Seamless sleeve and seamless substrate

• Main Authors: VARACINS ALAN J, SPOTO LOUIS M, HERRING WILLIAM A, RANDAZZO DEAN J, CRAWFORD-TAYLOR SHANNON K, SANGKARATANA SUWIT, JELONEK PAUL R, DESCHNER MATTHEW J
• Format: Patent
• Language: Chinese; English
• Published: 24.10.2012
• Subjects: AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING; COLOUR PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; MAKING ARTICLES OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNERANALOGOUS TO PAPER; MATERIALS FOR SURFACES USED IN PRINTING MACHINES FOR PRINTING,INKING, DAMPING, OR THE LIKE; MECHANICAL WORKING OR DEFORMATION OF PAPER, CARDBOARD ORMATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PREPARING SUCH SURFACES FOR USE AND CONSERVING THEM; PRINTING; PRINTING PLATES OR FOILS; PRINTING, DUPLICATING, MARKING, OR COPYING PROCESSES; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR; SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; STAMPS; TRANSPORTING; TYPEWRITERS; WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE, IN GENERAL; WORKING PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUSTO PAPER

A seamless, embossed or cast substrate is formed using a seamless sleeve having a seamless surface relief formed thereon and configured to slide over an cylindrical base in an embossing or casting assembly. The substrate is a flat web, foil, or film of, for example, paper, polyester, polypropylene, metal or other elongated flat material. The surface relief can be applied through interfering ablation, non-interfering ablation, ink jet printing, or other techniques wherein a seamless surface relief is formed onto the seamless sleeve. A method of making a seamless, embossed or cast substrate includes expanding a diameter of a seamless sleeve having a seamless surface relief formed thereon, sliding the expanded seamless sleeve onto a cylindrical base, allowing the diameter of the seamless sleeve to contract around the cylindrical base, and conveying a substrate through the embossing or casting assembly and embossing or casting the seamless surface relief into the substrate.