Inkjet Ink-Drop Measurement Tables for Nozzle Variation Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for restricting the total amount of ink drop in printing fail to account for environmental factors and nozzle variations, leading to inaccuracies in ink application and degraded image quality.
Innovation Solution
An information processing apparatus that measures the actual amount of ink drop from nozzles, creates a conversion table based on this measurement, and restricts the total ink drop accordingly, addressing environmental and nozzle-specific variations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the total amount of ink drop is restricted based on a predetermined value without measurement, then the restriction process is simple and fast, but the accuracy of ink application is poor due to environmental factors and nozzle variations
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary measurement of the actual ink drop amount from each nozzle before the actual printing process. This measurement data is stored and used to create a correction table that compensates for nozzle variations and environmental factors, ensuring accurate ink application from the start without requiring complex real-time adjustments during printing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where the measured actual ink drop amounts are used to update the conversion table. This feedback loop allows the system to learn from actual nozzle performance and environmental conditions, continuously improving the accuracy of ink application by adjusting the conversion between gradation values and ink drop amounts based on real measurement data.
2Manufacturing precision
If a fixed conversion table is used without considering nozzle variations, then the processing is simple and fast, but image quality degrades due to inaccuracies in ink application
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary measurement of the actual ink drop amount from each nozzle before the actual printing process. This measurement data is stored and used to create a correction table that compensates for nozzle variations and environmental factors, ensuring accurate ink application from the start without requiring complex real-time adjustments during printing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameters of the conversion table based on measured data. Instead of using a fixed conversion table, the system dynamically adjusts the conversion parameters between gradation values and ink drop amounts based on actual nozzle performance measurements, thereby improving image quality by accounting for individual nozzle characteristics and environmental conditions.
3Productivity
If the ink drop amount is not accurately controlled, then the printing process is fast and simple, but color reproduction range is limited and printer failures occur due to excessive ink adhesion
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces mechanical trial-and-error adjustment with an automated measurement and control system. By using sensors to measure actual ink drop amounts and automatically updating the conversion table based on measured data, the system eliminates the need for manual adjustment while ensuring reliable and consistent ink application, preventing both excessive ink adhesion and color reproduction issues.
Data Source
AI summary
An information processing apparatus includes circuitry to obtain a measurement result of an amount of ink drop discharged from one or more nozzles of an inkjet head in response to receiving a signal for starting a restriction on a total amount of ink drop, create a table used for converting a gradation value into the amount of ink drop based on the measurement result of the amount of ink drop, and restrict a total amount of ink drop corresponding to the gradation value using the table.