Interleave Imaging for Printing Form Precision
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing imaging methods for printing forms are sensitive to tolerances in the displacement of imaging devices and inhomogeneities in optical light source output, leading to moiré patterns and reduced efficiency, especially when the relative displacement and pitch of imaging channels are not precisely coordinated with the grid to be imaged.
Innovation Solution
A method using multiple light sources with interleave imaging, where image points are initially spaced farther apart than the minimum image point spacing, with subsequent steps placing additional image points between existing rows, allowing for continuous and abrupt forward movements to achieve close image point spacing, thereby reducing sensitivity to tolerances and inhomogeneities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If imaging channels are spaced farther apart to simplify device coordination, then device complexity is reduced, but manufacturing precision of image point spacing deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The imaging process is divided into multiple passes, with each pass imaging only a subset of image points. The light source is displaced between passes to image different portions of the printing form. This segmentation allows each pass to use simpler, coarser spacing while the combination of all passes achieves the required fine spacing precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The displacement amount between imaging passes is predetermined and pre-calculated based on the imaging channel spacing and desired final image point spacing. This preliminary determination of displacement parameters allows the system to achieve precise spacing without requiring real-time coordination or adjustment during imaging.
2Manufacturing precision
If imaging is performed in multiple steps with repeated traversal of image rows, then image point spacing precision is improved, but productivity is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The set of all image points is divided into multiple subsets, with each imaging pass handling a different subset. The light source is displaced by a predetermined amount between passes to ensure that each pass images a distinct portion of the printing form. This segmentation eliminates redundant re-traversal of the same image rows, allowing multiple passes to proceed in parallel without reducing productivity.
3Manufacturing precision
If light source displacement is precisely coordinated with imaging grid, then image quality is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The displacement amount between imaging passes is predetermined and pre-calculated based on the imaging channel spacing and desired final image point spacing. This preliminary determination of displacement parameters allows the system to achieve precise spacing without requiring real-time coordination or adjustment during imaging, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining image quality.
4Manufacturing precision
If imaging channels are closely spaced to achieve minimum spacing, then image point spacing precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The imaging process is divided into multiple passes, with each pass imaging only a subset of image points. The light source is displaced between passes to image different portions of the printing form. This segmentation allows each pass to use simpler, coarser spacing while the combination of all passes achieves the required fine spacing precision, avoiding the need for closely spaced imaging channels.
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 method ensures that image points are imaged with minimum spacing after multiple steps, maintaining accurate spacing and reducing disruptions, while allowing for flexible adjustment of local frequencies to avoid moiré patterns and optimizing imaging efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
using a plurality of light sources, a plurality of image points whose spacing is greater than the minimum image point spacing is produced in a row on the printing form
Data Source
AI summary
A method for imaging a printing form is particularly suited for a printing form exposer or a printing unit of a press. A plurality of light sources produce image points in a row on the printing form whose spacing is greater than the minimum image point spacing. A first partial row of image points is produced with a first subset of the light sources and a second partial row is produced with a second subset. During a number of imaging steps, at least some of the image points of in each case one of the subsets is placed along the row in positions between image points of the respective partial row, produced in a previous imaging step, and in which, after the number of imaging steps, in a further imaging step, image points of the first subset are placed along the row at positions between image points of the second partial row from the preceding imaging step.