Industrial Printing System for Melamine Board Edging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional edging methods for melamine boards require multiple strips to match different patterns, leading to increased production costs, inventory needs, and quality issues due to grain direction mismatches between surface and edge finishes.
Innovation Solution
An industrial printing system that captures an image of the board's surface and generates a mirror image for printing on the edge, eliminating the need for multiple strips and allowing for simultaneous edging of boards with different patterns without production stoppages.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If multiple strips are used to match different patterns for edging boards, then the quality of edging finish is improved by matching surface patterns, but production costs increase and inventory needs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses digital copying to capture the surface pattern image and recreate it on the edge through printing technology, eliminating the need for physical pattern-matching strips. The scanner captures the veneer pattern, and the printing unit reproduces it on the edging strip, replacing the inventory of physical strips with digital image data.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the state of the edging material from requiring multiple physical strip types to using a single substrate that can be digitally printed with any pattern. This parameter change transforms the system from material diversity to information diversity, allowing pattern variation without increasing physical inventory.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple strips are used to match different patterns, then various board patterns can be manufactured, but device complexity increases to manage strip changes
Solution Approach 1:
The printing unit serves multiple functions: it can print any pattern on any edge, replacing the need for multiple specialized strip types and complex changeover mechanisms. The single printing device is universal in its ability to produce different patterns through digital control, eliminating the need for pattern-specific strips and complex replacement systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical strip changeover system with a digital printing system. Instead of mechanically replacing physical strips through complex mechanisms, the system uses digital image processing and printing technology to change patterns, substituting mechanical complexity with electronic control.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional edging strips are used, then production can proceed with standard materials, but grain direction mismatches cause visual contrast between surface and edge
Solution Approach 1:
The scanner captures the exact grain pattern and orientation from the surface, and the printing unit reproduces this copied image on the edge. This ensures the grain direction on the edge matches the surface grain direction, eliminating visual contrast while maintaining ease of manufacture with standard materials.
4Reliability
If batch manufacturing according to different strip types is used, then quality control is maintained, but productivity decreases due to production stoppages
Solution Approach 1:
The printing system allows continuous production without stopping to change strips. The digital printing process can switch between patterns instantly without interrupting the manufacturing flow, maintaining quality control through consistent digital reproduction while ensuring continuous production operation.
Data Source
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AI summary
System, method and computer program for edging parts by industrial printing techniques. The system (1) comprises a scanner (3), a control unit (4) and a printing unit (5) that are communicated with each other. The scanner (3) explores an initial surface (6) of the part (2) and generates a captured image (9). The control unit (4) processes the captured image (9) and generates a processed image (13) by the calculation of a mirror image (42). The printing unit (5) receives the processed image (13) and prints it on a second surface (14) of the part (2). The capture and printing surfaces (6, 14) are arranged on different planes, for example, significantly perpendicular planes. Thus, the invention enables the edging of parts by printing, providing visual continuity between both surfaces (6, 14) of the part (2) thanks to the generation of the mirror image (42).