Color-Printed Substrate Drying with Adaptive Infrared Energy
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional drying methods for water-based inks in digital printing consume excessive energy, leading to substrate warping and burn marks, and often require additional cooling processes.
Innovation Solution
A printing system that modulates infrared lamp energy based on ink and substrate properties, environmental conditions, and image pattern segments to optimize drying, using machine learning models for dynamic energy adjustment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional drying methods use high energy infrared lamps to dry water-based ink quickly, then drying speed is improved, but substrate warping and burn marks occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the infrared lamp energy output adjustable and modifiable in real-time. The system dynamically adjusts the energy level of IR lamps based on ink properties, substrate characteristics, and environmental conditions, transitioning from static high-energy drying to adaptive dynamic control that prevents warping while maintaining drying speed
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes physical parameters of the drying process by modulating the energy output of infrared lamps according to specific parameters including ink composition, substrate type, ambient temperature, and humidity. This parameter-based adjustment allows optimization of drying conditions to avoid substrate damage while maintaining efficiency
2Reliability
If conventional drying methods use high energy infrared lamps to ensure thorough drying, then drying completeness is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by determining different energy levels for different regions of the substrate based on the image pattern. Areas with ink deposits receive targeted infrared energy while areas without ink receive reduced or no energy, ensuring complete drying where needed while minimizing energy consumption in other areas
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses partial action by applying infrared energy only to portions of the substrate that require drying based on the image pattern analysis. The system avoids excessive energy application to areas without ink, achieving complete drying effectiveness while significantly reducing overall energy consumption compared to uniform high-energy drying
3Reliability
If conventional drying methods apply uniform high energy to all areas, then drying effectiveness is improved, but additional cooling processes are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by implementing real-time monitoring and adjustment of infrared lamp energy output based on substrate and ink properties. This dynamic control prevents excessive heat accumulation that would require cooling stations, maintaining drying effectiveness while eliminating the need for additional cooling equipment
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms that monitor drying conditions and adjust infrared energy output accordingly. This feedback control ensures thorough drying while preventing overheating that would necessitate cooling processes, thereby eliminating the need for cooling stations
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Reduces energy consumption by up to a third, minimizes substrate warping by over 55%, and eliminates the need for cooling stations, while maintaining print quality and speed.
Implementation Method 1
the energy used by infrared (IR) lamps in the drying process is modulated
Implementation Method 2
Using the radiation lamps, the ink deposited onto the surface of the substrate is heated to dry the ink
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus, methods, and systems for dynamically modulating radiation energy in a printing system are disclosed. A system receives data comprising an image pattern for depositing ink on a substrate. The system determines one or more ink properties for the ink configured to be deposited onto the substrate. The ink properties and/or a color of the substrate are used to determine a corresponding energy level value for a radiation lamp. The ink is deposited in the image pattern on the substrate. One or more radiation lamps heat the substrate and the ink, wherein the radiation lamps are configured with the corresponding energy level values.