Lever Brothers Company

Lever Brothers Company, Division of Conopco, Inc.

Unilever Home and Personal Care Usa, Division of Conopco, Inc.

Brian Edmondson

Michael J Adams

Edward Ross Story

Daniel John Heinz

Pasquale Michael Buzzeo

Alan William Espie

A device for stamping a detergent bar, i.e. a bar comprising soap, a synthetic detergent active or a mixture thereof, includes a die. The die has at least one bar stamping surface provided with at least one elastomeric coating and includes an edge for delaying tearing of the elastomeric coating. Good release of the detergent bars from the die is possible without chilling of the dies. Use of the edge increases the useful life of the coating.

Die especially for stamping detergent bars

A stamping die includes a substrate stamping surface comprising a base matrix of open structure having a coating of elastomeric material applied thereon. The resulting surface is a composite comprising predominantly elastomer having matrix protruding through the elastomer in places.

Hybrid soap stamping bars

Bar stamping

Bars of soap, synthetic detergent or mixtures of them are stamped between dies. In contrast with conventional stamping machinery the relative velocity of the dies is made to decrease at a rate which is more than proportional to the decrease in distance between the dies. Preferably the decrease is at a rate which is proportional to the cube of the decrease in distance. The process leads to a reduction in the adherence of soap/detergent to the dies.

Detergent bars (soap or non-soap) are stamped or imprinted using a die or dies having a modulus of elasticity in the range 5.times.10.sup.5 to 1.times.10.sup.7 Nm.sup.-2. This gives reduced adhesion of detergent to die, reduced die-blocking and consequently reduced marring of bars. Preferably each such die has a facing layer of elastomer so as to achieve the desired low modulus of elasticity which preferably is distinctly less than that of the detergent.

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Neston, United Kingdom

Brian Edmondson