Method for managing coating gloss on a coil-coating line

15:

• A method for managing the gloss of an organic coating formed by application and curing of a wet film of a radcure paint on a moving strip on a coil-coating line having, sequentially along the path P of the moving strip, a paint applicator, a heating device including a heating module, an Ultra-Violet curing device and an Electron-Beam curing device, the method comprising the steps of:
• setting a set gloss value Gs of the organic coating, a set gloss range Rs of the gloss of the organic coating and a proportionality constant K of a predefined linear mathematical relation between the temperature of the wet film before Ultra-Violet curing and the gloss of the organic coating after Electron-Beam curing,
• collecting a measure of the temperature T of the wet film in at least a width portion of the moving strip upstream of the Ultra-Violet curing device and collecting a measure of the gloss G of the organic coating in the at least a width portion downstream of the Electron-Beam curing device,
• correcting a deviation of the measured gloss G beyond the set gloss range Rs, the correcting step comprising a sub-step of calculating the corrected temperature Tc to be reached by the wet film, in the at least a width portion upstream of the Ultra-Violet curing device, according to equation 1:
• T
• c
• =
• T
• +
• K
• ⁡
• (
• G
• -
• G
• s
• )
• (
• 1
• )
• and a sub-step of adjusting a setting of the coil-coating line taking into account the calculated corrected temperature Tc.

21:

• The method as recited in claim 15 wherein:
• the Ultra-Violet curing device comprises a UV module,
• the setting step further comprises setting a maximum temperature Tmax for the radcure paint,
• the collecting step further comprises collecting the UV dose D of the UV module,
• the sub-step of adjusting a setting of the coil-coating line comprises:
• evaluating if Tc is superior to Tmax,
• when not, adjusting the power of the heating module so that the wet film reaches the corrected temperature Tc in the at least a width portion of the moving strip downstream of the heating module and upstream of the Ultra-Violet curing device,
• when Tc is superior to Tmax:
• calculating the corrected UV dose Dc to which the wet film in the at least a width portion must be exposed in the UV module according to equation 2:
• D
• c
• =
• f
• 1
• (
• D
• ,
• G
• ,
• G
• s
• )
• (
• 2
• )
• adjusting a setting of the coil-coating line other than the power of the heating device, taking into account the calculated corrected UV dose Dc.

23:

• The method as recited in claim 21 wherein:
• the UV module is movable along the path P,
• the setting step further comprises setting a maximum UV dose Dmax to which the wet film can be exposed in the UV module,
• the collecting step further comprises collecting the length L between the UV module and the Electron-Beam curing device,
• the sub-step of adjusting a setting of the coil-coating line other than the power of the heating module comprises:
• evaluating if Dc is superior to Dmax,
• when not, adjusting the power of the UV module so that the wet film in the at least a width portion of the moving strip is exposed with the corrected UV dose Dc,
• when Dc is superior to Dmax:
• calculating the corrected length Le between the UV module and the Electron-Beam curing device according to equation 3:
• L
• c
• =
• f
• 2
• (
• L
• ,
• G
• ,
• G
• s
• )
• (
• 3
• )
• adjusting a setting of the coil-coating line other than the power of the heating module and other than the power of the UV module, taking into account the calculated corrected length Lc.

25:

• A coil-coating line comprising:
• sequentially a paint applicator and a heating device including a heating module, an Ultra-Violet curing device and an Electron-Beam curing device;
• and further comprising:
• a gloss management tool for managing the gloss of an organic coating formed by application and curing of a wet film of a radcure paint on a moving strip on the coil-coating line, the gloss management tool comprising:
• a setting module setting a set gloss value Gs of the organic coating, a set gloss range Rs of the gloss of the organic coating and a proportionality constant K of a predefined linear mathematical relation between the temperature of the wet film before Ultra-Violet curing and the gloss of the organic coating after Electron-Beam curing,
• an acquisition module collecting a measure of the temperature T of the wet film in at least a width portion of the moving strip upstream of the Ultra-Violet curing device and collecting a measure of the gloss G of the organic coating in the at least a width portion downstream of the Electron-Beam curing device,
• a correction module correcting a deviation of the measured gloss G beyond the set gloss range Rs, the correction comprising calculating the corrected temperature Tc to be reached by the wet film, in the at least a width portion upstream of the Ultra-Violet curing device, according to equation 1:
• T
• c
• =
• T
• +
• K
• ⁡
• (
• G
• -
• G
• s
• )
• (
• 1
• )
• and adjusting a setting of the coil-coating line taking into account the calculated corrected temperature Tc.

28:

• A method for forming an organic coating on a moving strip on a coil-coating line having, sequentially along the path P of the moving strip, a paint applicator, a heating device comprising a heating module, an Ultra-Violet curing device and an Electron-Beam curing device, the method comprising the steps of:
• applying a wet film of a radcure paint on the moving strip with the paint applicator, heating the wet film of radcure paint in the heating module,
• exposing the wet film of radcure paint to UV in the Ultra-Violet curing device, curing the wet film of radcure paint in the Electron-Beam device to form the organic coating,
• the gloss of the organic coating being managed by:
• setting a set gloss value Gs of the organic coating, a set gloss range Rs of the gloss of the organic coating and a proportionality constant K of a predefined linear mathematical relation between the temperature of the wet film before Ultra-Violet curing and the gloss of the organic coating after Electron-Beam curing,
• collecting a measure of the temperature T of the wet film in at least a width portion of the moving strip upstream of the Ultra-Violet curing device and collecting a measure of the gloss G of the organic coating in the at least a width portion downstream of the Electron-Beam curing device,
• correcting a deviation of the measured gloss G beyond the set gloss range Rs, the correcting step comprising a sub-step of calculating the corrected temperature Tc to be reached by the wet film, in the at least a width portion upstream of the Ultra-Violet curing device, according to equation 1:
• T
• c
• =
• T
• +
• K
• ⁡
• (
• G
• -
• G
• s
• )
• (
• 1
• )
• and a sub-step of adjusting a setting of the coil-coating line taking into account the calculated corrected temperature Tc.