Automatic plate feeding device for printing machine and method thereof

Abstract

The application discloses a printing machine automatic plate feeding device and method thereof, which comprises a plate conveying mechanism, a track conveying mechanism and a plate collecting mechanism; the plate conveying mechanism comprises an inclined conveying frame, and annular synchronous conveying belts are arranged on the longitudinal two sides of the conveying frame; and a plurality of plate conveying hoists are uniformly arranged on the synchronous conveying belts. The printing machine automatic plate feeding device and method thereof can better save labor cost. In the production process, each group of CTP plates can be conveyed from a plate making workshop to a production workshop without any labor, thereby saving 100% labor cost; and the whole plate conveying process from a plate assembling workshop to a printing workshop equipment platform can be completed in only 2-8 minutes, 80% time is saved compared with the original manual plate conveying, and the production efficiency of the whole workshop is greatly improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of printing equipment technology and process, and specifically relates to an automatic plate feeding device and method for a printing press. Background Technology

[0002] Before printing, the assembled CTP plates need to be transported to the printing presses. Currently, CTP plates are transported manually. For example, for nine printing presses in the same shift, three employees need to continuously transport each set of assembled CTP plates to each press using a trolley. The presses for each set of CTP plates are random, resulting in high labor costs and making it difficult to monitor equipment production load. Manually transporting CTP plates from the ground to the press requires manual handling, which is strenuous and easily scratches the plates, causing losses. Furthermore, the random arrangement of plates transported manually to the presses makes online traceability impossible, hindering subsequent intelligent scheduling, operation, and equipment management in the workshop, and also impeding the integration and modification of workshop equipment and processes. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This invention provides an automatic plate feeding device and method for printing presses, which can significantly reduce labor costs. Each CTP plate can be transported from the plate-making workshop to the production workshop unmanned, saving 100% of labor costs. The entire plate transport process from the imposition workshop to the printing workshop equipment takes only 2-8 minutes, saving 80% of the time compared to the original manual plate transport, greatly improving the overall production efficiency of the workshop.

[0004] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0005] An automatic plate feeding device for a printing press includes a plate conveying mechanism, a track conveying mechanism, and a plate receiving mechanism. The plate conveying mechanism includes an inclined conveyor frame with annular synchronous conveyor belts on both longitudinal sides. A plurality of plate-carrying hangers are evenly positioned on the synchronous conveyor belts. A first auxiliary push rod is located at the lower part of the conveyor frame, and the first auxiliary push rod pushes the CTP plate to the waiting position via a drive push rod. The track conveying mechanism includes a conveyor track and a guide plate. A plurality of clamping devices are evenly positioned on the conveyor track. Each clamping device includes a clamping plate and a pneumatic clamp. The top of the clamping plate is fixedly connected to the lower part of the conveyor track. The guide plate is positioned below the clamping devices and outside the clamping devices, and the guide plate is pneumatically driven. The plate receiving mechanism includes a plate receiving frame and a fixed base. A mounting column is located in the middle of the plate receiving frame, and a plate receiving slide and a slide groove are provided on the mounting column. A second auxiliary push rod is located at the lower part of the plate receiving frame.

[0006] The track conveying mechanism is equipped with a laser scanning gun, a pneumatic drive unit, and a photoelectric sensor switch. The laser scanning gun, pneumatic drive unit, and photoelectric sensor switch are located in the lower middle part of the track conveying mechanism, outside the clamping device.

[0007] The upper side of the plate collecting rack is equipped with an anti-tilting plate, and the bottom is equipped with a collecting plate.

[0008] The aforementioned plate-retrieving slide also includes a plate-retrieving hanger, which is located below the anti-tilt plate.

[0009] The bottom of the second auxiliary push rod is provided with a linkage rod, and a horizontal plate is provided on the linkage rod. A pressure plate is provided at the front end of the horizontal plate. The pressure plate is connected to the horizontal plate and the plate collecting frame by a rigid spring. The rear end of the horizontal plate is connected to the plate collecting frame by a tension spring. The plate collecting slide slides down and presses down the pressure plate. The pressure plate drives the linkage rod to rotate. The rotation of the linkage rod drives the second auxiliary push rod to push the CTP plate to the collecting plate.

[0010] The drive push rod is a pneumatic push rod.

[0011] The conveying mechanism is also equipped with a photoelectric sensor switch, which is located above the first auxiliary push rod.

[0012] The plate conveying mechanism can be a downward conveying mechanism, a horizontal conveying mechanism, or an upward conveying mechanism.

[0013] A method of using an automatic plate feeding device for a printing press includes the following steps:

[0014] a. Lowering the plate: The upper end of the conveyor frame 1 of the plate conveying mechanism is located in the assembly workshop. In the assembly workshop, the assembled CTP plate is placed on the synchronous conveyor belt 2 on the plate conveying mechanism. The synchronous conveyor belt 2 is inclined at 10-20 degrees to ensure that the CTP plate can be placed on the plate lifting device 3 and closely attached to the synchronous conveyor belt 2 without shaking or flipping. The synchronous conveyor belt 2 is driven by a motor to transport the CTP plate from the assembly workshop to the printing workshop, ensuring the stable operation of the CTP plate.

[0015] b. Plate transport: When the synchronous conveyor belt 2 transports the CTP plate to the lower part of the plate transport mechanism, the photoelectric sensor switch 16 on the plate transport mechanism senses the CTP plate falling. After the plate transport lifting device 3 decelerates and runs to a fixed position, the first auxiliary push rod 4 pushes the upper part of the CTP plate forward, so that the CTP plate is longitudinally aligned with the clamping device of the circular conveyor track 5. When the photoelectric sensor switch 16 of the circular conveyor track 5 senses that the clamping plate 7 has reached the designated position, the program controls the synchronous conveyor belt 2 to rotate a certain distance, and the plate transport lifting device 3 sends the CTP plate upward to the clamping device. The pneumatic drive unit 15 drives the guide plate 6 to move towards the CTP plate, and at the same time drives the pneumatic clamp 8 to clamp the CTP plate. The clamping device clamps the CTP plate and transports it on the circular conveyor track 5.

[0016] c. Plate Receiving: Each CTP plate is designed with a device QR code, which corresponds to the printing equipment. When the CTP plate is transported to the plate receiving mechanism, the scanner on the track conveyor scans the QR code on the CTP plate. If it is the QR code corresponding to the printing equipment, the pneumatic drive unit 15 drives the pneumatic clamp 8 to release the CTP plate. The CTP plate falls smoothly onto the plate receiving hanger of the plate receiving slide 12. The servo motor drives the plate receiving slide 12 to transport it downwards. When the CTP plate falls to the lower middle part of the plate receiving mechanism, the plate receiving slide 12 decelerates and moves to the bottom of the plate receiving mechanism. The plate receiving slide 12 pushes the CTP plate forward to the collection plate position of the plate receiving frame 9 through the downward linkage rod. The plate receiving hanger returns to the initial position, completing the automatic plate feeding operation of the CTP plate.

[0017] Beneficial effects

[0018] By adopting the above technical solution, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0019] 1. It can significantly reduce labor costs; the production process of transporting CTP plates from the self-made plate workshop to the production workshop can be completed without human intervention, saving approximately 100% of labor costs;

[0020] 2. Reduce the labor intensity of operators; CTP plates can be automatically transported to the machine position via an automatic plate feeding device, eliminating the need for manual handling and transfer via machine stairs, greatly reducing the labor intensity of employees and making it easier to observe the operating status of the equipment and the stability of print quality.

[0021] 3. Improve workshop printing efficiency; After adopting this invention, the entire plate-carrying process from the imposition workshop to the printing workshop equipment can be completed in only 2-8 minutes, saving about 80% of the time compared with the original manual plate-carrying, and greatly improving the overall production efficiency of the workshop.

[0022] 4. Improve the level of intelligent production in the workshop; the original manual plate-carrying method had a random probability of each plate being delivered to each machine. After adopting this invention, by assigning a QR code to each printing machine, the load status of each printing machine can be viewed online to arrange production. This is conducive to accurately counting the operating load of the equipment and the production scheduling of each machine. The application of the fully automatic plate-carrying method has greatly improved the level of intelligent production in the workshop.

[0023] In summary, this invention provides an automatic plate feeding device and method for printing presses, which can significantly reduce labor costs. Each CTP plate can be transported from the plate-making workshop to the production workshop unmanned, saving 100% of labor costs. The entire plate transport process from the imposition workshop to the printing workshop equipment takes only 2-8 minutes, saving 80% of the time compared to the original manual plate transport, greatly improving the overall production efficiency of the workshop. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 2 for Figure 1 The left view;

[0026] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of the receiving mechanism;

[0027] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the central linkage mechanism;

[0028] Figure 5 for Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of the second auxiliary push rod.

[0029] 1. Conveyor frame, 2. Synchronous conveyor belt, 3. Plate lifting device, 4. First auxiliary push rod, 5. Conveyor track, 6. Guide plate, 7. Clamping plate, 8. Pneumatic clamp, 9. Plate collecting frame, 10. Fixed base, 11. Mounting column, 12. Plate collecting slide, 13. Second auxiliary push rod, 14. Laser scanning gun, 15. Pneumatic drive unit, 16. Photoelectric sensor switch, 17. Anti-tilt plate, 18. Collection plate, 19. Linkage rod, 20. Drive push rod, 21. Pressure plate, 22. Horizontal plate. Detailed Implementation

[0030] In the description of this invention, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "set," "install," "connect," and "link" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0031] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0032] like Figures 1-5As shown, an automatic plate feeding device for a printing press includes a plate conveying mechanism, a track conveying mechanism, and a plate receiving mechanism. The plate conveying mechanism includes an inclined conveyor frame 1, with annular synchronous conveyor belts 2 on both longitudinal sides of the conveyor frame 1. A plurality of plate lifting devices 3 are evenly positioned on the synchronous conveyor belts 2. A first auxiliary push rod 4 is provided at the lower part of the conveyor frame 1. The first auxiliary push rod 4 pushes the CTP plate to the waiting position via a drive push rod 20. The drive push rod 20 is mounted on the conveyor frame 1, and its movable end is hinged to the first auxiliary push rod 4. The track conveying mechanism includes a conveyor track 5 and a guide plate 6. A plurality of plate lifting devices 3 are evenly positioned on the conveyor track 5. There are several clamping devices, including a clamping plate 7 and a pneumatic clamp 8. The top of the clamping plate 7 is fixedly connected to the lower part of the conveying track 5. The guide plate 6 is positioned lower than the clamping device and located outside the clamping device. The guide plate 6 is pneumatically driven. The plate receiving mechanism includes a plate receiving frame 9 and a fixed base 10. A mounting column 11 is provided in the middle of the plate receiving frame 9. The mounting column 11 is provided with a plate receiving slide 12 and a slide groove. A pneumatic telescopic rod or a linear motor can be installed in the mounting column 11 as needed. The plate receiving slide 12 is installed on the pneumatic telescopic rod or linear motor so that the plate receiving slide 12 slides up and down. A second auxiliary push rod 13 is provided at the lower part of the plate receiving frame 9.

[0033] The track conveying mechanism is equipped with a laser scanning gun 14, a pneumatic drive unit 15, and a photoelectric sensor switch 16. These components are located in the lower middle part of the track conveying mechanism, outside the clamping device, at a position where the plate conveying mechanism and the plate receiving mechanism intersect and run parallel to each other. A guide plate 6 is mounted on the pneumatic drive unit 15.

[0034] The upper side of the plate collection rack 9 is provided with an anti-tilt plate 17, and the bottom is provided with a collection plate 18.

[0035] The plate-retrieving slide 12 includes a plate-retrieving hanger, which is located below the anti-tilt plate 17.

[0036] The bottom of the second auxiliary push rod 13 is provided with a linkage rod 19, and a horizontal plate 22 is provided on the linkage rod 19. The front end of the horizontal plate 22 is provided with a pressure plate 21. The pressure plate 21 is connected to the horizontal plate 22 and the plate receiving frame 9 by a rigid spring. The rear end of the horizontal plate 22 is connected to the plate receiving frame 9 by a tension spring. The plate receiving slide 12 slides down and presses down the pressure plate 21. The pressure plate 21 drives the linkage rod 19 to rotate. The rotation of the linkage rod 19 drives the second auxiliary push rod 13 to push the CTP plate to the collection plate.

[0037] The drive push rod 20 is a pneumatic push rod.

[0038] The conveying mechanism is also equipped with a photoelectric sensor switch 16, which is located above the first auxiliary push rod 4.

[0039] The plate conveying mechanism can be a downward conveying mechanism, a horizontal conveying mechanism, or an upward conveying mechanism.

[0040] A method of using an automatic plate feeding device for a printing press includes the following steps:

[0041] a. Lowering the plate: The upper end of the conveyor frame 1 of the plate transport mechanism is located in the assembly workshop. In the assembly workshop, the assembled CTP plate is placed on the synchronous conveyor belt 2 on the plate transport mechanism. The synchronous conveyor belt 2 is inclined at 10-20 degrees to ensure that the CTP plate can be placed on the plate transport hanger 3 and closely attached to the synchronous conveyor belt 2 without shaking or flipping. The synchronous conveyor belt 2 is driven by a motor to transport the CTP plate from the assembly workshop to the printing workshop, ensuring the stable operation of the CTP plate. The assembly workshop can be set above, horizontally or below the printing workshop according to actual needs. The plate transport mechanism can also be set as a downward transport mechanism, a horizontal transport mechanism or an upward transport mechanism as needed.

[0042] b. Plate transport: When the synchronous conveyor belt 2 transports the CTP plate to the lower part of the plate transport mechanism, the photoelectric sensor switch 16 on the plate transport mechanism senses the CTP plate falling. After the plate transport lifting device 3 decelerates and runs to a fixed position, the first auxiliary push rod 4 pushes the upper part of the CTP plate forward, so that the CTP plate is longitudinally aligned with the clamping device of the circular conveyor track 5. When the photoelectric sensor switch 16 of the circular conveyor track 5 senses that the clamping plate 7 has reached the designated position, the program controls the synchronous conveyor belt 2 to rotate a certain distance, and the plate transport lifting device 3 sends the CTP plate upward to the clamping device. The pneumatic drive unit 15 drives the guide plate 6 to move towards the CTP plate, and at the same time drives the pneumatic clamp 8 to clamp the CTP plate. The clamping device clamps the CTP plate and transports it on the circular conveyor track 5.

[0043] c. Plate Receiving: Each CTP plate is designed with a device QR code, which corresponds to the printing equipment. When the CTP plate is transported to the plate receiving mechanism, the scanner on the track conveyor scans the QR code on the CTP plate. If it is the QR code corresponding to the printing equipment, the pneumatic drive unit 15 drives the pneumatic clamp 8 to release the CTP plate. The CTP plate falls smoothly onto the plate receiving hanger of the plate receiving slide 12. The servo motor drives the plate receiving slide 12 to transport it downwards. When the CTP plate falls to the lower middle part of the plate receiving mechanism, the plate receiving slide 12 decelerates and moves to the bottom of the plate receiving mechanism. The plate receiving slide 12 pushes the CTP plate forward to the collection plate position of the plate receiving frame 9 through the downward linkage rod. The plate receiving hanger returns to the initial position, completing the automatic plate feeding operation of the CTP plate.

[0044] By adopting the above technical solution, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0045] 1. It can significantly reduce labor costs; the production process of transporting CTP plates from the self-made plate workshop to the production workshop can be completed without human intervention, saving approximately 100% of labor costs;

[0046] 2. Reduce the labor intensity of operators; CTP plates can be automatically transported to the machine position via an automatic plate feeding device, eliminating the need for manual handling and transfer via machine stairs, greatly reducing the labor intensity of employees and making it easier to observe the operating status of the equipment and the stability of print quality.

[0047] 3. Improve workshop printing efficiency; After adopting this invention, the entire plate-carrying process from the imposition workshop to the printing workshop equipment can be completed in only 2-8 minutes, saving about 80% of the time compared with the original manual plate-carrying, and greatly improving the overall production efficiency of the workshop.

[0048] 4. Improve the level of intelligent production in the workshop; the original manual plate-carrying method had a random probability of each plate being delivered to each machine. After adopting this invention, by assigning a QR code to each printing machine, the load status of each printing machine can be viewed online to arrange production. This is conducive to accurately counting the operating load of the equipment and the production scheduling of each machine. The application of the fully automatic plate-carrying method has greatly improved the level of intelligent production in the workshop.

[0049] In summary, this invention provides an automatic plate-feeding device and method for printing presses, which can significantly reduce labor costs. Each CTP plate can be transported from the plate-making workshop to the production workshop by only two people, saving 100% of labor costs. The entire plate-feeding process from the imposition workshop to the printing workshop equipment takes only 2-8 minutes, saving 80% of the time compared to manual plate-feeding, greatly improving the overall production efficiency of the workshop.

[0050] In this invention, a PLC controller is used to control the coordinated operation between various components. A PLC controller, also known as a Programmable Logic Controller, is a digital electronic device with a microprocessor. It is used for automated control and can load control instructions into memory for storage and execution at any time. A programmable controller is modularly composed of an internal CPU, instruction and data memory, input / output units, power supply modules, digital and analog units, etc.

[0051] Finally, it should be noted that the above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automatic plate feeding device for a printing press, characterized in that: The system includes a plate conveying mechanism, a track conveying mechanism, and a plate receiving mechanism. The plate conveying mechanism includes an inclined conveyor frame with annular synchronous conveyor belts on both longitudinal sides. Several plate lifting devices are evenly positioned on the synchronous conveyor belts. A first auxiliary push rod is located at the lower part of the conveyor frame, which pushes the CTP plate to the waiting position via a drive push rod. The track conveying mechanism includes a conveyor track and a guide plate. Several clamping devices are evenly positioned on the conveyor track. Each clamping device includes a clamping plate and a pneumatic clamp. The top of the clamping plate is fixedly connected to the lower part of the conveyor track. The guide plate is positioned below the clamping devices and outside the clamping devices. The guide plate is pneumatically driven. The plate receiving mechanism includes a plate receiving frame and a fixed base. A mounting column is located in the middle of the plate receiving frame. The mounting column has a plate receiving slide and a slide groove. A second auxiliary push rod is located at the lower part of the plate receiving frame. The upper side of the plate collecting rack is equipped with an anti-tilting plate, and the bottom is equipped with a collecting plate; The aforementioned plate-retrieving slide also includes a plate-retrieving hanger, which is located below the anti-tilt plate; The bottom of the second auxiliary push rod is provided with a linkage rod, and a horizontal plate is provided on the linkage rod. A pressure plate is provided at the front end of the horizontal plate. The pressure plate is connected to the horizontal plate and the plate collecting frame by a rigid spring. The rear end of the horizontal plate is connected to the plate collecting frame by a tension spring. The plate collecting slide slides down and presses down the pressure plate. The pressure plate drives the linkage rod to rotate. The rotation of the linkage rod drives the second auxiliary push rod to push the CTP plate to the collecting plate.

2. The automatic plate feeding device for a printing press according to claim 1, characterized in that: The track conveying mechanism is equipped with a laser scanning gun, a pneumatic drive unit, and a photoelectric sensor switch. The laser scanning gun, pneumatic drive unit, and photoelectric sensor switch are located in the lower middle part of the track conveying mechanism, outside the clamping device.

3. The automatic plate feeding device for a printing press according to claim 1, characterized in that: The drive push rod is a pneumatic push rod.

4. The automatic plate feeding device for a printing press according to claim 1, characterized in that: The conveying mechanism is also equipped with a photoelectric sensor switch, which is located above the first auxiliary push rod.

5. The automatic plate feeding device for a printing press according to claim 1, characterized in that: The plate conveying mechanism can be a downward conveying mechanism, a horizontal conveying mechanism, or an upward conveying mechanism.

6. A method of using the automatic plate feeding device for a printing press as described in any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that: Includes the following steps: a. Lowering the plate: The upper end of the conveyor frame of the plate transport mechanism is located in the assembly workshop. In the assembly workshop, the assembled CTP plate is placed on the synchronous conveyor belt of the plate transport mechanism. The synchronous conveyor belt is inclined at 10-20 degrees to ensure that the CTP plate can be placed on the plate transport hanger and closely attached to the synchronous conveyor belt without shaking or flipping. The synchronous conveyor belt is driven by a motor to transport the CTP plate from the assembly workshop to the printing workshop, ensuring the stable operation of the CTP plate. b. Plate transport: When the synchronous conveyor belt transporting the CTP plate delivers the CTP plate to the lower part of the plate transport mechanism, the photoelectric sensor switch on the plate transport mechanism senses the CTP plate falling. After the plate transport lifting device decelerates and moves to a fixed position, the first auxiliary push rod pushes the upper part of the CTP plate forward, so that the CTP plate is longitudinally aligned with the clamping device of the circular conveyor track. When the photoelectric sensor switch of the circular conveyor track senses that the clamping plate has reached the designated position, the program controls the synchronous conveyor belt to rotate a certain distance, and the plate transport lifting device sends the CTP plate upward to the clamping device. The pneumatic drive unit drives the guide plate to move towards the CTP plate, and at the same time drives the pneumatic clamp to clamp the CTP plate. The clamping device clamps the CTP plate and transports it on the circular conveyor track. c. Plate Receiving: Each CTP plate is designed with a device QR code, which corresponds to the printing equipment. When the CTP plate is transported to the receiving mechanism, the scanner on the track conveyor scans the QR code on the CTP plate. If it is the QR code corresponding to the printing equipment, the pneumatic drive unit drives the pneumatic clamp to release the CTP plate. The CTP plate falls smoothly onto the receiving lifter of the receiving slide. The servo motor drives the receiving slide to transport it downwards. When the CTP plate falls to the lower middle part of the receiving mechanism, the receiving slide decelerates and moves to the bottom of the receiving mechanism. The receiving slide pushes down the linkage rod, which drives the second auxiliary push rod to push the CTP plate forward to the collection plate position of the receiving rack. The receiving lifter returns to its initial position, completing the automatic plate feeding operation of the CTP plate.

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