Application Roller Axis Control for Flat Substrate Coating
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing roll coating methods require significant manual adjustments and time to set up the correct application roller height for each new print job, leading to waste of substrates and potential for incomplete or damaged coatings.
Innovation Solution
A method that utilizes a control system and sensors to automatically determine the correct axis location of the application roller based on the radius of the roller, the nominal thickness of the substrate, and the desired impression, allowing for precise adjustment and minimization of substrate waste.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If manual adjustment of application roller height is performed for each new print job, then the correct impression can be achieved, but significant time and substrate waste occur during setup
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary measurement of the application roller radius using a sensor before the coating process begins. This pre-measurement data is stored and automatically used to calculate the correct application roller height positioning, eliminating the need for manual adjustment during setup and reducing both time and substrate waste while ensuring precise impression.
2Manufacturing precision
If manual adjustment of application roller height is performed for each new print job, then the correct impression can be achieved, but operator skill and substrate waste increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-measurement of the application roller radius using an integrated sensor, automatically calculates the correct positioning without operator intervention, and executes the adjustment autonomously. This eliminates the need for operator skill in manual adjustment while maintaining precise impression, thereby reducing both skill requirements and substrate waste.
3Manufacturing precision
If the printing speed is slowed down to allow manual adjustment of roller height, then perfect impression can be achieved, but productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary measurement of the application roller radius using a sensor before the coating process begins. This pre-measurement data is stored and automatically used to calculate the correct application roller height positioning, eliminating the need for manual adjustment during setup and reducing both time and substrate waste while ensuring precise impression.
4Loss of time
If automatic measurement of application roller radius is implemented, then setup time is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces manual mechanical measurement and adjustment with an automated sensor-based measurement system. The sensor automatically measures the application roller radius, and the control system calculates the correct positioning, eliminating manual intervention and reducing setup time while the added complexity of the sensor and control system is offset by the elimination of manual skill requirements and substrate waste.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for coating a flat substrate by a coater includes a control system receiving print job data and print job settings, the control system determining a suitable impression of an application roller by means of received print job settings, a first sensor determining a radius of the application roller, determining an axis location of the application roller having a distance of the radius of the application roller plus a nominal thickness of the flat substrate read from the print job data minus the determined suitable impression from the supporting roller surface, automatically moving the application roller to the determined axis location, and starting a transport of the flat substrate from an entry station in-between the supporting roller and the application roller towards an end station.