Color Control Unit for Decorative Panel Inkjet Printing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for manufacturing decorative panels with digitally printed oligochromatic patterns face challenges in color acceptance detection, leading to production waste due to heat pressing processes that occur outside the digital printing system's control, resulting in unacceptable color ranges and inefficiencies in high-speed printing environments.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a color control unit that identifies color acceptance between the formation and impregnation of the decorative layer, using a color measuring device to compare color values and adjust inkjet printing parameters to ensure color acceptance within desired ranges, thereby reducing waste and optimizing production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If heat pressing is performed in a separate heat press room after digital printing, then the digital printing system is protected from heat interference, but color acceptance cannot be verified before production waste occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing color measurement and verification of the decorative layer immediately after digital printing, before the heat pressing process. This allows color acceptance to be determined in advance, preventing substrate waste by identifying color defects before the irreversible heat pressing operation. The color measuring device is positioned to measure the decorative layer on the substrate web between the printing unit and the heat press, enabling pre-verification of color quality.
2Productivity
If high-speed digital printing is used to increase productivity, then production speed increases, but the time delay before color verification extends, worsening the bottleneck effect
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the color measurement function directly into the production line by positioning the color measuring device within the manufacturing process flow, between the digital printing unit and the heat press. This integration allows color verification to occur simultaneously with the production process rather than as a separate post-processing step, eliminating verification delay and maintaining high-speed production throughput.
3Measurement precision
If color measurement is performed after heat pressing, then the final product color is measured, but the entire production run between printing and heat pressing must be discarded if color acceptance fails
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs color measurement as a preliminary action immediately after digital printing, before the decorative layer undergoes heat pressing and resin impregnation. This timing allows color acceptance to be verified on the substrate web while it is still accessible and before any irreversible processing. If color acceptance fails, only the specific defective sections can be identified and removed, preventing waste of the entire production run between printing and heat pressing.
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
This approach significantly reduces production waste, enhances manufacturing efficiency, and allows for just-in-time production by enabling real-time color adjustments, thus improving cost-effectiveness and ecological sustainability.
Implementation Method 1
The inkjet printing system forms a decorative layer by printing liquid or aerosol ink on a substrate
Implementation Method 2
impregnating the decorative layer comprising the oligochromatic pattern with a resin
Implementation Method 3
heat pressing the impregnated decorative layer and the core layer to a decorative panel
Data Source
AI summary
Method of manufacturing decorative panels comprising the steps: inkjet printing on a substrate an oligochromatic pattern by an inkjet printing system to form a decorative layer (250); impregnating by a resin impregnator (320) the decorative layer with a thermosetting resin; heat pressing (500) by a heating press (550) the impregnated decorative layer (41) together with a core layer (410) for forming a decorative panel (650); wherein the method comprises an extra step of identifying, by using a color control unit (250), a color acceptance of the decorative panel between the step of forming the decorative layer (200) and the step of impregnating the decorative layer.