Printing-Glazing Integrated Printer for Micron-Level Glaze Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ceramic tile production processes are complex, reliant on manual glazing techniques that lead to environmental pollution, waste, and quality control issues, with glazing processes requiring separate devices and high glaze usage leading to inefficiencies and defects.
Innovation Solution
An integrated printing-glazing printer that combines printing and glazing processes, using a single conveying platform and full-width print channels to ensure precise application of glaze, reducing waste and environmental impact while enhancing quality control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If traditional waterfall processing or glaze spraying is used, then glaze can be applied to the green body surface, but the glaze utilization rate is low and a large amount of waste is generated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the printing system and glazing system into a single integrated device, where the print channels serve dual purposes for both printing and glazing operations. This integration eliminates the need for separate glazing equipment and reduces glaze waste through precise application control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical glazing methods (waterfall processing and spray guns) with a digital printing-based glazing system that uses print channels to deposit glaze precisely where needed, significantly reducing material waste.
2Manufacturing precision
If manual experience is used to control glaze application, then the process is simple to operate, but the glaze layer evenness and quality control are poor
Solution Approach 1:
The print channels are designed to perform multiple functions: printing patterns and applying glaze. This multi-functionality allows the same device to achieve both decorative printing and protective glazing with consistent precision, eliminating the need for separate manual operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated system uses digital control to monitor and adjust glaze application in real-time, ensuring uniform coverage and consistent quality across all green bodies processed, replacing subjective manual control with objective automated feedback mechanisms.
3Reliability
If glaze spraying is used, then glaze can be applied quickly, but spray hole blocking causes blank spots and defects on the green body surface
Solution Approach 1:
The glazing system divides the application process into multiple independent print channels, each capable of depositing glaze separately. This segmentation ensures that if one channel is blocked, others can compensate and maintain complete coverage without stopping production.
Solution Approach 2:
The system design anticipates potential blockages by providing redundant print channels that can compensate for failures before they affect production continuity, ensuring reliable glaze coverage is maintained at all times.
4Productivity
If separate devices are used for printing and glazing, then each process can be optimized independently, but the production line becomes complex and tedious
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the printing and glazing systems into a single device with shared components (conveying platform, support structure, control system), eliminating the need for separate devices and simplifying the production line while maintaining the ability to perform both functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The print channels are designed to perform both printing and glazing functions, allowing the same structural components to serve multiple purposes and reducing overall system complexity while improving production efficiency.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention discloses a printing-glazing integrated printer. The printing-glazing integrated printer is divided into a printing area and a glazing area, and includes a conveying platform that sequentially passes through the printing area and the glazing area, a printing system provided in the printing area and above the conveying platform, and a glazing system provided in the glazing area and above the conveying platform, in which the glazing system includes at least a pair of full-width print channels. The present invention adopts printing mode to replace traditional waterfall processing and glaze spraying to achieve refined production, so that the usage amount of the glaze is greatly reduced and the utilization rate of the glaze reaches almost 100% without generating a large amount of waste, and the glazing process is accurate to the micron level to avoid pollution on the working environment. The printing processing and the glazing processing are integrated on the same printer, a print medium is conveyed by the same conveying platform, printing and glazing can be completed once the print medium is positioned well, so that the printing area and the glazing area are highly overlapped, and the printing quality is improved.