Patent Application
20180117857
The present invention relates to integrally-formed nonwoven object manufacturing methods and, more particularly, to an integrally-formed nonwoven object manufacturing method for manufacturing a nonwoven object from TPU material such that the manufacturing process dispenses with a solvent to thereby effectuate environmental protection and reduce processing steps.
Conventional manufacturing processes of synthetic leathers always require organic solvents. Although the organic solvents are recyclable, not only does installing recycling equipment incur high costs, but it is also difficult to achieve a 100% recycling rate. As a result, it is impossible that organic solvents are not detected in synthetic leathers. Therefore, conventional manufacturing processes of synthetic leathers do not meet green requirements. Furthermore, conventional manufacturing processes of synthetic leathers involve complicated post-processing, and the synthetic leathers thus manufactured have to be sewn and affixed with decorations, thereby rendering the manufacturing of the synthetic leathers complicated.
Conventional manufacturing methods and applications of synthetic leathers are disclosed as follows:
It is an objective of the present invention to provide an integrally-formed nonwoven object manufacturing method which uses thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) as a raw material such that the manufacturing process dispenses with a solvent so as to be environment-friendly and effectuate environmental protection.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide an integrally-formed nonwoven object manufacturing method characterized in that, during the manufacturing process, a vacuum embossing roll comes with a pattern and a texture, and a nonwoven object thus formed need not be sewn or affixed with decorations, thereby reducing processing steps.
In order to achieve the above and other objectives, the present invention provides an integrally-formed nonwoven object manufacturing method which essentially comprises a raw material mixing step, a roller mixing step, a plastic sheet forming step, a foaming step, an embossing step, and a post-process step.
In the raw material mixing step, TPU resin particles and an assistant are put in a mixer to get mixed while being heated up, thereby allowing the TPU resin particles and the assistant to melt and turn into a pellet-shaped first raw material.
In the roller mixing step, the first raw material is placed between rollers to get rolled and heated up such that the first raw material is fully mixed, thereby allowing the rolled first raw material to turn into a semi-liquefied second raw material.
In the plastic sheet forming step, the second raw material is put in a plastic sheet-forming machine, wherein the distance between rollers of the plastic sheet-forming machine is controlled to therefore control the thickness of a doughy plastic sheet product, and the plastic sheet product passes a cooling roller to get cooled and shaped before being wound onto a shaft.
In the foaming step, the wound plastic sheet product is placed on a coater and delivered into a foaming furnace to get heated to 200° C. such that it foams and expands, and then the plastic sheet product which has foamed is processed with ultraviolet (UV) to keep its temperature stable.
In the embossing step, the UV-processed foaming plastic sheet product is placed beneath a vacuum embossing roll with a concave pattern and texture and wound into the vacuum embossing roll to produce a foaming plastic sheet with the pattern and texture formed thereon by evacuation, and then the foaming plastic sheet is cooled and wound into a cylinder.
In the post-process step, the foaming plastic sheet with the pattern and texture is cut to obtain the integrally-formed nonwoven object.
The manufacturing method has advantages as follows:
Referring to
In the raw material mixing step S1, TPU resin particles and an assistant are put in a mixer to get mixed while being heated up, thereby allowing the TPU resin particles and the assistant to melt and turn into a pellet-shaped first raw material.
In the roller mixing step S2, the first raw material is placed between rollers to get rolled and heated up such that the first raw material is fully mixed, thereby allowing the rolled first raw material to turn into a semi-liquefied second raw material.
In the plastic sheet forming step S3, the second raw material is put in a plastic sheet-forming machine, wherein the distance between rollers of the plastic sheet-forming machine is controlled to therefore control the thickness of a doughy plastic sheet product, and the plastic sheet product passes a cooling roller to get cooled and shaped before being wound onto a shaft.
In the foaming step S4, the wound plastic sheet product is placed on a coater and delivered into a foaming furnace to get heated to 200° C. such that it foams and expands, and then the plastic sheet product which has foamed is processed with ultraviolet (UV) to keep its temperature stable.
In the embossing step S5, the UV-processed foaming plastic sheet product is placed beneath a vacuum embossing roll with a concave pattern and texture and wound into the vacuum embossing roll to produce a foaming plastic sheet with the pattern and texture formed thereon by evacuation, and then the foaming plastic sheet is cooled and wound into a cylinder.
In the post-process step S6, the foaming plastic sheet with the pattern and texture is cut to obtain the integrally-formed nonwoven object.
According to the present invention, the post-process step S6 is followed by one of the two steps described below.
The screen printing step S7-1: the integrally-formed nonwoven object is fitted onto a screen and coated with colors and textures such that the nonwoven object acquires different colors and textures.
The digital printing step S7-2: the integrally-formed nonwoven object is placed on a digital printer and coated with colors and textures such that the nonwoven object acquires different colors and textures.
With reference to the aforesaid manufacturing steps, the applications and advantages of the present invention are as follows:
The present invention is disclosed above by preferred embodiments. However, persons skilled in the art should understand that the preferred embodiments are illustrative of the present invention only, but should not be interpreted as restrictive of the scope of the present invention. Hence, all equivalent changes made to the aforesaid embodiments should fall within the scope of the present invention.
