Printing system of offset rotary press and offset rotary press

Abstract

A printing system for an offset rotary press and the offset rotary press are provided. The offset rotary press can monitor the emulsification state of the ink on the printing plate cylinder in real time, quickly achieve the appropriate ink emulsification state, maintain good printing quality from the start to the end of printing, and reduce waste paper. The printing system of the offset rotary press (1) includes a light source (32) that irradiates the surface of the printing plate cylinder (6) of the printing unit (5) with illumination light (71); a camera (33) that captures the reflected light (72) from the irradiated illumination light (71); and a control device (56) that binarizes the image captured by the camera (33) into the range of high luminance and low luminance of the reflected light (72) and calculates the area ratio of the range of high luminance of the reflected light (72) relative to the overall area of ​​the image captured by the camera (33). When the area ratio of the range of high luminance of the reflected light (72) calculated by the control device (56) is high, the supply of dampening water to the dampening water device (11) is controlled to achieve the appropriate ink emulsification state.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a printing system for an offset rotary printing press and an offset rotary printing press equipped with the printing system. Background Technology

[0002] In offset rotary printing, dampening solution and ink are supplied to the printing cylinder. Excessive dampening solution supply can lead to ink over-emulsification. This over-emulsification results in printing contamination and waste paper.

[0003] Because the emulsification state of ink varies due to various factors such as the printed pattern and temperature, in the past, operators relied on their specialized skills and experience to judge the ink emulsification state and adjust the supply of dampening solution. Therefore, inconsistencies in print quality arose due to differences in operators.

[0004] On the other hand, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-007769 (Patent Document 1), printing systems that perform machine learning and control printing based on the measurement of the tones of the printing result and the operating status of the printing press have been known in the past.

[0005] However, the printing system disclosed in Patent Document 1 has the following problems because it does not detect the emulsification state of the ink during printing: there is a time delay from when the ink changes to an over-emulsified state to when control is executed, and time is spent until the ink reaches the appropriate emulsification state, resulting in a large amount of waste paper, etc.

[0006] This invention is made to solve the above-mentioned problems. Its purpose is to provide a printing system and offset rotary press that can quickly understand the signs of excessive ink emulsification by real-time monitoring of the ink emulsification state, control the dampening water to achieve an appropriate ink emulsification state, maintain good printing quality from the start to the end of printing, thereby significantly reducing waste paper, and can be cheaply and easily implemented in existing offset rotary presses. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The offset rotary printing press of the present invention is characterized in that the offset rotary printing press includes at least one printing unit, the printing unit including a printing plate cylinder, a dampening device for supplying dampening water to the printing plate cylinder, and an ink device for supplying ink to the printing plate cylinder, and includes an ink emulsification state detection component. The ink emulsification state detection component includes a light source for irradiating the surface of the printing plate cylinder and / or the surface of any one of the rollers of the ink device with illumination light; a camera for capturing reflected light reflected from the surface of the roller; and a control component for binarizing the image captured by the camera into a range of high luminance and a range of low luminance of the reflected light, calculating the area ratio of the range of high luminance of the reflected light relative to the overall area of ​​the image captured by the camera, and controlling the supply of dampening water from the dampening device to achieve an appropriate ink emulsification state when the area ratio of the range of high luminance of the reflected light calculated by the control component is high.

[0008] In the printing system of the offset rotary printing machine of the present invention, the structure is configured such that the light source irradiates light of a specific wavelength, and the camera only captures the reflected light of the specific wavelength.

[0009] In the printing system of the offset rotary press of the present invention, the temperature of the dampening water supplied by the dampening water device and the temperature of the ink supplied by the ink device are kept constant.

[0010] By creating this structure, the emulsification state of the ink can be accurately determined from the area ratio of the region with high reflectivity of the reflected light.

[0011] In the printing system of the offset rotary printing press of the present invention, the light source is a high color rendering LED.

[0012] By creating this structure, changes in the brightness of reflected light can be detected more clearly, enabling more precise and accurate control based on the detection results.

[0013] In the offset rotary printing system of the present invention, the control component repeatedly calculates and stores the area ratio of the range with high luminance of reflected light during printing, and machine learns a control model of dampening water to make an appropriate ink emulsion state according to the stored area ratio, and updates the control model to make an appropriate ink emulsion state according to the calculated area ratio.

[0014] By creating this structure, a stable ink emulsion state can always be maintained, regardless of the operator's experience or skill, allowing for reliable control of the dampening solution.

[0015] In the printing system of the offset rotary printing press of the present invention, the control component, in addition to the area ratio, also stores at least one of the following information: the operating status of the offset rotary printing press, the detection information of the printing result, temperature, and humidity. Based on the stored area ratio and the stored information other than the area ratio, the control model is machine-learned and updated to a control model corresponding to the above information.

[0016] By creating this structure, even if there are changes in the operating status of the offset rotary printing press, the detection information of the printing results, or at least one of the temperature or humidity, the emulsification state of the ink can be kept stable, and the dampening water can be reliably controlled.

[0017] In the printing system of the offset rotary press of the present invention, the operating status of the offset rotary press includes at least one of the following: the amount of dampening water supplied at the start of printing, the amount of ink supplied at the start of printing, information of the printed pattern, printing speed during printing, the amount of dampening water supplied during printing, and the amount of ink supplied during printing.

[0018] In the printing system of the offset rotary printing press of the present invention, the detection information of the above-mentioned printing results includes at least one of the following: dot shape, dot area ratio, and ink concentration detected from the printing results.

[0019] In the printing system of the offset rotary printing press of the present invention, the aforementioned temperature and humidity information includes at least one of the following: dampening water temperature at the start of printing, ink temperature at the start of printing, water temperature of the oscillating roller at the start of printing, water temperature of the printing plate cylinder at the start of printing, temperature inside the factory at the start of printing, humidity inside the factory at the start of printing, dampening water temperature during printing, ink temperature during printing, water temperature of the oscillating roller during printing, water temperature of the printing plate cylinder during printing, temperature inside the factory during printing, and humidity inside the factory during printing.

[0020] In the printing system of the offset rotary printing press of the present invention, the update of the above-mentioned control model is performed on a cloud server independent of the offset rotary printing press.

[0021] In the printing system of the offset rotary press of the present invention, the update of the above-mentioned control model is performed by the control device within the offset rotary press.

[0022] In the printing system of the offset rotary press of the present invention, the dampening water of the dampening water device is controlled using the updated control model described above.

[0023] The offset rotary printing press of the present invention includes the above-described printing system.

[0024] The offset rotary printing system according to the present invention can quickly understand the signs of excessive ink emulsification by monitoring the ink emulsification state in real time, control the dampening water, and make the ink emulsification state appropriate, so as to maintain good printing quality from the beginning to the end of printing, thereby significantly reducing waste paper.

[0025] Moreover, it can be cheaply and easily integrated into existing offset rotary printing machines.

[0026] Furthermore, since the emulsification state of the ink is determined by the area ratio of the region with high reflectivity, even if the emulsification state of the ink is uneven, it is possible to make an ink with an appropriate emulsification state. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Figure 1 This is an overall front view of an example of an offset rotary printing press to which the printing system of the present invention can be applied.

[0028] Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of the printing unit.

[0029] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a control system related to machine learning.

[0030] Figure 4 This is a structural diagram showing the second embodiment of the reflected light detection device.

[0031] Figure 5 This is a structural diagram showing the third embodiment of the reflected light detection device. Detailed Implementation

[0032] based on Figure 1 This describes an offset rotary printing press according to embodiments of the present invention. Figure 1 This is an overall front view of an example of an offset rotary printing press to which the printing system of the present invention can be applied.

[0033] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the offset rotary printing machine 1 includes a paper supply section 2 for supplying a substrate W to be printed; a printing section 3 for printing on the substrate W transported from the paper supply section 2; and a paper discharge section 4 for discharging the substrate W printed by the printing section 3.

[0034] The paper feeding unit 2 includes a paper feeding shaft 91 on which a printable substrate W wound into a roll shape is mounted; and a feed roller 92 on the paper feeding side that releases the printable substrate W mounted on the paper feeding shaft 91 and feeds it toward the printing unit 3. By rotating the feed roller 92 on the paper feeding side driven by a drive motor (not shown), the printable substrate W is pulled, causing the paper feeding shaft 91 to rotate, releasing the roll-shaped printable substrate W and feeding it toward the printing unit 3.

[0035] The paper feeding unit 2 is not limited to this structure, and may also be a known paper feeding unit structure of a rotary press, such as a structure that feeds out sheet paper.

[0036] The printing section 3 has multiple printing units 5, which will be described later, and each printing unit 5 performs monochrome printing. A drying device 95 is provided on the paper discharge side of each printing unit 5, but it may not be provided.

[0037] The paper discharge section 4 includes a feed roller 93 on the paper discharge side that feeds the printed substrate W, which has been printed by the printing section 3, to the paper discharge section 4; and a take-up shaft 94 that takes up the printed substrate W.

[0038] The paper discharge section 4 is not limited to this structure, and can also be the structure of a known rotary press paper discharge section, such as a delivery device that discharges the printed substrate W to other processing devices, or a sheet paper stacking device.

[0039] A dot detection device 41 and a pattern inspection device 42 for checking the printing results are provided between the printing section 3 and the paper output section 4. The dot detection device 41 and the pattern inspection device 42 are not limited to this structure. They can be provided at any position, such as between the feed roller 93 on the paper output side and the take-up shaft 94 that takes up the substrate W to be printed, which is downstream of the printing section 3.

[0040] The structure of the offset rotary printing press 1, which is applicable to the printing system of the present invention, is not limited to this structure. It can be made into any structure, such as providing a processing unit for cutting and bending the printed substrate W between the printing unit 3 and the paper output unit 4.

[0041] The printing system of the present invention is applicable regardless of the type of substrate W to be printed on. Therefore, materials such as paper and film used in known offset rotary printing presses can be used as the substrate W. In addition, it can be used regardless of the form of continuous paper, sheet paper, etc.

[0042] based on Figure 2 This explains the structure of printing unit 5. Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of the printing unit.

[0043] The printing section 3 comprises at least one printing unit 5. In the printing unit 5, printing is performed on the substrate W using any type of ink. Figure 1 In this embodiment, four printing units 5 are provided, each performing printing with yellow (Y), cyan (C), magenta (M), and black (K) inks respectively. All printing units 5 have the same structure.

[0044] The number of printing units 5 used in the printing system of the present invention is not limited to [specific number]. Figure 1In this embodiment, the printing unit 3 can be composed of any number of printing units 5, such as a printing unit that prints with only one black (K) ink. Furthermore, the inks that can be used are not limited to yellow (Y), cyan (C), magenta (M), and black (K) as described above; inks of any color, such as specific colors, can be used.

[0045] like Figure 2 As shown, the printing unit 5 includes a plate cylinder 6, a blanket cylinder 7, and an impression cylinder 8. The plate cylinder 6, blanket cylinder 7, and impression cylinder 8 are each controlled to rotate by a drive motor (not shown). The substrate W to be printed is transported between the blanket cylinder 7 and the impression cylinder 8.

[0046] Printing is performed as follows. Ink is supplied to the printing plate cylinder 6 and dampening water, ink is transferred from the printing plate cylinder 6 to the blanket cylinder 7, and ink is transferred from the blanket cylinder 7 to the substrate W to be printed.

[0047] To adjust the surface temperature of the printing plate cylinder 6, cooling water is introduced into the interior of the printing plate cylinder 6. Details of the introduction of cooling water will be explained later.

[0048] The dampening device 11, which supplies dampening water to the printing plate cylinder 6, and the ink device 21, which supplies ink to the printing plate cylinder 6, are disposed adjacent to the printing plate cylinder 6.

[0049] The dampening water device 11 includes a dampening water temperature detection device 12, a water pan 13, a water source roller 14, a volume adjustment roller 15, and a dampening roller 16.

[0050] The dampening water in the water pan 13 is supplied to the printing plate cylinder 6 via the water source roller 14, the volume adjustment roller 15, and the dampening roller 16. The supply of dampening water to the water pan 13 will be explained later.

[0051] The damping water temperature detection device 12 detects the temperature of the damping water in the water pan 13. The temperature of the damping water measured by the damping water temperature detection device 12 is used as the damping water temperature for machine learning described later.

[0052] The ink unit 21 includes an ink temperature detection device 22, an ink tank 23, an ink source roller 24, an ink distribution roller group 25, an ink oscillating roller 26, and an ink roller 27.

[0053] Ink in ink tank 23 is supplied to printing cylinder 6 via ink source roller 24, ink distribution roller group 25, ink oscillation roller 26, and ink roller 27. Ink temperature detection device 22 is positioned facing any roller in ink unit 21 to measure the temperature of the ink on the roller surface in a non-contact manner. The ink temperature detected by ink temperature detection device 22 is used as the ink temperature for machine learning described later.

[0054] To control the ink temperature, cooling water is introduced into the interior of the ink oscillating roller 26 to control the surface temperature of the ink oscillating roller 26. Details of the introduction of cooling water will be explained later.

[0055] based on Figure 3 This explains the flow of cooling water into the printing plate cylinder 6, the supply of dampening water into the water pan 13, the flow of cooling water into the ink oscillating roller 26, and the supply of ink. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a control system related to machine learning.

[0056] To adjust the surface temperature of the printing plate cylinder 6, cooling water is introduced into the interior of the printing plate cylinder 6 from a source located near the printing unit 5. Figure 3 The printing plate cylinder cooling water circulation device 9 shown is supplied.

[0057] The printing plate cylinder cooling water circulation device 9 includes a flow path for supplying cooling water from the printing plate cylinder cooling water circulation device 9 to the printing plate cylinder 6; a flow path for circulating cooling water from the printing plate cylinder 6 to the printing plate cylinder cooling water circulation device 9; and a printing plate cylinder cooling water temperature control device 10 for controlling the temperature of the circulating cooling water.

[0058] The temperature of the cooling water controlled by the printing plate cylinder cooling water temperature control device 10 is used as the printing plate cylinder water flow temperature for machine learning described later.

[0059] The supply of dampening solution to the water tray 13 of the dampening device 11 is provided by a device located near the printing unit 5. Figure 3 The dampening water circulation device 17 shown is used. The dampening water circulation device 17 has a flow path for supplying dampening water from the dampening water circulation device 17 to the water pan 13; and a flow path for circulating the dampening water from the water pan 13 to the dampening water circulation device 17.

[0060] The dampening water circulation device 17 is equipped with a dampening water cooling device 18 for cooling the dampening water, which can control the temperature of the circulating dampening water.

[0061] The temperature control of the dampening water in the printing system of the present invention is based on the... Figure 3 The control device 56 shown controls the set temperature of the dampening water cooling device 18 so that the temperature of the dampening water in the water pan 13, which is detected by the dampening water temperature detection device 12, becomes the set temperature.

[0062] Cooling water is introduced into the interior of the ink oscillating roller 26 from a source located near the printing unit 5. Figure 3The ink oscillating roller cooling water circulation device 28 shown is supplied. The ink oscillating roller cooling water circulation device 28 includes a flow path for supplying cooling water from the ink oscillating roller cooling water circulation device 28 to the ink oscillating roller 26; a flow path for circulating cooling water from the ink oscillating roller 26 to the ink oscillating roller cooling water circulation device 28; and an ink oscillating roller cooling water temperature control device 29 for controlling the temperature of the circulating cooling water.

[0063] The set temperature of the ink oscillating roller cooling water temperature control device 29 is used as the water temperature of the oscillating roller for machine learning described later.

[0064] The temperature of the ink in the printing system of the present invention is controlled by changing the set temperature of the ink oscillating roller cooling water temperature control device 29 according to the instructions from the control device 56.

[0065] The supply of dampening water and ink is controlled based on instructions from control device 56 as follows.

[0066] The amount of dampening water supplied to the printing plate cylinder 6 is controlled by adjusting the rotation of the water source roller 14 and the volume adjustment roller 15. The water source roller 14 and the volume adjustment roller 15 are driven to rotate by a drive motor (not shown). In the printing system of the present invention, the rotation of the drive motors of the water source roller 14 and the volume adjustment roller 15 output from the control device 56 is used as the amount of dampening water supplied for the machine learning described later.

[0067] The amount of ink supplied to the printing plate cylinder 6 is controlled by controlling the rotation of the ink source roller 24. The ink source roller 24 is driven to rotate by a drive motor (not shown). In the printing system of the present invention, the rotation of the drive motor of the ink source roller 24 output from the control device 56 is used as the ink supply amount for machine learning described later.

[0068] At the start of printing, the ink supply is initially set according to the pattern area ratio of the printed pattern, as described below.

[0069] Pervasive Figure 2 The ink source roller 24 shown has multiple ink keys (not shown) arranged side by side in the width direction. The amount of ink output (supply of ink) in the width direction of the ink source roller 24 is determined by the gap between each ink key and the ink source roller 24, that is, the opening degree of the ink key.

[0070] The pattern area ratio is data converted from the data of the printing plate set on the printing plate cylinder 6. It represents the area of ​​the pattern in the area of ​​the same width as the ink key × the vertical length of the printing plate (the vertical length of the product).

[0071] The control device 56 calculates the pattern area ratio of the width of each ink key in the width direction of the printing plate from the input printing plate data, adjusts the opening of each ink key according to the calculated pattern area ratio, and initially sets the ink supply volume.

[0072] In the printing system of the present invention, an ink emulsification state detection component is provided, which detects the emulsification state of the ink by measuring the luminance of reflected light from the surface of the printing plate cylinder 6 and / or the surface of the ink supply roller.

[0073] Ink emulsification state detection component, consisting of Figure 1 The reflected light detection device 31 shown detects reflected light from the surface of the printing plate cylinder 6 of each printing unit 5 and Figure 3 The control device 56 shown is configured as follows.

[0074] Below, based on Figure 2 This describes the structure of the reflection light detection device 31 that detects the reflected light 72 from the surface of the printing plate cylinder 6.

[0075] To detect reflected light 72 from the surface of the printing plate cylinder 6, a reflected light detection device 31 is provided near the printing plate cylinder 6. The reflected light detection device 31 includes a light source 32 and a camera 33.

[0076] As a light source 32, LEDs and other lamps can be used. In particular, high color rendering LEDs can be used as a suitable light source. High color rendering LEDs have high color reproduction and are generally used as light sources for printing equipment, etc.

[0077] When a high color rendering LED is used as the light source 32, the change in the luminance of the reflected light 72 can be detected more clearly, so control based on the detection results can be implemented with greater precision.

[0078] Camera 33 can be a wide-angle camera capable of capturing the entire width of the printing cylinder 6 (parallel to the axis of rotation) or a camera capable of capturing any part of the printing cylinder 6. Alternatively, if a camera cannot capture the entire width of the printing cylinder 6, multiple cameras can be installed along the width of the printing cylinder 6, and the captured images can be combined to obtain the same result as a wide-angle camera.

[0079] The light source 32 and the camera 33 are configured to be adjustable in position and angle, and can be adjusted to a position that makes it easy to detect the reflected light 72.

[0080] like Figure 2 As indicated by the dotted arrow, the illumination light 71 shines from the light source 32 toward the printing cylinder 6, as shown in the image. Figure 2 As indicated by the dashed arrow, the reflected light 72 reflected from the surface of the printing cylinder 6 is captured by the camera 33. That is, the camera 33 captures the area on the surface of the printing cylinder 6 that is illuminated by the illumination light 71.

[0081] The light source 32 and the camera 33 can be made into the following structure.

[0082] The light source 32 is configured to irradiate light of a specific wavelength, and the camera 33 is configured to capture only the reflected light of the specific wavelength irradiated by the light source 32 in the reflected light reflected from the surface of the printing plate cylinder 6.

[0083] like Figure 3 As shown, the detection results of the reflected light detection device 31 of each printing unit 5, that is, the images captured by the camera 33, are output to the control device 56. The control device 56 analyzes the detection results (images) and determines the emulsification state of the ink on the surface of the printing plate cylinder 6. The control of the reflected light detection device 31 is performed by the control device 56.

[0084] The control device 56 in this embodiment is configured to control the existing offset rotary printing machine 1 and the machine learning control described later, but it is not limited to this configuration. It is also possible to control the reflected light detection device 31 and analyze the detection results (images) by a separate control device, and control can be implemented by any configuration.

[0085] The control of the reflected light detection device 31 and the analysis of the detection results (captured images) are performed as follows.

[0086] The control of the reflected light detection device 31 is implemented in accordance with the printing process as described below. The light source 32 is always lit during printing, illuminating the printing plate cylinder 6 with the illumination light 71. In order to detect the luminance of the reflected light 72 relative to the illumination light 71, that is, the luminance of the surface of the printing plate cylinder 6, the camera 33 takes a picture of the surface of the printing plate cylinder 6 during printing.

[0087] The control device 56 receives images captured by the camera 33 at a certain cycle, for example, every time the printing plate cylinder 6 rotates a certain number of times, and analyzes the captured images.

[0088] The camera 33 can capture images of the entire width of the printing cylinder 6, or any part of the printing cylinder 6.

[0089] Furthermore, the camera 33 takes pictures at any time when it can photograph the portion of the printing plate mounted on the printing plate cylinder 6, relative to the rotation of the printing plate cylinder 6. The portion of the image other than the printing plate cylinder 6 is excluded by the control device 56. The excluded portion is arbitrarily set according to the size of the printing plate cylinder 6 and the mounting position of the camera 33.

[0090] Since the present invention can be implemented even when the printing plate is only mounted on a part of the printing plate cylinder 6, it can be implemented even when the printing plate is only mounted on a part of the printing plate cylinder 6, as long as the photograph can be taken at any time when the photograph can be taken of the portion of the printing plate mounted on the printing plate cylinder 6.

[0091] Because the emulsification state of the ink on the surface of the printing cylinder 6 is not uniform throughout the width and circumference directions, the luminance of the reflected light 72 from the surface of the printing cylinder 6 is also uneven throughout the width and circumference directions, with high and low values. This can be considered one of the reasons why dampening water is not uniformly supplied to the surface of the printing cylinder 6.

[0092] For this reason, the image captured by camera 33 is not uniformly bright throughout the entire screen; there are bright and dark areas. The bright areas are those with high luminance of reflected light 72, and the dark areas are those with low luminance of reflected light 72.

[0093] Therefore, the control device 56 binarizes the image captured by the camera 33 based on whether the luminance of the reflected light 72 is higher than a reference value. That is, it distinguishes between the portion of the reflected light 72 where the luminance is higher than the reference value (bright portion) and the portion of the reflected light 72 where the luminance is lower than the reference value (dark portion). The luminance of the reflected light 72 is determined by a reference value set by machine learning, as described later. A value above the reference value is considered high, and a value below the reference value is considered low.

[0094] Furthermore, the control device 56 calculates the overall area of ​​the image captured by the camera 33, and sums up the areas of the portions determined to be high-brightness reflective light 72 as the area of ​​the range with high brightness of reflective light 72, and calculates the area ratio of the range determined to be high-brightness reflective light 72 relative to the overall area of ​​the image captured by the camera 33.

[0095] If the calculated area ratio is higher than the set value, it is determined that the dampening water supply is too high. To prevent over-emulsification, the water supply is reduced. In other words, if the dampening water supply is high, there will be more bright areas on the surface of the printing cylinder 6, and the area with high brightness of the reflected light 72 will increase. The set area ratio value is set by machine learning based on detection information such as printing results, as described later. The control of the dampening water (control of the water supply) is achieved by controlling the rotation of the water source roller 14 and the volume adjustment roller 15 by the control device 56.

[0096] If the amount of dampening water supplied is reduced, the bright portion on the surface of the printing cylinder 6 will decrease, and the area of ​​the region where the brightness of the reflected light 72 is high will decrease. The area ratio will become a value below the set area ratio, so the excessive emulsification of ink on the surface of the printing cylinder 6 can be prevented, and the ink can be made into an appropriate emulsified state.

[0097] Therefore, by measuring the luminance of the reflected light 72 from the surface of the printing cylinder 6, the emulsification state of the ink can be grasped in real time.

[0098] Therefore, by rapidly detecting signs of ink over-emulsification and controlling dampening water accordingly, an appropriate ink emulsification state can be achieved early on, preventing printing contamination caused by over-emulsification. This maintains good print quality from start to finish, leading to a significant reduction in waste paper.

[0099] Furthermore, since the emulsification state of the ink is determined based on the area ratio of the range with high luminance of the reflected light 72, even if the emulsification state of the ink on the surface of the printing cylinder 6 is uneven, an appropriate ink emulsification state can be achieved.

[0100] Furthermore, since only a reflected light detection device 31 and a control device 56 need to be set up, it can be cheaply and easily introduced into existing offset rotary printing presses. Therefore, not only newly developed offset rotary printing presses, but also existing offset rotary printing presses that are already in operation can achieve control and reliable management of the ink emulsification state.

[0101] like Figure 3 As shown, the control device 56 communicates with the cloud server 51. The cloud server 51 is set up independently of the offset printing rotary machine 1 and performs the machine learning described later.

[0102] That is, the control component of this embodiment consists of a control device 56 and a cloud server 51, and the machine learning processing described later can be arbitrarily shared by the control device 56 and the cloud server 51.

[0103] In the printing system of the embodiment, during printing, the area ratio of the range where the brightness of reflected light 72 from the surface of the printing plate cylinder 6 is high is repeatedly calculated. The control device 56 or cloud server 51 stores the calculated area ratio data and determines the emulsification state of the ink accordingly with the stored area ratio. The control model of dampening water is machine-generated to obtain the appropriate emulsification state of the ink.

[0104] Furthermore, the control device 56 or cloud server 51 uses the results of machine learning to update the control model of the dampening water to the control model output of the most suitable supply of dampening water to achieve the appropriate emulsification state of the ink, corresponding to the calculated area ratio.

[0105] Therefore, by using machine learning, it is possible to always maintain a stable ink emulsion state and reliably control the dampening solution, regardless of the operator's experience and skills.

[0106] Alternatively, instead of machine learning, the dampening solution can be controlled to achieve the appropriate ink emulsion state each time the area ratio is calculated.

[0107] exist Figure 2In the illustrated embodiment, a reflected light detection device 31 is provided facing the printing plate cylinder 6 to measure the luminance of reflected light 72 from the surface of the printing plate cylinder 6, and the object for detecting the emulsification state of the ink is the printing plate cylinder 6. However, in this invention, the object for detecting the emulsification state of the ink is not limited to the printing plate cylinder 6.

[0108] For example, such as Figure 4 As shown, a reflected light detection device 31 can also be provided opposite to the ink roller 27 to measure the luminance of the reflected light 72 from the surface of the ink roller 27, and the ink roller 27 can be used as the object for detecting the emulsification state of the ink.

[0109] In addition, such as Figure 5 As shown, a reflected light detection device 31 can also be provided opposite to the ink oscillating roller 26 to measure the luminance of the reflected light 72 from the surface of the ink oscillating roller 26, and the ink oscillating roller 26 can be used as the object for detecting the emulsification state of the ink.

[0110] In other words, the printing system of the present invention can be implemented not only with the printing plate cylinder 6, but also with a structure that measures the luminance of the reflected light 72 from the surface of any roller that supplies ink to the printing plate cylinder 6, such as the ink roller 27 or the ink oscillating roller 26.

[0111] Furthermore, the measurement of the brightness of the reflected light 72 is not limited to one location, and multiple reflected light detection devices 31 can be provided within a printing unit 5. For example, in addition to detecting the reflected light 72 from the surface of the printing plate cylinder 6, a reflected light detection device 31 can also be provided to detect the reflected light 72 from the surface of the ink roller 27.

[0112] like Figure 3 As shown, in addition to detecting the area ratio of the high luminance range of the reflected light 72 described above, the control device 56 also detects the following data as data for controlling the emulsification state of the ink, and controls the machine learning described later. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a control system related to machine learning, showing the control device 56 and the objects that receive and send data related to the printing system of the present invention.

[0113] The control device 56 obtains information on the amount of dampening water supplied at the start of printing, the amount of ink supplied at the start of printing, and the printed pattern, as information on the operating status of the offset rotary printing press 1.

[0114] Furthermore, during printing, the printing speed (rotation speed of the printing plate cylinder 6), the amount of dampening water supplied, and the amount of ink supplied can be obtained at any time.

[0115] In order to confirm the emulsification state of the ink from the printing results, the control device 56 obtains detection information of the printing results as described below.

[0116] A dot detection device 41, located between the printing section 3 and the paper output section 4, photographs the printed substrate W after printing has finished, detecting the dot shape and dot area ratio of the printed result. If the ink emulsification is inappropriate, the dot shape deteriorates and the dot area ratio changes. The dot shape and dot area ratio are continuously monitored during printing and sent to the control device 56.

[0117] The control device 56 can analyze whether changes in dot shape and dot area ratio are appropriate, and determine whether the ink emulsification state is appropriate. The criteria for determining whether changes in dot shape and dot area ratio are appropriate are based on machine learning, as described later.

[0118] If the control device 56 determines that the emulsification state of the ink is inappropriate, it adds the area ratio of the range with high luminance of the reflected light 72 as described above, and changes the control model of the dampening water.

[0119] In order to confirm the ink concentration from the printing results, the control device 56 obtains detection information of the printing results as follows.

[0120] A pattern inspection device 42, located between the printing section 3 and the paper output section 4, captures images of the printed pattern and detects the ink concentration. If the dampening solution supply is excessive or the ink is over-emulsified, the ink concentration may decrease. The ink concentration is continuously monitored during printing and transmitted to the control device 56.

[0121] The control device 56 can analyze whether the ink concentration changes from an appropriate state and determine whether the ink emulsification state is appropriate. The determination of whether the ink concentration is in an appropriate state is based on a machine learning decision benchmark described later.

[0122] In the event of an inappropriate ink concentration, the ink supply is controlled by the ink device 21.

[0123] In offset rotary printing, it is well known that the state of the ink is affected by the temperature and humidity of the offset rotary press 1. Therefore, in order to accurately determine the emulsification state of the ink from the area ratio of the high luminance range of the reflected light 72, it is necessary to maintain the temperature of the dampening solution and the ink at a constant level.

[0124] Therefore, the control device 56 detects the dampening water temperature, the ink temperature, the oscillating roller water temperature, the printing plate cylinder water temperature, the factory temperature, and the factory humidity at the start of printing, as information on the temperature and humidity of the offset rotary printing press 1.

[0125] In addition, during printing, the temperature of the dampening water, the temperature of the ink, the temperature of the water flowing through the oscillating roller, the temperature of the water flowing through the printing plate cylinder, the temperature inside the printing plant, and the humidity inside the printing plant are monitored at all times.

[0126] The temperature and humidity within the factory can be measured using known thermometers and hygrometers (not shown). The thermometers and hygrometers can be installed at any location near the offset rotary printing machine 1, such as the upper side of the printing unit 5.

[0127] The control device 56 maintains the temperature of the dampening solution and ink at a constant level based on the detected temperature and humidity. For example, if the temperature detected by the dampening solution temperature detection device 12 differs from a certain temperature, the dampening solution cooling device 18 controls the temperature of the dampening solution to a constant level. If the temperature detected by the ink temperature detection device 22 differs from a certain temperature, the ink oscillating roller cooling water temperature control device 29 controls the temperature of the cooling water to a constant level.

[0128] Next, the controls related to machine learning will be explained.

[0129] In the printing system of the present invention, the control device 56, based on the area ratio of the high luminance range of the reflected light 72, also acquires data on the supply amount of dampening water at the start of printing, the supply amount of ink at the start of printing, information on the printed pattern, printing speed during printing, and data on the supply amount of dampening water and ink during printing as the operating status of the offset rotary press 1; acquires data on the dot shape, dot area ratio, and ink concentration detected from the printing results as detection information of the printing results of the offset rotary press; acquires data on the dampening water temperature at the start of printing, the ink temperature at the start of printing, the water temperature of the oscillating roller at the start of printing, the water temperature of the printing plate cylinder at the start of printing, the temperature inside the factory at the start of printing, the humidity inside the factory at the start of printing, the dampening water temperature during printing, the ink temperature during printing, the water temperature of the oscillating roller during printing, the water temperature of the printing plate cylinder during printing, the temperature inside the factory during printing, and the humidity inside the factory during printing as temperature and humidity information of the offset rotary press 1, and sends this data to the cloud server 51 via the Internet.

[0130] The cloud server 51 stores this data and performs machine learning. As a result of machine learning, the cloud server 51, in accordance with the received data, generates and updates a control model that will determine the optimal control of the dampening water and the optimal control output of the ink, thus achieving the appropriate emulsification state of the ink.

[0131] For example, the control device 56 adjusts and controls the supply amount and timing of dampening water based on the updated control model output from the cloud server 51, which is controlled by the rotation amount of the water source roller 14 and the volume adjustment roller 15, so as to keep the ink emulsion state in the most suitable position.

[0132] Based on the above, the amount and timing of ink supply, which are controlled by the rotation of the ink source roller 24, can also be adjusted.

[0133] In addition, the temperature of the dampening water in the water pan 13 is controlled by the dampening water cooling device 18, and the temperature of the ink is controlled by the ink oscillating roller cooling water temperature control device 29, so that the temperature of the dampening water and the temperature of the ink are kept constant.

[0134] Control can be applied to all of these, or it can be applied to any one of them.

[0135] Alternatively, the control device 56 can automatically control the system in response to the output from the cloud server 51, or the output from the cloud server 51 can be communicated to the operator for control.

[0136] Therefore, regardless of changes in the operating conditions, printing results, temperature, and humidity of the offset rotary printing press 1, it is possible to achieve a consistently stable ink emulsification state and reliably control the ink emulsification state to be appropriate, regardless of the operator's experience and skills.

[0137] The system of the present invention can also be controlled by edge AI without using cloud server 51. As an example of edge AI control, machine learning performed by cloud server 51 is performed by control device 56. Control device 56 uses the detected data to create and update a control model within control device 56. Control device 56 uses the created control model to control the dampening solution and ink.

[0138] When controlled by edge AI, compared to using cloud server 51, communication delays can be avoided and processing speed can be achieved because there is no need to send or receive data relative to cloud server 51.

[0139] The system of the present invention can also be controlled using a control model that has been learned by machine learning performed by the cloud server 51 or by edge AI.

[0140] The control device 56 can also apply the data detected by the control device 56 to the control model without machine learning, and control the dampening water and ink accordingly with the output results.

[0141] With the learned control model in place, control can be performed even when the processing power of the control device 56 is low.

Claims

1. A printing system for an offset rotary printing press, characterized in that, The aforementioned offset rotary printing press has at least one printing unit. The aforementioned printing unit includes a printing plate cylinder, a dampening device for supplying dampening fluid to the printing plate cylinder, and an ink device for supplying ink to the printing plate cylinder. The device includes an ink emulsification state detection component, which comprises a light source for irradiating the surface of the printing plate cylinder and / or the surface of any of the rollers of the ink device with illumination light; a camera for capturing reflected light from the surface of the printing plate cylinder and / or the surface of any of the rollers of the ink device; and a control component for binarizing the image captured by the camera into a range of high and low luminance of the reflected light, and calculating the area ratio of the range of high luminance of the reflected light relative to the overall area of ​​the image captured by the camera. When the area ratio of the range with high luminance of reflected light calculated by the above-mentioned control components is high, the supply of dampening water to the dampening water device is controlled to achieve an appropriate ink emulsion state.

2. The printing system of the offset rotary printing press as described in claim 1, wherein, The structure is designed such that the light source illuminates light of a specific wavelength, and the camera only captures the reflected light of that specific wavelength.

3. The printing system of the offset rotary printing press as described in claim 1, wherein, The temperature of the dampening water supplied by the dampening water device and the temperature of the ink supplied by the ink device are kept constant.

4. The printing system of the offset rotary printing press as described in claim 1, wherein, The light source mentioned above is a high color rendering LED.

5. The printing system of the offset rotary printing press as described in claim 1, wherein, The aforementioned control components repeatedly calculate and store the area ratio of the range with high luminance of reflected light during printing. Based on the stored area ratio, they machine-learn a control model of dampening water to create an appropriate ink emulsion state, and update the control model to create an appropriate ink emulsion state based on the calculated area ratio.

6. The printing system of the offset rotary printing press as described in claim 5, wherein, In addition to the aforementioned area ratio, the control component also stores at least one of the following information: the operating status of the offset rotary printing press, the detection information of the printing results, temperature, and humidity. Based on the stored area ratio and other stored information, the control model is machine-learned and updated to a control model corresponding to the aforementioned information.

7. The printing system of the offset rotary printing press as described in claim 6, wherein, The operating status of the aforementioned offset rotary printing press includes at least one of the following: the amount of dampening water supplied at the start of printing, the amount of ink supplied at the start of printing, the information of the printed pattern, the printing speed during printing, the amount of dampening water supplied during printing, and the amount of ink supplied during printing.

8. The printing system of the offset rotary printing press as described in claim 6, wherein, The detection information of the above printing results includes at least one of the following: dot shape, dot area ratio, and ink concentration detected from the printing results.

9. The printing system of the offset rotary printing press as described in claim 6, wherein, The aforementioned temperature and humidity information includes at least one of the following: dampening water temperature at the start of printing, ink temperature at the start of printing, water temperature of the oscillating roller at the start of printing, water temperature of the printing plate cylinder at the start of printing, factory temperature at the start of printing, factory humidity at the start of printing, dampening water temperature during printing, ink temperature during printing, water temperature of the oscillating roller during printing, water temperature of the printing plate cylinder during printing, factory temperature during printing, and factory humidity during printing.

10. The printing system of the offset rotary printing press as described in claim 5 or 6, wherein, The aforementioned control model is updated on a cloud server separate from the offset printing rotary press.

11. The printing system of the offset rotary printing press as described in claim 5 or 6, wherein, The aforementioned control model is updated by the control device within the offset printing rotary press.

12. The printing system of the offset rotary printing press as described in claim 5 or 6, wherein, The updated control model described above is used to control the dampening water in the dampening water device.

13. An offset rotary printing machine, wherein, The printing system comprising any one of claims 1 to 9.

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