Inkjet Printer Alternating Mode Speed Optimization
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current industrial inkjet printing machines for flat substrates, such as paper and cardboard, are limited by the pulsing of print heads, restricting printing speed without costly conversion measures.
Innovation Solution
A method to operate a 7-color inkjet printing machine in two modes: a standard 7-color mode and a high-speed 1-color or monochrome mode, where the print heads remain unchanged, allowing for increased printing speed without ink supply conversion, by using combinations of inks like CMY, OGV, or alternative colors to achieve black or gray shades, thereby quadrupling the transport speed for monochrome jobs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If the printing machine operates in standard 7-color mode, then print quality and color fidelity are maintained, but printing speed is limited by the printhead cycle
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically switches between two operational modes: standard 7-color mode for color printing jobs and high-speed 1-color mode for monochrome jobs. This dynamic adaptation allows the printing machine to optimize its printhead cycle frequency based on the specific job requirements, achieving quadrupled printing speed for monochrome tasks while maintaining color printing capability when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the operational parameters of the printing machine by adjusting the printhead cycle frequency and ink selection based on the print job type. For monochrome jobs, the system uses only black ink with a quadrupled printhead cycle frequency, while for color jobs, it switches to the standard 7-color mode with the original cycle frequency, thereby optimizing both speed and quality.
2Productivity
If the printhead cycle frequency is increased to quadruple printing speed, then productivity improves, but the machine requires complex conversion measures for ink supply
Solution Approach 1:
The printing machine is designed to perform multiple functions using the same hardware infrastructure. The single ink supply system can deliver either 7-color inks at standard speed or 1-color black ink at quadrupled speed, eliminating the need for separate ink supply systems or complex conversion measures. The printheads themselves serve dual purposes by operating at different cycle frequencies based on job requirements.
3Speed
If the machine is converted to 1-color mode for high-speed printing, then printing speed increases, but the machine loses 7-color printing capability
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adapts its operational mode based on the print job requirements. When a monochrome job is detected, the machine switches to high-speed 1-color mode with quadrupled substrate transport speed. When a color job is detected, it switches to standard 7-color mode with the original transport speed, thereby maintaining both high-speed capability and color printing versatility without permanent conversion.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2a~2b
Figure 3a
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for the alternating operation of an inkjet printing press (1) which prints a substrate (8) conveyed at a transport speed (9a) with several inks (10) according to a print image (12), switching between the following two modes (M1, M2): 1. Mode (M1): printing an n-color first print job at a first transport speed (9a) and at a print resolution with n inks (10), i.e., with black ink and n-1 different colored inks; and 2. Mode (M2): printing a color-reduced second print job at a second transport speed (9a) that is higher than that of the first and at an unchanged print resolution with the n inks (10). The invention advantageously makes it possible to increase the printing speed and thus the number of printed products produced per unit of time by a machine.