Ink-jet Printing Deposition Method with Nozzle Deviation Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ink-jet printing methods suffer from deposition defects due to nozzles having permanently oblique or misaligned ejection directions, leading to deviations in the point of impact on the medium, resulting in unwanted patterns and reduced deposition quality, especially on media with surface structures.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a movable head with longitudinally offset nozzles, where each nozzle's deviation is measured and compensated by adjusting the head's position relative to target points, ensuring precise alignment of the substance's point of impact with the target, thereby eliminating deviations and enhancing deposition quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If nozzles are used with fixed ejection directions, then the deposition process is simple and fast, but deposition quality deteriorates due to moiré patterns and unwanted lines
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the head position variable rather than fixed. The head is positioned at different longitudinal offsets for different nozzles based on their measured ejection directions. This dynamic positioning allows each nozzle to compensate for its specific deviation, ensuring that all deposited amounts reach their intended target points accurately, thereby eliminating moiré patterns and unwanted lines while maintaining deposition speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by assigning different longitudinal offsets to different nozzles based on their individual ejection characteristics. Each nozzle is measured to determine its specific ejection direction deviation, and then a customized offset is applied to that particular nozzle's target points. This localized compensation ensures that each nozzle deposits material precisely where intended, improving overall deposition accuracy without affecting the productivity of other nozzles.
2Manufacturing precision
If nozzles with oblique ejection directions are neutralized, then deposition quality improves, but productivity decreases due to reduced number of active nozzles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the longitudinal offset parameter for each nozzle based on its measured ejection direction. Instead of neutralizing nozzles with oblique ejection directions, the system measures each nozzle's specific deviation and adjusts the corresponding target point offsets. This parameter adjustment allows all nozzles to remain active and productive while achieving accurate deposition, thereby maintaining high deposition rates without sacrificing quality.
3Productivity
If ejection distance is kept constant, then the deposition process is simple and fast, but deposition precision deteriorates due to uncorrected angular deviations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by measuring the ejection direction of each nozzle before the actual deposition process. These measurements are stored and used to calculate appropriate longitudinal offsets for each nozzle's target points. This preliminary characterization of nozzle behavior allows the system to compensate for angular deviations during deposition without modifying the constant ejection distance, thereby maintaining deposition efficiency while improving impact point accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to an ink-jet printing deposition method including a compensation of deviations (δl1, δl2, δl3, . . . ) of ejection nozzles (1, 2, 3 . . . ) carried by a printing head (10). To this end, the deviations are measured first at the moment of the deposition, and then, during the deposition, each nozzle is activated when it shows a shift in relation to the point on a support where the substance is to be deposited, substantially opposite the deviation of said nozzle. Said depositions carried out in this way do not comprise accidental Moiré patterns.