed together with the rule, according to examples. Ejection rubber may be added to the dies by adhering solid strips of an elastic material along cutting rules or spraying foam rubber along the cutting rules.

[0017] Dies having such rapid laser-produced rules are loaded into die cutting machine to produce various shapes and configurations from the appropriate sheet material by pressing the die rules into the sheet material. [0018] The following terms are used throughout this document:

[0019] "Direct laser sintering" (DLS) is an additive manufacturing process in which a powder is streamed into a laser beam where the powder fuses together to form a structure.

[0020] "Selective Laser Sintering" (SLS) is an additive manufacturing process in which a laser traces a figure in a bed of fusible power. The powder coming in contact with the laser beam fuses and forms the traced object. It should be appreciated that for the purposes of this document "sintering" refers any degree of melting causing fusion of the powder together. Both forms of sintering employ digital representations of cross-sections of the cutting and scoring rules and build them up on a layer-by-layer basis, as noted above.

[0021] "Cutting rule" refers to a blade having a cutting edge.

[0022] "Scoring rule" or "creasing rule" refers to a blade having a blunt or non- cutting edge; these are typically used to compress the sheet material into a crease to facilitate folding.

[0023] "Substrate" refers to a rigid sheet to which rules are mounted.

[0024] "Ejection rubber" refers to an elastic material disposed along the cutting rules to repel sheet scraps away from the cutting rule during production, as noted above. It should be appreciated that elastic materials such as sponge, neoprene, cork neoprene, gum, and foam may be used in certain embodiments.

[0025] "Die" refers to the collective unit of cutting and scoring rules mounted on a substrate and elastic ejection material. It should be appreciated that dies may contain both cutting and scoring rules in certain examples.

[0026] "Sheet material" refers to sheets of folding carton, corrugated boards (cardboard), paper, and other material having sufficient strength and flexibility making them suitable for a packaging material.

[0027] "Die cutting machine" refers to a machine configured to press rules of a die into a sheet material so as to cut and to crease the sheet into a foldable sheet that when folded, and glued if necessary, forms the desired packaging configuration. The die may include both scoring and cutting rules. Furthermore, it should be appreciated that cutting rules may be used to create perforations and slits. [0028] "Scoring or creasing" refers to a process in which a die cutting machine presses a scoring rule of a die into a sheet material to form a crease facilitating folding and reducing fiber breakage upon folding.

[0029] Rules manufactured by laser-sintered may exhibit extra hardness

[0030] The use of these cutting and scoring dies may be used to process, inter alias, cardboard, carton, paper thin gauge foils, screen , wire cloth, rubber, and polymeric sheet materials in the production of, inter alias, of folders, boxes, folding cartons, hospital charts, door hangers, table tents, telephone or keyboard templates.

[0031] Turning now to the figures, FIG.1A is general schematic view of a DLS system including nozzle 1 mounted on a faceplate IE of an electrically powered, robotic system 1A including a servo-controlled, multi-axis mechanical arm IB for directing the nozzle 1 over substrate 5, according to an example. Nozzle 1 may include focusing optics (not shown) to focus laser light into beam 4. The laser light may be generated in a laser generator 1C and delivered to the focusing optics by way of a fiber-optic cable (not shown). The mechanical arm may be directed by control mechanism (ID) operative in accordance with a Computer- Aided Design (CAD) model, according to an example. A gas delivery package IF in communication with a powder feed 1G may distribute a carrier gas carrying powder to streaming conduits 7 disposed in nozzle 1, according to an example.

[0032] FIG. IB is a schematic view of nozzle 1 of DLS system during a sintering operation of a rule onto a substrate 5. A carrier gas 7 may transport powder 3 through streaming conduits 2 into laser beam 4 as nozzle 1 traces out the shape of the rule in accordance to the CAD model. The powder 7 is sintered or is fused together and to substrate 5 to form deposition layer 6. Nozzle 1 may then directed over the substrate 5 reiteratively to deposit a new deposition layer 6 with each pass in accordance with its respective CAD model until the cumulative total of all layer depositions 6 forms the desired rule, according to an example.

[0033] It should be appreciated that in some example substrate 5 may be moved relative to a stationary nozzle and in other in examples both substrate 5 and the nozzle 1 move so that their relative motion causes the desired rule shape to be formed on substrate 5. [0034] It should also be appreciated that powder composition may change is accordance to the deposition layer to produce particular structural features for particular deposition layers of the rule. For example, it may be desirable to use powder composition having a larger component of chrome for the top layers of a cutting die to provide a particular hardness needed for maintaining a cutting edge of a cutting rule whereas in lower layers where hardness is less of an issue, powders composed from less expensive materials may be used, according to an example.

[0035] Metallic powders that may be used include, inter alias, iron-based-alloys, nickel-based-alloys, cobalt-based-alloys, titanium-based-alloys, and chrome. Polymeric powders that may be used include, inter alias, polycarbonate, acrylonitrile- butadiene-styrene, ABSi, polycarbonate- ABS blend, and polyphenylsulphone. Furthermore, single powders or their mixtures may be used according to examples.

[0036] Carrier gas that may be used include, inter alias, nitrogen or argon, according to examples.

[0037] Typical cutting rulers have a height ranging from about 1.5 mm to 50.0 mm, according to examples.

[0038] FIG. 2A is schematic diagram of a general Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) system including a laser generator 4A, a scanner system 4B for selectively directing laser beam 4 received from the laser generator 4A into the a powder bed 7F disposed on a fabrication piston 7D, powder supply 7A disposed on a delivery piston 7C, and a delivery roller 7E for transferring fusible powder 7 from powder supply 7A to the powder bed 7F, according to an example. Scanner system 4B may be operatively linked to a CAD model so as to trace out each layer according to its respective CAD model, according to an example.

[0039] Laser beam 4 fuses together powder 7 as scanning system 4B traces out a CAD model in bed 7F so as to form substrate 5, according to an example. Scanner 4B may reiteratively trace out each layer in bed 7F in accordance with respective CAD model associated with each layer.

[0040] FIG. 2B depicts an advanced stage of the die construction in which fabrication piston 7D may lower bed 7B as each layer is added, and accordingly, delivery piston 7C may raise powder supply 7A and delivery roller 7E may push powder 7 from the powder supply 7A to the powder bed 7F, according to an example. As shown, in this example the SLS system 8, may be configured to construct die substrate 5 in addition to die rule 5A.; however, it should be appreciated that certain examples a rule is fused to a preformed substrate.

[0041] In examples, a C02 laser may be employed; however, .it should be appreciated that any laser type providing sufficient heat may be employed.

[0042] FIGS. 3 A through 3F depict side and end views of a various rules manufactured by either of the above described laser-sintering processes. Specifically, cutting rule 10 has a cutting edge 10A, scoring rule 11 has a rounded end 11 A, and scoring rule 12 has a blunt end 12A.

[0043] FIG. 3G is a top view of cutting rule 10 fused together with substrate 12 or substrate according to an example. Ejection rubber 10B is disposed along each side of cutting rule 10 to push away sheet scraps from cutting rule 10 during production according to examples.

[0044] FIG. 4A depicts die 15 having a cutting rule 16, a scoring rule 17, and alignment peg 18, all formed from laser-sintered powder and fused to a metallic substrate 19, according to an example. As shown in FIG 4B, metallic substrate 19 also includes alignment peg 18 that together with alignment hole 18A forms an alignment configuration to ensure proper registration of die 17 when loaded into die cutting machine head 13 A having a complementary alignment configuration including alignment hole 18B and peg 18C, according to an example. It should be appreciated that some examples employ other laser formed alignment configurations like slot, ridge, and notch arrangements, for example.

[0045] FIG 4B is a side view of die 15 loaded into die-cutting-machine head 13A during production in which upwardly mobile press head 13 A scores and cuts advancing sheet material 14 on conveyer 13, according to an example.

Claims

What is claimed is: 1. A method for preparing sheet material for folding into a container, the method comprising:

bringing fusible powder and a laser beam in contact with each other so that the powder is fused together into a rule on a substrate; and

using a die cutting machine to press the rule into a sheet material.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the fusible powder includes a metallic

powder.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the metallic powder includes at least one type of metallic powder selected from the group consisting of iron-based-alloy powder, nickel-based alloy powder, cobalt-based-alloy powder, titanium- based-alloy powder, and chrome.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein bringing metallic powder and a laser beam in contact with each other includes streaming the powder into the laser beam.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein bringing the powder and a laser beam in contact with each other includes selectively directing the laser beam into a bed of the powder.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the rule includes a cutting rule.

7. The method of claim of 6 wherein the cutting rule has a height measured from the substrate ranging between about 1.5mm to 50mm.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising placing ejection rubber along the cutting rule.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the rule includes a scoring rule.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate includes an aluminum plate.

11. A die comprising at least one rule fused to a substrate, the rule being fused powder.

12. The die of claim 11, wherein the rule includes a cutting rule.

13. The die of claim 13, wherein the fused powder is at least one powder selected from the group consisting of iron-based-alloy powder, nickel-based-alloy powder, cobalt-based-alloy powder, titanium-based-alloy powder, and chrome powder.

14. The die of claim 11, further comprising at least one scoring rule.

15. The die of claim 11, wherein the substrate includes at least two alignment holes.

16. A method for loading a die into a die cutting machine comprising:

providing a die having at least one rule of fused powder fused to a substrate, having an alignment configuration; and

aligning the alignment configuration with a complementary alignment configuration disposed in the die cutting machine.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the powder includes at least one powder selected from the group consisting of iron-based-alloy powder, nickel-based-alloy powder, cobalt-based-alloy powder, titanium-based-alloy powder, and chrome powder.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the rule includes a cutting rule or a scoring rule.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the substrate includes a metallic substrate.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the alignment configuration includes at least one a peg of fused powder.