Process and apparatus for manufacturing a honeycomb composite material

Abstract

An apparatus for a continuous production of a web of a composite material includes at least one honeycomb material carrier for moving a web of honeycomb material along the apparatus; at least one face sheet material carrier for moving at least one web of a face sheet material along the apparatus, the face sheet material having a corrugated medium with a linerboard on at least one face thereof; and at least one laminator for adhesively applying the at least one web of the face sheet material to a face of the web of honeycomb material in an expanded state.

1 . An apparatus for a continuous production of a web of a composite material, said apparatus comprising: 
 at least one honeycomb material carrier for moving a web of honeycomb material along said apparatus;    at least one face sheet material carrier for moving at least one web of a face sheet material along said apparatus, said face sheet material having a corrugated medium with a linerboard on at least one face thereof; and    at least one laminator for adhesively applying said at least one web of said face sheet material to a face of said web of honeycomb material in an expanded state.    
     
     
         2 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising an expanding mechanism for expanding said web of honeycomb material from a collapsed state to said expanded state.  
     
     
         3 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein said expanding mechanism comprises at least two expanding rolls.  
     
     
         4 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said honeycomb material carrier comprises at least one driven roll.  
     
     
         5 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said face sheet material carrier comprises at least one driven roll.  
     
     
         6 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said laminator comprises at least one adhesive applicator for applying adhesive to at least one of said web of face sheet material and said web of honeycomb material.  
     
     
         7 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 6 , comprising at least one heater to activate said adhesive.  
     
     
         8 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein said at least one heater is selected from the group consisting of: an electric plate, a steam plate, a gas or an electric infrared heater, microwaves, and a warm air flow.  
     
     
         9 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein said adhesive applicator applies an adhesive to at least one face of said web of honeycomb material.  
     
     
         10 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said at least one web of face sheet material comprises a linerboard on each face of the corrugated medium.  
     
     
         11 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said honeycomb material carrier is a continuous carrier.  
     
     
         12 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said face sheet material carrier is a continuous carrier.  
     
     
         13 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , comprising a face sheet material feeder.  
     
     
         14 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the face sheet material feeder comprises a feeding roll.  
     
     
         15 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein said adhesive applicator comprises two rolls defining a gap therebetween in which at least one of the honeycomb material web and the face sheet material web circulates.  
     
     
         16 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the laminator comprises at least one of compression conveyors, flat presses, and rolls extending after the adhesive applicator.  
     
     
         17 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , comprising a cutter unit extending after the laminator.  
     
     
         18 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein the cutter unit comprises at least one of a trim cutter unit, a longitudinal cutter unit, a groove cutter unit, and a transversal cutter unit.