Laser treatment of wrapping materials

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021283721-A1
Application number	US-201716338897-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 1, 2017
Priority date	Oct 4, 2016
Publication date	Sep 16, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A sheet wrapping material including a metal layer ( 10 ), for example, aluminium, can be treated by applying a laser-treatment beam (LB 1 ) to the metal layer ( 10 ). The metal layer ( 10 ) may be included in a multilayer set with a layer of polymeric material ( 50 ), by applying to the metal layer ( 10 ) coupled with the layer of polymeric material ( 50 ) a further laser-treatment beam (LB 2 ), of a different wavelength, may be applied, to obtain also treatment of the polymeric material ( 50 ). The treatment may, for example, include cutting, pre-cutting, and perforation.

First claim

1 . A method for the treatment of sheet wrapping material including a metal layer ( 10 ), the method including applying a laser-treatment beam (LB 1 ) to said metal layer ( 10 ).

2 . The method according to claim 1 , including applying said laser-treatment beam (LB 1 ) to said metal layer ( 10 ) with:
said metal layer ( 10 ) in surface contact with a supporting material ( 12 ), preferably withheld by vacuum pressure ( 12 a , 12 b ) or by electrostatic attraction, or else said metal layer ( 10 ) free and withheld stretched.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein said metal layer ( 10 ) includes aluminium.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein said metal layer ( 10 ) has a thickness between 1 and 500 micron, preferably between 3 and 300 micron, and even more preferably between 5 and 50 micron (1 micron=10 −6 m).

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein said laser-treatment beam (LB 1 ) has an emission wavelength in the range between 900 nm and 1500 nm (900-1500.10 −9 m).

6 . The method according to claim 1 , including generating said laser-treatment beam (LB 1 ) via a fibre laser or a YAG laser.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , including providing said metal layer ( 10 ) in a multilayer set with a layer of polymeric material ( 50 ).

8 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein said multilayer set ( 10 , 50 ) includes metallised polymer material, preferably with a metallisation thickness between 10 and 500 {acute over (Å)}ngstrom (1 {acute over (Å)}ngstrom=10 −10 m).

9 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein said layer of polymeric material ( 50 ) has a thickness between 1 and 500 micron, preferably between 3 and 300 micron, and still preferably between 5 and 50 micron (1 micron=10 −6 m).

10 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein said polymeric material ( 50 ) includes material chosen from polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polyester, polyamide (nylon), polystyrene, polymers from biomasses, bio-degradable polymers, compostable polymers or combinations thereof.

11 . The method according to claim 7 , including applying to said multilayer set ( 10 , 50 ) a further laser-treatment beam (LB 2 ) for treating said polymeric material ( 50 ).

12 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein said laser-treatment beam (LB 1 ) and said further laser-treatment beam (LB 2 ) are of different wavelengths.

13 . The method according to claims 11 , wherein said further laser-treatment beam (LB 2 ) has an emission wavelength in the range between 9 and 11 micron (9-11.10 −6 m), preferably at around 9.6 micron or 10.6 micron (9.6 or 10.6.10 −6 m).

14 . The method according to claim 11 , including generating said further laser-treatment beam (LB 2 ) using a CO 2 laser.

15 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein said treatment is chosen from among cutting, pre-cutting, and perforation.

16 . An apparatus for laser treatment of sheet wrapping material for implementation of the method according to claim 1 , the apparatus including:
a source of said laser-treatment beam (LB 1 ); and means for supporting said metal layer ( 10 ) during application of said laser-treatment beam (LB 1 ).

17 . The apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein said supporting means are chosen between:
supporting material ( 12 ), which is able to co-operate in surface contact with said metal layer ( 10 ), preferably withheld by vacuum pressure ( 12 a , 12 b ) or by electrostatic attraction on said supporting material ( 12 ); and a means for supporting said metal layer ( 10 ) in such a way that is free and withheld stretched.

18 . The apparatus according to claim 16 , the apparatus further including a source (L 2 ) of said further laser-treatment beam (LB 2 ).

Assignees

• Soremartec Sa

Inventors

• Mansuino Sergio
• Ratto Gabriele

Classifications

• B23K26/0846 Primary

  for moving elongated workpieces longitudinally, e.g. wire or strip material · CPC title

• B23K26/402 Primary

  involving non-metallic material, e.g. isolators · CPC title

• B23K2103/172

  wherein at least one of the layers is non-metallic · CPC title

• B31D1/0018

  the articles being pull-tap closure discs for bottles, jars or like containers · CPC title

• B23K2103/10

  Aluminium or alloys thereof · CPC title