Processing system, adjustment method, and adjustment program

Abstract

To allow a robot to grip or release a processed medium at an appropriate position in a height direction.SOLUTION: A processing system 1 includes a printer 3 that performs a printing process of discharging liquid droplets onto a medium M, and a robot 5 that grips the medium M after the printing process in the printer 3 and releases the medium M at a discharge location 7. The robot 5 adjusts at least one of a position (height H3) in a height direction when gripping the medium M after the printing process and a position (height H4) in the height direction when releasing the medium M after the process at a discharge location 7, based on information regarding thickness W2 of the medium M after the printing process.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a processing system, an adjustment method, and an adjustment program.

Background Art

[0002] The processing system has, for example, a droplet ejection device (e.g., a printer). The droplet ejection device performs a process of ejecting droplets onto a medium placed on a table. In order to perform processing with the droplet ejection device, it is necessary to supply the medium to the table and also collect the processed medium from the table. When arranging workers to supply and collect the medium, the labor cost increases. In order to reduce the labor cost, it has been proposed to introduce a robot for supplying and collecting the medium into the processing system (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The robot grips and transports the medium from the supply location and supplies it to the droplet ejection device. The robot also grips and transports the medium processed by the droplet ejection device and releases it at the discharge location.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When the robot grips or releases the medium, the position in the height direction is preferably set according to the thickness of the medium. For example, the position in the height direction can also be set using a set value of the thickness of the medium measured in advance. However, even when processing is performed using the same type of media, individual differences may occur in the thickness of the media. Also, when droplets adhere to the surface of the media due to processing by the droplet ejection device, the thickness of the media may change. The amount of change in thickness varies depending on the processing content of the droplet ejection device. Therefore, if the position in the height direction for gripping or releasing is set based on the thickness of the media before processing, there is a possibility that the robot may not operate properly.

[0005] In the processing system, it is required that the robot perform the gripping or releasing of the processed media at an appropriate position in the height direction.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0006] A processing system according to an aspect of the present invention (1) A droplet ejection device that performs a process of ejecting droplets onto a media, A robot that grips the media after processing by the droplet ejection device and releases it at a discharge location, the processing system comprising: The robot adjusts at least one of the position in the height direction when gripping the processed media and the position in the height direction when releasing the processed media at the discharge location based on information regarding the thickness of the processed media.

[0007] (2) In the processing system of (1) above, The information regarding the thickness of the processed media includes the thickness of the media before processing by the droplet ejection device and the amount of change in the thickness of the media due to processing by the droplet ejection device, A first sensor that detects the position in the height direction of the media by the robot coming into contact with the media before processing, An estimation unit that estimates the thickness of the media before processing based on the detection result of the first sensor.

[0008] (3) In the processing system of (2) above, The information regarding the thickness of the medium after the treatment includes the thickness of the medium before the treatment in the droplet discharge device and the amount of change in the thickness of the medium due to the treatment in the droplet discharge device. The estimation unit estimates the amount of change in the thickness of the medium based on the print data for controlling the operation of the droplet discharge device.

[0009] (4) In the processing system of (2) or (3) above, The robot grips the medium before the treatment at the supply location and releases the medium before the treatment in the droplet discharge device. Based on the thickness of the medium before the treatment estimated by the estimation unit, the robot adjusts at least one of the position in the height direction when gripping the medium before the treatment and the position in the height direction when releasing the medium before the treatment.

[0010] (5) In any of the processing systems of (1) to (4) above, A second sensor that detects the position in the height direction of the medium after the treatment; An estimation unit that estimates the thickness of the medium after the treatment based on the detection result of the second sensor.

[0011] (6) In any of the processing systems of (1) to (4) above, An estimation unit that estimates the thickness of the medium after the treatment based on the print data for controlling the operation of the droplet discharge device.

[0012] (7) In the processing system of (6) above, The estimation unit estimates the thickness of the medium after the treatment based on a table showing the correspondence between the print data and the thickness of the medium after the treatment and the print data.

[0013] (8) In any of the processing systems of (1) to (5) above, The robot includes the second sensor. The second sensor detects the position of the processed medium in the height direction when the robot contacts the processed medium.

[0014] (9) In the processing system of (8) above, The second sensor detects a plurality of positions in the height direction of the processed medium by displacing while the robot is in contact with the processed medium or by contacting a plurality of locations on the processed medium. Based on the plurality of positions in the height direction detected by the second sensor, the estimation unit estimates the thickness of the processed medium.

[0015] (10) In any one of the processing systems of (1) to (9) above, The robot releases the medium from a position in the height direction that is separated from the placement surface of the medium at the discharge location by a predetermined distance.

[0016] (11) In the processing system of (10) above, At the discharge location, an updating unit is provided that periodically acquires the stacked height of the media released from the robot and stacked, and updates the predetermined distance based on the difference between the acquired stacked height and the previously acquired stacked height.

[0017] (12) In the processing system of (11) above, The updating unit estimates the stacked height based on at least one of the characteristic information of the medium, the operation information of the droplet discharge device, and the operation information of the robot.

[0018] (13) In any one of the processing systems of (1) to (10) above, At the discharge location, a support member is provided that supports the media released from the robot and stacked.

[0019] (14) In the processing system of (11) above, At the discharge location, a support member that supports the media released from the robot and stacked thereon, a third sensor provided on the support member and capable of detecting the stacking height of the media, and the update unit acquires the detection result of the third sensor.

[0020] An adjustment method according to an aspect of the present invention is (15) A method for adjusting the operation of a robot that grips the media processed in a droplet discharge device that discharges droplets onto the media and releases it at a discharge location, Based on information regarding the thickness of the media after processing in the droplet discharge device, at least one of the height-direction position of the robot when gripping the processed media and the height-direction position of the robot when releasing the processed media is adjusted.

[0021] An adjustment program according to an aspect of the present invention is (16) An adjustment program for the operation of a robot that grips the media processed in a droplet discharge device that discharges droplets onto the media and releases it at a discharge location, Causes an electronic device to adjust at least one of the height-direction position of the robot when gripping the processed media and the height-direction position of the robot when releasing the processed media based on information regarding the thickness of the media after processing in the droplet discharge device.

Advantages of the Invention

[0022] According to the present invention, the robot can grip or release the processed media at an appropriate height-direction position.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0023]

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0024] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a processing system 1 according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the processing system 1. In the following description, the positional relationship will be described with reference to the X, Y, and Z directions in FIG. 1. The Z direction is a direction along the vertical line direction (up and down direction), and is a direction from the front side to the back side of the paper surface of FIG. 1. The X direction and the Y direction are directions orthogonal to the Z direction. The X direction is a direction along the up and down direction of the paper surface of FIG. 1. The Y direction is orthogonal to the X direction and is a direction along the left and right direction of the paper surface. The upper side of the paper surface in the X direction is the X1 side, and the lower side of the paper surface is the X2 side. The left side of the paper surface in the Y direction is the Y1 side, and the right side of the paper surface is the Y2 side.

[0025] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the processing system 1 includes, for example, a printer 3 which is an example of a droplet ejection device, a robot 5, and an electronic device 9. The printer 3 performs printing processing by ejecting droplets onto a medium M placed on a table 31. The robot 5 supplies the medium M to the printer 3 and collects the medium M after the printing processing from the printer 3. In FIG. 1, as an example, one printer 3 and one robot 5 are shown. The processing system 1 may include a plurality of printers 3 or a plurality of robots 5.

[0026] The printer 3 and the robot 5 are communicably connected to the electronic device 9 via a LAN network or the like, or by wireless communication or the like. The electronic device 9 can be arranged, for example, in an area A2 where an operator is stationed, which is different from the processing area A1 where the printer 3 and the robot 5 are arranged. The electronic device 9 is a device that comprehensively manages the progress of the processing of the medium M, and transmits data necessary for the processing of the medium M to the printer 3 and the robot 5.

[0027] The shape and material of the medium M used for printing are not limited to specific ones, as long as it can be printed by the printer 3 and transported by the robot 5. The medium M can be composed of, for example, plastics such as acrylic resin, paper, wood, pottery, metal, food, leather, etc. In FIG. 1, as an example of the medium M, a rectangular thin plate-shaped panel is shown.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 1, in the processing area A1, a supply location 6 for the medium M before printing and a discharge location 7 for the medium M after printing are provided. In FIG. 1, as an example, a belt conveyor 60 for horizontally transporting the medium M before printing is provided at the supply location 6. At the discharge location 7, a stocker 70 for stacking and storing the medium M after printing in the Z direction is provided. The belt conveyor 60 can transport the medium M, for example, from outside the processing area A1 to the supply location 6 inside the processing area A1. In this case, the belt conveyor 60 is arranged such that at least the downstream end in the transport direction of the medium M is located at the supply location 6. The belt conveyor 60 may transport the medium M from a device performing the pre-process of the printing process, or may transport the medium M from a storage.

[0029] The stocker 70 can be, for example, a table having an upper surface 71 on which the medium M can be placed. On the upper surface 71 of the stocker 70, a support member 72 for supporting the placed medium M can be provided. The support member 72 can be, for example, a columnar member protruding upward in the Z direction from the upper surface 71 of the stocker 70. Two support members 72, 72 are arranged to face each other with a space adjusted according to the size of the medium M in the X direction or the Y direction. For example. The medium M is placed on the upper surface 71 in a form sandwiched between the two support members 72, 72. The medium M can be stacked in a state where the positions in the X direction or the Y direction are aligned by the two support members 72, 72. The shape and number of the support members 72 are not limited to the illustrated example. For example, three or more support members 72 may be arranged so that the positions of the medium M in the X direction and the Y direction can be aligned. The support member 72 may be, for example, a columnar member having an L shape when viewed from the Z direction, and may be arranged to support the corner portion of the medium M. Thereby, with one support member 72, the positions of the medium M in the X direction and the Y direction can be aligned.

[0030] The supply location 6 and the discharge location 7 shown in FIG. 1 are merely examples and can be changed as appropriate. For example, a stocker may be provided at the supply location 6, and a belt conveyor may be provided at the discharge location 7. Alternatively, one belt conveyor may be provided so as to cross the processing area A1, and the loading of the medium M before the printing process and the unloading of the medium M after the printing process may be performed by one belt conveyor. In this case, the supply location 6 and the discharge location 7 of the medium M may be the same location on the belt conveyor.

[0031] <Printer> The printer 3 is an example of a droplet discharge device, and performs a printing process by discharging droplets such as ink onto the medium M. As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 3 includes a table 31 for placing the medium M. The upper surface of the table 31 in the Z direction serves as the placement surface 31a of the medium M. The table 31 can be, for example, rectangular when viewed from the Z direction and extending along the Y direction (first direction) and the X direction (second direction). The table 31 can be, for example, sized to accommodate a plurality of media M.

[0032] The printer 3 includes, above the table 31, a carriage 34 arranged to face the placement surface 31a, and a guide bar 36 that supports the carriage 34. The guide bar 36 extends horizontally along the Y direction above the table 31. The guide bar 36 crosses the table 31 in the Y direction when viewed from the Z direction. The end portions 36a and 36b of the guide bar 36 in the Y direction protrude beyond the table 31 on the Y1 side and the Y2 side, respectively. The guide bar 36 is provided with a guide rail (not shown) along the Y direction, and the carriage 34 can be driven by a drive mechanism (not shown) to move along the guide rail in the Y direction. The carriage 34 is equipped with a head 35 (discharge part) for discharging ink. By moving the carriage 34 in the Y direction, the head 35 mounted on the carriage 34 also moves in the Y direction.

[0033] Although not shown in the figure, a plurality of nozzles for discharging ink are provided on the lower surface of the head 35. The lower surface of the head 35 faces the placement surface 31a of the table 31 with a slight gap in the Z direction. As a result, the ink discharged from the nozzles on the lower surface of the head 35 can land on the medium M placed on the placement surface 31a of the table 31. Note that the ink used in the printer 3 is not limited to a specific type. For example, an ultraviolet curable ink that cures by ultraviolet rays or a heat curable ink that cures by heat can be used. In this case, although not shown in the figure, the carriage 34 of the printer 3 can be equipped with an ultraviolet irradiation device or a heating device for curing the ink discharged onto the medium M. Also, the droplets discharged by the printer 3 are not limited to ink, and droplets having a viscosity that can adhere to the medium M can be appropriately used. The head 35 may discharge a single color of ink or may discharge a plurality of colors of ink. The ink can be, for example, process color inks of C (cyan), M (magenta), Y (yellow), and K (black) (hereinafter referred to as "color inks"). Alternatively, the ink can be specialty inks such as LC (light cyan), LM (light magenta), Gy (gray), W (white), CL (clear), Pr (primer), O (orange), violet, metallic colors (gold, silver), fluorescent colors, etc. Also, the droplets discharged by the printer 3 are not limited to ink, and droplets having a viscosity that can adhere to the medium M can be appropriately used.

[0034] A maintenance station 41 is provided at an end 36a on the Y1 side that protrudes from the table 31 of the guide bar 36. Although not shown, the maintenance station 41 incorporates a device for performing operations such as flushing and cleaning the nozzles of the head 35. When the carriage 34 moves to the end 36a on the Y1 side of the guide bar 36, flushing and cleaning of the head 35 are performed at the maintenance station 41.

[0035] An ink supply device 42 is provided at an end 36b on the Y2 side that protrudes from the table 31 of the guide bar 36. Although not shown, the ink supply device 42 incorporates an ink tank. The ink tank and the head 35 are connected via an ink tube (not shown), and ink is supplied from the ink tank to the head 35.

[0036] Moving mechanisms 37, 37 are provided at ends 32a, 32b on the Y1 side and the Y2 side in the Y direction of the table 31. In FIG. 1, the moving mechanisms 37, 37 are hatched. The moving mechanisms 37, 37 move the guide bar 36, the maintenance station 41, and the ink supply device 42 integrally along the X direction. When the guide bar 36 moves along the X direction, the carriage 34 supported by the guide bar 36 and the head 35 mounted on the carriage 34 also move in the X direction.

[0037] When performing printing processing, the printer 3 discharges ink from the head 35 onto the medium M while moving the carriage 34 in the Y direction. When one round trip (1 pass) of the head 35 in the Y direction is completed, the printer 3 moves the guide bar 36 a predetermined distance in the X direction, and again discharges ink from the head 35 while moving the carriage 34 in the Y direction. That is, the printer 3 can perform printing on the medium M by alternately repeating one round trip (1 pass) of the head 35 in the Y direction and the operation of feeding the medium M a predetermined distance in the X direction.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 2, the printer 3 includes a controller 30 that controls the operations of each part. The controller 30 is communicably connected to the electronic device 9. The controller 30 performs printing processing by controlling the operations of each part of the printer 3 based on the print data input from the electronic device 9.

[0039] <Robot> The robot 5 only needs to be able to acquire and transport the medium M, and is not limited to a specific type. For example, a vertically articulated robot or a horizontally articulated robot (so-called scalar robot) as shown in FIG. 1 can be used. The scalar robot is composed of a combination of a plurality of arms that rotate in the horizontal direction. In addition, in order to ensure safety for the operator, the area including the turning range of the robot's arm may be isolated by a safety fence or the like, or a collaborative robot that can operate in the same space as the operator may be used. The robot 5 includes a base 51, an arm 52 supported by the base 51, and an arm 53 supported by the arm 52. The arms 52 and 53 each extend in the horizontal direction. The base 51 is disposed, for example, on the floor surface F between the printer 3 and the belt conveyor 60. The base end of the arm 52 is supported on the upper surface of the base 51 so as to be rotatable about an axis Z1 along the Z direction. The base end of the arm 53 is supported at the tip of the arm 52 so as to be rotatable about an axis Z2 parallel to the axis Z1. A shaft 54 extending in the Z direction penetrates the tip of the arm 53. The shaft 54 is movable up and down by a drive mechanism (not shown). By combining the turning ranges of the arms 52 and 53, the robot 5 can move the shaft 54 in the X and Y directions. The robot 5 is arranged such that the supply location 6, the table 31 of the printer 3, and the discharge location 7 are located within the reachable range of the shaft 54. In the illustrated example, the supply location 6, the robot 5, and the discharge location 7 are arranged side by side along the Y direction on the end 32d side in the X direction of the table 31 of the printer 3. The robot 5 is arranged between the supply location 6 and the discharge location 7 in the Y direction.

[0040] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram for explaining the supply of the medium M by the robot 5. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for explaining the recovery of the medium M by the robot 5. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, for example, a suction pad 55 is provided at the lower end of the shaft 54 as a mechanism for gripping the medium M. The suction pad 55 can adsorb the medium M by applying a negative pressure in a state of being in contact with the surface of the medium M. Further, the suction pad 55 can release the medium M by applying a positive pressure from the state of adsorbing the medium M. Note that the mechanism for gripping the medium M of the robot 5 is not limited to the suction pad 55, and other mechanisms such as a mechanism for sandwiching the medium M from above and below may be appropriately adopted.

[0041] The robot 5 can be provided with sensors 56 such as a pressure sensor and a force sensor. The sensor 56 can be built into, for example, the shaft 54 to which the suction pad 55 is attached. By using the sensor 56, the robot 5 can perform more precise operations. Further, by using the sensor 56, direct teaching can be performed in which an operator moves the robot 5 by hand to teach an operation. Also, although details will be described later, in the present embodiment, the sensor 56 built into the robot 5 can be used as a sensor (first sensor) for detecting the position of the medium M in the height direction when the suction pad 55 comes into contact with the medium M.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 2, the robot 5 includes a controller 50 that controls the operations of each part. Teaching data for automatically operating the robot 5 is set in the controller 50 through a prior teaching operation. In addition, the controller 50 is communicably connected to the electronic device 9. The controller 50 controls the operation of the robot 5 based on an operation command input from the electronic device 9.

[0043] In the processing system 1 of the present embodiment, coordinate data indicating a movement path for supplying the media M before printing to the printer 3 and a movement path for collecting the media M after printing from the printer 3 is input to the robot 5 as teaching data. As shown in FIG. 3(a), when supplying the media M, the robot 5 moves from a standby position (not shown) to the supply location 6 and grips the media M before printing from the placement surface 61 of the belt conveyor 60. As shown in FIG. 3(b), the robot 5 moves from the supply location 6 onto the table 31 of the printer 3, releases the media M onto the table 31 of the printer 3, and returns to the standby position. As shown in FIG. 4(a), when collecting the media M, the robot 5 moves from a standby position (not shown) onto the table 31 of the printer 3 and grips the media M after printing. As shown in FIG. 4(b), the robot 5 moves from the printer 3 to the discharge location 7, releases the media M at the top of the stocker 70, and returns to the standby position.

[0044] <Electronic device> FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the electronic device 9. As shown in FIG. 5, the electronic device 9 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 901, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 902, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 903, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 904, a display 905 (display unit), an input device 906, a communication I / F 907, a media MI / F 908, and the like. Each component is interconnected by a bus.

[0045] The CPU 901 controls the entire electronic device 900. The CPU 901 can load the OS and various programs stored in the ROM 902 or the HDD 904 into the RAM 903 and execute them. Alternatively, the CPU 901 can load the program stored in the storage medium RM into the RAM 903 via the media MI / F 908 and execute it. The storage medium RM can be an optical storage medium, a magneto-optical storage medium, a magnetic storage medium, a conductor memory tape medium, a semiconductor memory, or the like. Note that the electronic device 900 may include a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) or the like together with the CPU 901 as a processor. The CPU 901 performs processing in response to a user operation via the input device 906 and causes the display 905 to display the processing result. The input device 906 can be, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a touch pad, or the like.

[0046] The HDD 904 stores programs executed by the CPU 901, data used by the programs, and the like. The communication I / F 907 outputs data received from other devices to the CPU 901 via a network NW such as the Internet or a LAN (Local Area Network). Also, the notification I / F transmits the data generated by the CPU 901 to other devices. The other devices can be devices such as the robot 5 and the printer 3 that constitute the processing system 1, or devices external to the processing system 1. The CPU 901 may load a necessary program onto the RAM 903 from other devices via the network NW.

[0047] In the present embodiment, the CPU 901 of the electronic device 900 executes the application program loaded onto the RAM 903, thereby realizing the functional configuration of the electronic device 9 shown in FIG. 1. The electronic device 9 causes the display 905 to display a screen for inputting information necessary for managing the processing system 1 in response to a user operation input. The electronic device 9 also controls the operations of the printer 3 and the robot 5 for processing the media M in response to a user's operation input. As shown in FIG. 2, the electronic device 9 includes, as a functional configuration, a job management unit 91, a print data creation unit 92, and an operation adjustment unit 93. Each functional unit performs processing in response to a user's operation input via the input device 206 (see FIG. 5), and displays the processing result on the screen of the display 205 (see FIG. 5). Each functional unit also acquires data necessary for the processing from the storage unit 95, and temporarily stores the processing result in the storage unit 95 as necessary. The storage unit 95 is composed of the ROM 902, RAM 903, HDD 904, etc. shown in FIG. 5.

[0048] The job management unit 91 creates a print job according to the image data uploaded by the user, and registers it in a job list (not shown). The job management unit 91 also manages the operations of the printer 3 and the robot 5 in order to execute each print job. When the user selects a print job to execute from the job list and inputs an instruction to start printing, the job management unit 91 outputs the image data of the specified print job to the print data creation unit 92.

[0049] The print data creation unit 92 creates print data for controlling the operation of the printer 3. When uploading image data or inputting an instruction to start printing, the user can specify various print conditions via the operation screen. The job management unit 91 outputs the specified print conditions to the print data creation unit 92 together with the image data. The print data creation unit 92 creates print data according to the print conditions.

[0050] The printing data creation unit 92 creates printing data by performing RIP processing (Raster Image Processing) on the image data according to the specified printing conditions. The RIP processing is a process of generating a raster image that designates the ejection positions for the inks of the colors corresponding to the image data. In the RIP processing, a raster image is generated by performing halftone processing on the grayscale images corresponding to the respective colors of the C, M, Y, K color inks and the special color ink. Further, various commands for controlling the printer 3 are added to the generated raster image according to the specified printing conditions, and the printing data is created.

[0051] The job management unit 91 communicates with the printer 3 and the robot 5 to transmit and receive the data necessary for the execution of the printing job. The job management unit 91 outputs operation commands to the printer 3 and the robot 5, for example. The operation commands can be commands such as standby, operation start, operation end, interrupt, etc., for example. The job management unit 91 transmits the printing data created by the printing data creation unit 92 to the printer 3. The job management unit 91 transmits teaching data, the gripping position and the release position of which have been adjusted by the operation adjustment unit 93 described later, to the robot 5. The job management unit 91 receives notifications such as operation start and operation completion, and status information, etc. from the printer 3 and the robot 5, for example. The job management unit 91 can also receive the detection results of the sensor 56 built in the robot 5 from the robot 5.

[0052] Although detailed description is omitted, the job management unit 91 may also communicate with a controller (not shown) that controls the operation of the belt conveyor 60 and transmit an operation command to the belt conveyor 60. In this case, the job management unit 91 transmits a command to the belt conveyor 60 to convey the medium M to the supply location 6 in accordance with the operation of the robot 5. Alternatively, the belt conveyor 60 may be programmed to operate automatically without depending on the operation command from the job management unit 91. In this case, for example, a sensor can be provided at the position of the supply point 6 of the belt conveyor 60. When the belt conveyor 60 detects by the sensor that the medium M located at the supply point 6 has been moved by the robot 5, it can convey the next medium M to the supply point 6.

[0053] <Robot operation adjustment> As described above, the robot 5 operates based on the teaching data set in the prior teaching operation. However, when receiving the adjusted teaching data from the job management unit 91, it operates based on the adjusted teaching data. As an example, the operation adjustment unit 93 adjusts the teaching data by adjusting the gripping position and the release position of the medium M in the teaching data. The "gripping position" means the position in the height direction when the robot 5 grips the medium M, and the "release position" means the position in the height direction when the robot 5 releases the medium M. In other words, in the processing system 1 of the present embodiment, the robot 5 can adjust the gripping position and the release position of the medium M by operating based on the adjusted teaching data.

[0054] Here, with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, a setting example of the release position and the gripping position of the medium M will be described. Note that the "height" in the following description means the position in the Z direction (height direction) with respect to the floor surface F (see FIG. 1) of the processing area A1 where the printer 3, the robot 5, and the conveyor are arranged. As described above, the robot 5 can grip or release the medium M, for example, by the suction pad 55 provided at the tip of the shaft 54. In this example, the gripping position and the release position of the medium M are the positions in the height direction of the suction pad 55 provided at the tip of the shaft 54.

[0055] As shown in Fig. 3(a), the robot 5 can adsorb and grip the medium M by applying a negative pressure in a state where the suction pad 55 is in contact with the medium M on the belt conveyor 60 at the supply location 6. However, if the suction pad 55 is pressed too hard against the medium M, the medium M and the suction pad 55 may be damaged. Also, if the sensor 56 of the robot 5 detects that excessive pressure has been applied to the suction pad 55, the robot 5 may stop operating. In order to reduce such a possibility, the height H1 of the gripping position can be set, for example, at a position leaving a distance equal to the thickness W1 of the medium M before the printing process with respect to the height H5 of the placement surface 61 of the medium M on the belt conveyor 60.

[0056] As shown in Fig. 3(b), when the robot 5 releases the medium M on the table 31 of the printer 3, it is desirable that the medium M is not brought into direct contact with the table 31, but is opposed to the table 31 with a slight gap S in the Z direction. If the medium M is brought into contact with the table 31, excessive pressure may be applied to the medium M and the suction pad 55. As a result, the medium M and the suction pad 55 may be damaged, or the robot 5 may stop operating. In order to reduce such a possibility, it is conceivable to increase the gap S between the medium M and the table 31. However, in this case, when the medium M is released and falls, the air in the gap S is compressed and the friction is reduced. As a result, the medium M that has fallen onto the table 31 is likely to slide on the table 31 and cause misalignment. The misalignment of the medium M may affect the printing quality in the printer 3. In order to reduce these possibilities, it is desirable that the gap S between the medium M and the table 31 be small. For this purpose, the height H2 of the release position can be set, for example, at a position separated by a distance D1 in the Z direction with respect to the height H6 of the placement surface 31a of the table 31. And the distance D1 in the Z direction can be set to a length having a margin of the gap S in the thickness W1 of the medium M before the printing process.

[0057] When the medium M is released from the robot 5 and placed on the table 31 of the printer 3, the printer 3 moves the head 35 in the X direction and moves it to a position facing the medium M on the table 31 in the Z direction. The printer 3 discharges ink from the nozzles while moving the head 35 in the Y direction, and performs a printing process on the medium M. As shown in FIG. 4(a), by the printing process, the ink ik discharged from the head 35 adheres to the medium M. As a result, the thickness of the medium M may change before and after the printing process. In FIG. 4, for clarity, the ink ik adhering to the medium M is schematically shown by cross-hatching. Also, the thickness of the ink adhering to the medium M is exaggerated in the drawing. The thickness W1 of the medium M before the printing process and the thickness W2 of the medium M after the printing process have the following relationship. W2 = W1 + W3 Here, W3 is the amount of change in the thickness of the medium M due to the printing process.

[0058] The amount of change in thickness W3 varies depending on the type of the medium M used and the content of the printing process. For example, when using a medium M such as paper on which ink easily penetrates, or when the amount of ink discharged onto the medium M is small, the amount of change W3 tends to be small. In such a case, the thickness W1 of the medium M before the printing process and the thickness W2 of the medium M after the printing process may hardly change. On the other hand, when using a medium M such as an acrylic panel on which ink hardly penetrates, or when a large amount of ink is discharged onto the medium M or a large number of ink layers are formed, the amount of change W3 tends to be large. In such a case, the difference between the thickness W1 of the medium M before the printing process and the thickness W2 of the medium M after the printing process may become large.

[0059] When the robot 5 grips the medium M after the printing process, it is desirable to reduce the possibility that the suction pad 55 is pressed too hard against the medium M, similar to the case of the medium M before the printing process. Therefore, the height H3, which is the gripping position of the medium M after the printing process, can be set, for example, at a position with a gap of the thickness W2 of the medium M after the printing process from the height H6 of the placement surface 31a of the table 31.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 4(b), at the discharge location 7, the robot 5 releases the medium M after the printing process and places it on the top of the stocker 70. That is, the top of the stocker 70 is the placement surface of the medium M at the discharge location 7. Here, when no medium M is stacked on the stocker 70, the upper surface 71 of the stocker 70 becomes the top of the stocker 70. When one or more media M are stacked on the stocker 70, the upper surface of the uppermost medium M becomes the top of the stocker 70. When the robot 5 releases the medium M after the printing process, it is desirable to make the medium M held by the suction pad 55 face the top of the stocker 70 with a slight gap S in the Z direction without directly contacting it, similar to the case of the medium M before the printing process.

[0061] If the medium M is brought into contact with the top of the stocker 70, excessive pressure may be applied to the medium M or the suction pad 55. As a result, the medium M or the suction pad 55 may be damaged, or the robot 5 may stop operating. To reduce such a possibility, it is conceivable to release the medium M in a state where it is greatly separated from the top of the stocker 70. However, in this case, when the medium M is released and falls, the air between the medium M and the top of the stocker 70 is compressed, reducing friction. As a result, the medium M that has fallen onto the top of the stocker 70 is likely to slip and shift its position. This may cause the medium M not to be stacked in alignment on the stocker 70, and some may protrude or fall from the stocker 70.

[0062] In order to reduce such a possibility, the height H4, which is the release position of the medium M after the printing process, can be set according to the thickness W2 of the medium M after the printing process and the number of stacked media M on the stocker 70, i.e., the stacking number SN. The height H4 can be set, for example, as follows. Height H4 = height H7 of the upper surface 71 of the stocker 70 + distance D2 (predetermined distance) Distance D2 = thickness W2 of the medium M after the printing process × stacking number SN of the medium M on the stocker 70 + gap S

[0063] Parameters for setting the gripping position and the release position, as exemplified in the above description, can be determined, for example, by prior measurement, simulation, etc., and input into the robot 5 as teaching data. Regarding the parameters (W1, W2, W3) related to the thickness of the medium M, set values of the medium M assumed to be used can also be input. However, in actual printing processes, a medium M having a thickness different from the set value may be used. Also, for example, in media M such as food, leather, pottery, and woodwork, individual differences in thickness are likely to occur for each medium M.

[0064] Also, depending on the type of the medium M used and the content of the printing process, the thickness of the medium M before and after the printing process may differ significantly, or there may be variations in the amount of thickness change due to the printing process for each medium M. In such cases, an error may occur between the set value used for the teaching data and the actual value. Particularly at the discharge location 7, the media M after the printing process are stacked in the Z direction. Therefore, even if the error in one medium M is small, the error increases as the number of stacked media M increases. In this case, when the robot 5 releases the medium M after the printing process, in particular, the influence such as the operation stop of the robot 5 and the displacement of the medium M is likely to occur.

[0065] In this embodiment, the operation adjustment unit 93 can adjust at least one of the heights H1 to H4, which are the gripping position and the release position of the medium M, in the teaching data by using data related to the thickness of the medium M used for the printing process. The operation adjustment unit 93 can perform a process of adjusting at least one of the heights H1 to H4 before starting the printing process for each medium M. The operation adjustment unit 93 (estimation unit) estimates, for example, the following data in order to adjust the gripping position and the release position of the medium M. · Thickness W1 of the medium M before the printing process · Amount of change W3 in the thickness of the medium M due to the printing process As described above, the thickness W2 of the medium M after the printing process is W2 = W1 + W3. Therefore, the thickness W1 of the medium M before the printing process and the amount of change W3 in the thickness of the medium M due to the printing process can be used as data related to the thickness W2 of the medium M after the printing process.

[0066] The operation adjustment unit 93 can perform the estimation process in various modes. For example, the thickness W1 of the medium M before the printing process can be estimated from the detection result of the sensor 56 of the robot 5. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the detection process by the sensor 56 of the robot 5. As described above, the sensor 56 (first sensor) of the robot 5 detects the position of the medium M in the height direction, for example, when the suction pad 55 comes into contact with the medium M. As shown in FIG. 6, the detection process of the sensor 56 of the robot 5 can be performed, for example, in a state where the medium M before the printing process is placed on the belt conveyor 60 at the supply location 6 before starting the printing process for each medium M. The operation related to the detection process of the robot 5 can be set by a prior teaching operation in the same manner as the operation related to the conveyance of the medium M. When performing the detection process, the robot 5 first positions the suction pad 55 at an initial position (height H8) above the belt conveyor 60 at the supply location 6.

[0067] The robot 5, for example, gradually lowers the shaft 54 by a predetermined distance and brings the suction pad 55 provided at the lower end of the shaft 54 closer to the medium M placed on the belt conveyor 60. The sensor 56, for example, detects a change in the pressure applied to the suction pad 55 when the suction pad 55 contacts the medium M. The controller 50 of the robot 5 calculates, for example, the height H1 of the medium M before the printing process by subtracting the lowering distance D3 of the shaft 54 from the initial position (height H8) to the position where the sensor 56 detects a change in pressure. The electronic device 9 acquires the coordinate data of the height H1 of the medium M before the printing process from the controller 50 of the robot 5. The coordinate data of the height H5 of the placement surface 61 of the belt conveyor 60 on which the medium M is placed is stored in the storage unit 95 of the electronic device 9. The operation adjustment unit 93 can calculate an estimated value of the thickness W1 of the medium M before the printing process by subtracting the height H5 from the height H1.

[0068] Note that the above-described processing flow is merely an example. As long as the estimated value of the thickness W1 can be finally calculated, each of the above-described arithmetic processes may be performed by either the controller 50 of the robot 5 or the operation adjustment unit 93. For example, the controller 50 of the robot 5 may calculate an estimated value of the thickness W1 of the medium M before the printing process by subtracting the height H5 from the height H1. In this case, the electronic device 9 acquires the estimated value of the thickness W1 from the controller 50 of the robot 5. Alternatively, the electronic device 9 may acquire the lowering distance D3 from the controller 50 of the robot 5. In this case, the operation adjustment unit 93 calculates the height H1 by subtracting the lowering distance D3 from the height H8, and further calculates an estimated value of the thickness W1.

[0069] The operation adjustment unit 93 can estimate, for example, the amount of change W3 in the thickness of the medium M due to the printing process based on the printing data created by the printing data creation unit 92. As described above, the print data is data for controlling the operation of the printer 3. The print data can include, for example, the following data as data related to the amount of change in thickness W3. · The number of ink layers ejected onto the medium M · The type of ink · The ejection position and ejection mode of the ink · The drying conditions of the ink · The number of passes resolution · The type of medium M (which may include information such as material, thickness, size, etc.) · Color settings · Printing direction (bidirectional / unidirectional) · Printing time The operation adjustment unit 93 may perform estimation using at least one of the above data, or may perform estimation from a combination of a plurality of data. The operation adjustment unit 93 can, for example, machine-learn statistical data showing the correlation between the print data and the amount of change in thickness W3, and set an algorithm for calculating an estimated value of the amount of change in thickness W3 from the parameters included in the print data. Alternatively, a table 31 showing the correspondence between the print data and the amount of change in thickness W3 may be created from the statistical data and stored in the storage unit 95 of the electronic device 9. In this case, the operation adjustment unit 93 may acquire the parameters of the print data and refer to the table 31 to acquire the estimated value of the amount of change in W3 corresponding to the parameters. In this case, the calculation processing load of the operation adjustment unit 93 can be reduced.

[0070] Also, in the schematic diagram of FIG. 4, the thickness of the ink is shown uniformly, but depending on the content of the printing process, the thickness of the ink may not be uniform over the entire surface of the medium M. The operation adjustment unit 93 can create a profile of the amount of change in thickness W3, for example, from the data of the ejection position and ejection mode of the ink included in the print data, and use the maximum value, average value, median value, etc. as the estimated value of the amount of change in thickness W3.

[0071] The operation adjustment unit 93 can calculate an estimated value of the thickness W2 of the medium M after the printing process, for example, by adding an estimated value of the change amount W3 of the thickness due to the printing process to the estimated value of the thickness W1 of the medium M before the printing process. In the storage unit 95 (see FIG. 2) of the electronic device 9, an algorithm for setting the gripping position and the release position of the medium M in the teaching data is stored. The operation adjustment unit 93 can obtain the algorithm from the storage unit 95, replace the set values of the thicknesses W1 and W2 with estimated values, and perform calculations to create teaching data in which the gripping position and the release position are adjusted.

[0072] The operation adjustment unit 93 can create teaching data in which the height H1, which is the gripping position of the medium M before the printing process, and the height H2, which is the release position, are adjusted, for example, using the estimated value of the thickness W1 of the medium M before the printing process. The operation adjustment unit 93 can calculate the height H1 and the height H2, for example, by the following formula. · Height H1 = height H5 of the placement surface 61 of the belt conveyor 60 + thickness W1 of the medium M before the printing process · Height H2 = height H6 of the placement surface 31a of the table 31 + distance D1 Distance D1 = thickness W1 of the medium M before the printing process + gap S

[0073] The operation adjustment unit 93 can create teaching data in which the height H3, which is the gripping position of the medium M after the printing process, and the height H4, which is the release position, are adjusted, for example, using the estimated value of the thickness W2 of the medium M after the printing process. The operation adjustment unit 93 can calculate the height H3 and the height H4, for example, by the following formula. · Height H3 = height H6 of the placement surface 31a of the table 31 + thickness W2 of the medium M after the printing process · Height H4 = height H7 of the upper surface 71 of the stocker 70 + distance D2 Distance D2 = W21 + W22 + W23 ··· W2 SN + gap S Here, as described above, the distance D2 can also be calculated by the following formula. Distance D2 = Thickness W2 of the medium M after printing process × Number of stacked media M on the stacker 70 + Gap S However, the operation adjustment unit 93 can obtain estimated values of the respective thicknesses W21 to W2 of the medium M after the printing process stacked on the stacker 70 by an estimation process. SN By adding the thicknesses W21 to W2 of each medium M and calculating the distance D2, a more appropriate release position can be set. SN

[0074] The job management unit 91 transmits the teaching data adjusted by the operation adjustment unit 93 to the robot 5, and the robot 5 supplies and collects the medium M based on the adjusted teaching data. That is, the robot 5 operates by adjusting the gripping position or the release position of the medium M according to the thickness of the medium M actually used in the printing process. As a result, as described above, it is possible to reduce the possibility that a strong pressure is applied to the medium M or the suction pad 55 and damage occurs, or the operation of the robot 5 stops. Further, when the robot 5 releases the medium M, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the medium M slips and is displaced.

[0075] The operation adjustment unit 93 may compare the calculated estimated values of the thickness W1 and the thickness W2 with the set values used when creating the teaching data in advance. The operation adjustment unit 93 may, for example, adjust the teaching data based on the calculated estimated value only when the difference between the estimated value and the set value is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. Here, the predetermined value may be different for the thickness W1 and the thickness W2. As described above, regarding the thickness W2 of the medium M after the printing process, the influence of the difference between the estimated value and the set value on the error of the release position tends to be large. The predetermined value regarding the thickness W2 may be made larger than the predetermined value regarding the thickness W1. The operation adjustment unit 93 may adjust at least one of the heights H1 to H4 according to the type of the medium M to be used and the content of the printing process, and it is not always necessary to adjust all of them. For example, when using a medium M with little individual difference in thickness, etc., the gripping position (height H1) and the release position (height H2) before the printing process may not be adjusted, and only the gripping position (height H3) and the release position (height H4) after the printing process may be adjusted. Also, when it is expected that there is little individual difference in the thickness of the medium M and the change amount W3 of the thickness of the medium M after the printing process per sheet is small, only the release position (height H4) of the discharge portion 7 where errors are likely to increase due to stacking of the media M may be targeted for adjustment.

[0076] Figure 7 is a flowchart for explaining the flow of the printing process. In Figure 7, it shows the processing of the electronic device 9 after the user designates the printing job registered in the job list and inputs an operation to start printing. In the following description, an example in which the processing system 1 includes one printer 3 and one robot 5 will be described, but the same processing is possible when there are multiple printers 3 or multiple robots 5.

[0077] As shown in Figure 7, the job management unit 91 of the electronic device 9 acquires the image data and printing conditions of the printing job designated by the user (step S01). The printing conditions include the number of printed sheets PN of the medium M m is specified. The job management unit 91 resets the counter for counting the number PN of the printed media M to 0 (step S02). The job management unit 91 outputs the image data and the printing conditions to the print data creation unit 92 and causes the print data creation unit 92 to create print data (step S03). The job management unit 91 communicates with the robot 5 and causes N media M to be supplied from the supply location 6 to the printer 3 (step S04). N is the number of media M that can be placed on the table 31 of the printer 3 and means the number of media M that the printer 3 can process in one printing process.

[0078] The job management unit 91 sends a print start command together with print data to the printer 3 (step S05). The printer 3 performs printing processing on the N media M placed on the table 31 based on the print data. The printer 3 moves the guide bar 36 (see FIG. 1) in the X direction and positions the head 35 mounted on the carriage 34 to face the media M placed on the table 31. While moving the carriage 34 in the Y direction, the printer 3 ejects ink from the head 35 onto the media M to perform printing. The printer 3 moves the head 35 to the position of each of the N media M placed on the table 31 to perform printing. When the printer 3 completes the printing, it sends a print completion notification to the job management unit 91.

[0079] When the job management unit 91 receives a print completion notification from the printer 3 (step S06), it communicates with the robot 5 and causes the robot 5 to collect the N media M after the printing process from the printer 3 to the discharge location 7 (step S07). The job management unit 91 updates the counter as PN = PN + N (step S08). The job management unit 91 determines that when the number PN of printed media M has not reached the specified number of print copies PN m (step S09: No), it proceeds to the next printing process. Here, the job management unit 91 compares the difference (PN m - PN) between the specified number of print copies PN and the number PN of printed media M with the number N of media M that can be processed in one printing process (step S10). When the difference (PN m - PN) is equal to or greater than N (step S10: No), the job management unit 91 returns to step S04 to proceed with the printing process for N media M. m When the difference (PN - PN) is less than N (step S10: Yes), the next printing process only needs to be performed on the number of media M equal to the difference (PN m - PN). The job management unit 91 sets N = PN m - PN). mAfter setting it as PN (step S11), return to step S04 and perform the next printing process. The job management unit 91 repeats steps S04 to S11 to sequentially advance the printing process, and when the number PN of the printed media M reaches the designated number of printed copies PN m (step S09: Yes), the job list is updated and the process ends. When the process of step S11 is being performed, the job management unit 91 resets N to the initial value and then ends the process.

[0080] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing details of the supply process of the media M in step S04 of FIG. 7. As described above, in the supply process of the media M, the robot 5 transports N media M from the supply location 6 and supplies them to the table 31 of the printer 3. The job management unit 91 resets a counter that counts the number M of media M supplied to the printer 3 to 0 (step S41). The operation adjustment unit 93 performs a process of adjusting the gripping position (height H1) and the release position (height H2) of the media M before the printing process in the teaching data of the robot 5 (step S42).

[0081] The job management unit 91 outputs a supply start command to the robot 5 together with the adjusted teaching data (step S43). When the supply start command is input, the robot 5 moves onto the belt conveyor 60 at the supply location 6 (see (a) of FIG. 3) and grips the media M before the printing process at the gripping position (height H1). The robot 5 moves onto the table 31 of the printer 3 (see (b) of FIG. 3) and releases the media M at the release position (height H2). The robot 5 operates based on the adjusted teaching data received from the job management unit 91. Therefore, the gripping position (height H1) and the release position (height H2) are adjusted according to the thickness W1 of each media M, and the operation is performed. When the supply of the media M is completed, the robot 5 sends a supply completion notification to the job management unit 91.

[0082] When the job management unit 91 receives a supply completion notification from the robot 5 (step S44: Yes), it updates the counter to M = M + 1 (step S45). If the number of supplied media M has not reached the number N of media M that can be placed on the table 31 (step S46: No), the job management unit 91 returns to step S42 and performs the supply process for the next media M. When the number of supplied media M reaches the number N of media M that can be placed on the table 31 (step S46: Yes), the job management unit 91 completes the supply process.

[0083] Figure 9 is a flowchart for explaining the details of the adjustment process in step S42 of Figure 8. As shown in Figure 9, the job management unit 91 outputs a command to start detecting the position of the media M in the height direction to the robot 5 (step S421). When the detection start command is input, the robot 5 positions the suction pad 55 (see Figure 6) provided at the tip of the shaft 54 at the initial position of height H8, then gradually lowers the shaft 54 and brings the suction pad 55 into contact with the media M. When the sensor 56 detects a change in the pressure applied to the suction pad 55, the controller 50 of the robot 5 subtracts the lowering distance D3 of the shaft 54 from the initial position (height H8) to the position where the sensor 56 detects the pressure change, and calculates the position in the height direction (height H1) of the media M before the printing process. When the detection process is completed, the robot 5 outputs a detection completion notification to the job management unit 91.

[0084] When the job management unit 91 receives a detection completion notification from the robot 5 (step S422: Yes), it acquires the coordinate data of the height H1 of the media M before the printing process from the robot 5 (step S423). The operation adjustment unit 93 subtracts the height H5 of the placement surface 61 of the belt conveyor 60 from the height H1 to calculate an estimated value of the thickness W1 of the media M before the printing process (step S424). The operation adjustment unit 93 adjusts the gripping position (height H1) at the supply location 6 of the medium M before printing and the release position (height H2) in the printer 3 in the teaching data using the estimated value of the thickness W1 (step S425). Note that the operation adjustment unit 93 may calculate the difference between the estimated value and the set value of the thickness W1, and perform the adjustment only when the difference is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. Also, the operation adjustment unit 93 can store the calculated estimated value of the thickness W1 in the storage unit 95 and use it for the estimation process (refer to FIG. 11, step S46) of the thickness W2 of the medium M after the printing process described later.

[0085] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing details of the recovery process in step S07 of FIG. 7. In the recovery process of the medium M, the robot 5 transports N media M from the table 31 of the printer 3 and releases them at the discharge location. The job management unit 91 resets a counter that counts the number L of recovered media M (step S71). The operation adjustment unit 93 performs a process of adjusting the gripping position (height H3) and the release position (height H4) of the medium M after the printing process in the teaching data of the robot 5 (step S72).

[0086] The job management unit 91 outputs a recovery start command to the robot 5 together with the teaching data adjusted by the operation adjustment unit 93 (step S73). When a recovery start command is input, the robot 5 moves to the table 31 of the printer 3 (refer to (a) of FIG. 4) and grips the medium M after the printing process at the gripping position (height H3). The robot 5 moves to the discharge location 7 (refer to (b) of FIG. 4) and releases the medium M at the release position (height H4). The robot 5 operates based on the adjusted teaching data received from the job management unit 91. Therefore, the gripping position (height H3) and the release position (height H4) are adjusted according to the thickness W2 of each medium M, and the operation is performed. When the robot 5 finishes collecting the media M, it sends a collection completion notification to the job management unit 91.

[0087] When the job management unit 91 receives a collection completion notification from the robot 5 (step S74: Yes), it updates the counter to L = L + 1 (step S75). If the number of collected items L has not reached the number N of media M that can be placed on the table 31 (step S76: No), the job management unit 91 returns to step S72 and performs the collection process for the next media M. When the number of collected items L has reached the number N of media M that can be placed on the table 31 (step S76: Yes), the job management unit 91 completes the collection process.

[0088] Figure 11 is a flowchart for explaining the details of the adjustment process in step S72 of Figure 10. As shown in Figure 11, the operation adjustment unit 93 estimates the amount of change W3 in the thickness of the media M due to the printing process based on the printing data created by the printing data creation unit 92 (step S721). The operation adjustment unit 93 obtains the estimated value of the thickness W1 of the media M before the printing process stored in the storage unit 95, and adds the estimated value of the change amount W3 to estimate the thickness W2 of the media M after the printing process (step S722). The operation adjustment unit 93 uses the estimated value of the thickness W2 to adjust the gripping position (height H3) of the media M after the printing process in the printer 3 and the release position (height H4) at the discharge location 7 in the teaching data (step S723). Note that the operation adjustment unit 93 may calculate the difference between the estimated value of the thickness W2 and the set value, and perform the adjustment only when the difference is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. Also, when printing the same content on all media M, the operation adjustment unit 93 may perform the estimation of the thickness change amount W3 in step S721 only during the estimation process of the first media M, and use the previously calculated estimated value thereafter.

[0089] Note that the processing flows shown in FIGS. 7 to 11 are merely examples, and the order of processing and the entity performing the processing can be changed as appropriate. Also, a part of the illustrated processing may be omitted, or another processing may be added. For example, in the illustrated example, an example of adjusting the gripping positions and release positions (heights H1 to H4) both before and after the printing process has been described, but either one of the position adjustments may be omitted. Also, although an example of performing the processing of FIGS. 7 to 11 by the electronic device 9 has been described, at least a part of the processing may be performed by the controller 50 of the robot 5 or the controller 30 of the printer 3.

[0090] As described above, the processing system 1 according to the present embodiment has, for example, the following configuration. (1) The processing system 1 includes a printer 3 (droplet ejection device) that performs a printing process of ejecting droplets onto the medium M, and a robot 5 that grips the medium M after the printing process in the printer 3 and releases it at the discharge location 7. Based on the information regarding the thickness W2 of the medium M after the printing process, the robot 5 adjusts at least one of the position in the height direction (height H3) when gripping the medium M after the printing process and the position in the height direction (height H4) when releasing the processed medium M at the discharge location 7.

[0091] With this configuration, the robot 5 can grip or release the medium M after the printing process at an appropriate position in the height direction. When the suction pad 55 is pressed against the medium M when the robot 5 grips the medium M, or when the medium M is pressed against the table 31 when the robot 5 releases the medium M, there is a possibility that the medium M or the suction pad 55 may be damaged, or the robot 5 may stop operating. On the other hand, when releasing the medium M, if it is separated too far from the top of the stocker 70, which is the placement surface of the medium M, there is a possibility that the medium M may slip and be misaligned when it falls. In order to reduce these possibilities, it is desirable to appropriately set the gripping position and the release position corresponding to the thickness of the medium M. However, depending on the type of the medium M used for printing, individual differences in thickness may occur. Also, depending on the type of the medium M used and the content of the printing process, the thickness of the medium M may change significantly before and after the printing process. In such a case, even if the gripping position and the release position are set using the set value of the thickness of the medium M, it may not be possible to appropriately grip or release the actually printed medium M. In particular, when the media M are stacked in the Z direction on the stacker 70 at the discharge location 7, the error increases as the media M are stacked, and misalignment is likely to occur.

[0092] In the present embodiment, the robot 5 can adjust at least one of the height direction position (height H3) when gripping the printed medium M and the height direction position (height H4) when releasing the processed medium M at the discharge location 7 based on the information regarding the thickness of the printed medium M. Thereby, the robot 5 can appropriately grip or release the medium M according to the thickness of the printed medium M. That is, it is possible to reduce the possibility that excessive pressure is applied to the medium M or the suction pad 55 and damage occurs, and the possibility that the robot 5 stops operating. Thereby, the efficiency of the printing process of the medium M can be improved, and the quality of the printed medium M can be maintained. Also, by reducing the misalignment when releasing the medium M, the media M can be aligned and stacked on the stacker 70, so that the space can be saved at the discharge location 7. Also, it becomes easier to carry out the media M on the stacker 70 to the next process line, storage, or the like.

[0093] (2) In the processing system 1, The information regarding the thickness W2 of the printed medium M can include the thickness W1 of the medium M before the printing process in the printer 3 and the amount of change W3 in the thickness of the medium M due to the printing process in the printer 3. The processing system 1 includes a sensor 56 (first sensor) that detects the height position (height H1) of the pre-printing media M in the height direction when the robot 5 contacts the pre-printing media M, and an operation adjustment unit 93 (estimation unit) that estimates the thickness W1 of the pre-printing media M based on the detection result of the sensor 56.

[0094] By obtaining information regarding the thickness W2 after the printing process from the thickness W1 of the pre-printing media M and the change amount W3 of the thickness of the media M due to the printing process, before starting the printing process in the processing system 1, the gripping position or release position of the robot 5 can be adjusted. As a result, the printing process can proceed smoothly. Also, by the sensor 56 contacting the media M on which the printing process is to be performed and obtaining coordinate data of the position in the height direction, it is possible to improve the estimation accuracy of the thickness W1 before the printing process even for media M with individual differences in thickness.

[0095] (3) The operation adjustment unit 93 (estimation unit) can estimate the change amount W3 of the thickness of the media M based on the printing data for controlling the operation of the printer 3.

[0096] The printing data contains a large amount of data related to the change amount W3 of the thickness of the media M. That is, by using the printing data, the operation adjustment unit 93 can improve the estimation accuracy of the change amount W3. Furthermore, by estimating the change amount W3 of the thickness of the media M, before starting the printing process, the gripping position or release position of the robot 5 can be adjusted. Since the process of measuring the thickness of the media M after the printing process becomes unnecessary, the printing process can proceed smoothly.

[0097] (4) The robot 5 grips the pre-printing media M at the supply location 6 and releases the pre-printing media M at the printer 3. Based on the thickness W1 of the media M before the printing process estimated by the operation adjustment unit 93, the robot 5 can adjust at least one of the position in the height direction (height H1) when gripping the media M before the printing process and the position in the height direction (height H2) when releasing the media M before the printing process.

[0098] The robot 5 can appropriately grip or release the media M before the printing process according to the thickness W1 of the media M before the printing process. By this, it is possible to reduce the possibility that excessive pressure is applied to the media M or the suction pad 55 and damage occurs, and the possibility that the robot 5 stops operating. Thereby, the efficiency of the printing process of the media M can be improved. Also, the quality of the media M printed by the processing system 1 can be maintained. Further, by reducing the misalignment when releasing the media M to the printer 3, the printer 3 can eject ink at an appropriate position of the media M, so that the printing quality can be improved.

[0099] (10) The robot 5 releases the media M from the position in the height direction (height H4) that is separated from the top (the placement surface of the media M) of the stocker 70 at the discharge location 7 by a distance D2 (predetermined distance) in the Z direction.

[0100] When the robot 5 releases the media M, if the media M is pressed against the top of the stocker 70, the operation of the robot 5 may stop or the media M may be damaged. By releasing the media M at a position separated from the top of the stocker 70, such a possibility can be reduced.

[0101] (13) The processing system 1 includes a support member 72 that supports the media M released from the robot 5 and stacked at the discharge location 7.

[0102] By providing the support member 72 at the discharge location 7, displacement when the medium M is released at the discharge location 7 is more likely to be reduced, and the medium M can be stocked with its position aligned in the Z direction.

[0103] The above-described effect can also be obtained in the method for adjusting the operation of the robot 5 and the adjustment program in the processing system 1. The adjustment program for the operation of the robot 5 can be executed by the electronic device 9, the controller 30 of the printer 3, the controller 50 of the robot 5, and the like. Further, the scope of the present invention also extends to the medium M processed by the processing method of the processing system 1.

[0104] (Modification 1) In the following modifications, the same components as those in the embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions thereof are omitted. In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the operation adjustment unit 93 estimates the thickness W2 of the medium M after the printing process after estimating the thickness W1 of the medium M before the printing process and the change amount W3 of the thickness of the medium M due to the printing process has been described. In Modification 1, an example in which the thickness W2 of the medium M after the printing process is directly estimated without going through the estimation processes of W1 and W3 will be described.

[0105] The thickness W2 of the medium M after the printing process can be estimated, for example, in the following manner. (a) Estimation using print data In the embodiment, an example in which the change amount W3 of the thickness of the medium M due to the printing process is estimated using the print data has been described, but the thickness W2 of the medium M after the printing process may be estimated using the print data. FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the electronic device 9 according to Modification 1. As shown in FIG. 12, in Modification 1, the electronic device 9 can store, in the storage unit 95, for example, a table 951 showing the correspondence between the print data and the thickness W2 of the medium M after the printing process. The table 951 can be created, for example, by machine learning of statistical data showing the correlation between the print data and the thickness W2 of the medium M after the printing process. The printed data can include, for example, the following data as data related to the thickness W2 of the medium M after printing processing. · The number of ink layers ejected onto the medium M · The type of ink · The ejection position and ejection mode of the ink · The drying conditions of the ink · The multi-pass resolution · The type of the medium M (which may include information such as the material, thickness, size, etc.) · The color setting · The printing direction (bidirectional / one-way) · The printing time Table 951 can be created based on at least one of the above data.

[0106] The operation adjustment unit 93 can acquire the printed data created by the printed data creation unit 92, and with reference to Table 951, acquire the thickness W2 corresponding to the acquired printed data as an estimated value. Alternatively, instead of using Table 951, the operation adjustment unit 93 may calculate an estimated value of the thickness W2 from the printed data based on an algorithm created by prior machine learning or the like.

[0107] Depending on the content of the printing process, the thickness W2 of the medium M after printing processing may not be uniform over the entire surface of the medium M. For example, the operation adjustment unit 93 may create a profile of the thickness W2 of the medium M after printing processing from data such as the ejection position and ejection mode of the ink included in the printed data, and use the maximum value, average value, median value, etc. as the final estimated value.

[0108] (b) Estimation using the detection result of the sensor The thickness W2 of the medium M after printing processing can be estimated, for example, using the position in the height direction of the medium M after printing processing detected by a sensor. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining an example of a process of detecting the position H3 in the height direction of the medium M after printing processing. As shown in FIG. 13, the processing system 1A according to Modification 2 can include, for example, a sensor 57 (second sensor) that detects the position H3 in the height direction of the medium M after printing processing. The sensor 57 can be, for example, a distance sensor that measures the distance to an object. As the distance sensor, for example, an optical sensor, a millimeter-wave sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a stereo camera, or the like can be used. In the example of FIG. 13, the sensor 57 is provided at the tip of the shaft 54 of the robot 5.

[0109] The detection process by the sensor 57 can be performed, for example, after the printing process for each medium M. When performing the detection process, the robot 5 positions the distance sensor provided at the tip of the shaft 54 at a measurement position (height H9) above the belt conveyor 60 at the supply location 6. The robot 5 measures the distance D4 to the medium M located below the shaft 54 with the sensor 57. The controller 50 of the robot 5 calculates the position in the height direction (height H3) of the medium M after printing processing by subtracting the distance D4 measured by the sensor 57 from the height H9 of the measurement position. Note that the sensor 57 may be provided at a position where the medium M after printing processing can be measured, and the installation location is not limited to the robot 5. The sensor 57 may be provided, for example, on the carriage 34 (see FIG. 1) of the printer 3. After the printer 3 moves the carriage 34 to the X1 side, discharges ink onto the medium M to complete the printing process, and then returns the carriage 34 to the X2 side. The printer 3 can detect the distance to the medium M with the sensor 57 when the carriage 34 passes above the medium M after printing processing. Alternatively, the sensor 57, which is a displacement sensor, may be provided on the table 31 of the printer 3. The sensor 57 detects the displacement of the position on the surface of the printer 3 placed on the table 31. When the sensor 57 is provided on the printer 3, the controller 30 of the printer 3 can calculate the position H3 in the height direction of the medium M after printing processing from the detection result of the sensor 57.

[0110] FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining another example of a process for detecting the height position H3 of the medium M after printing processing. As shown in FIG. 14, the sensor 56 incorporated in the shaft 54 described in the embodiment may be used as a sensor (second sensor) for detecting the height position of the medium M after printing processing. As described above, the sensor 56 can be, for example, a pressure sensor or a force sensor. The sensor 56 detects the height position of the medium M when the suction pad 55 of the robot 5 comes into contact with the medium M after printing processing.

[0111] The detection process by the sensor 56 can be performed, for example, after the printing processing of each medium M. When performing the detection process, the robot 5 first positions the suction pad 55 at an initial position (height H9) above the belt conveyor 60 at the supply location 6. The robot 5, for example, gradually lowers the shaft 54 by a predetermined distance and brings the suction pad 55 provided at the lower end of the shaft 54 closer to the medium M after printing processing placed on the belt conveyor 60. The sensor 56, for example, detects a change in the pressure applied to the suction pad 55 when the suction pad 55 comes into contact with the medium M. The controller 50 of the robot 5 calculates the height H3 of the medium M after printing processing by subtracting the distance D4 by which the shaft 54 has descended from the initial position (height H9) to the position where the sensor 56 detects a change in pressure.

[0112] The operation adjustment unit 93 (see FIG. 12) of the electronic device 9 can acquire the coordinate data of the height H3 of the medium M after printing processing from the controller 50 of the robot 5. The operation adjustment unit 93 can calculate an estimated value of the thickness W2 of the medium M after the printing process by subtracting the height H6 of the placement surface 31a of the table 31 of the printer 3 from the height H3. Similar to the embodiment (see FIGS. 4 and 11), the operation adjustment unit 93 can adjust the gripping position (height H3) and the release position (height H4) of the medium M after the printing process in the teaching data by using the estimated value of the thickness W2 of the medium M after the printing process.

[0113] Note that the above-described processing flow is merely an example. As long as the estimated value of the thickness W2 can be finally calculated, each of the above-described arithmetic processes may be performed either by the controller 50 of the robot 5 or by the operation adjustment unit 93.

[0114] FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining an example of the detection process of the positions of the medium M in a plurality of height directions. As described above, depending on the content of the printing process, the thickness W2 of the medium M after the printing process may not be uniform over the entire surface of the medium M. Therefore, the sensor 56 may detect the positions of the medium M after the printing process in a plurality of height directions. The operation adjustment unit 93 may estimate the thickness of the medium M after the printing process based on the positions in the plurality of height directions.

[0115] For example, as shown in FIG. 15(a), the robot 5 can displace the suction pad 55 in the X direction or the Y direction while keeping it in contact with the medium M after the printing process. When there are irregularities or steps on the surface of the medium M after the printing process, the sensor 56 detects fluctuations in the pressure applied to the suction pad 55. The controller 50 of the robot 5 calculates a change in the position in the height direction based on the fluctuations in the pressure detected by the sensor 56. Thereby, the profile of the medium M after the printing process is obtained. The range and the displacement amount for displacing the suction pad 55 are not limited. For example, it can be set so that the suction pad 55 can cover the periphery of the portion where the medium M is gripped.

[0116] Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 15(b), the robot 5 may bring the suction pad 55 into contact with a plurality of spaced-apart locations on the medium M. In this case, after the robot 5 brings the suction pad 55 into contact with the first location on the medium M, the robot 5 raises the suction pad 55 to the initial position (not shown), displaces it in the X direction or the Y direction, and then lowers it to bring it into contact with the second location on the medium M. As a result, the sensor 56 can detect a plurality of positions in the height direction of the medium M. Although the drawing shows an example in which the positions in the height direction are detected twice, the detection may be performed three or more times. When there are irregularities or steps on the surface of the medium M after the printing process, the plurality of positions in the height direction detected by the sensor 56 will be different. Note that the sensor 57 (distance sensor, displacement sensor, etc.) illustrated in FIG. 13 may be used to detect a plurality of positions in the height direction of the medium M.

[0117] The operation adjustment unit 93 may estimate the thickness W2 of the medium M after the printing process based on, for example, the highest position among the plurality of positions in the height direction. Alternatively, the operation adjustment unit 93 may calculate the average value or the median value of the plurality of positions in the height direction and use the calculated value as the estimated value of the thickness W2.

[0118] FIG. 16 is a flowchart for explaining the flow of the adjustment process according to Modification 1. The adjustment process in FIG. 16 can be executed, for example, in place of the adjustment process shown in FIG. 11. FIG. 16 shows the process when the height direction position (height H3) of the medium M after the printing process is detected by the sensor 57 and the sensor 56. As shown in FIG. 16, the job management unit 91 outputs a command to start detecting the height direction position (height H3) of the medium M after the printing process to the robot 5 (step S721). When the detection start command is input, the robot 5 moves onto the table 31 of the printer 3 and detects the height direction position (height H3) of the medium M after the printing process using the sensor 57 or the sensor 56. When the detection process is completed, the robot 5 outputs a detection completion notification to the job management unit 91.

[0119] When the job management unit 91 receives a detection completion notification from the robot 5 (step S722: Yes), it acquires the coordinate data of the height H3 of the medium M after the printing process from the robot 5 (step S723). The operation adjustment unit 93 subtracts the height H6 of the placement surface 31a of the table 31 of the printer 3 from the height H3 to calculate an estimated value of the thickness W2 of the medium M after the printing process (step S724). The operation adjustment unit 93 adjusts the gripping position (height H3) and the release position (height H4) of the medium M after the printing process in the teaching data using the estimated value of the thickness W2 (step S725). Note that the operation adjustment unit 93 may calculate the difference between the estimated value of the thickness W2 and the set value, and perform the adjustment only when the difference is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

[0120] As described above, the processing system 1A according to the first modification has, for example, the following configuration. (5) The processing system 1A includes sensors 57 and 56 (second sensors) that detect the position in the height direction (height H3) of the medium M after the printing process, and an operation adjustment unit 93 (estimation unit) that estimates the thickness W2 of the medium M after the printing process based on the detection results of the sensors 57 and 56.

[0121] For example, depending on the type of the medium M and the content of the printing process, it may be difficult to accurately estimate the amount of change W3 in the thickness of the medium M due to the printing process from the printing data. In such a case, the estimation accuracy can be improved by directly estimating the thickness W2 of the medium M after the printing process using the measured values of the sensors 57 and 56. Note that the adjustment process (FIG. 8, step S42) of the gripping position (height H1) and the release position (height H2) of the medium M before the printing process described in the embodiment may be performed in combination with the process of the first modification, or may be omitted.

[0122] (6) The operation adjustment unit 93 can estimate the thickness W2 of the medium M after the printing process based on, for example, print data for controlling the operation of the printer 3.

[0123] By performing the estimation process based on the print data, the time required for the detection process by the sensor becomes unnecessary, so the efficiency of the estimation process can be improved. Also, by accumulating and machine learning past statistical data, the estimation accuracy can be further improved.

[0124] (7) The operation adjustment unit 93 can estimate the thickness W2 of the medium M after the printing process based on, for example, a table 951 showing the correspondence between the print data and the thickness W2 of the medium M after the printing process, and the print data.

[0125] Since the operation adjustment unit 93 only needs to refer to the table 951 to obtain the estimated value corresponding to the print data, a complex algorithm for the estimation process is not required, and the processing load on the electronic device 9 can be reduced.

[0126] (8) The robot 5 is provided with a sensor 56 (second sensor). When the robot 5 contacts the medium M after the printing process, the sensor 56 can detect the position in the height direction (height H3) of the medium M after the printing process.

[0127] The robot 5 is provided with a sensor 56 such as a pressure sensor or a force sensor for controlling its operation. By performing the detection process using the sensor 56 provided in the robot 5, there is no need to provide a dedicated sensor for the detection process. As a result, the installation cost of the processing system 1A can be reduced.

[0128] (9) The sensor 56 can detect a plurality of positions in the height direction of the medium M after the processing by causing the robot 5 to displace while contacting the medium M after the printing process or by contacting a plurality of locations on the medium M after the printing process. The operation adjustment unit 93 can estimate the thickness W2 of the medium M after the printing process based on a plurality of positions in the height direction detected by the sensor 56.

[0129] Depending on the type of the medium M and the content of the printing process, unevenness or steps may occur on the medium M after the printing process, and the thickness W2 may not be constant. The sensor 56 detects a plurality of positions in the height direction. The operation adjustment unit 93 can identify, for example, the portion of the medium M with the largest thickness from the detection results, and appropriately adjust the gripping position and the release position according to the portion with the large thickness.

[0130] (Modification 2) FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram for explaining a configuration example of the processing system 1B according to Modification 2. As shown in FIG. 17, in Modification 2, in addition to the functional configuration described in the embodiment, the electronic device 9 includes an update unit 94. The update unit 94 updates the distance D2 (predetermined distance), which is a parameter for setting the release position (height H4) of the medium M after the printing process.

[0131] In the embodiment (see FIG. 4), an example in which the operation adjustment unit 93 adjusts the release position (height H4) of the medium M after the printing process using the following formula has been described. Height H4 = height H7 of the upper surface 71 of the stocker 70 + distance D2 (predetermined distance) Distance D2 = W21 + W22 + W23 ··· W2 SN + gap S

[0132] As shown in the above formula, the distance D2 can be set by adding the gap S as a margin to the sum of the estimated values of the thickness of the medium M after the printing process (W21 + W22 + W23 ··· W2 SN ). The sum of the estimated values (W21 + W22 + W23 ··· W2 SN ) corresponds to the stacking height of the medium M on the stocker 70 at the discharge location 7. As the margin, the gap S can be a preset constant value. However, as the number of media M stacked on the stocker 70 increases, an error may occur between the sum of the estimated values (W21 + W22 + W23 ··· W2 SN ) and the actual stacking height. For example, when the operating time of the printer 3 becomes long, due to ink consumption, nozzle clogging, etc., the ink ejection amount may decrease, and the thickness W2 of the media M after the printing process may gradually become smaller. Alternatively, when the operating time of the robot 5 becomes long, a small displacement may occur in the operation of the robot 5. A small displacement that occurs when the robot 5 releases the media M on the stocker 70 may increase as the media M is stacked. In such a case, the error between the sum of the estimated values (W21 + W22 + W23 ··· W2 SN ) and the actual stacking height LH of the media M may increase. In such a case, as described above, even if the distance D2 is calculated from the sum of the estimated values with a large error from the actual stacking height, there is a possibility that the release position cannot be set appropriately.

[0133] In Modification 2, the operation adjustment unit 93 can adjust the release position (height H4) of the media M after the printing process using the following formula. Height H4 = height H7 of the upper surface 71 of the stocker 70 + distance D2 (predetermined distance) Distance D2 = stacking height LH of SN media M SN + sum of estimated values (W2 SN+1 , W2 SN+2 , W2 SN+3 ···) of the media M after (SN + 1) and later + gap S Stacking height LH of the media M SN means the height in the Z direction of SN media M stacked on the stocker 70 at the discharge location 7. The update unit 94 periodically acquires the stacking height LH of the media M SN and updates the distance D2 by incorporating it into the above formula. That is, in Modification 2, the error caused by the stacking of the estimated values (W21 + W22 + W23 ··· W2 SN ) is corrected by the stacking height LH of the media MSN Reset by replacing it.

[0134] The updating unit 94 can obtain the stacking height LH of the medium M, for example, in the following manner. SN It can be obtained. (a) Estimation of the stacking height LH of the medium M based on various information SN Estimation The updating unit 94 estimates the stacking height LH of the medium M at the discharge location 7 based on, for example, at least one of the characteristic information of the medium M, the operation information of the printer 3, and the operation information of the robot 5, and can update the distance D2 based on the estimated value. SN Based on the estimated value, the distance D2 can be updated. The characteristic information of the medium M can include, for example, the frictional force on the surface (back surface) of the medium M, the material of the medium M, the type of the medium M, the surface area of the medium M, the hardness of the medium M, the weight after printing processing, ink characteristics, drying conditions, the presence or absence of release paper, etc. The operation information of the printer 3 includes, for example, information such as the operation time of the printer 3 and the status of the printer 3 (ink consumption status, nozzle cleaning status). The operation time can be, for example, the operation time from the installation time to the present, or the operation time from the previous maintenance to the present. The operation information of the robot 5 includes, for example, the operation time of the robot 5, the status of the robot 5 (ink consumption status, nozzle cleaning status), etc. The updating unit 94 can obtain the characteristic information of the medium M from, for example, print data or setting information input by the user. The updating unit 94 can obtain the operation information of the printer 3 by communicating with the printer 3, for example. The updating unit 94 can obtain the operation information of the robot 5 by communicating with the robot 5, for example. The updating unit 94 can set an algorithm for estimating the stacking height LH of the medium M by machine learning the above-described information and statistical data indicating the correlation between the stacking height of the medium M at the discharge location 7. Alternatively, from the statistical data, the above-described information and the stacking height LH of the medium M SN It can be estimated. SNA table 951 showing the correspondence may be created and stored in the storage unit 95 of the electronic device 9. In this case, the update unit 94 may refer to the table 951 and obtain the estimated value of the stacking height LH of the medium M corresponding to the above-described information. SN can be obtained.

[0135] (b) Detection of the stacking height LH of the medium M by a sensor SN detection FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram for explaining the detection by the sensor 73 provided on the support member 72. As shown in FIG. 18, a sensor 73 (third sensor) for detecting the stacking height LH of the medium M can be provided on the support member 72 of the stocker 70. The sensor 73 may be any element that can detect an element capable of detecting the stacking height LH of the medium M. Therefore, the "sensor for detecting the stacking height LH of the medium M" includes those that do not directly detect the stacking height LH of the medium M. SN SN SN SN The sensor 73 can be, for example, a distance sensor, a displacement sensor, a stereo camera, or the like. The sensor 73 detects, for example, the position in the height direction (height H10) of the uppermost part of the stocker 70. As described above, when no medium M is stacked on the stocker 70, the upper surface 71 of the stocker 70 is the uppermost part of the stocker 70. When one or more media M are stacked on the stocker 70, the upper surface 71 of the uppermost medium M stacked on the stocker 70 is the uppermost part of the stocker 70.

[0136] As shown in FIG. 17, the sensor 73 is communicably connected to the electronic device 9. The electronic device 9 can obtain the detection result of the sensor 73 by communicating with the sensor 73. The update unit 94 of the electronic device 9 can calculate the stacking height LH of the medium M by subtracting the height H7 of the upper surface 71 of the stocker 70 from the height H10 of the uppermost part of the stocker 70 detected by the sensor 73. Note that the stacking height LH of the medium M SN SN ​​​​​The calculation process may be performed on the sensor 73 side.

[0137] The stacking height LH of the media M SN The detection of is not limited to the sensor 73 provided on the support member 72. For example, the stacking height of the media M may be detected by a sensor 56 (see FIG. 6) provided on the robot 5. In this case, the robot 5 moves the suction pad 55 in a state where it is not gripping the media M to the discharge location 7, and gradually lowers the suction pad 55 from the initial position. The sensor 56 detects a change in pressure when the suction pad 55 contacts the uppermost part of the stocker 70. The controller 50 of the robot 5 subtracts the lowering distance of the suction pad 55 from the initial position in the height direction until the sensor 56 detects a change in pressure from the height H7 of the upper surface 71 of the stocker 70. Thereby, the position in the height direction (height H10) of the uppermost part of the stocker 70 can be calculated.

[0138] FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing the flow of the update process according to the second modification. The update unit 94 can, for example, periodically acquire the stacking height LH of the media M and update the distance D2. SN Here, "periodically" does not mean only a fixed time period. The update unit 94 may, for example, acquire the stacking height LH when a certain number (q pieces) of the media M stacked at the discharge location 7 increases. The update unit 94 stores the acquired stacking height LH data in the storage unit 95. As shown in FIG. 19, when starting the printing process, the job management unit 91 resets the counter that counts the stacking number SN of the media M at the discharge location 7 to 0 (step S101). When the counter reaches SN = q × n (n is a positive integer) (step S102), the job management unit 91 causes the update unit 94 to perform the update process. The update unit 94 acquires the stacking height LH of the SN pieces (q × n pieces) of the media M stacked at the discharge location 7 by the estimation process based on the various information described above and the detection process by the sensor 73 (step S103). SN SN As shown in FIG. 19, when starting the printing process, the job management unit 91 resets the counter that counts the stacking number SN of the media M at the discharge location 7 to 0 (step S101). When the counter reaches SN = q × n (n is a positive integer) (step S102), the job management unit 91 causes the update unit 94 to perform the update process. The update unit 94 acquires the stacking height LH of the SN pieces (q × n pieces) of the media M stacked at the discharge location 7 by the estimation process based on the various information described above and the detection process by the sensor 73 (step S103). SN

[0139] The update unit 94 uses the obtained stacking height LH SN and the stacking height LH SN-q obtained last time to calculate the difference (LH SN -LH SN-q ). This difference is the measured value of the stacking height of q media newly stacked at the discharge location since the previous detection process. The update unit 94 further calculates the sum Sum(W2 SN-q+1 :W2 SN ) of the estimated values of the thicknesses W2 of the q media after the printing process (step S105). If the error between the measured value (LH SN -LH SN-q ) and the sum Sum(W2 SN-q+1 :W2 SN ) is equal to or greater than a predetermined value PV (step S106: Yes), the distance D2 used for adjusting the release position (height H4) is updated (step S107).

[0140] Specifically, the update unit 94 substitutes the stacking height LH SN obtained in step S103 into the following formula. Distance D2 = stacking height LH of SN media M SN + sum of estimated values of thicknesses (W2 SN+1 , W2 SN+2 , W2 SN+3 ···) of media M after (SN + 1) and later + gap S Here, the initial value of the stacking height LH SN of the media M is 0. That is, when the number of stacked media at the discharge location 7 is small after the start of the printing process, the operation adjustment unit 93 calculates the distance D2 by adding up the estimated values of the thickness W2 after the printing process, similar to the embodiment. When the number of stacked media M increases and errors are likely to occur in the estimated values, the update unit 94 obtains the stacking height LH SN of the media M, and the distance D2 is updated. As a result, the errors generated until the update process is performed are reset. The operation adjustment unit 93 uses the obtained stacking height LH SNto the estimated value (W2 SN+1 , W2 SN+2 , W2 SN+3 ···) are sequentially added together to calculate the distance D2.

[0141] As described above, in Modification 2, the update unit 94 performs an update process of periodically resetting the error caused by the estimated value included in the distance D2, so that the operation adjustment unit 93 can more appropriately adjust the release position (height H4) at the discharge location 7. Here, every time one medium M is stacked, the sensor 73 performs a detection process to more accurately identify the stacking height LH SN It is also conceivable. However, in this case, since the number of detection processes by the sensor 73 increases, it may affect the processing efficiency. In Modification 2, the update unit 94 performs an update process when the number of stacked layers increases and the error becomes large, so that it is possible to perform appropriate adjustment of the release position while reducing the influence on the processing efficiency.

[0142] As shown in FIG. 19, when the error between the measured value (LH SN -LH SN-q ) and the sum of the estimated values Sum (W2 SN-q+1 : W2 SN ) is less than the predetermined value PV (step S106: Yes), it can be determined that the error of the distance D2 is small even if the number of stacked layers increases. In this case, the update unit 94 can skip the update process in step S107. The job management unit 91 repeats the processes of steps 102 to S107 while the printing process continues (step S108: No). Although not shown, when the medium M is carried out from the discharge location 7 during the continuation of the printing process, the job management unit 91 returns to step S101 and resets the counter to 0.

[0143] As described above, the processing system 1B according to Modification 2 has the following configuration. (11) The processing system 1B can include an update unit 94. The update unit 94 updates the stack height LH of the media M released from the robot 5 at the discharge location 7. SN is periodically acquired, and the acquired stack height LH SN The previously acquired stack height LH SN-q Difference from (LH SN -LH SN-q ), the distance D2 (predetermined distance) is updated based on the result.

[0144] In order for the robot 5 to properly release the media M at the discharge point 7, it is desirable to release the media M from a height position (height H4) that is a distance D2 in the Z direction from the top of the stocker 70 (the loading surface of the media M). The distance D2 is, for example, the sum of the estimated thicknesses of the media M after the printing process (W21 + W22 + W23...W2 SN ), but as the number of media M stacked on the stocker 70 increases, the error between the total estimated value and the actual stack height may become larger.

[0145] In the second modification, the update unit 94 periodically updates the stack height LH SN By performing an update process of acquiring the error caused in the distance D2 and resetting the error caused in the distance D2, the operation adjustment unit 93 can more appropriately adjust the release position (height H4) at the discharge location 7. In addition, the update unit 94 updates the acquired stack height LH SN The previously acquired stack height LH SN-q Difference from (LH SN -LH SN-q ) is calculated as the actual measured value of the stack height, and the sum of the estimated values ​​Sum(W2 SN-q+1 :W2 SN ) to determine the magnitude of error in the estimated value. This allows the update unit 94 to update the distance D2 only when necessary, making it possible to appropriately adjust the release position while reducing the impact on processing efficiency.

[0146] (12) The update unit 94 can estimate the stacking height LH based on, for example, at least one of the characteristic information of the medium M, the operation information of the droplet discharge device, and the operation information of the robot 5. SN It can be estimated.

[0147] The update unit 94 estimates the stacking height LH based on various information. SN By estimating the stacking height LH, the detection process by the sensor 73 becomes unnecessary, and the equipment cost can be reduced.

[0148] (14) The processing system 1B At the discharge location 7, it includes a support member 72 that supports the medium M released from the robot 5 and stacked, and a sensor 73 (third sensor) provided on the support member 72 and capable of detecting the stacking height LH of the medium M. SN The update unit 94 acquires the detection result of the sensor 73.

[0149] By providing the sensor 73 on the support member 72 that supports the medium M on the stocker 70, the stacking height LH of the medium M SN can be easily detected.

[0150] The above-described modified examples can be applied not only to the embodiments but also combined with each other. The present invention is not limited to the aspects of the above-described embodiments and can be appropriately changed within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0151] 1, 1A, 1B Processing system 3 Printer 31 Table 31a Placement surface 5 Robot 55 Suction pad 56 Sensor (first sensor, second sensor) 57 Sensor (second sensor) 6 Supply location 7 Discharge location 70 Stocker 71 Upper surface 72 Support member 73 Sensor (third sensor) 9 Electronic device 93 Operation adjustment unit (estimation unit) 94 Update unit 95 Storage unit 951 Table H1 Gripping position H2 Release position H3 Gripping position H4 Release position D2 Distance (predetermined distance)

Claims

1. A droplet ejection apparatus that performs a process of ejecting droplets onto a medium, and a robot that grips the medium after the process in the droplet ejection apparatus and releases it at a discharge location, the processing system comprising: The robot adjusts at least one of a position in the height direction when gripping the processed medium and a position in the height direction when releasing the processed medium at the discharge location based on information regarding the thickness of the processed medium. A processing system characterized by that.

2. In Claim 1, The information regarding the thickness of the processed medium includes the thickness of the medium before the process in the droplet ejection apparatus and the amount of change in the thickness of the medium due to the process in the droplet ejection apparatus, A first sensor that detects the position of the medium in the height direction when the robot contacts the medium before the process, and an estimation unit that estimates the thickness of the medium before the process based on the detection result of the first sensor. A processing system characterized by comprising.

3. In Claim 2, The information regarding the thickness of the processed medium includes the thickness of the medium before the process in the droplet ejection apparatus and the amount of change in the thickness of the medium due to the process in the droplet ejection apparatus, The estimation unit estimates the amount of change in the thickness of the medium based on print data for controlling the operation of the droplet ejection apparatus. A processing system characterized by that.

4. In Claim 2, The robot grips the medium before the process at a supply location and releases the medium before the process in the droplet ejection apparatus, The robot adjusts at least one of a position in the height direction when gripping the medium before the process and a position in the height direction when releasing the medium before the process based on the thickness of the medium before the process estimated by the estimation unit. A processing system characterized by that.

5. In Claim 1, A second sensor that detects the position of the processed medium in the height direction, and an estimation unit that estimates the thickness of the processed medium based on the detection result of the second sensor. A processing system characterized by comprising.

6. In Claim 1, An estimation unit for estimating the thickness of the processed medium based on print data for controlling the operation of the droplet ejection apparatus is provided. A processing system characterized by that.

7. In Claim 6, ​ ​ ​ The estimation unit estimates the thickness of the processed medium based on a table showing the correspondence between the print data and the thickness of the processed medium and the print data. A processing system characterized by that.

8. In claim 5, the robot includes the second sensor, The second sensor is characterized in that, when the robot contacts the processed medium, it detects the position of the processed medium in the height direction. A processing system characterized by that.

9. In claim 8, the second sensor detects a plurality of positions in the height direction of the processed medium by displacing while contacting the processed medium or by contacting a plurality of locations of the processed medium, The estimation unit estimates the thickness of the processed medium based on the plurality of positions in the height direction detected by the second sensor. A processing system characterized by that.

10. In claim 1, the robot releases the medium from a position in the height direction spaced a predetermined distance from the placement surface of the medium at the discharge location. A processing system characterized by that.

11. In claim 10, at the discharge location, an update unit is provided that periodically acquires the stacked height of the media released from the robot and stacked, and updates the predetermined distance based on the difference between the acquired stacked height and the previously acquired stacked height. A processing system characterized by that.

12. In claim 11, the update unit estimates the stacked height based on at least one of the characteristic information of the medium, the operation information of the droplet discharge device, and the operation information of the robot. A processing system characterized by that.

13. In claim 1, at the discharge location, a support member is provided that supports the media released from the robot and stacked. A processing system characterized by that.

14. In claim 11, at the discharge location, a support member that supports the media released from the robot and stacked, and a third sensor provided on the support member and capable of detecting the stacked height of the media are provided. The update unit is characterized in that it acquires the detection result of the third sensor. A processing system characterized by that.

15. A method for adjusting the operation of a robot that grips a medium processed in a droplet discharge device that discharges droplets onto the medium and releases the medium at a discharge location, comprising: adjusting at least one of the height-direction position of the robot when gripping the processed medium and the height-direction position of the robot when releasing the processed medium based on information regarding the thickness of the medium after processing by the droplet discharge device. **Claim 16** An adjustment program for the operation of a robot that grips a medium processed in a droplet discharge device that discharges droplets onto the medium and releases the medium at a discharge location, comprising: causing an electronic device to adjust at least one of the height-direction position of the robot when gripping the processed medium and the height-direction position of the robot when releasing the processed medium based on information regarding the thickness of the medium after processing by the droplet discharge device.

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