Methods of manufacturing acoustical sound proofing materials with optimized fracture characteristics

Laminated structures for use in building construction are fabricated by a manufacturing process such that the laminating steps to not require elevated drying temperatures or an extended dwell time at any point. The process employs stock materials that simultaneously reduce cost and improve performance. This is accomplished using a specially formulated viscoelastic glue and ambient temperature drying apparatus. As a result, the production capacity of the manufacturing facility, cost of goods, and delivered performance are greatly improved over existing methods.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

BACKGROUND

Currently, the manufacture of bulky and/or heavy laminated panels for use in building construction requires a large area for manufacturing. In addition to the bulk associated with the material in-process, the area required for manufacturing is increased by any process step requiring the material be staged for a long period of time. For a given throughput of material, the area needed increases with additional processing steps and with a longer processing time at any step.

For example, the laminated structure disclosed in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 7,181,891 comprises two external layers of a non-metallic material (which in one embodiment are paper faced sheets of gypsum wallboard), and an internal constraining layer, attached to each other by adhesive layers of viscoelastic glue. In some embodiments other materials are incorporated between the outer gypsum layers. In one embodiment the process of manufacturing a laminar structure, for example the structure disclosed in the '891 patent, includes drying a completed structure whilst pressure is applied to the structure. Depending upon the materials that make up the laminar structure, a dwell time (defined as the time required for a single process step) of several hours to a few days is required for the adhesive to properly dry, during which time other similar individual structures may be constructed which also require a dwell time of several hours to a few days to dry. The long drying time is due to the time required for liquid in the adhesive to soak into the gypsum sheets, the gypsum sheets then transporting the liquid to the surrounding environment via evaporation. A significant volume of material is staged at the drying step in the described construction sequence, the volume depending upon the production rate. As a result, a large drying chamber corresponding to the volume of a single structure multiplied by the finished product throughput desired and the dwell time of the instant step is required. Further, some steps of the manufacturing process may require that the drying chamber be maintained at a specified elevated temperature and low relative humidity, an energy intensive requirement.

For example, a production demand of one thousand finished four-foot by eight foot by one-inch structures per day, with a dwell time at a certain step requiring forty-eight hours of drying at a constant temperature of 120 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, a relative humidity of about thirty per cent, and a constant airflow requires a staging area providing the required environmental conditions for two thousand structures at any given time, such staging area providing a minimum of 25 feet of vertical clearance on an approximately 25 foot by 45 foot footprint, amounting to 28,125 cubic feet of conditioned space. When manufacturing demands more than one thousand finished panels per day, even more drying volume is required. Any other process steps also requiring significant dwell time similarly increase the facilities needed for a given manufacturing throughput. A long cycle time, defined as the time required to construct a finished structure from start to finish, also extends the time required for a manufacturing operation to respond to an increase in demand for the manufactured product.

Another critical aspect of the existing manufacturing processes is that the outer layers of the laminated panel (in one embodiment, paper faced gypsum wallboard) consist of complete and finished forms of traditional building materials. It has been demonstrated by U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/697,691, that for embodiments employing gypsum wallboard, it is preferable if there is no facing paper on the interior surfaces that are in contact with the viscoelastic glue. In U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/697,691 it was proposed that the panels to be combined into the laminated soundproof panel be manufactured or sourced so as not to have a durable paper across one face. This is difficult in practice because the paper faces (on either side of the gypsum wallboard panel) serve as a durable, wear resistant surface and also significantly improve the bending stiffness of the gypsum wallboard. Without paper on one surface, the modified gypsum wallboard is particularly susceptible to damage and/or destruction during transport and handling.

A second concern with these modified, paperless gypsum wallboard source materials is that their manufacture is difficult, driving their prices higher than the prices of traditional panels. Also, only a few manufacturers are able to produce these modified materials and as a result, the material supply for the laminated panels may be limited.

What is needed is a manufacturing method for an easily scored and snapped laminar structure wherein intermediate process staging of product during manufacture is minimized and raw material costs are greatly reduced.

SUMMARY

A laminar structure comprising a sandwich of a plurality of materials is constructed using process methods wherein the dwell time at certain steps is reduced from hours or days to a few minutes. In one embodiment adhesive is dried prior to adding any additional layers to the laminated build-up, eliminating the lengthy process step of drying the complete laminated structure. The adhesive is dried by blowing gas across the surface of the specifically formulated adhesive immediately after the adhesive is applied, forming a pressure sensitive adhesive (“PSA”). The next layer in the sandwich may then be applied with no further drying time required. In one embodiment the individual process dwell times and total cycle time are shortened enough to permit construction of complete laminar structures using a conveyor belt type assembly line apparatus, wherein no in-process material is staged or stacked up.

Additionally, the process employs a novel manufacturing step in which a stock gypsum wallboard panel is bisected along its thickness to produce two congruent halves that lack paper on their interior surfaces. This step reduces the raw of the stock materials and for a laminated panel in accordance with this invention maintains or improves the fracture characteristics of the laminated panel (ability to score and snap the panel).

This invention will be more fully understood in view of the following drawings and written description.

DESCRIPTION OF SOME EMBODIMENTS

Definitions

TermDefinitionCycle timeTotal time duration required to manufacture a single article.Dwell timeTime duration required for a single process step.StagingHolding material at a certain process step for a givendwell time.StockStandard faced drywall panel used as feedstock materialgypsumfor the laminated panel manufacturing process.wallboardThe panel may be faced on four sides bypaper, fiberglass mat, or another suitable material.SandwichA stack comprising the materials (continuous or notcontinuous) forming a laminate structure which may beincomplete or complete at an instant point in a processsequence.PSAPressure sensitive adhesive; a type of adhesive which doesnot require drying time after a new layer of material isbrought into contact with the adhesive.

A laminar substitute for drywall comprises a sandwich of two outer layers of selected thickness gypsum board or other material which are glued to each other, using a sound dissipating adhesive wherein the sound dissipating adhesive is applied in a certain pattern to all or less than all of the interior surfaces of the two outer layers. In one embodiment, the adhesive layer is a specially formulated QUIETGLUE (QuietGlue)® 320 adhesive, which is a viscoelastic material, of a specific thickness. QUIETGLUE(QuietGlue)® 320 adhesive is available from Serious Materials, Inc., of Sunnyvale, Calif. Typically, QUIETGLUE (QuietGlue)® 320 adhesive is made of the materials as set forth in Table 1.

The preferred formulation is but one example of a viscoelastic glue. Other formulations may be used to achieve similar results and the range given is an example of successful formulations investigated. Formed on the interior surfaces of the two gypsum boards, the adhesive layer is about 1/16 inch thick. In various embodiments a differing number of layers of material of differing composition are sandwiched between the outer gypsum boards, each layer glued to adjoining layers by PSA. In the following discussion “adhesive”, “glue”, and “PSA” may be used interchangeably to refer to a layer of material in the context of a laminar structure sandwich. In this written description, PSA always refers to a layer of viscoelastic glue which has been dried to form a viscoelastic pressure sensitive adhesive.

Referring toFIG. 1, an example of a process flow100according to the present invention is presented. Any references to top and bottom layers is to be understood to refer only to these layers as described in the context ofFIGS. 2 through 5and not in the context of any orientation in the use of the structure or alternative assembly orientations. Step102specifies a stock material in the form of a gypsum wallboard. This material is common to the building industry and consists of a gypsum or gypsum and fiber enhanced composite core surrounded by a layer of paper bonded to the core. Typically the short edges are left with the gypsum core exposed. The gypsum wallboard is typically 4 feet wide by 8 feet long, though lengths of 9, 10, and 12 feet are common as well. The gypsum sheet can range in thickness from about ¼ inch thick to over one inch thick. Such products are commonly available in the construction materials field and are manufactured by USG Corporation of Chicago, Ill., the National Gypsum Company, of Charlotte, N.C., and Saint-Gobain, of Courbevoie, France.

Manufacturing process step104specifies that the gypsum wallboard is bisected across its thickness. The resulting cut panel is shown in perspective inFIG. 2. InFIG. 2, article200represents the bisected panel. A first half202is separated from the second half204by a means shown inFIG. 3. Halves202and204may be of equal thickness or unequal thickness212aand212b, depending on the requirements of the final laminated assembly. It can be seen in the figure that the paper206extends about the exterior of panel200, but not the interior surfaces208and210exposed by the separation process.

The novel bisection of the gypsum core offers two important advantages over the existing methods. First, a single bisected sheet is significantly less expensive than a comparable laminate of two sheets of half thickness. For example, ⅝ inch thick sheets of 4 foot wide by 8 foot long type x gypsum have a wholesale price of approximately $150 per one thousand square feet (msf). A 5/16 inch thick panel, also 4 foot wide by 8 foot long, has a wholesale price of approximately $125 to $150 per one thousand square feet. However, without bisection, two 5/16 inch thick sheets are required to replace every bisected ⅝ inch thick panel. Therefore, in this example, the cost of the laminated gypsum wallboard is $150 msf for the bisected panel verses about $250 to $300 msf for a stacked pair of 5/16 inch thick panels. The bisection novelty saves approximately 40% to 50% of the panel material costs. A second advantage is that the bisection technique allows for optimum fracture characteristics (as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/697,691) but without non-standard outer layers of material. This allows for much greater variability in sourcing feed stock panels. As a result, the novel manufacturing method has better material supply and pricing.

FIGS. 3aand3bshow two exemplary methods for bisecting the stock gypsum wallboard panel.FIG. 3adepicts the stock gypsum wallboard panel302resting on a platform, rollers, conveyor belt, or other suitable support304. At the right side of theFIG. 3a,306depicts a high intensity laser used for cutting the panel without direct contact. Suitable commercial panel cutting equipment is available, such as a high-intensity CO2 laser based on the CS0405 ceramic cutting laser manufactured by Han's Laser Technology Company, of Houston, Tex. This method has proven viable as a method of panel bisection in limited production trials.

FIG. 3bagain depicts the stock gypsum wallboard panel302resting on a platform, rollers, conveyor belt, or other suitable support304. Across the face of the panel is a mechanical cutting device in the form of a saw blade308and a motorized support structure such as a band saw tool310. Suitable commercially-available panel cutting equipment includes the Bavaria SL 130i mobile sawmill manufactured by SERRA Maschinenbau GmbH of Rimsting, Germany. This saw has a linear traversing head attached to a rigid panel support structure. Trials employing the SL 130i were able to bisect the gypsum panel at a rate of approximately thirteen feet per minute. This rate is consistent with the improved manufacturing rates disclosed herein.

Following the panel's bisection, the panels are separated in process step106so that lower panel half204may be coated in part or entirely with glue by an appropriate means from above as specified by process step108. The top portion of the bisected panel204is best lifted using a distributed vacuum suction cup system. Commercially available vacuum assist systems are the Saugerspinne and the VacuMaster Light vacuum assisted lifting devices manufactured by J. Schmalz GmbH of Glatten, Germany.

FIG. 4shows a bottom gypsum board406of a selected thickness placed upon a work surface408. As noted earlier, in some embodiments the work surface408is a conveyor belt for moving the material through the process steps, for example a one hundred foot OAL ACSI Model 190RB roller bed belt conveyor, available from Conveyor Systems & Engineering, Inc., Elk Grove, Ill. A gypsum board206may be placed onto the work surface408using overhead lifting equipment with vacuum cups, or by a worker simply picking up a panel406and putting it in the proper place. An elevating apparatus may move gypsum boards to the level of the work surface. An adhesive404, for example QUIETGLUE(QuietGlue)® 320 adhesive, is applied with full or partial coverage to the upper surface of the bottom gypsum board406. If coated partially with glue, any one of a number of selected glue patterns can be used including stripes, random patterns, and any other appropriate geometric shapes. The adhesive404may be applied using a roller, (similar to a paint roller), a brush, a broad knife, or sprayed on with dispensing nozzles. The adhesive404may cover the entire upper surface of the gypsum406, or, in some embodiments, less than all of the surface may have adhesive404applied, for example as disclosed in aforementioned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/734,770. The bottom gypsum layer406with the applied adhesive404forms an intermediate sandwich structure410.

Next, the adhesive404is dried as described in manufacturing process step110, so that the resulting moisture content in the adhesive is no greater than five percent by weight.

In one embodiment, a layer of viscoelastic glue at a thickness between one thirty second inch ( 1/32″) and one eighth inch (⅛″) on a panel of material four (4) feet by eight (8) feet was subjected to a flow of ambient air (typically between nineteen degrees centigrade (19° C.) and twenty four degrees centigrade (24° C.) at about fifty thousand cubic feet per minute (50,000 ft3/minute). The initial moisture content of the viscoelastic glue was about thirty percent (30%) by weight and after about five minutes of air flow the moisture content had been reduced to about five percent (5%) by weight.

A variety of methods may be used to dry the adhesive404. In one embodiment the sandwich with exposed adhesive410is passed under a gas diffuser, wherein a volume of gas, for example fifty cubic feet per minute of air, is provided through openings in the diffuser located between about one (1) inch and one (1) foot above the glue. In some embodiments the provided gas is ambient air. In other embodiments the provided gas is preheated and/or dehumidified air. The gas-blowing system comprises a plenum chamber (not shown) for receiving pressurized gas from a blower, the pressurized gas subsequently flowing out through openings in the diffuser onto the surface of the exposed adhesive.FIG. 6illustrates an example of a diffuser panel600. Diffuser panel600faces the sandwich410as the sandwich410passes underneath the diffuser (assuming a conveyor belt method). In the example shown, openings602,604,606,608are approximately eighteen inches long (in the short direction of the panel600), one eighth of an inch wide, on one-half inch centers, staggered by five to six inches and the glue layer passes from one (1) inch to one (1) foot below the diffuser. Other designs for diffuser panel600openings may be used, for example uniformly distributed small holes.

In one embodiment the intermediate panel sandwich410is moved on a conveyor belt408at ten feet per minute about six (6) toe eight (8) inches under a gas diffuser panel600, wherein the diffuser600is four feet wide and twenty-four feet long (in the direction of belt travel). The adhesive is therefore exposed to the flowing gas of ambient temperature air, approximately 70 degrees Fahrenheit and 30% relative humidity for approximately 2.4 minutes. The exact exhaust area and shape of the diffuser400and the openings are not critical, providing the exhaust area of the diffuser600permits the desired gas flow, and provided further that the exhaust area of diffuser panel600is low enough such that the plenum chamber has adequate back pressure to provide an approximately even flow of gas out of the diffuser. In one embodiment the gas flow is approximately 50,000 cubic feet per minute.

In one embodiment wherein a conveyor belt is not used, the intermediate panel sandwich410is placed upon a work surface408, which may or may not be the same work surface upon which the panel210was placed for application of the adhesive404, and wherein a diffuser600approximating the size and shape of the panel sandwich410and approximately aligned over the panel sandwich blows gas over the exposed adhesive, for example air at approximately seventeen feet per second velocity with about 50,000 cubic feet per minute volume. An important parameter in the process is the degree of dryness of the adhesive attained in transforming the adhesive404into a PSA. For a specific implementation according to the method of the present invention, the combination of drying time, gas flow rate, diffuser panel600opening area, temperature and humidity of the gas provided through the diffuser600, and the thickness of the adhesive404are adjusted to provide a suitable liquid content in transforming the adhesive404into a PSA, for example five per cent liquid by weight as measured with a moisture sensor such as the MW 3260 microwave moisture sensor manufactured by Tews Electronik of Hamburg, Germany. Assuming these factors are reasonably constant, the drying time is used as a predetermined time for drying step110. If the adhesive is completely dried the next material in the sandwich may not stick to it. A liquid content of approximately five percent provides a tacky adhesive that has good adhesion characteristics but does not require further drying after the sandwich is assembled in manufacturing process step112.

Referring toFIG. 5, in some structures to be constructed using the method of the present invention, there are additional layers of material504between the two outer panels of, for example, gypsum board402,406. Examples include vinyl, sheet metal, plywood, and gypsum, as discussed more expansively in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 7,181,891. If such an option is selected, the additional material504is placed upon the sandwich410at step112(that is, upon the exposed PSA204), then adhesive502is applied to the exposed surface of the newly placed material504at step104, as before. The adhesive502is dried to form a PSA at step106and another option for an additional layer is considered at step110. If no more material layers504are to be added the process continues with step112wherein a top gypsum board402is placed upon the PSA502to complete the sandwich to create assembly400.

The fully-assembled laminated structure400is pressed together at step114. In one embodiment the laminated structure400is passed under a six-inch diameter roller (or the roller may instead be passed over the laminated structure400) weighing approximately fifty pounds at approximately ten feet per minute. Following the application of pressure at step114the laminated structure400is complete and ready for shipping; no further drying or other manufacturing process step is required.

While the process has been described as drying the viscoelastic glue to essentially create a viscoelastic pressure sensitive adhesive, the process can also be used to partially dry the viscoelastic glue thereby to shorten the time that the stacked structure, when fully assembled, must be placed in a drying chamber to remove additional moisture from the viscoelastic glue used to join together the several layers of material.

The foregoing description of some embodiments of the invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. The description is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to one skilled in the relevant art.

Given the above disclosure of general concepts and specific embodiments, the scope of protection sought is to be defined by the claims appended hereto. The issued claims are not to be taken as limiting Applicant's right to claim disclosed, but not yet literally claimed subject matter by way of one or more further applications including those filed pursuant to 35 U.S.C. §120 and/or 35 U.S.C. §251.

Unless expressly stated otherwise herein, ordinary terms have their corresponding ordinary meanings within the respective contexts of their presentations, and ordinary terms of art have their corresponding regular meanings.