Marking Head Sensor Integration for Real-Time Quality Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing marking apparatuses often experience failures or malfunctions during the marking process, leading to insufficient quality markings that may not be detected in real-time, resulting in discarded products.
Innovation Solution
Integration of sensor devices downstream of the marking devices in the marking head allows for real-time detection of marking quality, enabling immediate stoppage or notification of issues, ensuring high-quality markings by arranging both devices in a common head with a fixed relative position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If sensor devices are integrated into the marking head downstream of marking devices, then marking quality and detection reliability are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines marking devices and sensor devices into a single integrated marking head assembly. The sensor devices are positioned downstream of the marking devices within the same head structure, allowing simultaneous marking and quality detection without requiring separate independent systems. This merging approach improves reliability while managing complexity through integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor devices detect the quality of markings in real-time and provide feedback signals to the control unit. This feedback mechanism enables immediate detection of marking defects and allows the system to stop or adjust operation to prevent defective products, thereby improving marking quality reliability.
2Measurement precision
If sensor devices are arranged downstream of marking devices in the advance direction, then real-time detection capability is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The marking head is segmented into distinct functional zones: marking device positions and sensor device positions arranged in rows and columns. This segmentation allows for standardized manufacturing of each component type and facilitates assembly by defining clear spatial relationships between marking and sensor elements during fabrication.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent arranges marking devices and sensor devices in a two-dimensional array pattern within the marking head. By organizing components in rows and columns across multiple dimensions, the design achieves compact integration and standardized manufacturing while enabling comprehensive coverage for real-time quality detection during the marking process.
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 integrated approach ensures high-quality markings by promptly detecting and addressing any failures, preventing defective products and enhancing marking resolution and speed.
Implementation Method 1
The sensor devices may for example comprise a ferrule with a fibre arranged therein, a PIN diode, a photodiode, a phototransistor, a micro antenna, a capacity sensor element, an inductive sensor element and/or a chemical sensor element. The sensor devices may in particular be optical sensors devices.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a marking apparatus (10) for marking an object comprising a marking head (20) having a plurality of marking devices (40, 40a, 40b) for applying a marking on the object and a driving mechanism for providing a relative movement of the object relative to the marking head in an advance direction (16) during a marking operation. The marking head comprises in addition to the plurality of marking devices a plurality of sensor devices and the sensor devices (50) are arranged down-stream of the marking devices in the advance direction, so that the marking applied by the marking devices is detectable by the sensor devices, when the object is moved relative to the marking head in the advance direction. The invention also relates to a method for marking an object.