Cylinder Cold Foil Machine Multi-Stage Curing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional cold foil machines face issues such as incomplete foil patterns due to inadequate curing, heat-related operational problems, limited flexibility in design, and inefficiencies in handling multiple printing patterns, leading to reduced production efficiency and increased costs.

Innovation Solution

A cylinder-type fully automatic cold foil machine with an improved structure featuring an infrared preheater, pre-curing and post-curing devices, a rotating main cylinder with foil pressing rollers, and a vacuum suction mechanism, allowing for two-sided press fit transfer and comprehensive curing of the foil on the substrate, along with a modular design for seamless integration with other printing devices.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If a conventional curing lamp is used, then the device structure is simple, but the glue cannot be fully cured in the contact area, resulting in incomplete foil patterns

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefoil pattern completenessVSAvoidcuring device structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The curing process is divided into three segments: pre-curing device before the cold foil rubber roller, in-printing curing device during the pressing process, and post-curing device after pressing. This segmentation ensures complete curing at different stages, resolving the contradiction between curing effectiveness and device simplicity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The pre-curing device performs preliminary curing of the glue before the foil pressing process. This preliminary action ensures that the glue is sufficiently cured to maintain foil pattern integrity during pressing, while the in-printing and post-curing devices complete the curing process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If the device operates for a long time, then production efficiency increases, but heat accumulation from curing lamps and rubber rolls causes abnormal heating affecting printing quality

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveproduction efficiencyVSAvoiddevice temperature
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The patent converts the harmful heat effect into a beneficial cooling system. A cooling device with cooling channels is integrated into the device structure, using the generated heat to drive cooling airflow that prevents overheating during continuous operation, thus maintaining printing quality while sustaining high productivity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

3Adaptability or versatility

If multiple stamping foils are mounted to handle different printing patterns, then printing versatility improves, but the device structure becomes more complicated

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprinting pattern varietyVSAvoidfoil mounting device structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The stamping foil mounting device is designed with universal functionality to accommodate multiple different stamping foils for various printing patterns. The device structure allows easy replacement and mounting of different foil types, providing multi-functionality that handles diverse printing requirements without requiring completely separate devices for each pattern type.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

4Device complexity

If the conveyor belt mechanism is simplified, then device complexity decreases, but substrate positional deviation occurs during transfer

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconveyor belt structureVSAvoidsubstrate position accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

A vacuum suction mechanism is integrated into the conveyor belt structure to hold the substrate firmly during transfer. This pneumatic approach prevents substrate positional deviation and movement without requiring complex mechanical positioning systems, maintaining manufacturing precision while keeping the conveyor belt structure relatively simple.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #29Pneumatics and hydraulics

5Productivity

If the device is designed for one-time printing integration, then production efficiency increases, but the device occupies more space and becomes harder to maintain

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprinting process integrationVSAvoidoverall device structure
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs a nested structure where the pre-curing device, in-printing curing device, and post-curing device are arranged in a compact sequence along the substrate path. The conveyor belt mechanism integrates the vacuum suction function within its structure. This nesting approach allows one-time printing integration for high productivity while minimizing the overall device footprint and maintaining ease of maintenance through modular arrangement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

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

Ensures complete and consistent foil patterns, reduces production costs, and enhances efficiency by allowing online printing of various substrates without additional process settings, while maintaining a compact and flexible machine design.

Implementation Method 1

an infrared preheater for preheating the printing substrate and flatten the glue on the printing substrate

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectInfrared radiation: Infrared Radiation

Implementation Method 2

a vacuum suction mechanism for sucking the printing substrate on the conveyor belt mechanism

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectVacuum suction: Vacuum

Data Source

PatentEP3552825B1Fully automatic cold stamping machine of rotating wheel type
Publication Date: 2020.09.02 WAN JUNXIA
  • EP3552825B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3552825B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3552825B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The utility model relates to the technical field of surface special printing equipment, and in particular to a cylinder type fully automatic cold foil machine. The cylinder type fully automatic cold foil machine according to the utility model comprises a machine frame body, a seal box, an infrared preheater, a vacuum suction mechanism, a conveyor belt mechanism, a pre-curing device, a stamping foil mounting device, a stamping foil rewinding device, an in-printing curing device, a post-curing device, and a cold foil rubber roller mechanism composed of a rotating main cylinder and two foil pressing rollers, wherein the conveyor belt mechanism is composed of a front-stage conveyor belt and a post-stage conveyor belt; and the pre-curing device, the stamping foil mounting device, the stamping foil rewinding device, the in-printing curing device, the post-curing device and the cold foil rubber roller mechanism are respectively located in the seal box. The foiling portion of the utility model adopts a structure form of matching the rotating main cylinder with the two foil pressing rollers, which can carry out two-side press fit transfer processing of stamping foil and a printing substrate; at the same time, glue on the printing substrate cured at different degrees in the pre-curing , in-printing curing and post-curing stages by using the three curing devices, which can effectively ensure the integrity of cold foil patterns and a cold foil effect; and the cylinder type fully automatic cold foil machine is simple and compact in structure and can ensure effects of cold foil processes such as raised foiling, embossed , and raised cast and cure.