A ceramic inkjet printing method

Abstract

A ceramic inkjet printing method, which relates to the field of ceramic technology, comprises the following steps: placing a ceramic blank on the turntable of a ceramic inkjet printer, so that the turntable drives the ceramic blank to rotate at a constant speed; opening the second nozzle and the third nozzle of a multi-stage nozzle, and uniformly spraying a sizing liquid onto a specified position of the ceramic blank, and drying the sizing liquid on the surface of the ceramic blank by hot air; opening the first nozzle and the third nozzle of the multi-stage nozzle, and uniformly spraying ink onto the surface of the dried sizing liquid, and drying the ink on the surface of the sizing liquid by hot air, thereby forming a printed pattern. The ceramic inkjet printing method provided by the present invention makes full use of the structural advantages of the multi-stage nozzle. By driving the multi-stage nozzle to displace along a set path by a driving device, the multi-stage nozzle can spray ink, sizing liquid and / or hot air onto a specified position of the ceramic blank according to a set process. The operation is simple and convenient, the production efficiency is effectively improved, and the control difficulty of the ceramic inkjet printing method is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of ceramics, and particularly relates to a ceramic inkjet printing method. Background Art

[0002] Ceramic inkjet printing technology is a new process that combines ceramic surface decoration technology with computer technology. Using fully automatic computer numerical control technology to control an inkjet printer, the designed file information is directly inkjet-printed onto the ceramic surface through the inkjet printer with multi-color ceramic ink, achieving a decorative effect of vivid texture and rich colors. Compared with traditional rubber roller printing ceramic printing, ceramic inkjet printing technology can automatically generate complex decorative patterns by computer, without the cumbersome work of making plates, engraving rollers, and preparing glaze slurries, and has the advantages of simple process, high efficiency, and high precision.

[0003] For the technical solutions disclosed in patents such as the one with the publication number CN111036444B, most existing ceramic inkjet printing devices have problems of complex structure and single function. Therefore, the ceramic inkjet printing methods adopted by them also have problems of cumbersome operation, low efficiency, and poor control. For example, after the ceramic blank is printed with a pattern, it needs to be calcined in a high-temperature furnace at 1100°C - 1300°C for about 30 minutes. However, most of the pigments used in the inks of existing inkjet printers are organic pigments. These organic pigments will decompose if directly exposed to a high temperature above 300°C for a few minutes before curing and shaping, resulting in blurred printed patterns. Therefore, it is also necessary to dry or cure the printed patterns on the ceramic blank before calcination. However, existing ceramic inkjet printing devices usually do not have drying or curing mechanisms, which makes people have to additionally configure corresponding equipment and perform multiple transfer processes on the printed ceramic blanks, bringing great inconvenience to the production of ceramics and increasing the burden on enterprises.

[0004] In addition, in the prior art, when the inkjet printer directly prints the ink onto the surface of the ceramic blank, the ink will diffuse and spread along the surface capillary pores, resulting in blurred edges and unclear printed patterns of the product, especially for products with darker colors and larger ink usage, which seriously affects the clarity of ceramic inkjet printing and restricts the development and application of ceramic inkjet printing technology. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention provides a ceramic inkjet printing method, and its main purpose is to solve the technical problems of cumbersome operation, low efficiency, poor printing effect, and low clarity existing in the existing ceramic inkjet printing method.

[0006] The present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0007] A ceramic inkjet printing method, including a ceramic inkjet printer, the ceramic inkjet printer includes a turntable, a printing device and a driving device; the printing device is provided with a number of multi-stage nozzles, and each of the multi-stage nozzles includes a first nozzle tube, a second nozzle tube and a third nozzle tube coaxially arranged from inside to outside in sequence; the inside of the first nozzle tube is an ink flow channel; between the first nozzle tube and the second nozzle tube is a sizing liquid flow channel; between the second nozzle tube and the third nozzle tube is a hot air flow channel; the ceramic inkjet printing method includes the following steps:

[0008] S1. Place the ceramic blank on the turntable of the ceramic inkjet printer, so that the turntable drives the ceramic blank to rotate at a constant speed;

[0009] S2. Open the second nozzle tube and the third nozzle tube of the multi-stage nozzle, and drive the multi-stage nozzle to displace along a set path through the driving device, thereby evenly spraying the sizing liquid onto the designated position of the ceramic blank, and drying the sizing liquid on the surface of the ceramic blank through hot air;

[0010] S3. Open the first nozzle tube and the third nozzle tube of the multi-stage nozzle, and drive the multi-stage nozzle to displace along a set path through the driving device, thereby evenly spraying the ink onto the surface of the dried sizing liquid, and drying the ink on the surface of the sizing liquid through hot air, so as to form a printed pattern.

[0011] Further, the printing device further includes a number of infrared lamps, and the ceramic inkjet printing method further includes the following step: S4. Turn on the infrared lamps, and drive the infrared lamps to displace along a set path through the driving device, thereby irradiating infrared rays on the surface of the ceramic blank through the infrared lamps, so as to cure the printed pattern on the surface of the ceramic blank.

[0012] Furthermore, in the step S3, the first nozzle tube and the third nozzle tube are opened simultaneously, and after spraying the ink according to the set amount, the first nozzle tube and the third nozzle tube are immediately closed, so as to facilitate the execution of step S4.

[0013] Still further, in the step S3, the preliminary drying temperature of the ink is 140 - 180 °C; in the step S4, the curing temperature of the ink is 150 - 200 °C.

[0014] Further, in the step S3, the first nozzle tube and the third nozzle tube are opened simultaneously, and after spraying the ink according to the set amount, the first nozzle tube is immediately closed; after ensuring that the ink is dried, the third nozzle tube is closed.

[0015] Still further, in the step S3, the drying temperature of the ink is 140 - 200 °C.

[0016] Further, in the step S2, the second nozzle tube is first opened, and after spraying the sizing liquid according to the set amount, the second nozzle tube is immediately closed; then the third nozzle tube is opened, and after ensuring that the sizing liquid is dried, the third nozzle tube is closed.

[0017] Further, in the step S2, the second nozzle and the third nozzle are opened simultaneously. After spraying the sizing liquid according to the set amount, the second nozzle is immediately closed; after ensuring that the sizing liquid is dried, the third nozzle is closed.

[0018] Furthermore, in the step S2, the drying temperature of the sizing liquid is 120 - 180 °C;

[0019] Further, the components of the sizing liquid are: 6 - 9 parts of carboxymethyl cellulose, 90 - 98 parts of water, and 0.1 - 0.9 parts of sodium tripolyphosphate.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0021] 1. The ceramic inkjet printing method provided by the present invention makes full use of the structural advantages of the multi - stage nozzle. By driving the multi - stage nozzle to displace along the set path by the driving device, it can spray ink, sizing liquid, and / or hot air to the designated position of the ceramic blank according to the set process. The operation is simple and convenient, effectively improving the production efficiency and reducing the control difficulty of the ceramic inkjet printing method.

[0022] 2. The present invention optimizes and improves the nozzle structure of the ceramic inkjet printer. A multi - stage nozzle with different flow channels is formed by nesting multiple nozzles with each other, and the flow channels are designed from the inside to the outside in the arrangement of ink - sizing liquid - hot air, so that the multi - stage nozzle has the function of spraying different media, thereby overcoming the disadvantages of complex structure and single function existing in the existing ceramic inkjet printers.

[0023] 3. The present invention puts forward the concept of the sizing liquid and provides the component ratio of the sizing liquid. The sizing liquid can inhibit the fluidity of the ink, so that the ink is quickly fixed, avoiding the phenomenon of lateral diffusion, ensuring the formation of a printed pattern with a vivid effect, high clarity, and high color saturation, and fundamentally improving the quality of ceramic inkjet printing. Description of the Drawings

[0024] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of the ceramic inkjet printer in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 2 It is a schematic cross - sectional view of the multi - stage nozzle in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 3 It is a schematic structural diagram of the printing device and the driving device in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 4 It is a schematic structural diagram of the printing device in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 5 This is a schematic structural diagram of the inkjet printing device in the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] In the figure: 1 - frame; 10 - ceramic blank; 11 - turntable; 2 - inkjet printing device; 21 - multi-stage nozzle; 211 - first nozzle tube; 212 - second nozzle tube; 213 - third nozzle tube; 214 - ink flow channel; 215 - sizing liquid flow channel; 216 - hot air flow channel; 22 - infrared lamp; 3 - driving device; 31 - L-shaped mounting plate; 32 - three-dimensional sliding mechanism; 321 - first lead screw pair; 322 - second lead screw pair; 323 - third lead screw pair; 324 - vertical plate; 325 - horizontal plate; 326 - connecting plate; 327 - guiding assembly. Detailed implementation manners

[0030] The following describes the detailed implementation manners of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. To fully understand the present invention, many details are described below, but for those skilled in the art, the present invention can be implemented without these details.

[0031] Embodiment 1:

[0032] Refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 This embodiment provides a ceramic inkjet printer, including a frame 1, an inkjet printing device 2 and a driving device 3; the frame 1 is provided with a turntable 11 for placing a ceramic blank 10; the inkjet printing device 2 includes a multi-stage nozzle 21, and the multi-stage nozzle 21 includes a first nozzle tube 211, a second nozzle tube 212 and a third nozzle tube 213 which are coaxially arranged in sequence from inside to outside; the inside of the first nozzle tube 211 is an ink flow channel 214; between the first nozzle tube 211 and the second nozzle tube 212 is a sizing liquid flow channel 215; between the second nozzle tube 212 and the third nozzle tube 213 is a hot air flow channel 216; a plurality of multi-stage nozzles 21 are displaced along a set path driven by the driving device 3, so as to spray ink, sizing liquid and / or hot air to a specified position of the ceramic blank 10. This embodiment optimizes and improves the nozzle structure of the existing ceramic inkjet printer, forms a multi-stage nozzle with different flow channels by nesting multiple nozzle tubes with each other, and designs each flow channel from inside to outside in the arrangement of ink - sizing liquid - hot air, so that the multi-stage nozzle has the function of spraying different media.

[0033] Refer to Figure 2 , the inner wall port of the first nozzle tube 211 is in a straight tube shape, so that the ink can be accurately sprayed to the specified position of the ceramic blank 10. The outer wall port of the first nozzle tube 211 is in a contracted shape, and the inner and outer wall ports of the second nozzle tube 212 and the third nozzle tube 213 are also in a contracted shape, so that the sprayed sizing liquid and hot air can be effectively covered within the specified area of the printed pattern. Specifically, in this embodiment, it is set that the outer contraction angle G of the first nozzle tube 211 is smaller than the outer contraction angle H of the second nozzle tube 212 and the outer contraction angle K of the third nozzle tube 213.

[0034] Referring to Figure 1 and Figure 2 ,the inkjet printing device 2 further includes a feeding mechanism (not shown in the figure). The feeding mechanism includes a sizing liquid storage tank, a hot air source, and a plurality of ink cartridges. Specifically, each multi-stage nozzle 21 is provided with a feeding box. The feeding box is provided with an installation cavity for installing the ink cartridge, a liquid storage cavity communicating with the sizing liquid storage tank, and a hot air cavity communicating with the hot air source. All the feeding boxes communicate with the same sizing liquid storage tank and the same hot air source. The one-to-many feeding method can ensure the feeding consistency of the sizing liquid and the hot air, and is convenient for the control and operation of the discharging. Each feeding box is provided with a separate ink cartridge, so the color of the ink can be flexibly adjusted according to the requirements of the printed pattern, thus realizing the printing of different color patterns at one time.

[0035] Referring to Figure 1 、 Figure 3 and Figure 4 ,the driving device 3 includes an L-shaped mounting plate 31 and a three-dimensional sliding mechanism 32. One side of the L-shaped mounting plate 31 is fixedly connected to the three-dimensional sliding mechanism 32, and a plurality of multi-stage nozzles 21 are arranged on the other side. Preferably, the three-dimensional sliding mechanism 32 includes a first lead screw pair 321, a second lead screw pair 322, a third lead screw pair 323, a vertical plate 324, a horizontal plate 325, and a connecting plate 326. The vertical plate 324 is vertically arranged on the tabletop of the frame 1 through the first lead screw pair 321 and can slide back and forth. The horizontal plate 325 is arranged on the vertical plate 324 through the second lead screw pair 322 and can slide up and down. The connecting plate 326 is arranged on the horizontal plate 325 through the third lead screw pair 323 and can slide left and right. The L-shaped mounting plate 31 is fixedly arranged on the connecting plate 326. In addition, each lead screw pair is also provided with a guiding component 327, so the smooth movement of the three-dimensional sliding mechanism 32 can be ensured. The movement of the driving device 3 is specifically controlled by a control box (not shown in the figure). The control box can collect information such as the shape, contour, and humidity of the ceramic blank through accessories such as a vision sensor, and convert it into control parameters of the driving device 3 based on the design requirements of the staff (printed pattern, process parameters, etc.), so as to control the multi-stage nozzle 21 to displace along the set path.

[0036] Referring to Figures 1 to 4 ,the working method of the ceramic inkjet printer provided in this embodiment includes the following steps:

[0037] S1. Place the ceramic blank 10 on the turntable 11 of the ceramic inkjet printer, so that the turntable 11 drives the ceramic blank 10 to rotate at a constant speed.

[0038] S2. Adjust the rotation speed of the turntable 11 to V1. At the same time, turn on the second nozzle 212 and the third nozzle 213 of the multi-stage nozzle 21. Drive the multi-stage nozzle 21 to displace along a set path through the driving device 3, so as to evenly spray the sizing liquid onto the designated position of the ceramic blank 10, and dry the sizing liquid on the surface of the ceramic blank 10 through hot air. In this step, the working times of the second nozzle 212 and the third nozzle 213 are different. The specific setting principle is: after spraying the sizing liquid according to the set amount, immediately turn off the second nozzle 212; after ensuring that the sizing liquid is dried, then turn off the third nozzle 213.

[0039] S3. Adjust the rotation speed of the turntable 11 to V2. At the same time, turn on the first nozzle 211 and the third nozzle 213 of the multi-stage nozzle 21. Drive the multi-stage nozzle 21 to displace along a set path through the driving device 3, so as to evenly spray the ink onto the surface of the dried sizing liquid, and dry the ink on the surface of the sizing liquid through hot air, thereby forming a printed pattern. In this step, the working times of the first nozzle 211 and the third nozzle 213 are different. The specific setting principle is: after spraying the ink according to the set amount, immediately turn off the first nozzle 211; after ensuring that the ink is dried, then turn off the third nozzle 213.

[0040] Through research, it is found that the main reason for the diffusion of the ceramic inkjet printing pattern is that the ceramic blank 10 formed by pressing is relatively dense and has poor ink absorption performance. Coupled with the fact that the humidity inside the ceramic blank 10 is higher than that on the surface, the liquid ink cannot be quickly absorbed by the ceramic blank 10 during the wetting process, but spreads horizontally and blurs. Based on this, the inventive concept of the sizing liquid is proposed in the present invention, that is, a layer of sizing liquid is first sprayed on the surface of the ceramic blank 10 before inkjet printing, and the sizing liquid is dried, and then the ink is sprayed on the dried sizing liquid, so that the ink is quickly fixed and the phenomenon of horizontal diffusion is avoided. It can be seen that the essence of the sizing liquid is to inhibit the fluidity of the ink, so as to achieve the effect of quick fixing. As a preferred solution, the sizing liquid is composed of: 6-9 parts of carboxymethyl cellulose, 90-98 parts of water, and 0.1-0.9 parts of sodium tripolyphosphate. Mix carboxymethyl cellulose, water and sodium tripolyphosphate in proportion and add them to a ball mill for stirring and grinding to form the sizing liquid. The production method is simple and easy to operate.

[0041] Refer to Figure 2, the flow channels of the multi-stage nozzle 21 are designed from the inside to the outside as the ink flow channel 214, the sizing liquid flow channel 215, and the hot air flow channel 216 respectively. Therefore, in step S2, by adjusting the rotation speed of the turntable 11 and the displacement path of the multi-stage nozzle 21, a layer of sizing liquid can be evenly covered within the specified printing pattern area. In step S3, by readjusting the appropriate rotation speed of the turntable and the displacement path of the multi-stage nozzle 21, the ink can be accurately ejected onto the surface of the ceramic blank 10 covered with the sizing liquid. Since the hot air flow channel 216 is located on the outermost side of the multi-stage nozzle 21, the ejected hot air can effectively wrap the sizing liquid or ink inside, thereby quickly drying the sizing liquid or ink on the basis of preventing the sizing liquid or ink from spreading outwards. Preferably, the drying temperature of the sizing liquid is usually controlled at 120 - 180 °C, while the drying temperature of the ink is usually controlled at 140 - 200 °C. It has been proven through practice that after drying the ink with hot air, a complete printing pattern can be finally formed. Subsequently, processes such as spraying the surface glaze or high-temperature calcination will not cause phenomena such as ink fading, decomposition, or distortion, effectively ensuring the clarity of the printing pattern.

[0042] Embodiment 2:

[0043] Referring to Figure 5 , different from Embodiment 1, the printing device 2 of this embodiment further includes infrared lamps 22. Driven by the driving device 2, several infrared lamps 22 are displaced along a set path, thereby irradiating infrared rays to a specified position of the ceramic blank 10. Specifically, several infrared lamps 22 are arranged and distributed under the multi-stage nozzle 21 on the L-shaped mounting plate 31.

[0044] Referring to Figures 1 to 5 , the working method of the ceramic inkjet printer provided in this embodiment includes the following steps:

[0045] S1. Place the ceramic blank 10 on the turntable 11 of the ceramic inkjet printer, so that the turntable 11 drives the ceramic blank 10 to rotate at a constant speed.

[0046] S2. First, adjust the rotation speed of the turntable 11 to V1, turn on the second nozzle 212 of the multi-stage nozzle 21, and drive the multi-stage nozzle 21 to be displaced along a set path by the driving device 3, thereby evenly ejecting the sizing liquid to a specified position of the ceramic blank 10. After ejecting the sizing liquid according to the set amount, immediately turn off the second nozzle 212. Then, adjust the rotation speed of the turntable 11 to V2, turn on the third nozzle 213 of the multi-stage nozzle 21, and drive the multi-stage nozzle 21 to be displaced along a set path by the driving device 3, thereby drying the sizing liquid on the surface of the ceramic blank 10 by the evenly ejected hot air. After the sizing liquid is dried, turn off the third nozzle 213.

[0047] S3. Adjust the rotation speed of the turntable 11 to V3. Meanwhile, turn on the first nozzle 211 and the third nozzle 213 of the multi-stage nozzle 21. Drive the multi-stage nozzle 21 to displace along a set path by the driving device 3, thereby evenly spraying the ink onto the surface of the dried setting liquid, and preliminarily drying the ink on the surface of the setting liquid through hot air, so as to form a printed pattern. In this step, the working time of the first nozzle 211 and the third nozzle 213 is the same. After spraying the ink according to the set amount, immediately turn off the first nozzle 211 and the third nozzle 213 to facilitate the execution of the next step.

[0048] S4. Adjust the rotation speed of the turntable 11 to V4. Turn on the infrared lamp. Drive the infrared lamp 22 to displace along a set path by the driving device 3, thereby irradiating infrared rays to the surface of the ceramic blank 10 through the infrared lamp 22, so as to cure the printed pattern on the surface of the ceramic blank 10.

[0049] In this embodiment, the spraying and drying of the setting liquid are carried out separately in two processes. Therefore, by adjusting the rotation speed of the turntable 11 and the displacement path of the multi-stage nozzle 21, the spraying area of the setting liquid and the drying area of the hot air can be controlled more accurately and simply. Preferably, the drying temperature of the setting liquid in step S2 is 120 - 180 °C.

[0050] During the process of spraying the ink, the hot air mainly plays a role in assisting the ink to take shape and preliminarily drying it. After spraying the ink, the infrared curing method can completely dry, cure and shape the ink. Preferably, the preliminary drying temperature of the ink in step S3 is 140 - 180 °C, and the curing temperature of the ink in step S4 is 150 - 200 °C.

[0051] The above is only the specific implementation manner of the present invention, but the design concept of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any non-substantive modification made to the present invention using this concept shall fall within the scope of infringement of the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A ceramic inkjet printing method, characterized in that: Including a ceramic inkjet printer, which includes a turntable, a printing device, and a driving device; the printing device is provided with a number of multi-stage nozzles, and each of the multi-stage nozzles includes a first nozzle tube, a second nozzle tube, and a third nozzle tube that are coaxially arranged from inside to outside in sequence; an ink flow channel is inside the first nozzle tube; a sizing liquid flow channel is between the first nozzle tube and the second nozzle tube; a hot air flow channel is between the second nozzle tube and the third nozzle tube; the inner wall port of the first nozzle tube is in a straight tube shape, and the outer wall port of the first nozzle tube is in a contracted shape; the inner and outer wall ports of the second nozzle tube and the third nozzle tube are both in a contracted shape; the outer contraction angle G of the first nozzle tube is smaller than the outer contraction angle H of the second nozzle tube and the outer contraction angle K of the third nozzle tube; the ceramic inkjet printing method includes the following steps: S1. Place the ceramic blank on the turntable of the ceramic inkjet printer, so that the turntable drives the ceramic blank to rotate at a constant speed. S2. Open the second nozzle tube and the third nozzle tube of the multi-stage nozzle, and drive the multi-stage nozzle to move along a set path through the driving device, thereby evenly spraying the sizing liquid onto the specified position of the ceramic blank, and drying the sizing liquid on the surface of the ceramic blank with hot air. S3. Open the first nozzle tube and the third nozzle tube of the multi-stage nozzle, and drive the multi-stage nozzle to move along a set path through the driving device, thereby evenly spraying the ink onto the dried sizing liquid surface, and drying the ink on the surface of the sizing liquid with hot air, so as to form a printed pattern.

2. The ceramic inkjet printing method according to claim 1, wherein: The printing device further includes a number of infrared lamps, and the ceramic inkjet printing method further includes the following steps: S4. Turn on the infrared lamps, and drive the infrared lamps to move along a set path through the driving device, thereby irradiating infrared rays onto the surface of the ceramic blank through the infrared lamps, so as to cure the printed pattern on the surface of the ceramic blank.

3. The ceramic inkjet printing method according to claim 2, characterized in that: In step S3, when the first nozzle tube and the third nozzle tube are opened simultaneously, after spraying the ink according to the set amount, immediately close the first nozzle tube and the third nozzle tube to facilitate the execution of step S4.

4. The ceramic inkjet printing method according to claim 3, characterized in that: In step S3, the preliminary drying temperature of the ink is 140 - 180 °C; in step S4, the curing temperature of the ink is 150 - 200 °C.

5. The ceramic inkjet printing method according to claim 1, characterized in that: In step S3, when the first nozzle tube and the third nozzle tube are opened simultaneously, after spraying the ink according to the set amount, immediately close the first nozzle tube; after ensuring that the ink is dried, then close the third nozzle tube.

6. The ceramic inkjet printing method according to claim 5, wherein: In step S3, the drying temperature of the ink is 140 - 200 °C.

7. A ceramic inkjet printing method according to claim 1, characterized in that: In step S2, first open the second nozzle tube, after spraying the sizing liquid according to the set amount, immediately close the second nozzle tube; then open the third nozzle tube, and after ensuring that the sizing liquid is dried, then close the third nozzle tube.

8. A ceramic inkjet printing method as claimed in claim 1, wherein: In step S2, when the second nozzle tube and the third nozzle tube are opened simultaneously, after spraying the sizing liquid according to the set amount, immediately close the second nozzle tube; after ensuring that the sizing liquid is dried, then close the third nozzle tube.

9. A ceramic inkjet printing method according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that: In step S2, the drying temperature of the sizing liquid is 120 - 180 °C.

10. A ceramic inkjet printing method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The components of the sizing liquid are: 6 - 9 parts of carboxymethyl cellulose, 90 - 98 parts of water, and 0.1 - 0.9 parts of sodium tripolyphosphate.

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