Plating method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017342565-A1
Application number	US-201715599473-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 19, 2017
Priority date	May 27, 2016
Publication date	Nov 30, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention provides a plating method capable of easily performing various decorative plating processes. The plating method includes a bulge forming process of forming a bulge on an object to be plated by ejecting ink drops of first UV-curable ink from an inkjet head such that the ejected ink drops land on the object, and a plating process of plating the object having the bulge formed thereon, after the bulge forming process. Also, in the bulge forming process, the bulge is formed such that a second surface of the bulge to be plated has surface roughness different from that of a first surface of the object to be plated.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A plating method comprising:
a bulge forming process of forming a bulge on an object to be plated by ejecting first ink drops of first UV-curable ink from a first inkjet head such that the ejected first ink drops land on the object; and a plating process of plating the object having the bulge formed thereon, after the bulge forming process.

2 . The plating method according to claim 1 , wherein:
in the bulge forming process, the bulge is formed such that a second surface of the bulge to be plated has surface roughness different from that of a first surface of the object to be plated.

3 . The plating method according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a mask forming process of forming a plating mask on the object by ejecting second ink drops of second UV-curable ink from a second inkjet head such that the ejected second ink drops land on the object; and a mask removing process of removing the plating mask from the object, after the plating process.

4 . The plating method according to claim 3 , wherein:
in the plating process, the object is dipped in a plating solution, in the mask removing process, the plating mask is removed with an organic solvent for mask removal, the first UV-curable ink is insoluble in the plating solution and the organic solvent for mask removal, and the second UV-curable ink is insoluble in the plating solution but is soluble in the organic solvent for mask removal.

5 . The plating method according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a heating process of heating the object having the bulge formed thereon, thereby removing an internal stress of the bulge, after the bulge forming process and before the plating process.

6 . The plating method according to claim 5 , wherein:
in the heating process, the object is heated at a temperature lower than a glass-transition temperature of the first UV-curable ink.

7 . The plating method according to claim 6 , wherein:
the bulge forming process includes:
a semi-hardened-layer forming process of semi-hardening the first UV-curable ink by irradiation with ultraviolet light, thereby forming a semi-hardened layer; and
a completely-hardened-layer forming process of completely hardening the semi-hardened layer and the first UV-curable ink attached on the semi-hardened layer at the same time by irradiation with ultraviolet light having intensity higher than that in the semi-hardened-layer forming process, thereby forming a completely hardened layer.

Assignees

• Mimaki Eng Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ohnishi Masaru
• Ito Toshiya

Classifications

• C23C18/1653

  Two or more layers with at least one layer obtained by electroless plating and one layer obtained by electroplating · CPC title

• C25D5/022

  using masking means · CPC title

• C23C18/285

  Sensitising or activating with tin based compound or composition · CPC title

• C23C18/1608

  from pretreatment step, i.e. selective pre-treatment · CPC title

• C09D11/101 Primary

  Inks specially adapted for printing processes involving curing by wave energy or particle radiation, e.g. with UV-curing following the printing · CPC title