Cold lamination with radiation

Abstract

A process for laminating a material layer to a support including: providing the support, applying the material layer to the support, a heat-activatable adhesive being applied to s side of the material layer facing the dimensionally stable support and/or to the side of the dimensionally stable support facing the material layer, pressing the flexible material layer and the dimensionally stable support together by means of a lower dimensionally stable mold half and an upper dimensionally stable mold half, irradiating the mold halves, the support and the material layer with electromagnetic radiation, in particular with microwave radiation, high-frequency radiation or induction radiation, whereby the adhesive is activated directly or indirectly.

1 . A process for the lamination of a flexible material layer to a dimensionally stable support, comprising:
 providing the dimensionally stable support;   applying the flexible material layer to the dimensionally stable support, a heat-activatable adhesive being applied to at least a side of the material layer facing the dimensionally stable support and/or to a side of the dimensionally stable support facing the material layer;   pressing the flexible material layer and the dimensionally stable support together by means of a lower dimensionally stable tool half and an upper dimensionally stable tool half; and   irradiating the lower and upper tool halves, the support, and the material layer with electromagnetic radiation, wherein the adhesive is activated.   
     
     
         2 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the support has a three-dimensional contour surface. 
     
     
         3 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein irradiating with electromagnetic radiation comprises irradiating with any one of microwave radiation, high-frequency radiation, or induction radiation. 
     
     
         4 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein a surface of at least one of the lower tool half, upper tool half, material layer, or support is at least partially coated with a layer containing graphene-like materials. 
     
     
         5 . The process according to  claim 1  wherein at least a section of at least one of the upper tool half, lower tool half, material layer, or support contains in sections graphene-like materials. 
     
     
         6 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the adhesive contains graphene-like materials. 
     
     
         7 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein at least a section of at least one of the upper tool half or lower tool half is transparent for the radiation. 
     
     
         8 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the material layer comprises a decorative layer. 
     
     
         9 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the material layer comprises a spacer layer. 
     
     
         10 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the material layer is formed at least partly of fibers, wherein the fibers are coated with a layer containing graphene-like materials. 
     
     
         11 . The process according to  claim 1 , further comprising cooling the adhesive. 
     
     
         12 . The process according to  claim 11 , wherein cooling the adhesive comprises providing cooling channels in the upper tool half filled with a coolant that is not excited by the radiation. 
     
     
         13 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the irradiation with the electromagnetic radiation lasts less than 5 seconds. 
     
     
         14 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the lower tool half and the upper tool half are not moved apart until the activated adhesive has cooled. 
     
     
         15 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the duration and/or level of the energy input by the radiation is set by the type of activation of the adhesive and the amount of graphene-like materials used. 
     
     
         16 . An apparatus for laminating a flexible material layer to a dimensionally stable support, comprising:
 a lower tool half, holding the dimensionally stable support, and an upper tool half wherein at least a section of the lower tool half and/or of the upper tool half is transparent for the electromagnetic radiation and   an electromagnetic radiator.   
     
     
         17 . The apparatus according to  claim 16  wherein the support has a three-dimensional surface contour. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein a surface of at least one of the upper tool half, lower tool half, material layer, or support is coated with a layer containing graphene-like materials. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein at least a section of at least one of the lower mold tool, upper tool half, material layer, or support contains graphene-like materials. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein at least a section of at least one of the upper tool half or lower tool half is transparent for the radiation. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein the upper tool half comprises cooling channels filled with a coolant, wherein the coolant is not excited by the radiation. 
     
     
         22 . A method for laminating a material layer to a support, the method comprising:
 providing the support;   pressing the material layer and the support together with a pressing tool; and   irradiating at least one of the support, the material layer, the tool and heat-activatable adhesive between the material layer and the support, thereby activating the adhesive.   
     
     
         23 . A press laminated workpiece produced by the process according to  claim 1 .