Parallel-Lane Printer Control for Reduced Print-Station Travel
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Solution Overview
Problem
Large format hybrid printers face inefficiencies due to the need for the print station to travel the full length of the medium support plane, which is dependent on the location of printed images, leading to increased travel distance and potential print quality issues.
Innovation Solution
The method involves disabling certain lanes on the medium support plane and reducing the print swath size based on known image sizes, using signaling objects and alignment bars to optimize print station travel, and enabling/disabling lanes through a user interface to enhance productivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the print station travels to the uttermost side of the medium support plane, then all possible lanes are available for printing, but the travel distance increases and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system determines the dimensions of print media to be printed before the printing process begins. Based on this advance information, the controller pre-calculates and disables lanes that will not be needed, allowing the print station to travel a shorter distance from the start without compromising the ability to print on all necessary lanes
2Reliability
If the print station travels the full length of the medium support plane, then maintenance station access is ensured, but the travel time increases reducing overall productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The controller uses advance knowledge of print media dimensions to pre-determine which lanes will be used. This allows the system to optimize the print station's travel path from the start, reducing unnecessary travel time while ensuring that the print station can still reach the maintenance station when needed through the reduced lanes
3Productivity
If lanes are disabled based on known image sizes, then print swath is reduced improving productivity, but print quality may be affected if swath changes during printing
Solution Approach 1:
The controller determines the dimensions of print media to be printed in advance, before the printing process begins. Based on this preliminary information, the system pre-calculates the optimal print swath and disables unnecessary lanes before printing starts. This ensures that the print swath remains consistent throughout the entire printing process, eliminating quality variations that would occur if the swath changed mid-printing
Data Source
AI summary
A method for a printer including a transport device including an endless transport belt, supported on a pair of support rollers which between them define a medium support plane, over which medium support plane a print station is provided. The method includes transporting in parallel a plurality of individual print media perpendicular to a scanning direction of the print station on the medium support plane, the print media having different dimensions, determining positions of the individual print media and based on the determined positions, jetting marking material for forming a designated image specific for each print medium on each respective print medium. The above steps are repeated such that print media are printed in a plurality of parallel lanes on the medium support plane perpendicular to the scanning direction. The method further includes enabling or disabling each individual lane of the plurality of parallel lanes in order to respectively facilitate or block jetting of the marking material at the individual lane.