Processing system, processing method, and program

Abstract

To reduce a standby time of a printer when a robot corresponds to a plurality of printers.SOLUTION: The processing system 1 includes a plurality of printers 3A and 3B and a robot 5. The printers 3A and 3B perform print processing on the medium M. The robot 5 performs a supply operation and a collection operation of the media M with respect to the printers 3A and 3B. The robot 5 continuously performs the collection operation for the first printer 3 and the supply operation of the next medium M when the printing processing of the second printer 3 is completed while the robot 5 performs the collection operation for the first printer 3 in which the printing processing is completed and the printing processing for the next medium M is performed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] The processing system includes, for example, a droplet ejection device that performs a process of ejecting droplets onto media. To perform processing using the droplet ejection device, the media must be placed on a table, and the processed media must be collected from the table. If workers are assigned to supply and collect the media, labor costs increase.

[0003] In order to reduce personnel costs, it has been proposed to build a system that includes, for example, a droplet ejection device and a robot that supplies and collects media from the droplet ejection device (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This makes it possible to automate the printing process on media and reduce personnel costs. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-183595 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] For example, when multiple droplet ejection devices are installed in a processing system, media supply and recovery may be performed by fewer robots than the droplet ejection devices due to factors such as installation costs, operating costs, installation space, etc. In this case, each droplet ejection device is likely to have to wait for media to be supplied or recovered. In a processing system, when a robot supplies and recovers media to and from a plurality of droplet ejection devices, it is desired to reduce the standby time of the droplet ejection devices and improve the processing efficiency of the entire processing system. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In one aspect of the present invention, a processing system includes: (1) a plurality of droplet ejection devices for performing droplet ejection processing on a medium; a robot that supplies and recovers the medium to and from the droplet ejection device, The robot When the droplet discharge process is completed and the recovery operation is being performed on the first droplet discharge device that will perform the droplet discharge process on the next medium, the droplet discharge process of the second droplet discharge device is completed, Before the recovery operation is performed on the second droplet discharge device, the recovery operation on the first droplet discharge device and the supply operation of the next medium are performed consecutively.

[0007] (2) In the processing system of (1), The robot When the time taken for the droplet ejection process of the first droplet ejection device is longer than the sum of the time taken for the supply operation and the recovery operation of the robot for the first droplet ejection device, the recovery operation for the first droplet ejection device and the supply operation of the next media are performed consecutively.

[0008] (3) In the processing system of (1) or (2), The number of the robots is less than the number of the droplet ejection devices.

[0009] (4) In any one of the processing systems (1) to (3), The robot starts the recovery operation on the droplet discharge device at a timing before the droplet discharge process of the droplet discharge device ends.

[0010] (5) In any one of the processing systems (1) to (4), The droplet ejection device a head that ejects droplets onto the medium; a maintenance unit that performs maintenance processing on the head, The maintenance unit performs the maintenance process from the time when the robot starts the recovery operation of the medium for which the droplet discharge process has been completed until the time when the robot finishes the supply operation of the next medium.

[0011] (6) In any one of the processing systems (1) to (5), The robot According to the instructions input by the user, Depending on the input order of media supply requests or recovery requests input from the droplet ejection device, it is possible to switch between a second operation mode in which the supply operation and the recovery operation are performed, and a first operation mode in which the recovery operation and the supply operation of the next media are performed consecutively.

[0012] (7) In the processing system according to (6), an estimation unit that estimates at least one of a time period for the droplet discharge process, a time period for the supply operation, and a time period for the recovery operation based on at least one of control data for controlling the droplet discharge process of the droplet discharge device, statistical data relating to a time period for the droplet discharge process, and statistical data relating to a time period for the supply operation and the recovery operation; a determination unit that determines the recommended mode from the first operation mode and the second operation mode based on the estimation result of the estimation unit; and a display unit that displays the determination result of the determination unit.

[0013] (8) In any one of the processing systems (1) to (7), The robot When the first droplet ejection device and the second droplet ejection device each perform the droplet ejection process multiple times and then finish the droplet ejection process at the same timing, The droplet ejection device that has completed the first droplet ejection process is given priority in carrying out the medium recovery operation.

[0014] (9) In any one of the processing systems (1) to (8), The robot When the first droplet discharge device and the second droplet discharge device have performed the droplet discharge process a plurality of times and then finished the droplet discharge process at the same timing, The droplet ejection device with the highest printing speed is given priority in the collection operation of the media.

[0015] (10) In any one of the processing systems (1) to (9), the plurality of droplet ejection devices are each assigned a number of media for performing the droplet ejection process; The robot When the first droplet discharge device and the second droplet discharge device have performed the droplet discharge process a plurality of times and then finished the droplet discharge process at the same timing, The droplet ejection device that performs the remaining droplet ejection process with a larger number of media is given priority in performing the media recovery operation.

[0016] (11) In any one of the processing systems (1) to (10), The robot When the first droplet discharge device and the second droplet discharge device have performed the droplet discharge process a plurality of times and then finished the droplet discharge process at the same timing, The droplet ejection device that takes the shortest time for the supply operation and the recovery operation is given priority in carrying out the recovery operation of the medium.

[0017] (12) In any one of the processing systems (1) to (11), The robot When the first droplet discharge device and the second droplet discharge device have performed the droplet discharge process a plurality of times and then finished the droplet discharge process at the same timing, The droplet ejection device designated by the user is given priority in carrying out the recovery operation of the medium.

[0018] (13) In any one of the processing systems (1) to (12), control data for controlling the operation of the droplet discharge process is input to each of the plurality of droplet discharge devices; The robot the first droplet ejection device and the second droplet ejection device perform the droplet ejection process a plurality of times, and then end the droplet ejection process at the same timing; When control data different from that of the completed droplet discharge process is input to the first droplet discharge device for the next droplet discharge process, and the second droplet discharge device performs the next droplet discharge process using the same control data as that of the completed droplet discharge process, The second droplet ejection device is given priority in the collection operation of the medium.

[0019] In one embodiment of the present invention, the processing method comprises: (14) A plurality of droplet ejection devices for performing droplet ejection processing on the medium; a robot that supplies and recovers the medium to and from the droplet ejection device, The robot When the droplet discharge process of the second droplet discharge device is completed while the recovery operation is being performed on the first droplet discharge device to which a command for the droplet discharge process on the next medium has been input after the droplet discharge process of the second droplet discharge device is completed, Before the recovery operation is performed on the second droplet discharge device, the recovery operation and the supply operation of the next medium are performed consecutively on the first droplet discharge device.

[0020] In one embodiment of the present invention, the program (15) A plurality of droplet ejection devices for performing droplet ejection processing on the medium; a robot that supplies and recovers the media to and from the droplet ejection device, If the droplet discharge process of the second droplet discharge device is completed while the robot is performing the recovery operation on the first droplet discharge device, which has completed the droplet discharge process and has received a command to perform the droplet discharge process on the next medium, The electronic device is a program that outputs to the robot an instruction to perform the recovery operation for the first droplet ejection device and the supply operation for the next media in succession before performing the recovery operation for the second droplet ejection device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0021] According to the present invention, in a processing system, when a robot performs media supply and recovery operations on multiple droplet ejection devices, the waiting time of the droplet ejection devices can be reduced, thereby improving the processing efficiency of the entire processing system. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a processing system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a processing system. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a printer and a robot. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a supply operation of the robot. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the recovery operation of the robot. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of an electronic device. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing performed by the electronic device when mode B is selected. [Figure 8] 10A is a timing chart showing the operation timing of the robot and printer in mode A, and FIG. 10B is a timing chart showing the operation timing of the robot and printer in mode B. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a processing system according to Modification 1. [Figure 10] FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram showing an example of the positional relationship between a robot and a printer, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the robot in the positional relationship shown in FIG. [Figure 11] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of a process of determining a recommended operation mode by a determination unit. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a processing flow of an electronic device according to Modification 1. [Figure 13] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of the operation of a robot in Modification 2. [Figure 14] 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating an example of control of the operation of a robot in the processing system of the third modified example. [Figure 15] 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating another example of control of the operation of the robot in the processing system of the third modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a processing system 1 according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the processing system 1. In FIG. 1, the medium M is shown hatched. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the processing system 1 includes, for example, printers 3A and 3B, which are examples of droplet ejection devices, and a robot 5. In the following explanation, the positional relationship will be described based on the X, Y, and Z directions in FIG. 1. The Z direction is along the vertical line (direction of gravity) and is the direction from the front side to the back side of the paper in FIG. 1. The X and Y directions are directions perpendicular to the Z direction. The X direction is the left-right direction in the drawing, and the Y direction is the up-down direction in the drawing that is perpendicular to the X direction. In addition, the right side in the X direction in the drawing is the X1 side, the left side in the drawing is the X2 side, the upper side in the Y direction in the drawing is the Y1 side, and the lower side in the drawing is the Y2 side. Furthermore, when referring to printers 3A and 3B without distinction, they will be referred to as "printer 3."

[0024] The printers 3A and 3B perform a printing process (droplet ejection process) of ejecting ink (droplets) onto the medium M. The robot 5 is capable of grasping and transporting media M. The robot 5 can perform at least one of supplying and retrieving media M from the printers 3A and 3B. In the embodiment, an example will be described in which the robot 5 performs both supplying and retrieving media M. Although FIG. 1 shows an example in which one robot 5 corresponds to a plurality of printers 3A and 3B, the number of printers 3 and robots 5 and the correspondence between the printers 3 and robots 5 can be changed as appropriate. For example, the number of robots 5 may correspond to the number of printers 3, so that there is a one-to-one correspondence between the printers 3 and the robots 5. Alternatively, multiple robots 5 may correspond to one printer 3. For example, different robots 5 may perform the operations of supplying and collecting media M to the printer 3.

[0025] The shape and material of the medium M used in the printing process are not limited to any particular one, as long as they can be printed on by the printer 3 and transported by the robot 5. The medium M can be made of, for example, synthetic resins such as acrylic, vinyl chloride, and polyester, paper, cloth (woven fabric, nonwoven fabric), wood, ceramics, metal, food, leather, etc. FIG. 1 shows a thin panel as an example of the medium M. The image printed on the medium M includes, for example, characters, figures, patterns, colors, etc., and combinations of these.

[0026] As shown in Figure 1, processing area A1, where printing processing of media M is performed, is provided with a supply point 7 and a collection point 8 for media M. Robot 5 acquires media M stocked at supply point 7 before printing processing and supplies them to printers 3A and 3B. Robot 5 also acquires media M after printing processing from printer 3 and stocks them at collection point 8. At the supply point 7 and the recovery point 8, for example, a stocker St can be disposed, which stores the media M by stacking them in the Z direction. A belt conveyor capable of transporting media M may be provided at the supply point 7 or the collection point 8 instead of the stocker St. By providing a belt conveyor at the supply point 7, media M before printing can be transported to the processing area A1 from other areas. The other areas can be, for example, a storage room for media M or an area where pre-processing for printing is performed on media M. By providing a belt conveyor at the collection point 8, the media M after printing can be transported from the processing area A1 to another area. The other area can be, for example, a storage room for the media M or an area where post-printing processing of the media M is performed.

[0027] 1 and 2, the processing system 1 can include an electronic device 9. As a management device, the electronic device 9 outputs operational commands to the printer 3 and the robot 5, thereby performing overall management of the printing process of the media M in the processing system 1. The printer 3 and robot 5 are communicatively 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 placed, for example, in an area A2 where a user resides, separate from the processing area A1 where the printer 3 and robot 5 are placed. The electronic device 9 can also communicate with a sensor installed in the processing area A1 to acquire environmental information about the processing area A1 detected by the sensor. The environmental information can be, for example, temperature, humidity, etc.

[0028] <Printer> FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the printer 3 and the robot 5. As shown in FIG. In FIG. 3, the medium M and the moving mechanisms 37, 37 of the printer 3 are hatched. 3 corresponds to the positional relationship of printer 3A. The following description of the positional relationship of printer 3A can be replaced with the description of the positional relationship of printer 3B by swapping the X1 side with the X2 side, and the Y1 side with the Y2 side.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 3, the printer 3 includes a table 31 on which the medium M is placed, a carriage 34 disposed above the table 31, and a guide bar 36 that supports the carriage 34. The table 31 has a placement surface 31a for the media M. The placement surface 31a extends horizontally (X direction and Y direction). A placement area Pa (area indicated by virtual lines in the figure) is set on the placement surface 31a where the media M is placed. Note that although only one placement area Pa is shown in Figure 3, multiple placement areas Pa can be provided depending on the size of the table 31, the size of the media M to be used, etc.

[0030] The guide bar 36 extends horizontally in the Y direction above the table 31. When viewed from the Z direction, the guide bar 36 crosses the table 31 in the Y direction. The ends 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 is driven by a drive mechanism (not shown) to be movable in the Y direction along the guide rail. A head 35 that ejects ink is mounted on the carriage 34. By moving the carriage 34 in the Y direction, the head 35 mounted on the carriage 34 also moves in the Y direction.

[0031] A plurality of nozzles N (see FIG. 4) for ejecting ink are provided on the underside of the head 35. The underside of the head 35 faces the table 31 in the Z direction with a small gap between them. By facing the head 35 to the medium M placed on the table 31, ink ejected from the nozzles N can be made to land on the medium M.

[0032] The ink used in the printer 3 is not limited to a specific type, but may be, for example, ultraviolet curable ink that is cured by ultraviolet rays or heat curable ink that is cured by heat. In this case, although not shown, the carriage 34 of the printer 3 may be equipped with an ultraviolet irradiation device or a heating device for curing the ink ejected onto the medium M. Furthermore, the droplets ejected by the printer 3 are not limited to ink, and any droplets having viscosity that allows them to adhere to the medium M can be used as appropriate. The head 35 may be one that ejects ink of a single color, or may be one that ejects ink of multiple colors. The inks may be, for example, process color inks such as C (cyan), M (magenta), Y (yellow), and K (black). Alternatively, the inks may be special color inks such as LC (light cyan), LM (light magenta), Gy (gray), W (white), CL (clear), Pr (primer), O (orange), violet, metallic colors (gold, silver), and fluorescent colors. Furthermore, the droplets ejected by the printer 3 are not limited to ink, and any droplets having viscosity that allows them to adhere to the medium M can be used as appropriate.

[0033] 3, a maintenance station 41 (maintenance unit) that performs maintenance processing on the head 35 is provided at the end of the guide bar 36 on the Y1 side that protrudes from the table 31. Although not shown, the maintenance station 41 has a built-in device that wipes the underside of the head 35, flushes the nozzles N, and the like. The carriage 34 moves to the maintenance station 41, whereby the maintenance processing is performed.

[0034] An ink supply device 42 is provided at the Y2-side end of the guide bar 36 that protrudes beyond the table 31. Although not shown, an ink tank is built into the ink supply device 42. 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.

[0035] Movement mechanisms 37, 37 are provided at the ends of the table 31 on the Y1 side and the Y2 side. The movement mechanisms 37, 37 move the guide bar 36 in the X direction. When the guide bar 36 moves in the X direction, the carriage 34, the head 35, the maintenance station 41, and the ink supply device 42 move integrally in the X direction.

[0036] An initial position Ip of the head 35 is set on the table 31. When viewed from the Z direction, the initial position Ip is set at a position offset toward the X1 side with respect to the placement location Pa of the medium M. When the printer 3 performs printing processing, the head 35 moves from the initial position Ip to the placement position Pa of the medium M (printing position). When viewed from the Z direction, the head 35 faces the medium M at the placement location Pa with a small gap in the Z direction. The head 35 ejects ink onto the medium M while moving in the Y direction. After completing one reciprocating movement (one pass) in the Y direction, the head 35 moves a predetermined distance toward the X1 side. The head 35 ejects ink while moving again in the Y direction. In other words, the printer 3 can print on the medium M by alternately repeating one reciprocating movement (one pass) of the head 35 in the Y direction and an operation of moving a predetermined distance toward the X1 side. When the printing process is complete, the head 35 returns to its initial position Ip on the X2 side.

[0037] It is sufficient that head 35 is movable in the X direction relative to table 31. Therefore, movement mechanisms 37, 37 may move table 31 in the X direction relative to fixed guide bar 36. Alternatively, movement mechanisms 37, 37 may move both guide bar 36 and table 31 in the X direction.

[0038] 2, the printer 3 includes a controller 30 that controls the operation of each unit. The controller 30 is communicably connected to the electronic device 9. The controller 30 controls the operation of each unit of the printer 3 based on print data PD input from the electronic device 9, thereby performing printing processing. The controller 30 of the printer 3 also sends to the electronic device 9 a request to supply media M and a request to collect the media M after printing has been completed. The supply request and collection request may be sent as dedicated signals. The printer 3 can send a supply request when, for example, it is ready to print, and can send a collection request when, for example, it has completed printing. Alternatively, a signal notifying the status of the printer 3 may be treated as a supply request and a collection request. For example, a signal output when the printer 3 completes a printing process and the head 35 returns to the initial position Ip may be treated as a collection request. It transmits a signal notifying the state of the printer 3. The electronic device 9 outputs an operation command to the robot 5 based on the state of the printer 3, so that the printer 3 and the robot 5 can operate in cooperation with each other.

[0039] <Robot> The robot 5 is not limited to a specific type as long as it can grasp and transport the media M. FIG. 3 illustrates, as an example, a horizontally articulated robot (a so-called SCARA robot) having multiple arms that rotate horizontally. Alternatively, a vertically articulated robot may be used as the robot 5. To ensure the safety of workers, the area including the rotation range of the arms of the robot 5 may be isolated by a safety fence or the like. Alternatively, the robot 5 may be a collaborative robot that can operate in the same space as workers.

[0040] 3, the robot 5 has arms 52 and 53 that grasp and carry the media M. The arm 52 is supported by a base 51 that is installed on the floor of the processing area A1, for example, and the arm 53 is supported by the arm 52. The arms 52 and 53 each extend horizontally. The base end of the arm 52 is connected to 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 connected to 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 passes through the tip of the arm 53. The shaft 54 ​​is movable up and down by a drive mechanism (not shown).

[0041] A gripping mechanism 55 (see FIG. 4) that grips the media M is provided at the lower end of the shaft 54. The gripping mechanism 55 can be configured, for example, from a suction pad. The suction pad can adsorb the media M by applying negative pressure while in contact with the surface of the media M. The suction pad can also release the media M by applying positive pressure while adsorbing the media M. Note that the gripping mechanism 55 is not limited to a suction pad, and other configurations can also be used as appropriate.

[0042] 3, the robot 5 can move the tip of the arm 53 in the X and Y directions by combining the rotations of the arms 52 and 53. Then, by moving the shaft 54 ​​provided at the tip of the arm 53 up and down at a desired position, the robot 5 can acquire or release the media M. In the processing area A1, the printers 3A, 3B, the supply point 7 and the collection point 8 can be arranged within the reachable range of the arms 52, 53 of the robot 5 (see FIG. 1).

[0043] In the example of FIG. 1, printers 3A and 3B, a supply point 7, and a collection point 8 are arranged so as to surround the periphery of a robot 5. In FIG. 1, a line segment Lx that passes through an axis Z1 of an arm 52 supported on a base 51 of a robot 5 and that extends along the X direction and a line segment Ly that extends along the Y direction are shown. Printer 3A and printer 3B can be placed on line segment Lx at positions symmetrical to each other with base 51 of robot 5 in between. Supply point 7 and collection point 8 are placed on the Y2 side of base 51 of robot 5. Supply point 7 and collection point 8 are lined up in the X direction and placed at positions symmetrical to each other with line segment Ly as the center.

[0044] This arrangement reduces the difference in travel distance when the robot 5 supplies and collects media M to and from the printers 3A and 3B. 1 is merely an example. The locations of the printers 3A, 3B, the supply location 7, and the collection location 8 can be changed as appropriate depending on the reachable range of the arms 52, 53 of the robot 5 and the layout of the processing area A1.

[0045] 2, the robot 5 includes a controller 50 communicably connected to the electronic device 9. Teaching data is set in the controller 50 through a prior teaching operation to allow the robot 5 to supply and collect the media M. The controller 50 operates the robot 5 based on a supply command or an operation command input from the electronic device 9 and pre-set teaching data.

[0046] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the supply operation of the robot 5. As shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the retrieval operation of the robot 5. 4, when a supply command is input from the electronic device 9, the robot 5 moves the shaft 54 ​​to above the stocker St in the supply location 7. The robot 5 lowers the shaft 54 ​​and grips the media M stored in the stocker St with a gripping mechanism 55 attached to the tip of the shaft 54. The robot 5 then raises the shaft 54 ​​gripping the media M and moves it from the supply location 7 to the standby position Wp of the printer 3.

[0047] The standby position Wp can be, for example, near the printer 3. Alternatively, the standby position Wp can be a position where at least a portion of the shaft 54 ​​overlaps the table 31 of the printer 3 when viewed vertically. In this case, the lower surface of the shaft 54 ​​is positioned with a gap between it and the upper surface of the table 31 so that the shaft 54 ​​does not interfere with the head 35 of the printer 3 and the like at the standby position Wp.

[0048] 4 shows an example of the standby position Wp. When viewed vertically, the standby position Wp can be a position where the shaft 54 ​​of the robot 5 overlaps with the placement location Pa for the media M set on the table 31. In this case, when the printer 3 completes preparations for printing, the robot 5 can release the media M to the placement location Pa simply by lowering the shaft 54 ​​at the standby position Wp, allowing the media M to be supplied smoothly.

[0049] As shown in Figure 5, when a collection command is input from the electronic device 9, the robot 5 moves the shaft 54 ​​to the standby position Wp of the printer 3. The robot 5 lowers the shaft 54 ​​and grasps the post-printing media M placed on the table 31 of the printer 3. The robot 5 then raises the shaft 54 ​​grasping the media M, and moves it above the stocker St of the collection location 8. The robot 5 lowers the shaft 54 ​​and releases the media M grasped at the tip of the shaft 54 ​​into the stocker St.

[0050] <Electronic equipment> FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the electronic device 9. As shown in FIG. 6, 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, and a media I / F 908. Each component is interconnected by a bus.

[0051] The CPU 901 controls the entire electronic device 9. The CPU 901 can load the OS and various programs stored in the ROM 902 or HDD 904 into the RAM 903 and execute them. Alternatively, the CPU 901 can load a program stored in a storage medium RM into the RAM 903 via the media I / 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 conductive memory tape medium, a semiconductor memory, or the like. The electronic device 9 may include a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) and the like as well as the CPU 901 as a processor. The CPU 901 performs processing in response to user operations via the input device 906, and displays the processing results on the display 905. The input device 906 can be, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a touchpad, or the like.

[0052] The HDD 904 stores programs executed by the CPU 901, data used by the programs, and the like. Note that a solid state drive (SSD) may be provided instead of or in addition to the HDD 904. 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 local area network (LAN). The communication I / F 907 also transmits data generated by the CPU 901 to other devices. The other devices may be devices such as the robot 5 and printer 3 constituting the processing system 1, or devices external to the processing system 1. The CPU 901 may load required programs onto the RAM 903 from other devices via the network NW.

[0053] In this embodiment, the CPU 901 of the electronic device 9 executes an application program loaded onto the RAM 903, thereby realizing the functional configuration of the electronic device 9 shown in FIG.

[0054] 2, the electronic device 9 includes, as functional components, a job management unit 91 (mode setting device) and a print data creation unit 92. The storage unit 96 includes a ROM 902, a RAM 903, an HDD 904, etc., as shown in FIG. Each functional unit performs processing in response to a user's operation input via an input device 906 (see FIG. 6), and displays the processing results on the screen of a display 905 (see FIG. 6). Each functional unit obtains data required for processing from the storage unit 96, and temporarily stores the processing results in the storage unit 96 as needed.

[0055] The job management unit 91 displays on the display 905 an operation screen for the user to upload image data to be printed on the medium M. On the operation screen, the user can input printing conditions to be specified when printing image data on the medium M. The user can specify the printing conditions, such as the type of media M, the number of copies to print, the print quality (normal mode, high quality mode, ink saving mode, etc.), white printing, clear gloss finish, etc.

[0056] Furthermore, the user can specify the operation mode of the robot 5 in addition to the printing conditions on the operation screen. The robot 5 has, for example, the following two operation modes. Mode A (second operation mode): The robot 5 supplies and collects media M to and from each printer 3 in accordance with the input order of supply and collection requests from the printers 3 . Mode B (first operation mode): The robot 5 continuously collects media M from one printer 3 and supplies the next media M, regardless of the input order of supply requests or collection requests from the printers 3. On the operation screen, for example, mode A may be set as the initial setting, and the user may optionally select mode B. The job management unit 91, as a mode setting device, sets the operation mode of the robot 5 to mode A or mode B in response to a user's input via the operation screen.

[0057] 1, in the processing system 1, one robot 5 may correspond to multiple printers 3. In this case, the timing at which the robot 5 supplies or collects media M to each printer 3 may overlap. When mode A is selected as the operation mode for the robot 5, the robot 5 operates in accordance with the input order of supply requests or collection requests from the printer 3. Here, the printer 3 outputs a supply request for the next medium M after the media M for which printing has been completed has been collected and preparation for printing is complete. In other words, while the robot 5 is collecting media M from printer 3A, for example, a supply request for the next medium M will not be input from printer 3A.

[0058] If a collection request is input from printer 3B while the robot 5 is collecting media M from printer 3A, the robot 5 will collect media M from printer 3B after collecting media M from printer 3A. The next media M will be supplied to printer 3A after collection from printer 3B. In other words, even though printer 3A has finished collecting media M after printing and is ready to print the next media M, there will be a wait time until the next media M is supplied.

[0059] When mode B is selected as the operating mode for the robot 5, the robot 5 continuously collects media M from one printer 3 and supplies the next media M, regardless of the input order. In other words, even if a collection request is input from printer 3B while the robot 5 is collecting media M from printer 3A, the robot 5 prioritizes supplying the next media M to printer 3A. This allows the next media M to be promptly supplied to printer 3A after collecting the media M, allowing the next printing process to be performed. In other words, mode B is suitable when one robot 5 is responsible for multiple printers 3A, 3B, and by quickly supplying the next media M to the printer 3 that is ready for printing, the processing efficiency of the entire processing system 1 can be improved.

[0060] The job management unit 91 creates a print job in response to a user's operation via the operation screen, and registers the print job in a job list. The print job includes image data uploaded by the user and the details of the print process according to the printing conditions specified by the user. The user selects a print job to be executed from the job list, specifies the number of copies to be printed (number of copies to be processed) on the media M, and inputs an instruction to start printing. The job management unit 91 manages the operations of the printer 3 and the robot 5, and executes the print job for the specified number of copies to be printed.

[0061] The job management unit 91 outputs the image data of the designated print job to the print data creation unit 92, causing it to create print data PD. The job management unit 91 outputs the print data PD to the printer 3, causing the printer 3 to perform printing processing on the medium M. The job management unit 91 outputs operation commands to the robot 5 to supply and collect media M from the printer 3. The job management unit 91 receives signals from the printer 3 and the robot 5 notifying them of their respective status, and controls the timing of each operation based on the received signals. Furthermore, the job management unit 91 changes the timing of outputting operation commands so that the robot 5 operates in accordance with the operation mode selected by the user. When the print job for the number of copies of the specified medium M is completed, the job management unit 91 updates the job list.

[0062] The print data creation unit 92 creates print data PD for controlling the operation of the printer 3. When uploading image data or inputting a command to start printing, the user can specify various print conditions via the operation screen. The job management unit 91 outputs the specified print conditions together with the image data to the print data creation unit 92. The print data creation unit 92 creates print data PD according to the print conditions.

[0063] The print data creation unit 92 creates print data PD by performing RIP (Raster Image Processing) on ​​the image data according to the specified printing conditions. RIP is a process for generating a raster image that specifies the ejection positions for ejecting ink of a color corresponding to the image data. In RIP, a raster image is generated by performing halftone processing on a grayscale image corresponding to each of the C, M, Y, and K color inks and spot color inks. Furthermore, various commands for controlling the printer 3 according to the specified printing conditions are added to the generated raster image, and the print data PD is created.

[0064] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing by the electronic device 9 when mode B is selected. 7 illustrates an example in which a print job specifying the number of copies Nm of media M is executed by a processing system 1 equipped with one robot 5 and M printers 3. Also, each printer 3 is allowed to print one medium M in one printing process.

[0065] When a user instructs the start of execution of a print job, the job management unit 91 acquires the image data and printing conditions registered in the print job and causes the print data creation unit 92 to create print data PD. The job management unit 91 then sends the created print data PD to each printer 3, causing it to prepare for printing. Figure 7 shows the flow of processing after the printer 3 has completed preparation for printing. As shown in FIG. 7, the job management unit 91 resets to 0 a counter that counts the number N of media M that the robot 5 has supplied to the printer 3 (step S01). The job management unit 91 causes the robot 5 to perform the operation of supplying media M in the print job until the counter reaches the designated number of copies Nm to be printed.

[0066] The job management unit 91 outputs a command to the robot 5 to supply the media M to the M printers 3 (step S02). The robot 5 sequentially supplies the media M to the M printers 3. When the robot 5 has completed supplying the media M to the M printers 3, it transmits a completion notification to the electronic device 9. When the job management unit 91 receives a completion notification from the robot 5 (step S03: Yes), it updates the counter to N=N+M (step S04). If the updated counter has not reached the number of copies to be printed Nm (step S05: No), the job management unit 91 proceeds to step S06.

[0067] Each of the M printers 3 starts printing processing in sequence when the robot 5 supplies the media M to the printers 3. When the printer 3 completes the printing processing, it transmits a collection request to the electronic device 9. When a collection request is input from any of the printers 3 (step S06: Yes), the job management unit 91 outputs a command to the robot 5 to collect the media M from the printer 3 that output the collection request and to supply the next media M (step S07). The robot 5 collects the media M from the printer 3 and ejects it at the collection point 8, then acquires the next media M from the supply point 7 and supplies it to the printer 3. When the robot 5 completes the collection and supply operations, it outputs a completion notification to the electronic device 9. When the job management unit 91 receives a completion notification from the robot 5 (step S08: Yes), it updates the counter to N=N+1 (step S09) and returns to step S05. The job management unit 91 repeats steps S05 to S09, causing the robot 5 to collect and supply media M to each printer 3.

[0068] When the number N of media M supplied by the robot 5 reaches the number of copies to be printed Nm (step S05: Yes), the job management unit 91 proceeds to step S10. After step S10, the job management unit 91 causes the robot 5 to perform only the collection operation. When a collection request is input from the printer 3 (step S10: Yes), the job management unit 91 outputs a command to the robot 5 to collect the media M (step S11). When the robot 5 completes the collection operation of the media M, it outputs a completion notification to the electronic device 9. When the job management unit 91 receives a completion notification from the robot 5 (step S12: Yes), it checks whether collection of all Nm media M has been completed (step S13). If step S13 is Yes, the job management unit 91 returns to step S10. If step S13 is No, the job management unit 91 ends the print job.

[0069] In this way, in mode B, while the printers 3 are continuously performing printing processes, the job management unit 91 causes the robot 5 to continuously perform operations of collecting and supplying media M to each printer 3. In other words, even if a collection request is input from another printer 3 while the robot 5 is collecting media M from one printer 3, the robot 5 will prioritize supplying the next media M to the one printer 3.

[0070] FIG. 8(a) is a time chart showing the operation timing of the robot 5 and the printer 3 in mode A. FIG. 8(b) is a time chart showing the operation timing of the robot 5 and the printer 3 in the case of mode B. 8 shows an example in which a print job is executed by two printers, 3A and 3B (see FIG. 1). To simplify the explanation, the times for the robot 5's supply and collection operations for the printers 3A and 3B are all shown as the same 1-unit length. The print processing times for the printers 3A and 3B are also shown as the same 4-unit length.

[0071] 8(a), when a print job is started in mode A, the robot 5 first supplies media M to the printers 3A and 3B in sequence. As soon as the media M are supplied, the printers 3A and 3B start the printing process. When the printing process is completed, the printer 3A outputs a collection request. In response to the collection request from printer 3A, robot 5 collects media M from printer 3A. Before the collection operation for printer 3A is completed, printer 3B ends the printing process and outputs a collection request. When a medium M is collected, printer 3A outputs a supply request (not shown) for the next medium M, but the supply request is input after the collection request output by printer 3B.

[0072] When the robot 5 completes the collection operation for printer 3A, it collects media M from printer 3B in response to the collection request from printer 3B, which was input first. After collecting media M, printer 3B outputs a supply request for the next media M. The input order of the supply request for printer 3B is after the input order of the supply request for printer 3A. When the robot 5 completes the collection operation for the printer 3B, it supplies the next medium M to the printer 3A, and then supplies the next medium M to the printer 3B.

[0073] In this way, in mode A, the robot 5 performs the supply operation or the collection operation according to the input order of the supply requests or the collection requests from the printers 3A and 3B. In the printers 3A and 3B, a waiting time Ta occurs from when the printing process ends until the robot 5 completes the collection and supply operations and the printers 3A and 3B are ready to perform the printing process on the next medium M. When the robot 5 and the printer 3 correspond one-to-one, the standby time of the printer 3 is only two units of time, which is the total of the robot 5's collection operation and supply operation. On the other hand, if one robot 5 serves multiple printers 3, even if there is a supply or collection request from a printer 3, the robot 5 cannot respond to that request while it is performing an operation on another printer 3. In particular, in mode A, as shown in Figure 8(a), if a collection request is input from printer 3B while the robot 5 is performing a collection operation on printer 3A, the robot 5 will then perform the collection operation on printer 3B. Therefore, in mode A, the standby time Ta for printers 3A and 3B is two units of time, which is the total of the collection operation and supply operation of the robot 5, plus one unit of time for the collection operation of the other printer 3. Therefore, printers 3A and 3B must wait for three units of time.

[0074] 8(b), in mode B, when a collection request is received from printer 3A, the robot 5 continuously collects the media M from printer 3A and supplies the next media M. Therefore, even if a collection request is received from printer 3B before the collection operation of printer 3A is completed, the supply operation for printer 3A takes priority. This allows the next media M to be supplied to printer 3A without waiting for printer 3B to collect the media, and allows printing to begin. In other words, the standby time Tb of printer 3A in mode B is two units of time, which is shorter than the standby time Ta in mode A (Ta>Tb).

[0075] After completing the supply operation for printer 3A, robot 5 responds to a collection request from printer 3B. Robot 5 also collects media M and supplies the next media M to printer 3B in succession. Here, printer 3B waits for printer 3A to complete the supply operation between the first and second print processes, so the wait time Tb1 is three time units long (Tb1>Tb). However, in mode B, printer 3A starts the second print process earlier, so the end timing of printer 3A's and printer 3B's print processes from the second print process onwards is shifted by two time units. This allows printer 3B to receive the next supply of media M after the second or subsequent print process has finished, without waiting for printer 3A's supply operation to be completed. Therefore, the wait time Tb for printer 3B from the second print process onwards is two time units, which is shorter than the wait time Ta in mode A (Ta>Tb).

[0076] In this way, when the robot 5 is compatible with multiple printers 3, selecting mode A can reduce the waiting time after print processing for each printer 3. This can improve the efficiency of print processing when viewed throughout the entire print job.

[0077] In either mode A or B, printers 3A and 3B can perform maintenance processing at maintenance station 41 (see FIG. 3) during standby times Ta and Tb between print processes. This allows standby times Ta and Tb to be used effectively to perform processing to maintain print quality. Furthermore, printers 3A and 3B can effectively use standby times Ta and Tb by starting maintenance processing at least during standby times Ta and Tb between print processes.

[0078] As described above, the processing system 1 described in the embodiment has, for example, the following configuration. (1) The processing system 1 includes a plurality of printers 3 (3A, 3B) which are droplet ejection devices, and a robot 5. The printers 3A and 3B perform a printing process (a droplet ejection process) on the medium M. The robot 5 supplies and collects media M from the printers 3A and 3B. When the printing process of the second printer 3 (second droplet ejection device) is completed while the robot 5 is performing a recovery operation on the first printer 3 (first droplet ejection device) that has completed its printing process and is about to perform printing on the next medium M, the robot 5 successively performs a recovery operation on the first printer 3 and a supply operation of the next medium M.

[0079] The processing system 1 of this embodiment can reduce the waiting time of the printers 3 when the robot 5 performs media M supply and collection operations for multiple printers 3, thereby improving the processing efficiency of the entire processing system 1.

[0080] In the processing system 1, processing efficiency can be improved by having multiple printers 3 perform printing processes in parallel. While it is desirable to provide a robot 5 in one-to-one correspondence with each printer 3, it may not be possible to provide a number of robots 5 corresponding to the number of printers 3 due to factors such as the layout of the processing area A1 and cost constraints. In this case, one robot 5 may supply and collect media M to multiple printers 3.

[0081] The robot 5 can perform a supply operation or a collection operation, for example, in accordance with the input order of supply requests or collection requests from a plurality of printers 3 (mode A). If a collection request is input from another printer 3 while the robot 5 is performing a collection operation on one printer 3, the robot 5 then performs the collection operation on the other printer 3. Therefore, the printer 3 waits to supply media M until the robot 5 completes the collection operation on the other printer 3. If the standby time of the printer 3 becomes long, there is a possibility that processing efficiency will not be sufficiently improved even if multiple printers 3 are installed.

[0082] In the processing system 1 of this embodiment, the robot 5 can perform collection operations for each printer 3 and supply operations for the next media M consecutively, regardless of the input order of supply requests or collection requests from the printers 3 (mode B). In other words, by quickly supplying the next media M to the printer 3 that has finished printing processing and starting the printing process, even when one robot 5 is responsible for multiple printers 3, the waiting time of the printers 3 can be reduced, thereby improving the overall processing efficiency of the processing system 1.

[0083] In the above embodiment, the user can select either mode A or B, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in the processing system 1, if one robot 5 corresponds to multiple printers 3, the job management unit 91 may automatically set mode B.

[0084] (3) The processing system 1 can have fewer robots 5 than printers 3 .

[0085] When one robot 5 serves multiple printers 3, even if a supply or collection request is received from one printer 3, the robot 5 may not be able to respond promptly because it is busy operating another printer 3. In this case, the printer 3 is likely to wait for a long time. In this embodiment, as described above, the robot 5 continuously performs the collection operation for each printer 3 and the supply operation for the next media M, regardless of the input order of the supply requests or collection requests from the printers 3. This reduces the standby time of the printers 3, improving the processing efficiency of the entire processing system 1. Furthermore, by reducing the number of robots 5, the introduction and operating costs of the robots 5 can be reduced, and the system can also accommodate layouts with constraints.

[0086] (5) The printer 3 includes a head 35 that ejects droplets onto the medium M, and a maintenance station 41 (maintenance unit) that performs maintenance processing on the head 35. During the waiting time Ta, Tb between when the robot 5 starts the recovery operation of the media M for which printing processing has been completed and when it completes the supply operation of the next media M, the maintenance station 41 can start the maintenance processing of the head 35.

[0087] The printer 3 waits for times Ta and Tb from when the robot 5 starts collecting the printed medium M until the next medium M is supplied. By starting maintenance processing for the head 35 during these wait times Ta and Tb, the wait times Ta and Tb can be used effectively. This makes it possible to improve both the processing efficiency and print quality of the processing system 1.

[0088] (6) The robot 5 can switch its operation mode between Mode A (first operation mode) and Mode B (second operation mode) in response to an instruction input by the user. In mode A, the robot 5 performs supply and collection operations in accordance with the order in which requests for supplying or collecting media M are input from the printer 3. In mode B, the robot 5 performs a collection operation and a supply operation of the next medium M to the same printer 3 in succession. Specifically, in mode A, the job management unit 91 (mode setting device) of the electronic device 9 sequentially outputs supply commands or collection commands to the robot 5 according to the input order of the supply requests or collection requests input from the printer 3. In mode B, when a collection request is input from any of the printers 3, the job management unit 91 outputs a command to the robot 5 to collect the media M from that printer 3 and to supply the next media M.

[0089] As mentioned above, when one robot 5 corresponds to multiple printers 3, in mode A, the waiting time of the printer 3 tends to be longer, but the difference in timing when the printing process of the multiple printers 3A and 3B ends is reduced (see (a) of Figure 8). When a user uses the processing system 1, for example, the user may switch the print content midway or change the ink in the printer 3. In such cases, the user may prefer to minimize the difference in the progress of the print processing between the printers 3A and 3B rather than to improve processing efficiency. In this embodiment, the user can select between Mode A and Mode B. This allows the processing system 1 to meet various needs regarding the progress of print processing, and improves user convenience.

[0090] (i) As soon as the media M is supplied by the robot 5, the printers 3A and 3B start the printing process for the media M.

[0091] In mode B, the printers 3A and 3B continuously collect media M and supply the next media M. The printers 3A and 3B then start printing as soon as the media M is supplied. This improves the processing efficiency of the entire processing system 1.

[0092] The effects described above also apply to the processing method in the processing system 1 and the program that controls the operation of the robot 5. The program can be executed by any one of the electronic device 9, the controller 50 of the robot 5, or the controller 30 of the printer 3, or by a combination of these. The present invention also applies to the media M processed (manufactured) by the processing method (manufacturing method) of the processing system 1.

[0093] (Variation 1) In the following description of the modified examples, detailed description of the same configuration as in the embodiment will be omitted. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a processing system 1A according to the first modification. As shown in FIG. 9, in the first modification, the electronic device 9 has an estimation unit 93 and a determination unit 94 in addition to the functional configuration described in the embodiment. The estimation unit 93 estimates the time PT for the printing process of the printers 3A and 3B included in the processing system 1A, and the time ST for the supply operation and the time RT for the recovery operation of the robot 5 with respect to the printers 3A and 3B. The determination unit 94 determines the recommended operation mode of the robot 5 based on the estimation result of the estimation unit 93. The job management unit 91 displays the recommended operation mode of the robot 5, which is the result of the determination by the determination unit 94, on the operation screen of the display 905 (see FIG. 6). The user can select an appropriate operation mode by referring to the recommended operation modes of the robot 5.

[0094] The estimation unit 93 can estimate, for example, the time PT for the printing process of the printers 3A and 3B, and the time ST for the supply operation and the time RT for the collection operation of the robot 5 with respect to the printers 3A and 3B. The estimation unit 93 can estimate these times based on various information. The estimation unit 93 can make estimations based on, for example, the print data PD output to the printers 3A and 3B, environmental information about the processing area A1, the time of past print processing, statistical data about the time of supply operations and collection operations, etc. The algorithm used by the estimation unit 93 for estimation can be set, for example, by machine learning data prepared in advance. The estimation unit 93 may acquire information necessary for estimation from the storage unit 96, or may acquire it from a cloud server via a network.

[0095] As described in the embodiment, the operating mode of the robot 5 can be set to, for example, mode A, in which the robot 5 operates in accordance with the input order of supply or collection requests from the printers 3, or mode B, in which the robot 5 performs a collection operation of media M for one printer 3 and a supply operation of the next media M in succession. In the first modification, the determination unit 94 determines, for example, either mode A or mode B as the recommended operation mode for the robot 5.

[0096] In the embodiment, an example has been described in which mode A or mode B is uniformly applied as the operation mode of the robot 5 for all printers 3. In variant example 1, the determination unit 94 can determine, for each printer 3, whether mode A or mode B is the recommended operation mode.

[0097] 1 shows an example in which printers 3A and 3B are arranged in a symmetrical positional relationship with respect to robot 5. In this case, there is no significant difference in the time it takes for robot 5 to perform supply and collection operations for printers 3A and 3B. However, depending on the layout of the processing area A1, the positional relationship between the robot 5 and each of the printers 3A and 3B may vary significantly. In such cases, even if the robot 5 applies the same operation mode to all of the printers 3, this may not contribute to improving the overall processing efficiency of the processing system 1A.

[0098] FIG. 10(a) is a schematic diagram showing an example of the positional relationship between the robot 5 and the printers 3A and 3B. 10(a) shows an example in which the distance Da between the robot 5 and printer 3A is half (Da=Db / 2) of the distance Db between the robot 5 and printer 3B. In this case, the time taken by the robot 5 to perform the supply and collection operations for printer 3A is half the time taken by the robot 5 to perform the supply and collection operations for printer 3B. FIG. 10(b) is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the robot 5 in the positional relationship shown in FIG. 10(a). FIG. 10(b) shows a case where a collection request is input from printer 3A while the robot 5 is performing a collection operation on printer 3B.

[0099] If the operation mode of the robot 5 for both printers 3A and 3B is set to mode B, as shown by the solid line in the figure, the robot 5 performs a collection operation for printer 3B and then a supply operation for the next medium M to printer 3B. Then, after the supply operation for printer 3B, the robot 5 performs a collection operation and a supply operation for printer 3A. In this case, the waiting time Tc from when printer 3A finishes a printing process until it starts the next printing process is longer than STb+RTa+RTb.

[0100] Here, the time STb for the supply operation for printer 3B is equivalent to the sum of the time RTa for the collection operation for printer 3A and the time STa for the supply operation for printer 3A. Therefore, even though printer 3A could start the next printing process earlier if it did not wait for the completion of the supply operation for printer 3B, it must wait for a time more than twice the length of RTa + STa. In this way, if the positional relationships between the robot 5 and the printers 3A and 3B are significantly different, even if mode B is applied uniformly, the standby time of the printer 3A, which is closer to the robot 5, may actually become longer, and this may not sufficiently contribute to improving the processing efficiency of the processing system 1A as a whole.

[0101] Here, the broken line in the figure shows a case where only the operation mode of the robot 5 for printer 3A is set to mode B, and the operation mode for printer 3B is set to mode A. In this case, after the robot 5 collects the printer 3B, it collects the printer 3A and supplies the next medium M. In this case, the standby time Td for printer 3A is slightly longer than RTa+STa, and is significantly shorter than the standby time Tc (Td <Tc)。 In this way, when the positional relationship between the robot 5 and the printers 3A and 3B is different, or when the printing processing times of the printers 3A and 3B differ significantly, setting different operating modes for each printer 3 makes it possible to appropriately reduce the waiting time of the printers 3A and 3B and improve the processing efficiency of the entire processing system 1A.

[0102] In the first modification, the determining unit 94 (see FIG. 9) performs a determination process to determine an appropriate operation mode for each printer 3, and can recommend the mode to the user. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a process performed by the determining unit 94 to determine a recommended operation mode. The determination unit 94 can perform the determination process based on, for example, the time PT of the printing process of the printer 3 estimated by the estimation unit 93, the time RT of the collecting operation of the robot 5, and the time ST of the supplying operation. The determination unit 94 can determine mode B as the recommended operation mode, for example, when the printing process time PT of the printer 3 is longer than the sum of the recovery operation time RT and the supply operation time ST of the robot 5 (PT>RT+ST). The determination unit 94 can also determine mode A when PT≦RT+ST. As shown in FIG. 11, for the printer 3A, Pta>Sta+Rta holds. The determination unit 94 sets the operation mode of the robot 5 for the printer 3A to mode B. For the printer 3B, Ptb<Stb+Rtb holds. The determination unit 94 sets the operation mode of the robot 5 for the printer 3B to mode A.

[0103] As described above, the estimation unit 93 can perform an estimation process using the print data PD output to the printer 3. Therefore, the processes of the estimation unit 93 and the determination unit 94 can be performed, for example, at the timing when the execution start of a print job is instructed and the job management unit 91 creates the print data PD in the print data creation unit 92 (see FIG. 9). After the process of the determination unit 94, on the operation screen, the recommended operation mode for each of the printers 3A and 3B is displayed. On the operation screen, data that is an element of the determination, such as the printing process time PT, the supply operation time ST, and the recovery operation time RT, may also be displayed together with the recommended operation mode. The user may select the recommended operation mode as it is. Alternatively, the user may select an operation mode different from the recommended operation mode.

[0104] FIG. 12 is a flowchart for explaining the processing flow of the electronic device 9 according to the first modification. As shown in Fig. 12, the processing of Modification 1 can be executed by replacing the processing of steps S06 to S09 in Fig. 7 of the embodiment with the processing of steps S26 to S36. That is, the processing of steps S26 to S36 in Fig. 12 is the processing from when the robot 5 supplies the first media M to M printers 3 and each printer 3 starts printing processing (see steps S01 to S04 in Fig. 7) until the number N of media M supplied to the printer 3 reaches the number of copies to be printed Nm (step S05: Yes). For simplicity, FIG. 12 omits the steps in which the job management unit 91 waits for a completion notification from the robot 5 (see steps S03, S08, S12, etc. in FIG. 7).

[0105] As shown in FIG. 12, when a collection request is input from any one of the printers 3 (hereinafter referred to as "printer 3x") (step S26: Yes), the job management unit 91 checks the operating mode of the robot 5 for the printer 3x (step S27). If the operating mode is mode B (step S27: Yes), the job management unit 91 outputs a command to the robot 5 to retrieve the medium M from the printer 3x and supply the next medium M in succession (step S28). 12, when the robot 5 completes the collection and supply operations, the job management unit 91 updates the counter to N=N+1 (step S29) and returns to step S05. If the number N of media M supplied to the printer 3 is less than the number of copies to be printed Nm (step S05: No), the job management unit 91 repeats the processing from step S26 onwards. If N=Nm, the job management unit 91 proceeds to step S10 in FIG.

[0106] In step S27, if the operating mode is mode A, the job management unit 91 outputs a command to the robot 5 to collect the media M from the printer 3x (step S30). If there is no collection request from another printer 3 (hereinafter referred to as "printer 3y") while the robot 5 is performing the collection operation for the printer 3x (step S31: No), the job management unit 91 outputs a command to the printer 3x to supply the next media M after the robot 5 has completed the collection operation (step S32). When the robot 5 has completed the supply operation, the job management unit 91 proceeds to step S29. If step S31 is Yes, the job management unit 91 checks the operating mode of the robot 5 for printer 3y (step S33). If the operating mode is mode A (step S33: No), the job management unit 91 proceeds to step S32 and outputs a command to supply the next medium M to printer 3x. Once the supply operation of the robot 5 is complete, the job management unit 91 proceeds to step S29. In this case, after returning to step S05, the next operation to collect the medium M from printer 3y will be performed.

[0107] If the operating mode for printer 3y is mode B (step S33: Yes), the job management unit 91 outputs a command to have the robot 5 collect the media M from printer 3x and then supply the next media M to printer 3y in succession (step S34). After the operation of the robot 5 is completed, the job management unit 91 updates the counter to N=N+1 (step S35). If N=Nm is not satisfied (step S36: No), the job management unit 91 proceeds to step S32 and outputs a command to the printer 3x to supply the next medium M. If step S36 is YES, the job management unit 91 proceeds to step S10 in FIG. 7, and after all media M have been collected, ends the process.

[0108] As described above, the processing system 1A according to the first modification has, for example, the following configuration. (2) When the time PT of the printing process of the printer 3 (first droplet ejection device) is longer than the sum of the time ST of the robot 5's supply operation to the printer 3 and the time RT of the recovery operation (PT>ST+RT), the robot 5 performs the recovery operation for the printer 3 and the supply operation of the next media M consecutively.

[0109] When multiple printers 3 are arranged in the processing area A1, the print processing time PT, the supply operation time ST and the collection operation time RT of the robot 5 for that printer 3 may differ for each printer 3. Therefore, depending on the printer 3, even if the robot 5 collects media M and supplies the next media M in succession, the effectiveness in reducing standby time may be low. In the first modification, the estimation unit 93 of the electronic device 9 performs estimation processing to estimate the time PT for the printing process of each printer 3 , the time ST for the supply operation of the robot 5 to the printer 3 , and the time RT for the collection operation. If the time PT of the printing process of the printer 3 is longer than the sum of the time ST of the supply operation of the robot 5 for the printer 3 and the time RT of the collection operation (PT>ST+RT), the judgment unit 94 judges mode B as the operation mode of the robot 5 recommended for the printer 3. On the other hand, the determining unit 94 determines mode A for printers 3 in which the robot 5 takes a long time to perform supply and collection operations, and selecting mode B would result in longer standby times for other printers 3. By allowing the user to set the robot operation mode recommended by the judgment unit for each printer, the overall waiting time of multiple printers 3 can be reduced, thereby improving the overall processing efficiency of the processing system 1A.

[0110] (7) The processing system 1A includes an estimation unit 93 (estimation device), a determination unit 94 (determination device), and a display 905 (display unit). The estimation unit 93 estimates at least one of the time PT for the printing process, the time ST for the supply operation of the robot 5, and the time RT for the collection operation based on at least one of the print data PD (control data) that controls the printing process of the printer 3, statistical data regarding the time for the printing process, and statistical data regarding the time for the supply operation and collection operation of the robot 5. Based on the estimation result of the estimation unit 93, the determination unit 94 determines which of the operation modes of the robot 5, mode A (first operation mode) and mode B, is the recommended operation mode. The display 905 can display the determination result of the determination unit 94 .

[0111] With this configuration, the user can set an appropriate operation mode for each printer 3 without having to consider various conditions in detail, thereby improving user convenience. Of course, if the user wishes to operate the processing system 1A from a viewpoint other than processing efficiency, an operation mode different from the recommended operation mode can be set, thereby making it possible to provide the user with a variety of services.

[0112] (Variation 2) FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the robot 5 in the processing system 1B of the second modification. As shown in FIG. 13, in the second modification, the electronic device 9 includes an estimation unit 93A in addition to the functional configuration described in the embodiment. The estimation unit 93A can estimate the time PT for the printing process of the printer 3 and the time RT for the collection operation of the robot 5. The estimation unit 93A can perform the estimation process in the same way as the estimation unit 93 of Modification 1, so a detailed description will be omitted. As in Modification 1, the estimation process of the estimation unit 93A can be performed at the timing when an instruction to start execution of a print job is issued and the print data creation unit 92 (see FIG. 9) creates the print data PD. As shown in FIG. 13, in the second modification, the job management unit 91 outputs a collection command to the robot 5 based on the estimation result of the estimation unit 93A.

[0113] Specifically, the job management unit 91 outputs a collection command to the robot 5 before the printing process of the printer 3 is completed. As a result, the robot 5 starts the collection operation at a timing before the printing process of the printer 3 is completed. The job management unit 91 measures the time taken for the printer 3 to perform the print process during execution of a print job. The job management unit 91 calculates the end timing of the print process as the timing at which the time PT of the print process of the printer 3 estimated by the estimation unit 93A has elapsed since the print process of the printer 3 started. The job management unit 91 outputs a collection command to the robot 5 at a timing that is a predetermined time T1 before the end of the printing process.

[0114] Here, it is more desirable for the robot 5 to arrive at the standby position Wp (see FIG. 4) of the printer 3 at or just before the end of the printing process of the printer 3. This allows the robot 5 to collect the media M immediately after the printer 3 finishes the printing process. From this perspective, the job management unit 91 can set the predetermined time T1 based on, for example, the time RT of the collection operation of the robot 5. The predetermined time T1 can be set to, for example, half the time RT of the collection operation (RT / 2). The setting manner of the predetermined time T1 is not limited to this. For example, if the estimation unit 93A can estimate in more detail the time from when the robot 5 starts moving until it arrives at the standby position Wp of the printer 3, that time can be used as the predetermined time T1.

[0115] By starting the collection operation before the printing process of the printer 3 is completed, the robot 5 can complete the collection operation earlier than when the collection operation is started after the printing process is completed. This also allows the robot 5 to complete the supply operation of the next medium M to the printer 3 earlier. The printer 3 can start the next printing process earlier. The waiting time Te between printing processes of the printer 3 is further reduced (Tc) compared to the waiting time Tb in mode B of the embodiment (see (b) of FIG. 8). <Tb)。

[0116] The estimated values ​​of the time PT for the printing process and the time RT for the recovery operation of the robot 5 obtained by the estimation process of the estimation unit 93A may have errors from the actual values. The job management unit 91 may measure these times during execution of a print job, for example, and calculate the error between the estimated value and the average or median of the actual measured values. The job management unit 91 may correct the estimated value based on the calculated error, and use the corrected estimated value to adjust the timing of issuing a collection command to the robot 5.

[0117] As described above, the processing system 1B according to the second modification has, for example, the following configuration. (4) The robot 5 can start the collection operation for the printer 3 before the printer 3 finishes the printing process.

[0118] Specifically, the estimation unit 93A estimates the time PT of the printing process of the printer 3. The job management unit 91 can calculate the end timing of the printing process as the time when the time PT of the printing process of the printer 3 estimated by the estimation unit 93A has elapsed since the start of the printing process of the printer 3. The job management unit 91 outputs a collection command to the robot 5 at a timing before the end timing of the printing process. This allows the robot 5 to start the collection operation before the printing process of the printer 3 ends, and to quickly collect the media M from the printer 3 after the printing process has ended. This further reduces the standby time of the printer 3, and improves the processing efficiency of the entire processing system 1B.

[0119] (Variation 3) FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of control of the operation of the robot 5 in the processing system 1C of the third modification. In Modification 3, the electronic device 9 has an estimation unit 93B in addition to the functional configuration described in the embodiment. The estimation unit 93B estimates the time PT for the printing process of the printer 3, the time ST for the supply operation of the robot 5, and the time RT for the collection operation of the robot 5. The estimation unit 93B can perform estimation processing in the same manner as the estimation unit 93 in Modification 1, so detailed description thereof will be omitted. Based on the estimation result of the estimation unit 93B, the job management unit 91 outputs a command to the robot 5 to collect the media M and supply the next media M in succession.

[0120] As in Modification 2, the job management unit 91 calculates the timing at which each of the printers 3A and 3B will finish printing processing based on the time PT of the printing processing of the printer 3 estimated by the estimation unit 93B during execution of the print job. The job management unit 91 outputs a collection command to the robot 5 at a timing before the timing at which the printing processing ends. This allows the robot 5 to start the collection operation before the printing processing of the printer 3 ends.

[0121] During execution of a print job, the printer 3 starts printing processing as soon as the medium M is supplied from the robot 5. Therefore, there is often a time difference between when the multiple printers 3 finish printing processing. However, if the positional relationship between the robot 5 and each printer 3 is different, or if the multiple printers 3 are operating in different operation modes, the waiting time between printing processes of the multiple printers 3 may differ. In this case, as the multiple printers 3 perform printing processes multiple times, the printing processes may end at the same time. The job management unit 91 calculates the timing for completing the printing process of each printer 3 based on the estimation result of the estimation unit 93B, and if two or more printers 3 complete the printing process at the same time, determines the printer 3 that should have priority for the collection operation. Here, "the same timing" does not only mean exactly the same timing, but also includes timing with a time difference of, for example, several tens of seconds, as shown in Fig. 14. In other words, when the job management unit 91 calculates the end timing of each printer 3, if there are printers 3 whose end timing difference is within several tens of seconds, it can determine that they are "the same timing."

[0122] The criteria by which the job management unit 91 determines the printer 3 to be prioritized are not limited to specific criteria, but the criteria can be determined from the viewpoint of improving the overall processing efficiency in the processing system 1C. Some examples of the criteria are described below. Note that the following criteria may be used alone or in combination.

[0123] (a) Prioritize printer 3, which is set to mode B It is desirable that the printer 3 whose robot 5 operation mode is set to mode B should start the next printing process early. If there are printers 3 whose mode A is set and printers 3 whose mode B is set, the job management unit 91 can determine that the printer 3 whose mode B is set is the printer 3 that should be given priority. 14, printer 3A is set to mode B, and printer 3B is set to mode A. In this case, the job management unit 91 determines that printer 3A is the prioritized printer 3, and outputs a command to the robot 5 to collect the media M from printer 3A and supply the next media M.

[0124] (b) Priority is given to Printer 3, which completed the first printing process. The print processing times may differ among the multiple printers 3. In this case, it may be possible to give priority to the printer 3 with the shortest print processing time. Here, when a print job is started, first, media M is supplied to each of the M printers 3 (see step S02 in FIG. 7). Therefore, the initial printing process of the printers 3 starts with relatively little time difference. It can be said that the printer 3 that finishes the initial printing process earlier tends to have a shorter printing process time than the other printers 3. By giving priority to the printer 3 with the shortest printing process time, it is expected that the overall processing efficiency of the processing system 1C will improve.

[0125] For example, at the end of the first printing process, the job management unit 91 can set priorities for the M printers 3 in the order of earliest completion of the printing process. When multiple printers 3 finish printing at the same time, the job management unit 91 refers to the priority of each printer 3. The job management unit 91 can determine that the printer 3 with the highest priority is the printer 3 to be prioritized.

[0126] (c) Prioritize printer 3, which has the fastest printing speed. For example, the storage unit 96 (see FIG. 2) can store information about the printing speed of each printer 3. When multiple printers 3 finish printing processing at the same time, the job management unit 91 can refer to the information about the printing speed of each printer 3 and determine the printer 3 with the fastest printing speed as the prioritized printer 3. By prioritizing the printer 3 with the fastest printing speed, it is expected that the overall processing efficiency of the processing system 1C will improve.

[0127] (d) Prioritize printer 3, which has the largest number of media M for the remaining printing process. For example, as one of the printing conditions, the user can specify the number of media M to be processed by each printer 3. In this case, the number of media M to be printed on assigned to each printer 3 may differ.

[0128] When multiple printers 3 finish printing at the same time, the job management unit 91 refers to the number of media M remaining for printing processing by each printer 3. The job management unit 91 can determine the printer 3 with the largest number of remaining media M as the prioritized printer 3. A printer 3 with a large number of remaining media M may finish printing processing later than other printers 3, but by prioritizing this printer 3, it is possible to speed up the completion of printing processing for the entire processing system 1C, which is expected to improve processing efficiency.

[0129] (e) Prioritize printer 3, which has the shorter supply and collection time (ST+RT). In the processing system 1C, the positional relationship between the robot 5 and the multiple printers 3A, 3B may differ. In this case, the time ST for the supply operation and the time RT for the collection operation of the robot 5 may differ for each printer 3. When the estimation unit 93B performs the estimation process, the job management unit 91 acquires the supply operation time ST and the collection operation time RT of each printer 3. The job management unit 91 can set the priority of the printers 3, for example, in ascending order of the sum of ST+RT.

[0130] When multiple printers 3 finish printing at the same time, the job management unit 91 refers to the priority of each printer 3. The job management unit 91 can determine that the printer 3 with the highest priority is the printer 3 to be prioritized. By prioritizing the printer 3 that takes less time for the supply operation and the collection operation, the printer 3 can finish printing earlier, thereby improving the processing efficiency of the entire processing system 1C.

[0131] (f) Prioritize the printer 3 specified by the user When the user specifies the operation mode of the robot 5 for each printer 3 on the operation screen, the user can also specify the priority of each printer 3. When multiple printers 3 finish printing at the same time, the job management unit 91 refers to the priority of each printer 3. The job management unit 91 can determine that the printer 3 with the highest priority is the printer 3 to be prioritized. For example, if multiple printers 3 are performing different printing processes in parallel, the user can assign a higher priority to the printer 3 that the user wants to finish printing as quickly as possible, thereby improving user convenience.

[0132] (g) Prioritize printer 3, whose printing process is switched FIG. 15 is a diagram showing another example of control of the operation of the robot 5 in the processing system 1C of the third modified example. In the processing system 1C, the printers 3A and 3B can execute different print jobs in parallel. In the example of FIG. 15, the first and second print jobs are assigned to the printer 3A, and the third print job is assigned to the printer 3B. 15 shows the timing when printer 3A finishes the final print process of the first print job. In this case, printer 3A then executes the print process of the second print job. Meanwhile, printer 3B continues the print process of the third print job.

[0133] When the printers 3A and 3B finish printing at the same time, the job management unit 91 can determine that the printer 3B, which continues the same print job, is the printer 3 with priority. Since the print job is switched, the printer 3A may need to take time to prepare for printing, such as by reading new print data PD and switching the ink set. On the other hand, it is considered that printer 3B, which continues the same print job, takes less time to prepare for printing than printer 3A. In this case, by giving priority to printer 3B, the processing efficiency of the processing system 1C as a whole can be improved.

[0134] As described above, the processing system 1C according to the third modification has, for example, the following configuration. (8) If the printers 3A and 3B perform the droplet ejection process multiple times and then finish the droplet ejection process at the same time, the robot 5 can prioritize the printer 3 that completed the first droplet ejection process and perform the media M collection operation.

[0135] As a result, priority is given to the recovery operation for the printer 3 with the shortest print processing time, and an improvement in the overall processing efficiency of the processing system 1C is expected.

[0136] (9) If the printers 3A and 3B perform the droplet ejection process multiple times and then finish the droplet ejection process at the same time, the robot 5 can prioritize the printer 3 with the faster printing speed and perform the media M collection operation.

[0137] As a result, priority is given to the recovery operation for the printer 3 that can finish the printing process earlier, and an improvement in the overall processing efficiency of the processing system 1C is expected.

[0138] (10) In the processing system 1C, it is possible to specify the number of media M to be printed on for each of the multiple printers 3. When the printers 3A and 3B finish the printing process at the same time after performing the printing process multiple times, the robot 5 can perform the collection operation of the media M by prioritizing the printer 3 that has a larger number of media M remaining to be printed.

[0139] A printer 3 with a large number of media M remaining to be printed may finish printing later than other printers 3. By prioritizing the recovery operation of this printer 3, the printing process of the entire processing system 1C can be completed earlier, which is expected to improve processing efficiency.

[0140] (11) If the printers 3A and 3B perform the printing process multiple times and then finish the printing process at the same time, the robot 5 can prioritize the printer 3 that takes less time to supply and collect the next media M, and perform the media M collection operation.

[0141] The printer 3 that has a short standby time is one in which the robot 5 performs the supply operation and collection operation in a short time. By giving priority to this printer 3, it is expected that the processing efficiency of the entire processing system 1C will improve.

[0142] (12) If the printers 3A and 3B perform the printing process multiple times and then finish the printing process at the same time, the robot 5 can prioritize the printer 3 specified by the user and perform the collection operation of the media M.

[0143] For example, if multiple printers 3 are performing different printing processes in parallel and there is a printer 3 that you want to finish printing as quickly as possible, you can specify the printer 3 to be prioritized, which improves user convenience.

[0144] (13) Print data PD (control data) that controls the operation of the printing process is input to each of the multiple printers 3. When printers 3A and 3B finish the printing process at the same time after performing the printing process multiple times, and print data PD different from the finished printing process is input to one printer 3 (first droplet ejection device) for the next printing process, and print data PD the same as the finished printing process is input to the other printer 3 (second droplet ejection device) for the next printing process, the robot 5 can prioritize the other printer 3 and perform the media M collection operation.

[0145] When the printer 3 switches print jobs, it may take time to prepare for printing, such as reading new print data PD and switching ink sets. On the other hand, a printer 3 that continues to execute the same print job is likely to require a relatively short time for print preparation. In this case, by giving priority to the printer 3 that continues the same print job, the processing efficiency of the processing system 1C as a whole can be improved. Furthermore, after printing, the media M may be packaged according to the print content. In this case, by completing the same print job as quickly as possible, the efficiency of packaging after printing can be improved.

[0146] The above-described modified examples may not only be applied to the embodiment, but also at least a part of the content of each may be applied to other modified examples. The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0147] 1, 1A, 1B, 1C Processing Systems 3, 3A, 3B printers 5. Robot 7 Supply points 8 Collection points 9 Electronic equipment (management device) 30 Controllers 31 Table 35 head 41 Maintenance Station (Maintenance Department) 50 Controllers 91 Job management unit (mode setting device) 93, 93A, 93B Estimation section (estimation device) 94 Judgment section 905 Display (display unit) PD print data PT Print processing time ST Supply operation time RT Retrieval time

Claims

1. a plurality of droplet ejection devices that perform droplet ejection processing on a medium; a robot that supplies and recovers the medium to and from the droplet ejection device, The robot When the droplet discharge process is completed and the recovery operation is being performed on the first droplet discharge device that will perform the droplet discharge process on the next medium, the droplet discharge process of the second droplet discharge device is completed, a processing system, characterized in that the recovery operation for the first droplet discharge device and the supply operation for the next medium are performed consecutively before the recovery operation for the second droplet discharge device is performed;

2. In claim 1, The robot A processing system characterized in that, when the droplet ejection processing time of the first droplet ejection device is longer than the sum of the time of the supply operation of the robot to the first droplet ejection device and the time of the recovery operation, the recovery operation to the first droplet ejection device and the supply operation of the next media are performed consecutively.

3. In claim 1 or 2, A processing system comprising the robots in a number less than the droplet ejection devices.

4. In claim 1 or 2, The processing system is characterized in that the robot starts the recovery operation for the droplet discharge device at a timing before the droplet discharge process of the droplet discharge device ends.

5. In claim 1 or 2, The droplet ejection device a head that ejects droplets onto the medium; a maintenance unit that performs maintenance processing on the head, A processing system characterized in that the maintenance unit starts the maintenance process between the time when the robot starts the recovery operation of the media for which the droplet ejection process has been completed and the time when the robot finishes the supply operation of the next media.

6. In claim 1, The robot According to the instructions input by the user, A processing system characterized by being capable of switching between a second operation mode in which the supply operation and the recovery operation are performed, and a first operation mode in which the recovery operation and the supply operation of the next media are performed consecutively, depending on the input order of media supply requests or recovery requests input from the droplet ejection device.

7. In claim 6, an estimation unit that estimates at least one of a time period for the droplet discharge process, a time period for the supply operation, and a time period for the recovery operation based on at least one of control data for controlling the droplet discharge process of the droplet discharge device, statistical data relating to a time period for the droplet discharge process, and statistical data relating to a time period for the supply operation and the recovery operation; a determination unit that determines the recommended mode from the first operation mode and the second operation mode based on the estimation result of the estimation unit; a display unit that displays the determination result of the determination unit.

8. In claim 1, The robot When the first droplet ejection device and the second droplet ejection device each perform the droplet ejection process a plurality of times and then finish the droplet ejection process at the same timing, A processing system characterized in that the recovery operation of the medium is performed by giving priority to a droplet discharge device that has completed the first droplet discharge process.

9. In claim 1, The robot When the first droplet ejection device and the second droplet ejection device have performed the droplet ejection process a plurality of times and then finished the droplet ejection process at the same timing, A processing system characterized in that the recovery operation of the media is performed by giving priority to a droplet ejection device with a high printing speed.

10. In claim 1, the plurality of droplet ejection devices are each assigned a number of media for performing the droplet ejection process; The robot When the first droplet ejection device and the second droplet ejection device have performed the droplet ejection process a plurality of times and then finished the droplet ejection process at the same timing, a droplet ejection device that performs the remaining droplet ejection process on a large number of media, and performs the recovery operation of the media with priority given to the droplet ejection device that performs the remaining droplet ejection process on a large number of media;

11. In claim 1, The robot When the first droplet ejection device and the second droplet ejection device have performed the droplet ejection process a plurality of times and then finished the droplet ejection process at the same timing, A processing system, characterized in that the recovery operation of the medium is performed by giving priority to a droplet ejection device that takes less time for the supply operation and the recovery operation.

12. In claim 1, The robot When the first droplet ejection device and the second droplet ejection device have performed the droplet ejection process a plurality of times and then finished the droplet ejection process at the same timing, A processing system characterized in that the recovery operation of the media is performed by giving priority to a droplet ejection device designated by a user.

13. In claim 1, control data for controlling the operation of the droplet discharge process is input to each of the plurality of droplet discharge devices; The robot the first droplet ejection device and the second droplet ejection device perform the droplet ejection process a plurality of times, and then end the droplet ejection process at the same timing; When control data for a next droplet discharge process that is different from that for the completed droplet discharge process is input to the first droplet discharge device, and the second droplet discharge device performs the next droplet discharge process using the same control data as that for the completed droplet discharge process, a second droplet ejection device that ejects the second droplet; a processing system that performs the recovery operation of the medium by giving priority to the second droplet ejection device;

14. a plurality of droplet ejection devices that perform droplet ejection processing on a medium; a robot that supplies and recovers the medium to and from the droplet ejection device, The robot When the droplet discharge process of the second droplet discharge device is completed while the recovery operation is being performed on the first droplet discharge device to which a command for the droplet discharge process on the next medium has been input after the droplet discharge process of the second droplet discharge device is completed, a supplying operation for the next medium and a recovery operation for the first droplet ejection device, the supplying operation for the next medium being carried out successively before the recovery operation for the second droplet ejection device is carried out;

15. a plurality of droplet ejection devices that perform droplet ejection processing on a medium; a robot that supplies and recovers the media to and from the droplet ejection device, If the droplet discharge process of the second droplet discharge device is completed while the robot is performing the recovery operation on the first droplet discharge device, which has completed the droplet discharge process and has received a command to perform the droplet discharge process on the next medium, The electronic device is a program that outputs to the robot an instruction to perform the recovery operation for the first droplet ejection device and the supply operation for the next media in succession before performing the recovery operation for the second droplet ejection device.

Images