Processing unit, method for controlling the processing unit, control program for the processing unit

Abstract

To provide a processing device or the like capable of suitably drying a fluid material fed to a processed object.SOLUTION: A processing device 10 comprises: a first printing unit 21 that feeds first ink to a processed object 30; a second printing unit 22 that feeds second ink of a color different from that of the first ink to the processed object 30 fed with the first ink; a first drying unit 41 that is provided between the first printing unit 21 and the second printing unit 22 to perform drying processing on the first ink fed by the first printing unit 21 before the processed object 30 is transferred to the second printing unit 22; a feeding state detector 61 that detects a feeding state of the first ink fed by the first printing unit 21; and a drying amount controller 62 that controls a drying amount by the first drying unit 41 on the basis of the feeding state and transfers the processed object 30 whereon the first ink is present in an incomplete drying state of keeping its fluidity, to the second printing unit 22.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a processing apparatus and the like.

Background Art

[0002] As a processing apparatus for supplying a fluid material such as ink or paint to a workpiece, a printing apparatus, a coating apparatus, and the like are known. The processing apparatus may be provided with a drying unit that performs a drying process on the fluid material supplied to the workpiece. The drying unit disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a cylindrical heating unit (heating roll) around which the workpiece supplied with the fluid material (coating film) is wound and dried, and a winding length adjustment mechanism (such as a guide roll) capable of adjusting the winding length thereof.

[0003] In Patent Document 1, the winding length of the workpiece around the heating roll is adjusted so that the coating film of the workpiece after being guided by the heating roll reaches a desired temperature. As a result, "the coating film on the aluminum web rapidly dries due to the contact between the heating roll and the aluminum web, and at the same time, the film cures and the drying ends on the side where the strip separates from the heating roll" (quoted from Patent Document 1). Thus, the drying unit in the conventional processing apparatus dries the fluid material such as the coating film until it reaches a completely dry state where the fluidity is lost, that is, until it is cured.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, if thin (some as thin as 10 microns) and heat-sensitive materials to be processed, such as food packaging films, are dried to a completely dry state, there is a risk of deformation or deterioration of the materials due to overheating. On the other hand, if the materials to be processed are transported to the next supply unit before the fluid material is sufficiently dried, the under-dried fluid material and the newly supplied fluid material will mix and interfere with each other (for example, in the case of multi-color printing, color bleeding may occur).

[0006] This invention has been made in view of these circumstances, and aims to provide a processing apparatus, etc., that can properly dry a fluid material supplied to a workpiece. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above problems, an apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention includes a drying amount control unit that controls the amount of drying performed in a drying process carried out before the supply of a second fluid material to an object to be processed to which a first fluid material has been supplied, and dries the first fluid material to an incompletely dried state in which it maintains its fluidity.

[0008] In this embodiment, the drying amount control unit controls the drying amount of the drying process (which is also the temperature rise due to heat transfer between the heated material and the material being heated, and drying includes hardening by thermal polymerization). In this case, the first fluid material is not dried to a completely dry state, but is dried to an incompletely dried state that maintains fluidity, thereby preventing overheating of the material being processed and / or the first fluid material due to the drying process. Furthermore, the drying amount control unit can dry the first fluid material to be dried to an appropriate viscosity that does not substantially cause interference such as seepage with the second fluid material that is subsequently supplied.

[0009] Another aspect of the present invention is a method for controlling a processing apparatus. This method is a method for controlling a processing apparatus comprising: a first supply unit that supplies a first fluid material to a workpiece; a second supply unit that supplies a second fluid material different from the first fluid material to the workpiece that has been supplied with the first fluid material; and a drying unit provided between the first supply unit and the second supply unit, which dries the first fluid material supplied by the first supply unit before the workpiece is transported to the second supply unit, the method comprising a drying amount control step of controlling the amount of drying by the drying unit and transporting the workpiece to the second supply unit in an incompletely dried state in which the first fluid material maintains its fluidity.

[0010] Furthermore, any combination of the above components, as well as methods, apparatus, systems, recording media, computer programs, etc., derived from these representations, are also included in the present invention. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, the fluid material supplied to the object to be processed can be properly dried. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] A schematic diagram shows the configuration of a processing apparatus that supplies a fluidizing agent to a workpiece. [Figure 2] This diagram schematically illustrates color bleeding between different printing colors. [Figure 3] This embodiment schematically illustrates how color bleeding between different printing colors is effectively suppressed. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] The following describes in detail embodiments (hereinafter also referred to as "models") for carrying out the present invention, with reference to the drawings. In the description and / or drawings, identical or equivalent components, members, processes, etc., are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted. The scale and shape of each part shown in the drawings are set for convenience to simplify the description and are not to be interpreted restrictively unless otherwise specified. The embodiments are illustrative and do not limit the scope of the present invention in any way. Not all features or combinations thereof described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the present invention.

[0014] Figure 1 schematically shows the configuration of a processing apparatus 10 that supplies a fluidizing agent to a workpiece 30. Examples of workpieces 30 include planar or sheet-like materials such as paper, cloth, film, foil, and rubber, as well as linear materials such as strings and wires. In this embodiment, a roll-to-roll processing apparatus 10 is described in which a sheet-like substrate is transported as the workpiece 30 in the transport direction (generally from right to left in Figure 1, as schematically shown by the arrows) while a fluidizing agent supply process such as printing or coating is performed. The processing apparatus 10 is a device that supplies any fluidizing agent to the transported workpiece 30. The processing apparatus 10 may also be a printing device, in which case ink as the fluidizing agent is printed onto the workpiece 30. Alternatively, the processing apparatus 10 may also be a coating device, in which case paint as the fluidizing agent is applied to the workpiece 30. This embodiment mainly describes a printing device as an example of the processing apparatus 10. Therefore, the processing apparatus 10 will also be referred to as the printing device 10 below.

[0015] The printing apparatus 10 comprises a plurality of printing units 21, 22, and 23 that supply ink as a fluid to the workpiece 30. The printing method of each printing unit 21, 22, and 23 is arbitrary, but in this embodiment, an inkjet method is used, in which droplet-formed ink is sprayed onto the workpiece 30. The resolution of the inkjet printing in this embodiment is, for example, 1200 dots / inch. However, other printing methods besides the inkjet method, such as plate printing methods, may also be used. Specifically, gravure printing, offset printing, flexographic printing, etc., can be used.

[0016] Each printing unit 21, 22, and 23 typically prints on the workpiece 30 with inks of different colors. For example, the first printing unit 21, acting as a first supply unit, supplies a first ink of yellow (Y) color as a first fluidizing agent to the workpiece 30; the second printing unit 22, acting as a second supply unit, supplies a second ink of cyan (C) color as a second fluidizing agent to the workpiece 30; and the third printing unit 23, acting as a third supply unit, supplies a third ink of magenta (M) color as a third fluidizing agent to the workpiece 30.

[0017] The first printing unit 21, the second printing unit 22, and the third printing unit 23 sequentially apply the printing process of each color to the workpiece 30 being transported in this order in the transport direction. Specifically, the first printing unit 21 typically applies a first printing process of yellow (Y) to an unprinted workpiece 30, the second printing unit 22 applies a second printing process of cyan (C) to the workpiece 30 that has undergone the first printing process, and the third printing unit 23 applies a third printing process of magenta (M) to the workpiece 30 that has undergone the first and second printing processes.

[0018] Between the first printing unit 21 and the second printing unit 22, a first drying unit 41 is provided to perform a drying process on the yellow (Y) - colored first ink printed by the first printing unit 21 before the object to be processed 30 subjected to the first printing process of yellow (Y) color is conveyed to the second printing unit 22. Similarly, between the second printing unit 22 and the third printing unit 23, a second drying unit 42 is provided to perform a drying process on the cyan (C) - colored second ink printed by the second printing unit 22 before the object to be processed 30 subjected to the second printing process of cyan (C) color is conveyed to the third printing unit 23. Further, after the third printing unit 23, a third drying unit 43 is provided to perform a drying process on the magenta (M) - colored third ink printed by the third printing unit 23 before the object to be processed 30 subjected to the third printing process of magenta (M) color is conveyed to a printing unit (for example, black (K) color) or other processing units not shown in the figure at a further stage.

[0019] In addition, when no other processing unit is provided after the third drying unit 43, that is, when the third drying unit 43 is the final processing unit before the winding (rewinding) of the object to be processed 30, the third drying unit 43 may perform a drying process in a different manner from the first drying unit 41 and / or the second drying unit 42 to achieve the final fixing of the first to third inks on the object to be processed 30. Also, in addition to or instead of the third drying unit 43, a final fixing unit may be provided to achieve the final fixing of the first to third inks on the object to be processed 30 by ultraviolet rays or the like.

[0020] The first drying unit 41 can be configured, for example, as a drum heater, and includes a heating part 411 where the object to be processed 30 is wound and dried, and a drivable guide roller 412 as a winding length adjustment mechanism for adjusting its winding length L1.

[0021] The cylindrical heating unit 411 (with a diameter between, for example, 600 mm and 1500 mm) is driven to rotate in the transport direction (counterclockwise in Figure 1) to transport the workpiece 30 while drying the yellow (Y) first ink printed by the first printing unit 21. The outer surface of the heating unit 411 that contacts the non-printed surface (back surface of the printed surface) of the workpiece 30 is maintained at a substantially constant temperature (for example, between 60°C and 120°C) suitable for drying the first ink. Specifically, a heat source such as a halogen lamp or infrared lamp (not shown) built into the heating unit 411 is controlled so that the temperature of the outer surface of the heating unit 411, as measured by a temperature sensor (not shown), remains substantially constant. Here, if the transport speed of the workpiece 30 (i.e., the rotation speed of the cylindrical heating section 411) is constant (for example, between 50 m / min and 200 m / min), then the amount of drying by the heating section 411 (which can also be expressed as drying time, drying distance, drying length, drying strength, etc.) is determined by the length L1 over which the workpiece 30 is wrapped around the heating section 411.

[0022] The wrapping length L1 can be adjusted by a guide roller 412 that can be driven approximately circumferentially around the heating unit 411. When the guide roller 412 moves in the transport direction (counterclockwise in Figure 1), the wrapping length L1 of the workpiece 30 around the heating unit 411 increases, and when the guide roller 412 moves in the opposite direction to the transport direction (clockwise in Figure 1), the wrapping length L1 of the workpiece 30 around the heating unit 411 decreases. As described above, the wrapping length L1 of the workpiece 30 around the heating unit 411 is directly related to the amount of drying by the heating unit 411, so the amount of drying by the heating unit 411 can be adjusted by adjusting the circumferential position of the guide roller 412. Here, when the circumferential position of the guide roller 412 changes, the transport distance of the workpiece 30 between the first printing unit 21 and the second printing unit 22 changes. Therefore, the second printing unit 22 automatically adjusts the printing timing according to the circumferential position of the guide roller 412.

[0023] Note that the printed surface of the workpiece 30 can contact the surface of the guide roller 412. At this time, as will be described later, the yellow (Y) first ink printed on the printed surface of the workpiece 30 by the first printing unit 21 is not dried to a completely dry state by the heating unit 411, but is in an incompletely dried state maintaining fluidity and can contact the surface of the guide roller 412. In order to reduce the adverse effects caused by the contact between such "wet" or "semi-dry" first ink and the guide roller 412, the surface of the guide roller 412 is made of a material with high non-stick or release properties, such as an etching roller or a sprayed roller, and minute irregularities or protrusions are provided on the surface of the guide roller 412 to reduce the contact area with the printed surface of the workpiece 30, or gas such as compressed air is ejected from the surface of the guide roller 412 to substantially zero (non-contact) the contact area with the printed surface of the workpiece 30. It is preferable to take such measures.

[0024] Examples of the material with high non-stick or release properties include fluororesin and silicone resin. Particularly, examples of the fluororesin include polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), a copolymer of perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether and tetrafluoroethylene (PFA), and hexafluoropolypropylene. In a guide roller for general conveyance applications, since reducing slippage with the conveyed object is prioritized, it is unlikely to consider forming the surface with a material having high non-stick or release properties that can increase slippage. However, in the guide roller 412 in this embodiment, since the workpiece 30 to be folded is wound around it, slippage is unlikely to occur even if the surface is made of a material with high non-stick or release properties. Also, when it is desired to enhance the release property and conveyance property, a combination of a release material and the aforementioned minute protrusions is effective.

[0025] The second drying unit 42 and the third drying unit 43 have the same configuration as the first drying unit 41. Specifically, the second drying unit 42 includes a heating unit 421 around which the workpiece 30 is wrapped and dried in the second ink, and a drivable guide roller 422 as a winding length adjustment mechanism that can adjust the winding length L2. The third drying unit 43 includes a heating unit 431 around which the workpiece 30 is wrapped and dried in the third ink, and a drivable guide roller 432 as a winding length adjustment mechanism that can adjust the winding length L3. The heating units 421 and 431 are the same as the heating unit 411 in the first drying unit 41, and the guide rollers 422 and 432 are the same as the guide roller 412 in the first drying unit 41, so redundant explanations are omitted.

[0026] Cameras 51-53 may be provided downstream of each printing unit 21-23, preferably at the point where the workpiece 30 begins to come into contact with the heating units 411-431 of each drying unit 41-43. As will be described later, the supply status detection unit 61 can detect the supply status of each color of ink by each printing unit 21-23 based on the images (still images or videos) of the workpiece 30 captured by each camera 51-53. The supply status detection unit 61 (or another interference detection unit) may also detect interference (such as color bleeding, as will be described later) of the inks of each color printed by each printing unit 21-23 based on the images of the workpiece 30 captured by each camera 51-53. Cameras 51-53 may be omitted in whole or in part. If only one camera is available, it can be installed downstream of the workpiece 30 in the transport direction, as camera 53 does, to detect the ink supply status of all printing units 21-23.

[0027] The supply status detection unit 61 detects the supply status of each color of ink supplied by each printing unit 21 to 23. The supply status detection unit 61 may detect the supply status of each color of ink based on the setting information and operation information of each printing unit 21 to 23, or it may detect the supply status of each color of ink based on images of the workpiece 30 after printing each color (and preferably before drying by each drying unit 41 to 43) captured by the aforementioned cameras 51 to 53. Examples of ink supply status that the supply status detection unit 61 can detect include information about the material and characteristics of the supplied ink itself, the amount of ink supplied, the pattern, the amount of pattern, the pattern ratio, the dot ratio, the print thickness, and other information related to printing with ink. Furthermore, examples of indicators representing the ink supply status include information about the printing environment such as temperature and humidity. In addition, for the second and subsequent printing units 22 and 23, the supply status detection unit 61 may detect interference (color bleeding) between the printed color and the previously printed color as a supply status in a broad sense. Furthermore, areas prone to interference within patterns, such as the INT (Intelligent Input) described later, can be enhanced using so-called AI technologies like machine learning and deep learning. In this case, pattern recognition (segmentation) techniques, such as those used in printing, are effective.

[0028] Figure 2 schematically illustrates color bleeding between different printing colors. For simplification, this figure shows only the first image P1 printed by the preceding first printing unit 21 with, for example, a yellow (Y) first ink, and the second image P2 printed by the subsequent second printing unit 22 with, for example, a cyan (C) second ink (i.e., the third image printed by the third printing unit 23 is omitted). In particular, this figure shows the workpiece 30 immediately after the second image P2 has been printed by the second printing unit 22. This illustrated state can be photographed by the camera 52.

[0029] The second pattern P2 (second ink) is typically in a liquid state and extremely fluid because it has just been printed (before being dried by the second drying unit 42). Also, as will be described later, although the first pattern P1 (first ink) has been dried by the first drying unit 41, it is in an incompletely dried state that retains fluidity because it has not been dried to a completely dry state. Thus, the first pattern P1 and the second pattern P2, both of which are fluid, are at risk of mixing with each other and interfering with one another. In particular, as schematically illustrated, the first ink of the adjacent first pattern P1 may flow into the second pattern P2, which has relatively high fluidity, potentially causing color bleeding (INT).

[0030] Furthermore, if the permeability and absorbency of the workpiece 30 are low, the fluidity of the ink on the workpiece 30 is easily maintained, making interference between different fluids such as color bleeding INT more likely to occur. Examples of such workpieces 30 include gloss coated paper, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), biaxially oriented polypropylene (OPP), and unoriented polypropylene (CPP). Also, when water-soluble inks, which have higher fluidity due to drying properties compared to oil-based (oil-based or solvent-based) inks, are used, interference between different fluids such as color bleeding INT is more likely to occur. The printing apparatus 10 according to this embodiment prevents interference between different fluids such as color bleeding INT by appropriately controlling the drying amount after printing each color with the drying amount control unit 62, and also prevents deformation and deterioration of the workpiece 30 due to overheating.

[0031] The drying amount control unit 62 controls the drying amount by each drying unit 41 to 43 based on the supply status of each color of ink detected by the supply status detection unit 61, and transports the workpiece 30 to the next stage in an incompletely dried state in which the ink of each color to be dried as the main target maintains its fluidity. Specifically, the drying amount control unit 62 individually adjusts the circumferential position of the guide rollers 412 to 432, which serve as a winding length adjustment mechanism in each drying unit 41 to 43, thereby individually adjusting the winding lengths L1 to L3 of the workpiece 30 to each heating unit 411 to 431, which are directly related to the drying amount by each heating unit 411 to 431.

[0032] In the first drying unit 41, which is the foremost stage, the drying amount control unit 62 sets the winding length L1 (i.e., the amount of first ink dried by the heating unit 411) to its maximum value, except in exceptional cases such as when the amount of first ink to be dried is significantly small, as the workpiece 30 has not been sufficiently heated and there is little risk of overheating by the heating unit 411. In the second drying unit 42, which is the subsequent stage, the drying amount control unit 62 sets the winding length L2 (i.e., the amount of second ink dried by the heating unit 421) to a smaller value, based on the detection result from the supply state detection unit 61 that the amount of second ink to be dried is small. In the third drying unit 43, which is the subsequent stage, the drying amount control unit 62 sets the winding length L3 (i.e., the amount of third ink dried by the heating unit 431) to be larger than the winding length L2 of the previous stage, based on the detection result from the supply state detection unit 61 that the amount of third ink to be dried is larger than the amount of second ink in the preceding stage.

[0033] The drying amount control unit 62 optimizes each winding length L1 to L3 from two main perspectives: preventing deformation and deterioration of the workpiece 30 due to overheating, and preventing interference between inks of different colors (such as color bleeding). In particular, with water-based inks, the effect of heat of vaporization is significant, and when the area and thickness of the design are large, the amount of heat equivalent to the heat of vaporization lost must be added by increasing the winding length.

[0034] Deformation and deterioration of the workpiece 30 due to overheating are more likely to occur with thin (for example, between 12 and 16 microns) and heat-sensitive food packaging films. If such an extremely thin workpiece 30 is dried to a completely dry state where the ink loses its fluidity and hardens, it will easily deform or deteriorate due to overheating. Therefore, the drying amount control unit 62 individually sets upper limits for each winding length L1 to L3 (i.e., the drying amount by each heating unit 411 to 431) based on information from the supply state detection unit 61, so that the workpiece 30 does not deform or deteriorate. Below these upper limits for each winding length L1 to L3, the workpiece 30 is transported to the next stage in at least one of the drying units 41 to 43 while the ink of each color that is the main target of drying remains fluid and in an incompletely dried state (which can also be expressed as an uncured state or an incompletely cured state).

[0035] In this case, as explained with respect to Figure 2, if the fluidity of the ink of each color (the first ink of the first pattern P1 in the example of Figure 2) after passing through each drying unit 41 to 43 is too high, it will interfere with the newly printed liquid ink (the second ink of the second pattern P2 in the example of Figure 2), causing color bleeding INT. Therefore, the drying amount control unit 62 individually sets the lower limit of each winding length L1 to L3 (i.e., the drying amount by each heating unit 411 to 431) based on information from the supply state detection unit 61, so as to prevent interference between inks of different colors, such as color bleeding INT, from occurring.

[0036] The upper and / or lower limits of each wrapping length L1 to L3 described above may be adaptively set based on images captured by cameras 51 to 53. For example, if no deformation or deterioration is observed in the image of the workpiece 30 after passing through the first drying unit 41, but deformation or deterioration is observed in the image of the workpiece 30 after passing through the second drying unit 42, then the wrapping length (upper limit) is adaptively lowered because the workpiece 30 is overheating in the second drying unit 42. Also, if no color bleeding is observed between the first and second inks in the image of the workpiece 30 after passing through the second printing unit 22, but color bleeding is observed between the second and third inks in the image of the workpiece 30 after passing through the third printing unit 23, then the wrapping length (lower limit) is adaptively raised because the drying of the second ink in the second drying unit 42 is insufficient.

[0037] As described above, with the drying amount control unit 62 according to this embodiment, at least one of the inks of each color supplied to the workpiece 30 is not dried to a completely dry state, but is transported to the next stage in an incompletely dried state that maintains fluidity, thus preventing overheating of the workpiece 30 and / or the inks of each color by the drying units 41 to 43. Furthermore, with the drying amount control unit 62 according to this embodiment, the ink of each color to be dried (for example, the first ink of the first pattern P1 in Figure 2) can be dried to an appropriate viscosity that does not substantially cause interference such as color bleeding INT with the ink newly supplied by the subsequent printing unit (for example, the second ink of the second pattern P2 in Figure 2). Figure 3 schematically shows how color bleeding between different printing colors is effectively suppressed by the drying amount control unit 62 according to this embodiment (no color bleeding INT like in Figure 2 occurs).

[0038] The present invention has been described above based on embodiments. Various modifications are possible for each component and each combination of processes in the exemplary embodiments, and it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that such modifications are included within the scope of the present invention.

[0039] In the embodiments described above, the drying amount of the drying units 41 to 43 could be adjusted by the winding length L1 to L3, but it may also be adjustable by any other method. For example, in a drying unit that dries the workpiece 30 by blowing air on it, the drying amount may be adjusted by the air volume or wind strength.

[0040] A coating unit may be provided in place of or before the first printing unit 21 in Figure 1, which applies a primer coating (with a thickness of, for example, between 20 and 50 microns) to the workpiece 30 to improve ink adhesion.

[0041] In the embodiments described above, a printing apparatus 10 comprising a plurality of printing units 21 to 23 was exemplified as the processing apparatus. However, the processing apparatus may also be a coating apparatus comprising a plurality of coating units that apply different coatings to a workpiece. The type of each coating unit and / or coating apparatus is arbitrary, but examples include die coaters and microgravure.

[0042] The configuration, operation, and function of each device and method described in the embodiments can be realized by hardware resources or software resources, or by the cooperation of hardware resources and software resources. Hardware resources include, for example, processors, ROMs, RAMs, and various integrated circuits. Software resources include, for example, operating systems and application programs. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0043] 10 Processing unit, 21 Printing unit, 30 Workpiece, 41 Drying unit, 51 Camera, 61 Supply status detection unit, 62 Drying amount control unit, 411 Heating unit, 412 Guide roller.

Claims

1. The system includes a drying control unit that controls the amount of drying performed in a drying process carried out before the supply of a second fluid to a workpiece to which a first fluid has been supplied, and dries the first fluid to an incompletely dried state in which it maintains its fluidity. A first supply unit that supplies the first fluid material to the workpiece, A second supply unit supplies the second fluid material to the workpiece to be processed, to which the first fluid material has been supplied. A drying unit provided between the first supply unit and the second supply unit, which performs the drying treatment on the first fluid material supplied by the first supply unit before the material to be processed is transported to the second supply unit, Equipped with, The drying amount control unit controls the drying amount by the drying unit, and transports the material to be processed to the second supply unit while the first fluid material is in an incompletely dried state in which it maintains its fluidity. The drying unit includes a heating section around which the workpiece to be processed is wrapped and subjected to the drying process, and a winding length adjustment mechanism that can adjust the winding length. The drying amount control unit controls the drying amount by the drying unit using the winding length adjustment mechanism. Processing device.

2. The system further includes a supply status detection unit that detects the supply status of the first fluid material by the first supply unit, The drying amount control unit controls the drying amount by the drying unit based on the supply state. The apparatus according to claim 1.

3. A drying amount control device that controls the drying amount of a drying process performed on a workpiece to which a first fluid material has been supplied before a second fluid material is supplied, and dries the first fluid material to an incompletely dried state in which it maintains its fluidity, A first supply unit that supplies the first fluid material to the workpiece, A second supply unit supplies the second fluid material to the workpiece to be processed, to which the first fluid material has been supplied. A drying unit provided between the first supply unit and the second supply unit, which performs the drying treatment on the first fluid material supplied by the first supply unit before the material to be processed is transported to the second supply unit, Equipped with, The drying amount control unit controls the drying amount by the drying unit, and transports the material to be processed to the second supply unit while the first fluid material is in an incompletely dried state in which it maintains its fluidity. The system further includes a supply status detection unit that detects the supply status of the first fluid material by the first supply unit, The drying amount control unit controls the drying amount by the drying unit based on the supply state. The supply status detection unit detects the amount of the first fluid material supplied by the first supply unit as the supply status. Processing device.

4. A drying amount control device that controls the drying amount of a drying process performed before a second fluid material is supplied to a workpiece to which a first fluid material has been supplied, and dries the first fluid material to an incompletely dried state in which it maintains its fluidity, A first supply unit that supplies the first fluid material to the workpiece, A second supply unit supplies the second fluid material to the workpiece to be processed, to which the first fluid material has been supplied. A drying unit provided between the first supply unit and the second supply unit, which performs the drying treatment on the first fluid material supplied by the first supply unit before the material to be processed is transported to the second supply unit, Equipped with, The drying amount control unit controls the drying amount by the drying unit, and transports the material to be processed to the second supply unit while the first fluid material is in an incompletely dried state in which it maintains its fluidity. The system further includes a supply status detection unit that detects the supply status of the first fluid material by the first supply unit, The drying amount control unit controls the drying amount by the drying unit based on the supply state. A printing apparatus that performs a printing process on the aforementioned object to be processed, The first supply unit is a first printing unit that supplies the first ink as the first fluid material to the workpiece, The second supply unit is a second printing unit that supplies a second ink, which is a second fluid material of a different color from the first ink, to the workpiece to which the first ink has been supplied. The supply status detection unit detects the pattern printed by the first printing unit with the first ink as the supply status. Processing device.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein at least one of the first ink and the second ink is water-soluble.

6. The aforementioned processing apparatus is a coating apparatus that applies a coating treatment to the object to be processed, The first supply unit is a first coating unit that applies the first coating, which is the first fluid material, to the workpiece. The second supply unit is a second coating unit that applies a second coating, which is a second fluid material different from the first coating, to the workpiece coated with the first coating. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. A control method for an apparatus comprising: a first supply unit for supplying a first fluid material to a workpiece; a second supply unit for supplying a second fluid material different from the first fluid material to the workpiece that has been supplied with the first fluid material; and a drying unit provided between the first supply unit and the second supply unit for drying the first fluid material supplied by the first supply unit before the workpiece is transported to the second supply unit, wherein the apparatus comprises A drying amount control step that controls the drying amount by the drying unit and transports the workpiece to the second supply unit while the first fluid material is in an incompletely dried state in which fluidity is maintained, Equipped with, The drying amount control step controls the drying amount by the drying unit and transports the workpiece to the second supply unit while the first fluid material is in an incompletely dried state in which it maintains its fluidity. The drying unit includes a heating section around which the workpiece to be processed is wrapped and subjected to the drying process, and a winding length adjustment mechanism that can adjust the winding length. The drying amount control step involves controlling the drying amount by the drying unit using the winding length adjustment mechanism. Control method.

8. A control method for an apparatus comprising: a first supply unit for supplying a first fluid material to a workpiece; a second supply unit for supplying a second fluid material different from the first fluid material to the workpiece that has been supplied with the first fluid material; and a drying unit provided between the first supply unit and the second supply unit for drying the first fluid material supplied by the first supply unit before the workpiece is transported to the second supply unit, the method comprising: A drying amount control step that controls the drying amount by the drying unit and transports the workpiece to the second supply unit while the first fluid material is in an incompletely dried state in which fluidity is maintained, Equipped with, The drying amount control step controls the drying amount by the drying unit and transports the workpiece to the second supply unit while the first fluid material is in an incompletely dried state in which it maintains its fluidity. The system further includes a supply state detection step for detecting the supply state of the first fluid material by the first supply unit, The drying amount control step controls the drying amount by the drying unit based on the supply state. The supply state detection step involves detecting the amount of the first fluid supplied by the first supply unit as the supply state. Control method.

9. A control method for an apparatus comprising: a first supply unit for supplying a first fluid material to a workpiece; a second supply unit for supplying a second fluid material different from the first fluid material to the workpiece that has been supplied with the first fluid material; and a drying unit provided between the first supply unit and the second supply unit for drying the first fluid material supplied by the first supply unit before the workpiece is transported to the second supply unit, the method comprising: A drying amount control step that controls the drying amount by the drying unit and transports the workpiece to the second supply unit while the first fluid material is in an incompletely dried state in which fluidity is maintained, Equipped with, The drying amount control step controls the drying amount by the drying unit and transports the workpiece to the second supply unit while the first fluid material is in an incompletely dried state in which it maintains its fluidity. The system further includes a supply state detection step for detecting the supply state of the first fluid material by the first supply unit, The drying amount control step controls the drying amount by the drying unit based on the supply state. The processing apparatus is a printing apparatus that performs a printing process on the object to be processed, The first supply unit is a first printing unit that supplies the first ink as the first fluid material to the workpiece, The second supply unit is a second printing unit that supplies a second ink, which is a second fluid material of a different color from the first ink, to the workpiece to which the first ink has been supplied. The supply status detection step involves detecting the pattern printed by the first printing unit using the first ink as the supply status. Control method.

10. A control program for an apparatus comprising: a first supply unit for supplying a first fluid material to a workpiece; a second supply unit for supplying a second fluid material different from the first fluid material to the workpiece that has been supplied with the first fluid material; and a drying unit provided between the first supply unit and the second supply unit for drying the first fluid material supplied by the first supply unit before the workpiece is transported to the second supply unit, wherein the apparatus comprises A drying amount control step that controls the drying amount by the drying unit and transports the workpiece to the second supply unit while the first fluid material is in an incompletely dried state in which fluidity is maintained, Have the computer run it, The drying amount control step controls the drying amount by the drying unit and transports the workpiece to the second supply unit while the first fluid material is in an incompletely dried state in which it maintains its fluidity. The drying unit includes a heating section around which the workpiece to be processed is wrapped and subjected to the drying process, and a winding length adjustment mechanism that can adjust the winding length. The drying amount control step involves controlling the drying amount by the drying unit using the winding length adjustment mechanism. Control program.

11. A control program for an apparatus comprising: a first supply unit for supplying a first fluid material to a workpiece; a second supply unit for supplying a second fluid material different from the first fluid material to the workpiece that has been supplied with the first fluid material; and a drying unit provided between the first supply unit and the second supply unit for drying the first fluid material supplied by the first supply unit before the workpiece is transported to the second supply unit, wherein A drying amount control step that controls the drying amount by the drying unit and transports the workpiece to the second supply unit while the first fluid material is in an incompletely dried state in which fluidity is maintained, Have the computer run it, The drying amount control step controls the drying amount by the drying unit and transports the workpiece to the second supply unit while the first fluid material is in an incompletely dried state in which it maintains its fluidity. The system further includes a supply state detection step for detecting the supply state of the first fluid material by the first supply unit, The drying amount control step controls the drying amount by the drying unit based on the supply state. The supply state detection step involves detecting the amount of the first fluid supplied by the first supply unit as the supply state. Control program.

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