Multi-Leaf Folded Printed Product Production via Strand Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current digital printing technologies are inefficient in producing finished printed products with multiple pages arranged side by side, as they require printing each product sequentially and lack a streamlined process for cost-effective production of folded end products.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the combination and adhesive bonding of printed material-web strands, followed by cross-cutting, stacking, and folding to create efficiently produced folded end products, allowing for the production of products with three or more pages arranged side by side.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If digital printing machines print material webs with three or more pages arranged side by side, then productivity and output per unit time are improved, but the complexity of processing and assembling these printed strands into finished products increases
Solution Approach 1:
The printed material web is divided into multiple separate strands, each containing specific pages. These segmented strands are then processed and assembled independently before being combined into the final product, making the complex processing manageable through modular operations
Solution Approach 2:
The processing approach transitions from handling a single continuous web to managing multiple separate strands in parallel. This dimensional change from one-dimensional sequential processing to multi-dimensional parallel processing reduces overall complexity by distributing the workload across multiple independent processing paths
2Strength
If material-web strands are combined and connected by adhesive bonding, then the strength and stability of the final product are improved, but the production time and process complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
Adhesive application points are pre-positioned and prepared on the material-web strands before assembly. This preliminary action ensures that when strands are combined, the adhesive is already in optimal position, eliminating delays during assembly and maintaining strong bonds without adding production time
Solution Approach 2:
Adhesive serves as an intermediary substance that facilitates the connection between material-web strands. This intermediary enables strong, stable bonding while allowing for quick application and positioning, balancing strength requirements with production efficiency
3Productivity
If subproducts are severed continuously from advancing material-web strands, then productivity and efficiency are improved, but precision in cutting and stacking becomes more difficult to maintain
Solution Approach 1:
Continuous cutting is achieved by replacing traditional batch-cutting mechanical systems with a continuous cutting mechanism that operates while the material web advances. This substitution maintains cutting precision through controlled mechanical motion while enabling continuous production flow
Solution Approach 2:
The cutting operation is performed continuously as the material-web strands advance through the processing line, rather than stopping to cut individual pieces. This continuous action maintains precision through consistent cutting conditions while maximizing productivity without interruption
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 enables straightforward, time-saving, and cost-effective production of finished printed products by efficiently combining and processing printed material-web strands into folded end products, improving productivity and reducing production time.
Implementation Method 1
a first material-web strand is brought together with a second material-web strand and connected to the latter by means of an adhesive along a connecting line which runs in the longitudinal direction of the material web
Data Source
AI summary
In a material web which is printed in a digital printing station and moved in an advancement direction, a first material-web strand, which is formed by at least one printed material-web portion, is combined with a second material-web strand, which is formed by two printed material-web portions, by folding. The two material-web strands are connected to one another by an adhesive. Subproducts are then severed from the thus interconnected material-web strands by cross-cutting. These subproducts comprise a first printed sheet, severed from the first material-web strand, and a second printed sheet, connected to the first printed sheet and severed from the second material-web strand. The subproducts are then positioned one upon the other to form a stack, the subproducts being connected to one another by an adhesive in the region of the subsequent folding line. The stacked subproducts are then folded about a folding line to form an end product.