Claims
- 1. Apparatus for alternatively manufacturing permanent adhesive or repositional adhesive linerless labels, comprising a plurality of components spaced from each other in a first direction which comprises the direction of travel of a web acted upon by the apparatus to produce linerless labels, said components comprising:
- an indicia applying station;
- a second coating station for optionally applying a barrier coat in the construction of permanent adhesive labels, or repositional adhesive in the construction of repositional adhesive labels;
- a third coating station for applying a release coat in the construction of repositional adhesive labels;
- a dryer capable of drying both sides of a web at the same time, located downstream of said second coating station;
- a fourth coating station for applying a release coat in the construction of permanent adhesive labels;
- a release coat curing station for curing a release coat in the construction of permanent adhesive labels;
- a permanent adhesive application station;
- wherein said permanent adhesive application station includes a heated slotted die head for applying hot melt adhesive having a length aligned with the web width, and providing a heat uniformity of .+-. five degrees F across said length, and an adhesive coat thickness uniformity of about .+-. 0.0001 inch across said length:
- wherein said heated slotted die head has a main portion, with die lips, having length of about 16 inches, and includes nine substantially uniformly spaced cartridge heaters along said length in a substantially straight line configuration having first and second ends, and also includes at least first and second temperature sensors, one located between the second and third cartridges from each of said first and second ends of said straight line configuration;
- wherein said heated slotted die head also includes a valve block and;
- at least one cartridge heater and at least one temperature sensor disposed in said valve block, and wherein control of said valve block at least one cartridge heater is independent of control of said cartridge heaters in said main portion.
- 2. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said heated slotted die head has a main portion with die lips; and wherein said lips are flat and form a slot therebetween through which adhesive flows.
- 3. Apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein said lips have a quadrate shape in cross-section, and each has a thickness of about 0.06 inches.
- 4. Apparatus as recited in claim 3 wherein said slot has a thickness, corresponding to the spacing between said lips, of about 0.012 inches, an adhesive coating thickness of about 0.0005-0.001 inches being provided.
- 5. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said heated slotted die head is provided with heat insulation to maintain heat and the uniformity of the heat thereacross.
- 6. Apparatus as recited in claim 5 also includes further comprising heat insulation provided with said valve block.
- 7. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said heated slotted die head main portion has die lips; and wherein said lips are flat and form a slot therebetween through which adhesive flows.
- 8. Apparatus as recited in claim 7 wherein said lips have a quadrate shape in cross-section, and each has a thickness of about 0.06 inches, and wherein said slot has a thickness, corresponding to the spacing between said lips, of about 0.012 inches, typically providing an adhesive coating thickness of about 0.0005-0.001 inches.
- 9. Apparatus as recited in claim 5 wherein said heated slotted die head has a main portion with die lips; and wherein said lips are flat and form a slot therebetween through which adhesive flows.
- 10. Apparatus as recited in claim 9 wherein said lips have a quadrate shape in cross-section, and each has a thickness of about 0.06 inches and wherein said slot has a thickness, corresponding to the spacing between said lips, of about 0.012 inches.
- 11. A method of automatically manufacturing a web of permanent adhesive linerless labels from a web of substrate material having first and second faces, comprising the steps of:
- (a) imaging indicia on at least one face of the substrate;
- (b) perfing the substrate web to define labels;
- (c) applying a barrier coat to the first face of the substrate;
- (d) hot air drying the barrier coat;
- (e) applying a UV silicone release coat to the first face of the substrate;
- (f) UV curing the UV silicone release coat;
- (g) applying a permanent adhesive to the second face;
- (h) taking up the web of linerless labels produced; and
- wherein step (g) is practiced by applying a hot melt permanent adhesive with a temperature uniformity of .+-. five degrees F across the width of the web and with an adhesive coat thickness uniformity of .+-. about 0.0001 inches across the width of the web, and wherein step (g) is further practiced by using a heated slotted die head having a main portion with die lips, temperature sensors, and cartridge heaters, and a valve portion with at least one cartridge heater and temperature sensor; and controlling the cartridge heaters in the main portion separately and distinctly from the at least one cartridge heater in the valve portion, using the temperature sensors in the main portion for control of the main portion cartridge heaters, and the at least one temperature sensor in the valve portion for control of the valve portion at least one cartridge heater.
- 12. A method as recited in claim 11 wherein said steps are practiced sequentially.
- 13. A method as recited in claim 11 wherein step (g) is practiced using a heated slotted die head having die lips that are flat and form a slot therebetween through which adhesive flows, the lips having a quadrate shape in cross-section, and each having a thickness of about 0.06 inches and defining a slot having a thickness, corresponding to the spacing between the lips, of about 0.012 inches, to apply an adhesive coating thickness of about 0.0005-0.001 inches.
- 14. A method of automatically manufacturing a web of repositional adhesive linerless labels from a web of substrate material having first and second faces, comprising the steps of:
- (a) applying a tie coating to the first of the substrate;
- (b) imaging indicia on at least one face of the substrate;
- (c) perfing the substrate web to define labels;
- (d) applying a repositional adhesive to the first face of the substrate and a release coat to the second face;
- (e) simultaneously hot air drying the adhesive and release coats;
- (f) taking up the web of repositional adhesive linerless labels produced; and
- wherein step (d) is practiced using a flexographic unit having a print cylinder, and wherein upon stopping the practice of steps (b) and (d) the print cylinder is provided in contact with the web a period of time only sufficient to wipe excess adhesive off the print cylinder, and then the print cylinder is moved out of contact with the web.
- 15. A method as recited in claim 14 wherein said steps are practiced sequentially.
- 16. Apparatus for alternatively manufacturing permanent adhesive or repositional adhesive linerless labels, comprising a plurality of components spaced from each other in a first direction which comprises the direction of travel of a web acted upon by the apparatus to produce linerless labels, said components comprising:
- an indicia applying station;
- a second coating station for optionally applying a barrier coat in the construction of permanent adhesive labels, or repositional adhesive in the construction of repositional adhesive labels;
- a third coating station for applying a release coat in the construction of repositional adhesive labels;
- a dryer capable of drying both sides of a web at the same time, located downstream of said second coating station;
- a fourth coating station for applying a release coat in the construction of permanent adhesive labels;
- a release coat curing station for curing a release coat in the construction of permanent adhesive labels;
- a permanent adhesive application station;
- wherein said permanent adhesive application station includes a heated slotted die head for applying hot melt adhesive having a length aligned with the web width, and providing a heat uniformity of .+-. five degrees F across said length, and an adhesive coat thickness uniformity of about .+-. 0.0001 inch across said length; wherein said heated slotted die head has a main portion, with die lips, having length of about 16 inches, and includes nine substantially uniformly spaced cartridge heaters along said length in a substantially straight line configuration having first and second ends, and also includes at least first and second temperature sensors, one located between the second and third cartridges from each of said first and second ends of said straight line configuration;
- wherein said heated slotted die head includes a valve block; and
- at least one cartridge heater and at least one temperature sensor disposed in said valve block, control of said at least one cartridge heater in said valve block independent of any other cartridge heaters.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 08/253,787 filed Jun. 3, 1994, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,518,762.
US Referenced Citations (10)
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
253787 |
Jun 1994 |
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