Intaglio Printing Plate Coating Apparatus with Movable Carrier
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing intaglio printing plate coating technologies, such as electroplating, pose health risks due to hexavalent chromium production, and known PVD coating apparatuses are not suited for the specific requirements of intaglio printing plates used in security document production, lacking the necessary precision and coating properties.
Innovation Solution
A dedicated intaglio printing plate coating apparatus featuring a vacuum chamber with a movable carrier for vertical placement of the plate, a PVD system using sputtering targets like magnetrons for chromium or titanium deposition, and a compact design to ensure high-quality, wear-resistant coatings with reduced impurity risk.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If electroplating is used to coat intaglio printing plates with chromium, then wear resistance and corrosion resistance are improved, but health hazards increase due to hexavalent chromium production
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the coating method from electroplating to physical vapour deposition (PVD), fundamentally altering the deposition parameters and mechanism. PVD operates in a vacuum environment with physical processes rather than chemical electroplating, eliminating hexavalent chromium production while achieving comparable or superior coating adhesion and properties
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a vacuum environment (inert atmosphere) during the PVD coating process, which prevents the formation of harmful hexavalent chromium compounds that occur in traditional electroplating. The vacuum chamber isolates the coating process from atmospheric contaminants and eliminates the need for harmful chemical baths
2Reliability
If conventional PVD coating apparatuses are used, then vacuum deposition can be achieved, but the apparatus lacks suitability for intaglio printing plates due to insufficient precision and inappropriate design
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the coating apparatus into specialized components: a vacuum chamber specifically sized for printing plates, a movable carrier system for precise plate positioning, and targeted PVD coating heads. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function, achieving high precision without unnecessary overall complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a movable carrier system that adds dimensional flexibility to the coating apparatus. The carrier can move the printing plate through the vacuum chamber, enabling multi-angle coating access and precise positioning of specific plate areas, thereby achieving uniform and precise coating without requiring an overly complex fixed structure
3Manufacturing precision
If a dedicated vacuum chamber with movable carrier is used for vertical plate placement, then coating precision and impurity reduction are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a movable carrier system that maintains the printing plate in an optimal position throughout the coating process. The carrier ensures uniform positioning and orientation, creating equipotential conditions for coating deposition across the plate surface, which simplifies the need for complex adjustment mechanisms while maintaining high precision
Solution Approach 2:
The movable carrier system employs periodic motion to position and reposition the printing plate during coating. This rhythmic, controlled movement allows precise coating application in vertical orientation while using simple, repeatable mechanical cycles rather than complex continuous adjustment systems
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
The apparatus enables efficient and reliable coating of intaglio printing plates with wear-resistant materials, reducing health hazards and achieving the desired coating properties and thicknesses, while being easy to operate and maintain.
Implementation Method 1
a vacuum system coupled to the vacuum chamber for creating vacuum in the inner space of the vacuum chamber
Implementation Method 2
a physical vapour deposition (PVD) system for the deposition of wear-resistant coating material under vacuum onto an engraved surface of the intaglio printing plate
Implementation Method 3
PVD is a process whereby atoms are ejected from a solid target material usually by ion or atom bombardment in a vacuum environment and then deposited onto a desired substrate
Data Source
AI summary
There is described an intaglio printing plate coating apparatus comprising a vacuum chamber having an inner space adapted to receive at least one intaglio printing plate to be coated, a vacuum system coupled to the vacuum chamber adapted to create vacuum in the inner space of the vacuum chamber, and a physical vapour deposition (PVD) system adapted to perform deposition of wear-resistant coating material under vacuum onto an engraved surface of the intaglio printing plate, which physical vapour deposition system includes at least one coating material target comprising a source of the wear-resistant coating material to be deposited onto the engraved surface of the intaglio printing plate. The vacuum chamber is arranged so that the intaglio printing plate to be coated sits substantially vertically in the inner space of the vacuum chamber with its engraved surface facing the at least one coating material target. The intaglio printing plate coating apparatus further comprises a movable carrier located within the inner space of the vacuum chamber and adapted to support and cyclically move the intaglio printing plate in front of and past the at least one coating material target.