Printing cylinder assembly

Abstract

The invention relates to a printing cylinder assembly (1) for detecting existing and / or forming errors during printing. The printing cylinder assembly (1) comprises at least one printing cylinder (2) which is adapted to print on a material and has at least one cylindrical body (21), at least one shaft (23) forming an axis of rotation for the body (21), and is characterized in that the printing cylinder (2) has at least one cavity (22) extending from the surface of the body (21) towards its inner volume; at least one sensor (3) which is adapted to be placed in the cavity (22); at least one communication interface (4) which is adapted to communicate with an external device; at least one control unit (5) which is adapted to receive data from the sensor (3) and to transmit these data to the external device directly and / or by processing them via the communication interface; and at least one power supply (6) for supplying the power required by the sensor (3), the communication interface (4) and / or the control unit (5).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a printing cylinder assembly for detecting errors during printing. BACKGROUND

[0002] A printing cylinder is a device that allows a pattern to be applied on a material. The printing cylinder rotates around an axis and, due to this rotational movement, receives ink from a reservoir and then transfers said ink onto the material with the pattern it has.

[0003] Printing with the desired quality depends on the balance of this rotational movement of the printing cylinder. However, determinants such as changes in the ambient temperature, improper installation, runout or vibrations of the printing cylinder can cause the balance to be disrupted. When this balance is disrupted, the printing does not have the desired quality.

[0004] In the prior art, when the printing does not have the desired quality, the user removes the printing cylinder and sends it to the manufacturer to diagnose the problem. Since this requires stopping the printing, it results in an increase in production costs. In addition, the process of sending the printing cylinder to the manufacturer is time-consuming and expensive. Therefore, there is a need for a printing cylinder assembly in order to determine the cause of the error during printing without the need to send the printing cylinder to the manufacturer.

[0005] The application known in the prior art, European Patent Document No. EP 0978589, discloses a sensor system that can actively reduce undesirable vibrations in a rotating roller. The sensor system device of this invention comprises at least one sensor disposed within the circular cover of the roller and / or at least one external sensor disposed within the gap on the surface of the roller cover.

[0006] The application known in the prior art, European Patent Document No. EP 2168768, discloses an application for a control device of a flexographic printing machine. The control system has a temperature measurement sensor and this sensor collects temperature signals that determine the temperature characteristics on the surface of the cylinder.

[0007] There is no structure in the printing cylinders known in the prior art for detecting the errors that are present and / or are being formed. SUMMARY

[0008] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a printing cylinder assembly for detecting errors that are present and / or are being formed during printing. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0009] The printing cylinder assembly provided in order to achieve the purpose of the present invention is shown in the drawings, wherein:

[0010] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the printing cylinder;

[0011] Figure 2 This is a 3D view of the printing roller assembly.

[0012] The components shown in the accompanying drawings are assigned the following reference numerals:

[0013] 1. Printing roller assembly

[0014] 2. Printing roller

[0015] 21.Ontology

[0016] 22. Cavity

[0017] 23. Shaft

[0018] 3. Sensors

[0019] 4. Communication Interface

[0020] 5. Control Unit

[0021] 6. Power supply Detailed Implementation

[0022] The printing roller assembly (1) for detecting present and / or forming errors during printing includes:

[0023] - At least one printing cylinder (2), the at least one printing cylinder is adapted to print on a material and has at least one cylindrical body (21), at least one shaft (23) forming a rotation axis for the body (21), and at least one cavity (22) extending from the surface of the body (21) toward its internal volume.

[0024] - At least one sensor (3), at least one sensor is adapted to be placed in the cavity (22);

[0025] - At least one communication interface (4), the at least one communication interface being adapted to communicate with an external device;

[0026] - At least one control unit (5), the at least one control unit being adapted to receive data from the sensor (3) and transmit the data directly and / or by processing it to an external device via a communication interface;

[0027] - At least one power source (6), which is used to supply the power required by the sensor (3), the communication interface (4) and / or the control unit (5).

[0028] A printing cylinder assembly (1) for detecting existing and / or forming errors during printing comprises at least one printing cylinder (2) adapted to print on a material. The printing cylinder (2) has at least one cylindrical body (21) and at least one shaft (23) forming an axis of rotation for the body (21). The cylindrical body (21) has at least one cavity (22) extending from its surface towards its inner volume. The cavity (22) can extend from the bottom, the top or the lateral surface of the body (21) towards the inner volume of the body (21). The cavity (22) preferably extends from the bottom or the top of the body (21) towards the inner volume of the body (21).

[0029] The printing cylinder assembly (1) of the invention comprises at least one sensor (3) adapted to be placed in the cavity (22). The sensor (3) is a suitable sensor for measuring at least acceleration, speed and / or temperature data. The printing cylinder assembly (1) can comprise separate sensors (3) for each data desired to be measured and it can also comprise sensors (3) or combinations of these sensors (3) adapted to measure more than one data at the same time.

[0030] The printing cylinder assembly (1) of the invention comprises at least one communication interface (4) adapted to communicate with an external device. Thanks to this communication interface (4), the data received from the sensor (3) can be transmitted directly to the external device or by being processed to the external device. The communication interface (4) can be a wired communication interface, such as USB, rs-232, etc., and / or it can be a wireless communication interface, such as Bluetooth, zigbee, Wi-Fi, RF, etc. Of course, it is obvious that interfaces other than the above examples can also be used with the invention.

[0031] The printing cylinder assembly (1) of the invention comprises at least one control unit (5) adapted to receive data from the sensor (3) and to transmit these data directly and / or by processing them to the external device via the communication interface (4).

[0032] The power required by the sensor (3), the communication interface (4) and / or the control unit (5) is supplied by at least one power source (6). The power source (6) can be a battery and / or an inductive power source. In the case where an inductive power source is used as the power source (6), an external magnetic field must be applied to the inductive power source. In addition, the inductive power source can also be used to charge the battery.

[0033] In an embodiment of the invention, the sensor (3) measuring the vibrations of the printing cylinder (2) during operation is an accelerometer. In this embodiment, the sensor (3) measuring the speed of the printing cylinder (2) can be the said accelerometer or a separate speed sensor. The said speed sensor can be any speed sensor, such as a reed switch and magnet pair or an optical pair. The sensor (3) can provide analog and / or digital data corresponding to the value to be measured or a representation of the value. In other words, the data provided by the sensor (3) can be an analog voltage value corresponding to the measured value, the number of pulses provided in a predetermined time or data transmitted on a data bus. Furthermore, the sensor (3) can provide the said data wirelessly.

[0034] The control unit (5) can transmit the data received from the sensor (3) to an external device via the communication interface (4) by processing the data or in unprocessed form. The control unit (5) can also store the said data in a storage unit and when a connection is established with an external device, it can transmit the data contained in the storage unit to the external device in whole or in part. In this embodiment, the printing cylinder assembly (1) of the invention comprises at least one storage unit adapted to store data therein. The said external device can be a standard device, such as a computer, a mobile phone, a tablet, and it can be a terminal adapted to receive data via the communication interface (4). Furthermore, the communication interface (4) can also be connected to an external device adapted to be connected to a remote network, such as a modem. Thus, by connecting from a remote device to the printing cylinder assembly (1) of the invention, the desired data can be obtained.

[0035] In an embodiment of the invention, one, several or all of the sensor (3), the communication interface (4), the control unit (5) and the power supply (6) are located within the cavity (22). The cavity (22) is filled with a polymeric material, such as epoxy, to ensure that the components therein remain fixed.

[0036] The control unit (5) and / or the external device can detect the presence of and / or the formation of an error by interpreting the data provided by the sensor (3). For example, if the vibrations during the rotation of the printing cylinder (2) are higher than a predetermined value, this situation can be interpreted as an error. If the said vibration value is higher than a minimum value but lower than a maximum value, this can be interpreted as the printing cylinder (2) forming an error. The data provided by the sensor (3) can also provide information about the service life and condition of the printing cylinder (2).

[0037] In an embodiment of the invention, the printing cylinder assembly (1) of the invention comprises at least one clock signal generator in order to provide time data as well as the data provided by the sensor (3).

[0038] The error detection method of the invention comprises the following steps:

[0039] - detecting, by means of a sensor (3), whether the printing cylinder (2) has started rotating,

[0040] - in the event that the printing cylinder (2) has started rotating, measuring the time elapsed during the operation by means of a clock signal,

[0041] - receiving acceleration data and temperature data from the sensor,

[0042] - comparing the acceleration data with reference acceleration data,

[0043] - determining, as a function of the comparison, whether there is a balance problem,

[0044] - in the event that there is a balance problem, determining the balance zones and the intensities,

[0045] - informing the operator that there is a balance problem.

[0046] In the step of determining the balance zones and their intensities in the event that there is a balance problem, the variations of the acceleration data on two axes are evaluated. The application in which the printing cylinder (2) is divided into zones, for example a unit circle, can be considered as an example. It is assumed that the variations of the accelerations on the x and y axes are considered in this application. It can be concluded that if the acceleration on the x axis (ax) and the acceleration on the y axis (ay) increase together, the imbalance is in quadrant 1, if ay increases and ax decreases, the imbalance is in quadrant 2, if ax and ay decrease together, the imbalance is in quadrant 3, if ay decreases and ax increases, the imbalance is in quadrant 4.

[0047] In the error detection method, the measurement can be made for a predetermined period of time, then the control unit (5) is allowed to sleep for a predetermined period of time. For example, after measuring for 5 seconds, the control unit (5) can be allowed to sleep for 55 seconds. To do this, the time measured by the clock signal is used. The period of time is only an example. The measurement and sleep cycles can be changed as desired.

[0048] In the error detection method, after the zones and intensities of the balance have been determined, the zones and intensities of the balance can be informed to the user, in addition, the user can be instructed as to how many weights should be attached to which zone in order to eliminate the balance.

[0049] In an embodiment of the invention, which can be used in combination with other embodiments, the printing cylinder (2) preferably comprises at least one mounting hole adapted to mount at least one weight on the top and / or the bottom of its body (21). Preferably, there are at least eight mounting holes, at least one in each quadrant in the circular cross-section of the cylindrical body (21). However, it is clear that it can also be more or less.

[0050] In embodiments of the application, in order to determine the service life of the printing cylinder (2) and / or the pattern on the printing cylinder (2) and thus the printing volume, the operating parameters of the printing cylinder (2) with the pattern can be recorded during the entire life of the printing cylinder (2). Thus, it can be recorded how the printing cylinder (2) behaves at which operating parameter and, as a result, information is obtained about the service life of the printing cylinder (2) and / or the pattern and their potential failure during that service life. This, in turn, enables to determine how effectively the printing cylinder (2) is operated, thus effectively determining the cost of the printing job. Furthermore, thanks to these data, it is possible to determine the design of the printing cylinder (2) and / or the pattern, as well as the optimal design and operating conditions of the printing cylinder (2) and / or the pattern. The design is data used in the pattern, such as the hardness of copper, the angle of the engraving diamond, the hardness of chromium, the thickness of chromium, etc., but not limited to these.

Claims

1. A printing cylinder assembly (1) for detecting the presence and / or the formation of errors during printing, comprising - at least one printing cylinder (2) adapted to print on a material and having at least one cylindrical body (21), at least one shaft (23) forming the axis of rotation for the body (21), and characterized in that - the printing cylinder (2) has at least one cavity (22) extending from the surface of the body (21) towards its internal volume; - at least one acceleration sensor (3) adapted to be placed in said cavity (22); - at least one communication interface (4) adapted to communicate with an external device; - at least one control unit (5) adapted to receive data from the acceleration sensor (3) and to process said data to identify and indicate areas of imbalance in the printing cylinder (2); - at least one power supply (6) for supplying the power required by the sensor (3), the communication interface (4) and / or the control unit (5).

2. The printing cylinder assembly (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that The cavity (22) extends from the bottom, top or lateral surface of the body (21) towards the internal volume of the body (21).

3. The printing cylinder assembly (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that It also comprises individual sensors (3) for each data expected to be measured and / or sensors (3) adapted to measure more than one data simultaneously or a combination of these sensors (3).

4. The printing cylinder assembly (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that The power supply (6) is a battery and / or an inductive power supply.

5. The printing cylinder assembly (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that The power supply (6) is an inductive power supply adapted to charge said battery.

6. The printing cylinder assembly (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that The sensor (3) is an accelerometer for measuring the vibrations of the printing cylinder (2) during operation.

7. The printing cylinder assembly (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that Said individual sensor (3) is a temperature sensor (3) for measuring the temperature of the printing cylinder (2).

8. The printing cylinder assembly (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that Said individual sensor (3) is any speed sensor, such as a reed switch and magnet pair or an optical pair.

9. The printing cylinder assembly (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that The sensor (3) provides analog and / or digital data corresponding to the values expected to be measured or a representation of said values.

10. The printing cylinder assembly (1) according to claim 9, characterized in that The sensor (3) is adapted to transmit said data wirelessly.

11. The printing cylinder assembly (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that The control unit (5) is adapted to transmit the data it receives from the sensor (3) to an external device via the communication interface (4) by processing and / or in unprocessed form.

12. The printing cylinder assembly (1) according to claim 11, characterized in that It comprises at least one memory unit adapted to store said data therein.

13. The printing cylinder assembly (1) according to claim 12, characterized in that The control unit (5) is adapted to transmit the data in the memory unit to the external device in whole or in part when a connection is established with the external device.

14. The printing cylinder assembly (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that At least one polymeric material fills the cavity (22) in order to enable the components therein to remain fixed.

15. The printing cylinder assembly (1) according to claim 11, comprising at least one clock signal generator in order to provide time data.

16. The printing cylinder assembly (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that The printing cylinder (2) has at least one mounting hole on the top and / or bottom of its body (21) adapted to mount at least one counterweight.

17. The printing cylinder assembly (1) according to claim 16, characterized in that The printing cylinder (2) has at least eight mounting holes, at least one in each quadrant in the circular cross-section of the cylindrical body (21).

18. A method of error detection performed by a control unit (5) of a printing cylinder assembly (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by the steps of - detecting by means of a sensor (3) whether the printing cylinder (2) has started to rotate, - in case the printing cylinder (2) has started to rotate, measuring the time elapsed during operation by means of a clock signal, - receiving acceleration and temperature data from the sensor, - comparing the acceleration data with reference acceleration data, - determining from the comparison whether there is a balance problem, - in case there is a balance problem, determining the area and intensity of the balance, - informing the operator that there is a balance problem.

19. The error detection method of claim 18, wherein The following steps, after determining the area and intensity of the balance, inform the user of the area and intensity of the balance and guide the user on how much weight should be attached to which area in order to eliminate the balance.

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