Inkless Printing Carbonization Speed and Blackness Trade-off
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inkless printing methods and devices face challenges in achieving sufficient blackness and high printing speed, particularly when using cellulose-based substrates, which results in longer printing times and lower commercial viability due to the need for low scan speeds to maintain contrast on white backgrounds.
Innovation Solution
The method involves determining carbonization-related characteristics of the substrate, defining printing zones, and selectively carbonizing these zones using primary and secondary irradiation sources, with multiple irradiations to achieve high blackness levels efficiently, including pre- and post-irradiation techniques to enhance printing speed and quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If low scan speed is used to achieve sufficient blackness and contrast, then print quality is improved, but printing time increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-heating the substrate in the printing zone before the main carbonization process. This pre-heating step prepares the substrate to undergo carbonization more efficiently, allowing the main printing process to proceed at higher speeds while still achieving the required blackness and contrast levels.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs periodic action through multiple sequential irradiation passes over the printing zone. Instead of a single long irradiation, the system performs several shorter irradiation cycles, each contributing to the cumulative carbonization effect. This enables faster processing while maintaining print quality through the aggregated effect of multiple passes.
2Device complexity
If single irradiation is used to simplify the process, then device complexity is reduced, but achieving sufficient blackness requires longer processing time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a pre-heating step before the main irradiation process. This preliminary thermal preparation of the substrate enables the subsequent irradiation to be more effective and faster, reducing the total processing time without significantly increasing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent maintains continuity of useful action through multiple sequential irradiation passes, where each pass builds upon the previous one. This continuous cumulative effect achieves sufficient blackness faster than a single prolonged irradiation would require, improving efficiency while keeping the process manageable.
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
This approach significantly increases printing speed while maintaining high blackness levels, reducing printing time and improving economic viability by optimizing the carbonization process through pyrolytic carbonization and controlled heating rates, and additives like dihydrogen phosphate and water-soluble organosilicon.
Implementation Method 1
selective carbonization, i.e. the inkless printing, can be applied to regular substrates omitting the need of special coatings
Implementation Method 2
position-selectively irradiating of said printing zone of the substrate by using at least one primary irradiation source
Implementation Method 3
at least one time irradiating of at least a part of said at least one defined printing zone, by using at least one secondary irradiation source
Data Source
Figure 1a~1d
Figure 1e
Figure 2a~2b
AI summary
The invention relates to an inkless printing method. The invention also relates to an inkless printing device, in particular configured to perform at least a part of the method according to the invention. The invention furthermore relates to a substrate provided with at least one printed marking realised by applying the method according to the invention and/or the device according to the invention.