Packaging Material Marking With Laser-Created Negative Marks
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing flexography processes struggle to accurately position dynamic prints on packaging materials due to dimensional changes, humidity, and web movement, leading to misalignment and readability issues.
Innovation Solution
A method involving pre-printing a static element on packaging material, detecting its geometry, and removing it in defined sections to create a negative of the dynamic print, adjusting for geometric discrepancies using a camera and laser ablation to ensure accurate positioning and readability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a separate printing station with inkjet technology is used to provide dynamic prints, then unique two-dimensional codes can be printed, but positioning accuracy deteriorates due to dimensional changes, humidity, and web movement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-printing reference elements (such as alignment marks or barcodes) on the packaging material before the dynamic printing stage. These reference elements serve as geometric references that are detected by cameras or sensors to determine the actual position and orientation of the material web. Based on this detection, the system calculates correction values and adjusts the positioning of the dynamic print in real-time, compensating for dimensional changes, humidity effects, and web movement that occur during production.
2Productivity
If the packaging material web width is increased to accommodate multiple lanes, then productivity increases, but positioning accuracy of dynamic prints deteriorates at outer lanes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the wide packaging material web into multiple lanes, each with its own reference elements and detection zone. The system independently detects the position and orientation of reference elements in each lane and calculates lane-specific correction values. This allows the dynamic printing system to accurately position prints across the entire web width, compensating for lateral variations and snaking effects that occur in different regions of the wide material.
3Ease of manufacture
If static print is used in flexography, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but adaptability to provide unique dynamic information is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges two different printing approaches by combining static flexography printing for the base décor with dynamic inkjet printing for unique information. The static print provides the consistent packaging design, while the dynamic print adds variable data such as two-dimensional codes, batch numbers, or traceability information. The system integrates these two printing stages with automatic positioning correction, maintaining the simplicity of static printing while adding the versatility of dynamic printing capabilities.
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
Ensures high-quality, accurately positioned dynamic prints by compensating for dimensional and positional variations, allowing for efficient production of packaging materials with readable marks.
Implementation Method 1
Detecting a reference geometry of the pre-printed element and a reference geometry of the manufactured negative of the mark
Implementation Method 2
removing it in defined sections to create a negative of the dynamic print, adjusting for geometric discrepancies using a camera and laser ablation
Data Source
AI summary
A method of manufacturing a mark on a packaging material, the method comprising the following steps: Providing the packaging material, which comprises at least one pre-printed element at a pre-defined position; Removing the pre-printed element in pre-defined sections in a marking station, so that the removed sections reflect a negative of the mark to be manufactured; Detecting a reference geometry of the pre-printed element and a reference geometry of the manufactured negative of the mark; Determining a geometric relationship of the detected reference geometries; Evaluating, if the determined geometric relationship matches a pre-defined geometric relationship; and if it matches, manufacturing subsequent marks under removal of the pre-printed element in the same pre-defined sections; or if it does not match, manufacturing subsequent marks under adjustment of the pre-definition of the sections, wherein the pre-printed element is removed. The present disclosure further refers to a respective marking station and a packaging material manufacturing system, as well as, a packaging material and a packaging container.