Patents by Inventor Bernhard Kernig

Bernhard Kernig has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11326232
    Abstract: A method for producing aluminum strips for lithographic printing plate supports, wherein the aluminum strip is produced from a rolling ingot, which after optional homogenizing is hot-rolled to a thickness of 2 mm to 7 mm and cold-rolled to a final thickness of 0.15 mm to 0.5 mm provides for an aluminum strip having a thickness of 0.15 mm to 0.5 mm and a printing plate support produced from the aluminum strip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Hydro Aluminium Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Bernhard Kernig, Henk-Jan Brinkman, Jochen Hasenclever, Christoph Settele, Gerd Steinhoff
  • Patent number: 11260439
    Abstract: The invention relates to an aluminum alloy strip with improved surface optics, which is fabricated via hot and/or cold rolling, and consists of a type AA 3xxx, AA 5xxx, AA 6xxx or AA 8xxx aluminum alloy. The object of proposing an aluminum alloy strip that is suitable for attractive and precious surface optics despite the elevated percentage of alloy constituents is achieved in that, after degreasing, the finish-rolled aluminum alloy strip exhibits an increase in the luminance value L*(?L) in relation to the rolled-greasy state of more than 5 while measuring the color of the surface in the CIE L*a*b* color space using a standard illuminant D65 and a normal observation angle of 10°, excluding direct reflection in 45°/0° geometry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: Hydro Aluminium Rolled Products GmbH
    Inventors: Dieter Bögershausen, Jochen Schwarz, Bernhard Kernig, Kathrin Eckhard, Axel Blecher, Olaf Güßgen
  • Patent number: 11131037
    Abstract: The invention relates to a strip or sheet consisting of an aluminium alloy having a unilateral or bilateral surface structure prepared for a forming process, in particular it relates to a strip or sheet for formed motor vehicle components. The object of providing an aluminium alloy strip or sheet having a surface structure prepared for a forming process, which is easy to produce and has improved tribological characteristics in respect of a subsequent forming process, is achieved for a strip or sheet consisting of an aluminium alloy in that the strip or sheet has on one side or on both sides a surface with depressions as lubricant pockets which are produced using an electrochemical graining process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: Hydro Aluminium Rolled Products GmbH
    Inventors: Frank Hirschmann, Kathrin Eckhard, Bernhard Kernig, Gernot Nitzsche, Henk-Jan Brinkman
  • Patent number: 10927437
    Abstract: The invention relates to an aluminium alloy for the production of lithographic printing plate supports and also to an aluminium strip produced from the aluminium alloy, a process for the production of the aluminium strip and also its use for the production of lithographic printing plate supports. The object of providing an aluminium alloy as well as an aluminium strip from an aluminium alloy that permits the production of printing plate supports having improved bending-strength fatigue transverse to the rolling direction without adversely affecting the tensile strength values before and after the annealing process and while preserving the roughening properties, is achieved by the fact that the aluminium alloy contains the following alloy components in weight percent: 0.4%<Fe?1.0%, 0.3%<Mg?1.0%, 0.05%?Si?0.25%, Mn?0.25%, Cu?0.04%, Ti<0.1%, the remainder being Al and unavoidable impurities, individually at most 0.05% and totaling at most 0.05%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Hydro Aluminium Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Bernhard Kernig, Jochen Hasenclever, Henk-Jan Brinkman, Gerd Steinhoff, Christoph Settele
  • Patent number: 10889912
    Abstract: The invention relates to a strip consisting of an aluminium alloy for providing adhesive connections. In addition, the invention relates to a method for producing a strip having a one or two-sided surface structure which consists of an aluminium alloy, at least provided in certain areas and prepared for an adhesive connection, and also relates to a corresponding adhesive connection. The object of providing an aluminium alloy strip optimised for adhesive connections, which has optimised surface properties for ageing-resistant adhesive connections, on the one hand, and which can be cost-effectively produced in a way which is reliable in terms of the process, on the other hand, is achieved for a strip consisting of an aluminium alloy for providing adhesive connections by the strip at least in areas having a surface structure prepared for adhesive connections, wherein the surface structure has depressions which were produced using an electrochemical graining process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: Hydro Aluminium Rolled Products GmbH
    Inventors: Bernhard Kernig, Henk-Jan Brinkman, Kathrin Eckhard, Gernot Nitzsche, Frank Hirschmann
  • Patent number: 10696040
    Abstract: Provided is a method for production of an aluminium strip for lithographic printing plate supports from an aluminium alloy including (in wt %): 0.05%?Si?0.25%, 0.2%?Fe?1%, Cu max. 400 ppm, Mn?0.30%, 0.10%?Mg?0.50%, Cr?100 ppm, Zn?500 ppm, Ti<0.030%, the remainder aluminium and unavoidable impurities individually at most 0.03%, in total at most 0.15%. In the method, a rolling ingot is cast from an aluminium alloy, and the rolling ingot is homogenised. Further, the rolling ingot is hot rolled to a hot strip final thickness, and the hot strip is cold rolled to final thickness of between 0.1 mm and 0.5 mm. The product of the relative final thicknesses of the aluminium strip after the first and after the second cold rolling pass of the aluminium strip is 15% to 24%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: Hydro Aluminium Rolled Products GmbH
    Inventors: Christoph Settele, Bernhard Kernig, Jochen Hasenclever, Gerd Steinhoff
  • Publication number: 20190047279
    Abstract: Provided is a method for production of an aluminium strip for lithographic printing plate supports from an aluminium alloy including (in wt %): 0.05%?Si?0.25%, 0.2%?Fe?1%, Cu max. 400 ppm, Mn?0.30%, 0.10%?Mg?0.50%, Cr?100 ppm, Zn?500 ppm, Ti<0.030%, the remainder aluminium and unavoidable impurities individually at most 0.03%, in total at most 0.15%. In the method, a rolling ingot is cast from an aluminium alloy, and the rolling ingot is homogenised. Further, the rolling ingot is hot rolled to a hot strip final thickness, and the hot strip is cold rolled to final thickness of between 0.1 mm and 0.5 mm. The product of the relative final thicknesses of the aluminium strip after the first and after the second cold rolling pass of the aluminium strip is 15% to 24%.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2018
    Publication date: February 14, 2019
    Applicant: Hydro Aluminium Rolled Products GmbH
    Inventors: Christoph Settele, Bernhard Kernig, Jochen Hasenclever, Gerd Steinhoff
  • Publication number: 20180347067
    Abstract: The invention relates to a strip consisting of an aluminium alloy for providing adhesive connections. In addition, the invention relates to a method for producing a strip having a one or two-sided surface structure which consists of an aluminium alloy, at least provided in certain areas and prepared for an adhesive connection, and also relates to a corresponding adhesive connection. The object of providing an aluminium alloy strip optimised for adhesive connections, which has optimised surface properties for ageing-resistant adhesive connections, on the one hand, and which can be cost-effectively produced in a way which is reliable in terms of the process, on the other hand, is achieved for a strip consisting of an aluminium alloy for providing adhesive connections by the strip at least in areas having a surface structure prepared for adhesive connections, wherein the surface structure has depressions which were produced using an electrochemical graining process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2018
    Publication date: December 6, 2018
    Applicant: Hydro Aluminium Rolled Products GmbH
    Inventors: Bernhard Kernig, Henk-Jan Brinkman, Kathrin Eckhard, Gernot Nitzsche, Frank Hirschmann
  • Publication number: 20180340268
    Abstract: The invention relates to a strip or sheet consisting of an aluminium alloy having a unilateral or bilateral surface structure prepared for a forming process, in particular it relates to a strip or sheet for formed motor vehicle components. The object of providing an aluminium alloy strip or sheet having a surface structure prepared for a forming process, which is easy to produce and has improved tribological characteristics in respect of a subsequent forming process, is achieved for a strip or sheet consisting of an aluminium alloy in that the strip or sheet has on one side or on both sides a surface with depressions as lubricant pockets which are produced using an electrochemical graining process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2018
    Publication date: November 29, 2018
    Applicant: Hydro Aluminium Rolled Products GmbH
    Inventors: Frank Hirschmann, Kathrin Eckhard, Bernhard Kernig, Gernot Nitzsche, Henk-Jan Brinkman
  • Patent number: 9914318
    Abstract: An aluminum strip for lithographic printing plate supports, from which printing plate supports can be produced with an improved roughenability and at the same time improved mechanical properties, particularly after a burn-in process, is formed of an aluminum alloy which has the following proportions of alloy constituents in wt. %: 0.05%?Mg?0.3%, 0.008%?Mn?0.3%, 0.4%?Fe?1%, 0.05%?Si?0.5%, Cu?0.04%, Ti?0.04%, inevitable impurities individually max. 0.01%, in total max. 0.05% and remainder Al.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: Hydro Aluminium Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Bernhard Kernig, Henk-Jan Brinkman, Arve Sund, Gerd Steinhoff
  • Publication number: 20170253952
    Abstract: A method for producing aluminum strips for lithographic printing plate supports, wherein the aluminum strip is produced from a rolling ingot, which after optional homogenizing is hot-rolled to a thickness of 2 mm to 7 mm and cold-rolled to a final thickness of 0.15 mm to 0.5 mm provides for an aluminum strip having a thickness of 0.15 mm to 0.5 mm and a printing plate support produced from the aluminum strip.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2017
    Publication date: September 7, 2017
    Applicant: Hydro Aluminium Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Bernhard Kernig, Henk-Jan Brinkman, Jochen Hasenclever, Christoph Settele, Gerd Steinhoff
  • Publication number: 20170190204
    Abstract: The invention relates to a litho sheet for electrochemical roughening, consisting of a rolled aluminium alloy, wherein the sheet surface has a topography with a maximum peak height Rp or Sp of not more than 1.4 ?m, preferably not more than 1.2 ?m, in particular not more than 1.0 ?m. The invention also relates to a method which is intended for producing a litho sheet and in the case of which a litho sheet consisting of an aluminium alloy is cold-rolled and in the case of which the litho sheet, following the final cold-rolling pass, is subjected to a degreasing treatment with a pickling step using an aqueous pickling medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2017
    Publication date: July 6, 2017
    Applicant: Hydro Aluminium Rolled Products GmbH
    Inventors: Bernhard Kernig, Christoph Settele, Olaf Güßgen
  • Patent number: 9206494
    Abstract: A strip for the production of a substrate for lithographic printing plates consisting of aluminum or an aluminum alloy and has at least to some extent a microcrystalline surface layer as a result of hot and/or cold roll passes. When analyzed in a two-dimensional microprobe analysis according to the mapping method of a surface region of the microcrystalline surface of the strip, the surface portion having an intensity ratio I/Ibulk(avg) of greater than 3 in the spectral range of the K?1 line of the X-ray emission spectrum of oxygen of the measured microcrystalline surface layer is less than 10%, preferably less than 7%, wherein, during the two-dimensional microprobe analysis, an excitation voltage of 15kV, a beam current of 50 nA and a beam cross section of 1 ?m is used with a step size of 16.75 ?m for the electron beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: Hydro Aluminium Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Bernhard Kernig, Henk-Jan Brinkman
  • Publication number: 20140341678
    Abstract: The invention relates to an aluminum alloy strip with improved surface optics, which is fabricated via hot and/or cold rolling, and consists of a type AA 3xxx, AA 5xxx, AA 6xxx or AA 8xxx aluminum alloy. The object of proposing an aluminum alloy strip that is suitable for attractive and precious surface optics despite the elevated percentage of alloy constituents is achieved in that, after degreasing, the finish-rolled aluminum alloy strip exhibits an increase in the luminance value L*(?L) in relation to the rolled-greasy state of more than 5 while measuring the color of the surface in the CIE L*a*b* color space using a standard illuminant D65 and a normal observation angle of 10°, excluding direct reflection in 45°/0° geometry.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2014
    Publication date: November 20, 2014
    Applicant: Hydro Aluminium Rolled Products GmbH
    Inventors: Dieter Bögershausen, Jochen Schwarz, Bernhard Kernig, Kathrin Eckhard, Axel Blecher, Olaf Güßgen
  • Patent number: 8869875
    Abstract: An aluminum alloy for producing an aluminum strip for lithographic print plate carriers, a method for producing an aluminum alloy for lithographic print plate carriers, in which, during the production of the aluminum alloy, after the electrolysis of the aluminum oxide, the liquid aluminum, up to the casting of the aluminum alloy, is supplied to a plurality of purification steps, as well as an aluminum strip for lithographic print plate carriers and a corresponding use of the aluminum strip for lithographic print plate carriers include a carbide content of less than 10 ppm, and preferably less than 1 ppm. As a result, the aluminum alloy, the method for producing the aluminum alloy, the aluminum strip, and corresponding use of the aluminum strip for lithographic print plate carriers described herein allow for the use of virtually gas-tight coatings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Hydro Aluminium Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Bernhard Kernig, Werner Droste, Henk-Jan Brinkman
  • Patent number: 8857332
    Abstract: The invention relates to an aluminum alloy strip for the production of printing plate carriers comprising water-based coatings, wherein the aluminum alloy strip has a thickness of at most 0.5 mm. The object is to propose an aluminum alloy strip for the production of printing plate carriers comprising at least one water-based coating so that punctiform coating faults are prevented. The object is achieved for an aluminum alloy strip in that the aluminum alloy strip, in a longitudinal polished section prepared using water as a lubricant, has etch figures with a cubic etching, of which the longitudinal extent is at most 15 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Hydro Aluminium Rolled Products GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Knabben, Bernhard Kernig, Jochen Hasenclever, Gerd Steinhoff, Werner Droste, Katrin Kuhnke
  • Patent number: 8632955
    Abstract: A method of conditioning the surface of a work piece, particularly of a strip or sheet, more particularly of a lithostrip or lithosheet, including an aluminum alloy is provided. The method for conditioning the surface of a work piece and a work piece including an aluminum alloy enabling an increasing manufacturing speed in electro-chemically graining and maintaining at the same time a high quality of the grained surface, includes a conditioning method which comprises at least the two steps, degreasing the surface of the work piece with a degreasing medium and subsequently cleaning the surface of the work piece by pickling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2014
    Assignee: Hydro Aluminium Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Bernhard Kernig, Henk Jan Brinkman
  • Publication number: 20140000469
    Abstract: The invention relates to an aluminium alloy strip for the production of printing plate carriers comprising water-based coatings, wherein the aluminium alloy strip has a thickness of at most 0.5 mm. The object is to propose an aluminium alloy strip for the production of printing plate carriers comprising at least one water-based coating so that punctiform coating faults are prevented. The object is achieved for an aluminium alloy strip in that the aluminium alloy strip, in a longitudinal polished section prepared using water as a lubricant, has etch figures with a cubic etching, of which the longitudinal extent is at most 15 mm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2013
    Publication date: January 2, 2014
    Applicant: Hydro Aluminium Rolled Products GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Knabben, Bernhard Kernig, Jochen Hasenclever, Gerd Steinhoff, Werner Droste, Katrin Kuhnke
  • Publication number: 20130263749
    Abstract: The invention relates to a litho sheet for electrochemical roughening, consisting of a rolled aluminium alloy, wherein the sheet surface has a topography with a maximum peak height Rp or Sp of not more than 1.4 [mu]m, preferably not more than 1.2 [mu]m, in particular not more than 1.0 [mu]m. The invention also relates to a method which is intended for producing a litho sheet and in the case of which a litho sheet consisting of an aluminium alloy is cold-rolled and in the case of which the litho sheet, following the final cold-rolling pass, is subjected to a degreasing treatment with a pickling step using an aqueous pickling medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2013
    Publication date: October 10, 2013
    Applicant: Hydro Aluminium Rolled Products GmbH
    Inventors: Bernhard Kernig, Christoph Settele, Olaf Güßgen
  • Patent number: 8449689
    Abstract: A method of conditioning the surface of a work piece, in particular of a litho-strip or litho-sheet, consisting of an aluminum alloy enables an increase in manufacturing speed in surface roughening while maintaining a high quality of the electro-chemical grained surface of the work piece with relative low effort related to facility equipment. The method of conditioning comprises at least the step of degreasing the surface of the work piece with a degreasing medium, wherein the degreasing medium contains at least 1.5 to 3% by weight of a composite of 5-40% sodium tripolyphosphate, 3-10% sodium gluconate, 3-8% of a composite of non-ionic and anionic surfactants and optionally 0.5 to 70% soda, wherein sodium hydroxide is added to the degreasing medium such that the concentration of sodium hydroxide in the aqueous degreasing medium is 0.01 to 5% by weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Hydro Aluminium Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Bernhard Kernig, Henk-Jan Brinkman