A system for managing, controlling and verifying printing operations performed by printing plates

Abstract

A system for managing, controlling and verifying printing operations performed by a printing plate, the system comprising: a printing plate (10) having an associated readable coding element (14) comprising vital information of the printing plate (10); a unit (20) for acquiring data from the printing plate (10), specifically adapted to acquire vital information of the printing plate (10); a control and data processing unit (30), adapted to receive the vital information of the printing plate (10) from the data acquisition unit (20) and to process the vital information based on operating parameters of the printing process to provide information related to printing performance; and an information display and presentation unit (40), adapted to provide a user interface for visualizing information from the control and data processing unit (30).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a system for managing, controlling and verifying printing operations performed by printing plates.

[0002] The present invention has particular, but not limited, relevance to flexographic printing processes. Background Art

[0003] As is known, flexographic printing is based on the use of a printing plate on which a graphic pattern is to be reproduced on the surface of the object to be decorated (for example packaging), which can be various materials such as paper, cardboard, plastic film, etc., produced in relief.

[0004] This printing plate is usually made of a base plate of photopolymer material, on the surface of which is applied a black film (LAM - laser ablation mask), which is engraved by laser according to the graphic pattern to be reproduced.

[0005] The master is then exposed to UV light, which passes through the graphic pattern engraved on the LAM by the laser, thereby hardening the photopolymer at the graphic pattern itself.

[0006] Depending on the type of photopolymer used, the unhardened photopolymer portions adjacent to the hardened portions corresponding to the graphic pattern to be reproduced are removed by means of aqueous solutions, by solvents, by thermal processes, by lasers or mechanical removal, thereby obtaining a plate having a relief corresponding to the image or text to be printed.

[0007] In the case of cleaning the plate with a solvent or aqueous solution, after drying in an oven to completely evaporate the residual droplets of the solvent or aqueous solution used, the plate is also subjected to ultraviolet radiation (UVA-UVC) to perform a finishing process and post-exposure on its surface.

[0008] Thereafter, the printing plate can be cut to the required size and attached, for example by means of double-sided tape, to a specific cylinder (called a sleeve) to be mounted on a printing press, where the relief graphic pattern is inked and the corresponding image and / or text is printed on the printing support to be decorated.

[0009] During the life of a printing plate (i.e. the span of time during which the plate is used by the printing press to reproduce its graphic pattern on the print medium to be decorated), many variables may affect printing performance, such as printing speed, the ease with which the plate can be assembled and disassembled on the printing press, the tendency of ink to accumulate on the printing surface of the plate and in the spaces between the reliefs of the graphic pattern to be reproduced, which variables may periodically lead to the need to stop the printing press for proper cleaning operations, correct or excessive ink consumption, higher or lower printing pressures, a greater or lesser tendency of parts and plates to wear out (which may require replacement) and various other technical defects that may cause temporary downtime of the machine.

[0010] All of this helps to define what is a more general definition of OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness), which is an index of the overall efficiency of a factory or printing press.

[0011] OEE is an indicator that summarizes some very important concepts from the perspective of manufacturing production, such as the availability, efficiency and quality rate of a factory or printing press, productivity and profitability.

[0012] OEE is affected by various types of inefficiencies that may occur during the production cycle, resulting in lower productivity of the plant or printing press as a whole, such as breakdowns, reductions in printing speed, micro-stops or long stops in the production plant, dead time due to assembly and disassembly of parts and various settings, startup transients, production waste, etc.

[0013] Therefore, it is expected that the printing press will be able to continuously monitor all printing operations performed by a specific machine that works with a specific printing plate in order to control how and with what efficiency the printing operations are performed, and to take appropriate measures if anomalies are detected (especially an abnormal drop in the OEE index).

[0014] In this regard, it is necessary to take into account the fact that the efficiency level is also closely linked to the characteristics of the printing plate (its Shore hardness, rebound value, surface tension, maintenance of surface cleanliness, compatibility with certain inks, level of wear), the size and type of graphic pattern (type of dots, e.g. flat, round, etc., size of the smallest dot on the plate, detail of the screen used), the type of ink used, the operating temperature and the life cycle of the plate itself, where plates that have been in operation for a long time or that are easily damaged can easily provide lower performance than new plates (or plates with characteristics suitable for extending their life) and have a negative impact on overall productivity.

[0015] International application WO 2019 / 192764 A1 discloses a system for constructing printing plates, in which the original plate itself (for example in a suitable label) includes various identification parameters, as well as information and operating instructions intended to be read by various machines designed for manufacturing plates during the stages of executing the graphic pattern, exposure to UV light, washing, drying, finishing, cutting, etc.

[0016] However, this system does not solve the problem of optimization, measurement and display of OEE parameters required during a printing operation performed by a printing press using the various plates available to him on the printing press. Summary of the Invention

[0017] The general purpose of the present invention is to overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks by providing a system for managing, controlling, verifying and visualizing the printing operations performed by a given printing plate in a printing plant, which system, when working with a specific printing plate, allows continuous monitoring of all the operations performed by a given machine in order to control how and with what efficiency the printing operations are performed, in order to calculate the OEE index and, if anomalies are detected (in particular an abnormal drop in this index), to make it possible to carry out appropriate interventions.

[0018] With this aim in mind, according to the invention it is envisaged to create a system for managing, controlling, verifying and visualizing printing operations performed by printing plates mounted on a printing press, characterized in that the system comprises:

[0019] - a printing plate having a body with a relief graphic pattern on its surface, the relief graphic pattern being intended to be inked in order to reproduce the relevant text or image on a printing support, and a readable coding element associated with the printing plate, the readable coding element comprising vital information of the printing plate selected from identification data of the plate itself, technical characteristics and operating parameters;

[0020] - a unit for acquiring data from a printed plate, adapted to acquire important information of the printed plate;

[0021] a control and data processing unit adapted to receive vital information of the printing plates from the data acquisition unit and to process the vital information based on operating parameters of the printing process to provide information on printing performance; and

[0022] - an information display and presentation unit adapted to execute a user interface for the visualization of information provided by the control and data processing unit. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] In order to clarify the explanation of the innovative principles of the present invention and its advantages over the prior art, a possible illustrative embodiment applying these principles will be described below with the aid of the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

[0024] Figure 1 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a system for managing printing operations according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] Conceptually, the system for managing, controlling and verifying printing operations according to the invention is based on the cooperation between a printing plate 10 , a unit 20 for acquiring data from the printing plate, a control and data processing unit 30 and an information display and presentation unit 40 . Figure 1Schematically shown is a printing plate 10 (preferably, but not limited to, a plate for flexographic printing) having a body 11 of photopolymer material and, on its surface 12, a relief graphic pattern 13, i.e., a set of text and / or images intended to be printed once inked onto the surface of a printing support (e.g., packaging), which may be a variety of materials, such as paper, cardboard, corrugated cardboard, plastic film, etc.

[0026] According to the prior art, the printing plate 10 is intended to be mounted on Figure 1 On a printing press not shown in the schematic diagram.

[0027] A readable coding element 14 is associated with the printing plate 10 and comprises vital information of the printing plate, the vital information being selected from identification data, technical characteristics and operating parameters of the plate itself.

[0028] Important information of the printing plate 10 is intended to be acquired by the unit 20 for acquiring data from the printing plate.

[0029] The readable coding element 14 can be selected from various systems commonly used for detecting data by optical, magnetic reading, radio frequency transmission, etc. It can thus include, for example, a barcode, a QR code, a magnetic stripe, a microchip, an RFID tag, NFC, etc.

[0030] Also depending on its type, the readable coding element 14 can be applied, for example, to the surface of the printing plate 10 at a lower position relative to the relief graphic pattern, applied to an edge portion of the plate itself, or incorporated into the photopolymer material of the body 11 of the manufacturing plate. Of course, other solutions for positioning the readable coding element 14 can be devised according to the specific configuration of the printing plate.

[0031] For example, a readable coding element can also be included directly in the graphic pattern 13 .

[0032] Among the important information of the printing plate 10, it is advantageous to provide the type of plate, the place and time of production of the plate, its Shore hardness, rebound resilience value, surface tension, level of maintenance of surface cleanliness, compatibility with certain inks, level of wear, size and type of graphic pattern (type of dots, such as flat, round dots, etc., size of the smallest dot on the plate, details of the screen used), type of ink used, operating temperature.

[0033] Depending on the type of readable coding element 14, the unit 20 for acquiring data from the printing plate will be equipped with an optical reader, a magnetic reader, a radio frequency receiving antenna, etc. Of course, the unit 20 for acquiring data from the printing plate may also include two or more data acquisition devices so as to be able to cooperate with printing plates provided with different types of coding elements.

[0034] Advantageously, the unit 20 for acquiring data from a printing plate can be incorporated directly into the printing press in which the plate itself is installed.

[0035] However, the data acquisition unit 20 may also comprise a separate device that is suitable for placement near the printing press at a distance that is useful for correctly receiving the data from the printing plates. This solution is particularly suitable for using the system for managing, controlling and verifying printing operations according to the invention in existing printing plants without requiring structural or design modifications to the printing presses involved.

[0036] The data acquisition unit 20 is connected to a control and data processing unit 30, to which the above-mentioned important information acquired by the printing plate is transmitted, so that the above-mentioned important information is processed by appropriate software to provide the required information related to the printing operation carried out in the factory with this machine and this specific printing plate.

[0037] The information provided by processing the data obtained from the printing plate 10 may of course be of various types, depending on the needs of the printing press; generally, they may be information relating to printing performance, for example for determining the above-mentioned OEE index.

[0038] For data processing, in order to provide the required information relating to the printing operation, the software of the control and data processing unit 30 may take into account various operating parameters of the printing process, such as the printing speed to be maintained, the linear meter of the printing support being printed, the length of the working shifts and the associated rest periods, the associated production rates, the time required for the initial setup of the machine and for assembly and disassembly of the printing plates and other components, start-up transients, any machine downtime that may occur during the working cycle, the production waste that occurs, and various other specific factors well known to those skilled in the art.

[0039] The control and data processing unit 30 may be integrated in the printing press, or comprise a separate device (eg a PC) so as to be accessible to an operator in a central control room of the printing press.

[0040] The software used by the control and data processing unit 30 may advantageously comprise an application present on a mobile device (typically a smartphone), so that it can even be accessed and controlled remotely.

[0041] Between the data acquisition unit 20 and the control and data processing unit 30 there can advantageously be a data memory 50 in which data relating to printing plates previously used in the printing press and the corresponding operations performed (essentially the “history” of the aforementioned plates) are stored, such data being updated each time a certain printing plate is used in order to facilitate and enable data processing capabilities for generating the information required by the operator.

[0042] The data memory 50 can also advantageously be integrated into the printing press.

[0043] The data memory 50 is also particularly useful for making all data relating to the working life of a printing plate known at any time. For example, the software or application used will thus be able to "talk" to a specific printing plate, allowing the printing press to know at any time the age of the plate, the graphic patterns present in it, how many printing passes have been carried out and on which products, the minimum, maximum and average printing speed, how many machine stops have occurred, the profit that has been achieved in the factory, etc.

[0044] Finally, associated with the control and data processing unit 30 is an information display and presentation unit 40 capable of providing an interface (possibly interactive) in which the operator can read and see the results of the data processing leading to the generation of the desired information regarding the progress of the printing process and its performance.

[0045] The information display and presentation unit 40 can generally be a monitor or, in any case, a screen exposed to the operator's field of view. Advantageously, the information display and presentation unit 40 can be integrated into the same device as the control and data processing unit 30 (e.g., Figure 1 In particular, when the control and data processing unit 30 comprises a PC, or when it is an integral part of a printing press.

[0046] At this point it is clear how the system for management, control and verification of printing operations according to the invention allows the achievement of the set objectives, namely the continuous monitoring of all the operations performed by a given machine when the system works with a specific printing plate, in order to have a clear understanding of the printing process and in particular of the performance of the plant and the OEE efficiency index of the operations being performed.

[0047] Obviously, the above description of the embodiment applying the innovative principle of the present invention is given by way of illustrative examples of such innovative principle and therefore should not be used to limit the scope of the patent claimed herein.

[0048] For example, the information provided by the control and data processing unit 30 may be viewed by an operator via a wearable electronic device, such as so-called “smart glasses” for augmented reality display (possibly via an associated application).

Claims

1. A system for managing, controlling, verifying and visualizing a printing operation, wherein the printing operation is performed by a printing plate mounted on a printing press, the system comprising: - a printing plate (10) comprising a body (11) having a relief graphic pattern (13) on its surface (12), the relief graphic pattern (13) being intended to be inked in order to reproduce a text or an image on a printing support, and a readable coding element (14) associated with the printing plate (10), the body (11) having a relief graphic pattern (13) on its surface (12), the relief graphic pattern (13) being intended to be inked in order to reproduce a relevant text or image on a printing support, the readable coding element (14) comprising information essential to the printing plate (10) selected from identification data, technical characteristics and operating parameters of the printing plate (10) itself; - a unit (20) for acquiring data from said printing plate (10), adapted to acquire said important information of said printing plate (10); - a control and data processing unit (30) adapted to receive said vital information of said printing plate (10) from said unit (20) for acquiring data from said printing plate (10) and to process said vital information based on operating parameters of a printing process in order to provide information relating to printing performance; and - an information display and presentation unit (40) adapted to execute a user interface for visualizing the information provided by said control and data processing unit (30); Characterized in that the information provided by the control and data processing unit (30) is used to determine an overall equipment efficiency index based on the operating parameters of the printing process, wherein the operating parameters of the printing process include the printing speed maintained during the printing process, the length of the printed printing carrier, the length of the working shift and the related rest periods, the initial setting of the printing press and the time required for assembly and disassembly of the printing plate (10) and other components, start-up transients, any machine downtime occurring during the working cycle, and the production waste occurring.

2. The system for managing, controlling, verifying and visualizing printing operations according to claim 1, characterized in that The system comprises a data memory (50) between the unit (20) for acquiring data from the printing plates (10) and the control and data processing unit (30), in which data relating to the printing plates previously used in the printing press and to the corresponding operations performed are stored, the data being updated each time a printing plate (10) is used.

3. The system for managing, controlling, verifying and visualizing printing operations according to claim 1, characterized in that The readable coding element (14) is selected from the type of optical reading, magnetic reading or radio frequency transmission.

4. The system for managing, controlling, verifying and visualizing printing operations according to claim 3, characterized in that Depending on the type of readable coding element (14), the unit (20) for acquiring data from the printing plate (10) comprises a data acquisition device selected from the types with optical reading, magnetic reading or with a radio frequency receiving antenna, which types can also be combined with each other.

5. The system for managing, controlling, verifying and visualizing printing operations according to claim 1, characterized in that A unit (20) for acquiring data from the printing plate (10) is integrated in the printing press in which the printing plate (10) is installed.

6. The system for managing, controlling, verifying and visualizing printing operations according to claim 1, characterized in that The control and data processing unit (30) is integrated into the printing press in which the printing plate (10) is mounted.

7. The system for managing, controlling, verifying and visualizing printing operations according to claim 1, characterized in that The information display and presentation unit (40) and the control and data processing unit (30) are part of the same device.

Images