Time series-based variable information inkjet packaging box printing method and system

Abstract

The application provides a time sequence-based packaging box variable information ink-jet system. The system comprises a control unit (4), an ink-jet unit (2), a detection unit (3), a curing unit (5) and a conveying belt (1). The ink-jet unit adopts a single ink-jet head, and the spraying time length of the ink-jet head is accurately controlled by the control unit. The bar code characters corresponding to the digits 0-9 in the code are represented by the ink-jet time sequence. The ink-jet head sprays ink according to the preset time sequence to generate corresponding black and white stripes. The detection unit monitors the ink-jet process in real time and alarms in case of failure through an industrial camera. After the bar code detection is completed, the final ink-jet is realized through the curing device. The ink-jet method supports various types of bar codes, such as EAN, UPC, Code 128, etc., and is suitable for different product materials and colors.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of variable information printing, and particularly relates to a packaging box variable information printing system based on time series. BACKGROUND

[0002] In the packaging industry, barcodes are an effective means of product identification and tracking, which is crucial for ensuring the efficient operation of the supply chain. With the development of the global market, the demand for product coding and information tracing is increasing. Traditional printing technology mainly uses a multi-nozzle system to achieve barcode printing by controlling the opening and closing of the nozzle. However, this method has certain limitations in terms of nozzle quantity, cost, maintenance, and reliability. Therefore, seeking a more efficient, cost-saving, and easy-to-maintain printing technology has become an important research topic.

[0003] The variable information printing method based on time series has emerged as the times require. Through a single nozzle, the time series is used to control the spraying time and interval to generate corresponding black and white stripes, thereby forming a barcode with high readability and accuracy. Compared with the traditional multi-nozzle system, this method has the advantages of lower cost, simpler maintenance, and higher reliability. At the same time, this technology can also support various types of barcodes, adapting to different product materials and colors. In the future, the variable information printing technology based on time series is expected to become a new standard in the packaging industry, promoting technological innovation and development in the industry. SUMMARY

[0004] In view of the above status of the prior art, the packaging box variable information printing system based on time series provided by the present application is based on time series, and the spraying time of the nozzle is accurately controlled by the control unit.

[0005] TECHNICAL SCHEME

[0006] The application discloses a packaging box variable information ink-jet system based on time sequence, which comprises a control unit (4), an ink-jet unit (2), a detection unit (3), a curing unit (5) and a conveying belt (1); the conveying belt (1) is used for placing packaging boxes and conveying the packaging boxes to the ink-jet unit (2) and the curing unit (5) in sequence at a preset speed; the detection unit (3) is arranged on one side of the ink-jet unit (2) and is used for detecting the ink-jet quality of the ink-jet unit (2) on the packaging boxes; the detection unit (3) comprises an image acquisition device, a screening device and a recycling box; the control unit comprises a controller, a memory, a wireless module and an alarm; the memory stores corresponding coding information; the processor is used for converting the coding information into corresponding ink-jet time length and controlling the ink-jet unit (2) to ink-jet the packaging boxes according to the ink-jet time length after receiving the detection signal, so as to form a bar code corresponding to the coding information.

[0007] Further, the ink-jet unit (2) comprises a jet head, which is used for ink-jetting the packaging boxes by the control unit; the formula of the bar coverage area ink-jetted by the jet head is as follows:

[0008] M = t * l * w,

[0009] Wherein t is unit time, l is the length of the bar coverage area, and w is the width of the bar coverage area.

[0010] Further, the detection unit (3) acquires and identifies the image ink-jetted on the packaging boxes when the packaging boxes are conveyed by the conveying belt (1) to below the image acquisition device.

[0011] Further, the curing unit (5) cures the bar code by means of infrared irradiation, so as to dry and cure the bar code ink-jetted on the surface of the packaging box.

[0012] Further, the jet head adopts a high-speed and high-precision piezoelectric ink-jet head.

[0013] Further, the coding information comprises at least one of Arabic numerals 0-9, each numeral corresponds to a bar code character represented by ink-jet time; the bar code is ink-jetted into a stripe sequence composed of black stripes and white stripes with obvious reflectivity difference.

[0014] Further, the black strip and the white strip are a code spraying module, each code spraying module is mapped to a time unit, and each digital corresponding time sequence includes 7 time units; in the time sequence, the inkjet head sprays ink in the time unit corresponding to the black strip, and stops spraying in the time unit corresponding to the white strip, and the ink is sprayed by the inkjet head in sequence to generate a corresponding barcode image.

[0015] Further, the controller controls the rapid opening and closing of the ink flow in the inkjet head by setting the ink electromagnetic valve, so as to realize the control of the ink flow.

[0016] Further, the image acquisition device uses an industrial high-speed camera to perform image recognition on the sprayed pattern of the packaging box, so as to monitor the spraying process of the spraying unit (2) in real time; the sprayed pattern is compared with the encoded information stored in the memory, and when the matching degree between the two is less than a preset threshold, the current packaging box is unqualified, and the screening device rejects the unqualified packaging box to the recycling box; when the matching degree between the two is higher than the preset threshold, the controller controls the conveying belt to send the packaging box to the curing unit for curing treatment of the barcode, and the packaging box after curing treatment is a finished product.

[0017] Further, the conveying belt on one side of the conveying belt below the spraying unit is provided with a position sensor for positioning the packaging box below the spraying unit.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the technical scheme provided by the present application has the following beneficial effects:

[0019] 1. The variable barcode spraying based on time sequence is in sharp contrast with the existing device with multi-maintenance difficulty and low efficiency.

[0020] 2. The spraying system is controlled based on time sequence, and a single inkjet head can realize the barcode spraying of any Arabic numerals 0-9, so that the spraying is more intelligent, the system is more simple, and the equipment cost and maintenance cost are reduced.

[0021] 3. The width of the black and white stripes is adjusted by controlling the spraying time, the spraying precision is improved, and the readability and accuracy of the barcode are improved; at the same time, the width of the black and white stripes can be adjusted according to the spraying time, so that the size of the complete barcode can be adapted to packaging boxes of different sizes, and the application scene of the packaging box variable information code spraying system based on time sequence is improved.

[0022] 4. By changing the jetting time to adapt to different widths of black and white stripes, it makes the inkjet printer have higher flexibility when dealing with different types of barcodes (such as different coding rules or different width requirements), so as to adapt to the printing of different types and sizes of barcodes according to the actual production needs of the packaging box.

[0023] 5. The inkjet unit, the curing unit and the image acquisition device form an organic combination, wherein the nozzle of the inkjet unit is controlled by the control unit, and can print the black and white stripes alternately according to the encoding information to form the barcode. The area of the complete barcode and the ink consumption can be determined by the area covered by the inkjet head (M=t*l*w) and the number of black and white stripes. The image acquisition device arranged on one side of the inkjet unit can not only compare the encoding information by identifying the black and white stripes formed by the inkjet to realize the screening of unqualified packaging boxes, but also can identify and determine the area of the complete barcode, so that the control unit calculates the ink consumption used for this time of inkjet based on the area of the barcode, and the control unit dynamically adjusts the baking power of the curing unit based on the corresponding ink consumption, so that the packaging box can be dried and cured after passing through the conveying belt. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of a variable information inkjet packaging box printing system based on time sequence.

[0025] REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0026] 1. Conveying belt, 2. Inkjet unit, 3. Detection unit, 4. Control unit, 5. Curing unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] In order to make the purpose, technical scheme and advantages of the present application more clear, the present application will be further described in detail below in combination with the drawings and examples. It should be understood that the specific examples described herein are only used to explain the present application, and are not used to limit the present application.

[0028] By Figure 1As shown, the present application provides a time sequence-based packaging box variable information inkjet system, which comprises a control unit (4), an inkjet unit (2), a detection unit (3), a curing unit (5) and a conveying belt (1); the conveying belt (1) is used for placing packaging boxes and conveying the packaging boxes to the inkjet unit (2) and the curing unit (5) in sequence at a preset speed; the detection unit (3) is arranged on one side of the inkjet unit (2) and is used for detecting the inkjet quality of the inkjet unit (2) on the packaging boxes; the detection unit (3) comprises an image acquisition device, a screening device and a recycling box; the control unit (4) comprises a controller, a memory, a wireless module and an alarm; the corresponding code information is stored in the memory; the processor is used for converting the code information into corresponding inkjet time length and controlling the inkjet unit (2) to inkjet the packaging boxes according to the inkjet time length after receiving the detection signal, so as to form a barcode corresponding to the code information.

[0029] Further, the inkjet unit (2) comprises a jet head, which is used for inkjetting the packaging boxes by the control unit (4); the formula of the bar coverage area inkjetted by the jet head is as follows: M=t*l*w, wherein t is the unit time, l is the length of the bar coverage area, and w is the width of the bar coverage area.

[0030] Further, the detection unit (3) acquires and identifies the image inkjetted on the packaging boxes when the packaging boxes are conveyed to below the image acquisition device by the conveying belt (1).

[0031] Further, the curing unit (5) cures the barcode by infrared irradiation, so as to dry and cure the barcode inkjetted on the surface of the packaging box.

[0032] Further, the jet head adopts a high-speed and high-precision piezoelectric inkjet head.

[0033] Further, the code information contains at least one of Arabic numerals 0-9, each numeral corresponds to a bar code character represented by a time sequence; the barcode is inkjetted into a stripe sequence composed of black and white stripes with obvious reflectivity difference.

[0034] Further, the black and white stripes are one inkjet module, each inkjet module is mapped to one time unit, and the time sequence corresponding to each numeral contains 7 time units; in this time sequence, the jet head will inkjet ink in the time unit corresponding to the black stripe and stop inkjetting in the time unit corresponding to the white stripe; the corresponding barcode image is generated by the jet head in sequence.

[0035] Further, the controller controls the rapid opening and closing of the ink flow in the jet head by setting the inkjet electromagnetic valve, so as to realize the control of the ink flow.

[0036] Further, the image recognition of the printed pattern on the packaging box is performed by an industrial high-speed camera, which is used to monitor the printing process of the printing unit (2) in real time; the printed pattern is compared with the encoded information stored in the memory, and when the matching degree between the two is less than a preset threshold, the current packaging box is unqualified, and the screening device rejects the unqualified packaging box to the recycling box; when the matching degree between the two is higher than the preset threshold, the controller controls the conveyor belt to send the packaging box to the curing unit for curing treatment, and the packaging box after curing treatment is a finished product.

[0037] Further, a position sensor is arranged on one side of the conveyor belt below the printing unit, which is used to position the packaging box below the printing unit.

[0038] Embodiment 1

[0039] Preparation stage: First, install and debug the inkjet system. The installation includes the conveyor belt, the control unit, the printing unit, the detection unit and the curing unit. The debugging includes the alignment of the nozzle and the surface of the packaging box, the adjustment of the printing parameters (such as printing speed, interval, etc.) and the control.

[0040] Encoded information generation: According to the product information and the encoding rules, the corresponding time sequence bar code is generated. Taking EAN-13 bar code as an example, the bar code characters in the EAN-13 code corresponding to each digit (0-9) are converted into a time sequence of inkjet. For example, the bar code character corresponding to the digit 0 is “0001101”, which is converted into a time sequence of inkjet: “T0T0T0T1T1T0T1”.

[0041] Inkjet process: The packaging box is placed on the conveyor belt and transported at a precise preset speed. When the packaging box moves to the designated position below the printing unit, the detection unit sends a detection signal. After receiving the detection signal, the control unit controls the nozzle to print the packaging box according to the time sequence of inkjet, generating the corresponding black and white stripes. The nozzle sprays ink in the time unit corresponding to the black stripe, and stops spraying in the time unit corresponding to the blank.

[0042] Real-time monitoring: The detection unit uses an industrial camera to monitor the printing process in real time, and compares it with the encoded information stored in the memory. When the matching degree between the two is higher than the threshold, the packaging box is sent to the curing unit.

[0043] Curing treatment: The curing unit dries and cures the bar code sprayed on the surface of the packaging box to ensure the printing quality. For example, an infrared curing device is used to bake the bar code by infrared radiation, and the bar code is cured on the packaging box.

[0044] Final product inspection: Finally, the printed packaging box is subjected to final product inspection. The inspection includes the readability, accuracy and appearance quality of the barcode. Qualified products enter the next packaging process.

[0045] From the above examples, it can be seen that the variable information code packaging box printing method and system based on time sequence have high efficiency, accuracy and reliability, bringing technological innovation to the packaging industry.

[0046] Example 2

[0047] Take UPC-A encoding as an example, which is a 12-bit encoding system. Its structure includes 1-bit numeric system character, 5-bit manufacturer code, 5-bit product code and 1-bit check code. Similarly, each digit (0-9) in the UPC-A code can be converted into a time sequence of inkjet.

[0048] The sequence of the UPC-A code is converted into the corresponding barcode character. The following is the left character (one of the two encodings corresponding to each digit) in the UPC-A code: 0: 0001101 1: 0011001 2: 0010011 3: 0111101 4: 0100011 5: 0110001 6: 0101111 7: 0111011 8: 0110111 9: 0001011

[0059] In this example, the barcode character corresponding to the digit 6 is "0101111", which can be converted into a time sequence of inkjet: "T0T1T0T1T1T1T1".

[0060] For the entire UPC-A code, each digit needs to be converted into the corresponding inkjet time sequence. During the printing process, the inkjet head will sequentially inkjet according to these time sequences to generate the corresponding barcode image.

[0061] Therefore, when using the variable information code packaging box printing method based on time sequence, for EAN-13 and UPC codes, we need to generate the corresponding inkjet time sequence according to different encoding rules. Although the encoding rules of the barcode characters of the two are slightly different, the printing method and implementation process follow the same rules. This method can print EAN barcodes, UPC barcodes, 25 barcodes, cross 25 barcodes, etc. according to product requirements.

[0062] In the present application, the inkjet printing unit, the curing unit and the image acquisition device form an organic combination, wherein the nozzle of the inkjet printing unit is controlled by the control unit, and can print the black and white stripes according to the encoding information to form the bar code. The area of the complete bar code and the ink consumption can be determined by the bar coverage area (M=t*l*w) sprayed by the nozzle and the number of black and white stripes. The image acquisition device arranged on one side of the inkjet printing unit can not only compare the encoding information by identifying the black and white stripes formed by the inkjet printing to realize the screening of unqualified packaging boxes, but also can identify and determine the area of the complete bar code, so that the control unit calculates the ink consumption used this time according to the area of the bar code, and the control unit dynamically adjusts the baking power of the curing unit according to the corresponding ink consumption, so that the packaging box reaches the drying and curing effect after walking through the conveying belt.

Claims

1. A time series-based variable information inkjet printing system for cartons, characterized by, Including: The control unit (4), the printing unit (2), the detection unit (3), the curing unit (5) and the conveying belt (1); the conveying belt (1) is used for placing the packaging box and conveying the packaging box to the printing unit (2) and the curing unit (5) in turn at a preset speed; the detection unit (3) is arranged on the side of the printing unit (2) and is used for detecting the printing quality of the printing unit (2) on the packaging box, and the detection unit (3) comprises an image acquisition device, a screening device and a recycling box; the control unit (4) comprises a controller, a memory, a wireless module and an alarm, the memory stores corresponding code information, the controller is used for converting the code information into corresponding printing time, and after receiving a detection signal, the controller controls the printing unit (2) to print a code on the packaging box according to the printing time, so as to form a barcode corresponding to the code information; the code information contains at least one of Arabic numerals 0-9, and the barcode character corresponding to each numeral is represented by a printing time sequence; the barcode is printed into a stripe sequence composed of black stripes and white stripes with obvious reflectivity difference.

2. The time series-based variable information printing system for carton according to claim 1, wherein, The printing unit (2) comprises a printing head, and the printing head is used for printing a code on the packaging box by the control unit (4); the formula of the bar-shaped coverage area printed by the printing head is as follows: M=t*l*w, wherein t is unit time, l is the length of the bar-shaped coverage area, and w is the width of the bar-shaped coverage area.

3. The time series-based variable information printing system for carton according to claim 1, wherein, The detection unit (3) acquires and identifies the image printed on the packaging box when the packaging box is conveyed to below the image acquisition device by the conveying belt (1).

4. The time series-based variable information printing system for carton according to claim 1, wherein, The curing unit (5) cures the barcode by infrared irradiation, so as to dry and cure the barcode printed on the surface of the packaging box.

5. The time series-based variable information printing system for carton according to claim 2, wherein, The printing head adopts a high-speed and high-precision piezoelectric inkjet printing head.

6. The time series-based variable information printing system for carton according to claim 5, wherein, The black stripe and the white stripe are a code printing module, each code printing module is mapped to a time unit, and the time sequence corresponding to each numeral contains seven time units; in the time sequence, the printing head sprays ink in the time unit corresponding to the black stripe, and stops spraying in the time unit corresponding to the white stripe, and the printing head sprays ink in turn to generate a corresponding barcode image.

7. The time series-based variable information printing system for carton according to claim 5, wherein, The controller controls the rapid opening and closing of the ink flow in the printing head by setting an inkjet electromagnetic valve, so as to control the ink flow.

8. The time series-based variable information printing system for carton according to claim 3, wherein, The image acquisition device adopts an industrial high-speed camera to perform image recognition on the spray printing pattern of the packaging box, so as to monitor the spray printing process of the spray printing unit (2) in real time; the image acquisition device compares the matching degree between the spray printing pattern and the code information stored in the memory, and when the matching degree is less than a preset threshold, the current packaging box is unqualified, and the screening device rejects the unqualified packaging box into the recycling box; when the matching degree is higher than the preset threshold, the controller controls the conveying belt to send the packaging box to the curing unit (5) for curing treatment, and the packaging box after the curing treatment is a finished product.

9. The time series-based variable information printing system for carton according to claim 1, wherein, A position sensor is arranged on one side of the conveying belt below the spray printing unit, so as to position the packaging box below the spray printing unit.

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