Abstract:
A method of coating an article during injection molding wherein coating material carried by a high pressure carrier gas is blasted at high velocity directly onto the internal walls of a closed mold and then a plastics substrate is injected into the coated mold to form in-situ a coated molded product.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
   This invention relates to a method of coating an article as it is produced during injection moulding and to the products of such a method. In particular, it relates to the use of paint for such coating. 
   Assembly industries are making increasing use of components produced by injection moulding. Frequently such components need to be coated in order to provide an article with the necessary surface finish; for example, painting body components of motor vehicles. Such industries have typically used painting shops. However, paint shops have a high capital cost and often require a long commissioning period before painted surfaces of sufficiently high quality can be achieved. In addition, they are environmentally unfriendly; provide an opportunity for foreign particles to accumulate on components awaiting painting; and represent an undesirable secondary operation. 
   In order to overcome these drawbacks attempts have been made to apply paint during the actual injection moulding step. Thus, a method of forming a moulding with a coating using dual injection is known. Typically, a plastics paint material is first injected into a mould so as to only partially fill the mould. A plastics substrate material is then injected within this plastics paint material so that as the moulding is formed the plastics paint material encapsulates the plastics substrate until at the end of the moulding process it forms an outer coating for the moulded article. While this method has many advantages over traditional secondary painting in spraying shops, there is one drawback; disruption of the paint flow due to a hole or other surface feature may result in so called “weld lines” in the vicinity of such features. This problem is particularly evident when metallic paints are used. 
   Powder paints and gel coats have been used to coat mould tools; but the tool has always been in the open condition. Even with careful masking of areas, paint generally coats the tool “shut-off” edge adversely affecting sealing. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
   An object of the present invention is to produce an improved method of coating articles in-situ as they are produced during various known injection moulding processes. Another object is to provide such a method of coating an article that largely overcomes the problem of “weld lines”. While the method of the invention is particularly suited for painting articles, it is also suitable for other coating operations; for example, applying hard coats, soft-feel, and conductive systems. 
   In one aspect the invention is a method of coating an article during injection moulding comprising the following steps:
         (a) injecting a coating material in dispersed form onto the internal walls of a closed mould;   (b) injecting a plastics substrate into the coated mould to form in-situ a coated moulded product.       

   Preferably, the coating is injected using a carrier gas; for example by entrainment in a gas such as nitrogen or carbon dioxide. Preferably the carrier gas is at a pressure of 3 to 100 bara and more preferably at a pressure of 20 to 60 bara. Preferably, the duration of the coating injection step is in the range 1 to 5 seconds. Nitrogen is suitable for all pressures; while carbon dioxide is suitable for lower pressures. The use of high pressure carrier gas is advantageous because it results in coating particles or droplets entering the mould at a very high velocity through a nozzle. This has an effect similar to a “silent” explosion; in that coating material is blasted onto the cavity walls. Preferably, after injection of coating material and prior to injection of plastics substrate the gas pressure is at least partly relaxed. Carrier gas provides both atomisation (for liquid coatings) and a transport medium (for particulate coatings); in the case of liquid coatings the carrier gas also provides means of removing evaporated solvent. Hence, in this case it is desirable to continue the flow of carrier gas for a further period; typically of 1 to 10 seconds duration, following the coating injection period. High pressure carrier gas also combats any hesitancy in the flow of coating, or blockage, which will be pushed through the cavity. 
   Paint chemistry is selected in order to ensure adhesion to the plastics substrate. Within this constraint a wide variety of paints are suitable. Preferably, coating material is injected in particulate form; in this case the average particle size is within the range 10 to 100 μm; typically about 40 μm. Alternatively, the coating is injected in liquid form; for example, dissolved in a solvent. Preferably coating material is injected through a nozzle heated to a temperature in the range 150 and 200° C. The coating is blasted onto the internal wall surface of the cavity formed by the closed mould thus forming a skin. Preferably the wall surfaces are heated. The walls may be heated to a temperature in the range 40 to 180° C., preferably 80 to 140° C., and most preferably 80 to 120° C. Heating the wall surfaces offers the advantage of assisting the formation of a skin and in particular of obtaining a skin of substantially uniform thickness. The temperature of the mould tool is selected to allow efficient cooling and ejection of the moulded component; whilst ensuring that the coating has achieved the required properties. 
   The coating may be electrostatically charged prior to injection in order to increase the proportion of injected coating that contributes to the formation of the skin layer. 
   The coating material may be a paint; for example polymeric paint with thermoplastic properties; such a paint is Akzo Nobel Interpon™ The coating material may also be polymeric with substantially thermosetting properties which will pass through a plastic phase as a result of applied heating; for example, a non-paint coating such as Dupont Reflection™. 
   In another aspect the invention comprises a method of coating an article during injection moulding wherein coating material carried by a high pressure carrier gas is blasted at high velocity directly onto the internal walls of a closed mould and then a plastics substrate is injected into the coated mould to form in-situ a coated moulded product. 

   
     BFIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING 
     The invention will now be described, by way of example only with, reference to  FIG. 1 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement of apparatus suitable for carrying out the method of the invention. A mould  12   a ,  12   b  is shown in a closed position. Coating material is stored in particulate form in vessel  16  and is metered into a carrier gas stream (G—see latter) by valve  18 . Carrier gas G is provided at a pressure of 50 bara and flows via duct  14  and valve  18  to injection nozzle  20 . The exit of injection nozzle  20  is located on the inside wall  22  of mould  12 . Nozzle  20  has a heater  24  and the inside wall  22  of the mould is also heated in both cases to assist melting of coating material. Valve  18  allows particulate coating material to be metered from vessel  16  into carrier gas G and thus injected through nozzle  20  into cavity C. Valve  18  also allows flow of carrier gas alone. Plastic substrate is injected through channel  26  and inlet port  28  to the mould cavity C. Carrier gas exits the mould through a vented split line  30  in the mould. Alternatively, a vent duct (not shown) may be provided with a pressure relief control system, in order to assist control of pressure within the mould cavity C. 
   A moulding cycle may comprise the following stages
         (a) Closure of moulds  12   a  and  12   b  (as  FIG. 1 );   (b) Injection of carrier gas G at a pressure of 50 bar containing the coating material; for a period of 3 seconds;   (c) Relaxation of gas pressure in cavity to 1 bara;   (d) Injection of plastics substrate followed by conventional moulding steps.       

   If a liquid coating is used then carrier gas flow may continue during stage (c) for a further period of about 5 seconds after completion of the coating injection step; this facilitates evaporation of the solvent 
   Sufficient coating will be metered through the gas injection system to provide an even coating; the coating may “insulate” the walls thus encouraging even thickness and avoiding local areas of over-thickness. 
   When the coating material is paint both thermoplastic and thermoset powder coatings may be used. If thermoplastic powder coating material is used the powder will melt as it passes through the injection nozzle into the mould cavity. At the high pressure and velocity of injection the coating will be blown over the entire inner surface of the tool (mould). The powder coating will fuse and solidify on the surface of the tool. In the case of a thermoset powder coating the temperature of injection will be set so as to melt the powder and trigger initiation of the cure process during passage of the powder through the nozzle and mould cavity. Molten powder will cover the inner surface of the mould cavity and the cure process will be finalised by heat provided from injected plastics substrate. 
   The inner mould walls  22  are typically heated to a temperature of 120° C.; this is hot enough to cure and cross-link thermoset paint or alternatively warm enough to diffuse the paint such that it may be cured latter. The coating material storage and feeding system  16 ,  18  may be as supplied by Matrix Paints Ltd, 8b James Road, Tyseley, Birmingham, West Midlands B11 2BA. 
   The process offers improved control of paint thickness. This allows higher quality products with more even surface aesthetics to be produced and may also allow paint costs to be reduced. The method avoids the weld line problem; that may result from inserting a hole in the moulded item, and also avoids the split line problem; that may result from the interface of two mould sections.