Print Management Spoilage Area Calculation

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current print management systems fail to accurately determine the amount of spoilage, or unused parts, of continuous sheets in printing processes, which hinders effective cost management and resource optimization in printing companies.

Innovation Solution

A print management apparatus equipped with a processor that calculates the area of spoilage by analyzing sheet size, page count, and print job conditions, including pages for control and cutting positions, to quantify waste as the area of unused parts on continuous sheets.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If a printer performs printing on a continuous sheet, then print jobs are completed, but spoilage parts are produced that are not used for final products

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprint job completionVSAvoidspoilage parts

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary calculation of spoilage areas before actual printing by analyzing job data, sheet specifications, and cutting positions. This allows the printer controller to determine the exact area of spoilage parts in advance, enabling proactive waste management and cost calculation rather than passive measurement after printing occurs

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The printer controller acts as an intermediary that receives job data from external sources, processes it through spoilage calculation algorithms, and outputs the calculated spoilage area information. This intermediary function bridges the gap between printing operations and waste management, enabling automated tracking without requiring direct physical measurement of spoilage parts

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If the amount of spoilage is not determined, then printing operations continue without interruption, but cost management and resource optimization are hindered

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprinting operation continuityVSAvoidspoilage quantity information

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system establishes a feedback loop where spoilage area calculations are continuously performed based on incoming job data and sheet specifications. The calculated spoilage information is fed back to management systems, enabling real-time cost tracking and resource optimization decisions without interrupting the printing operations themselves

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces physical measurement methods for determining spoilage with an automated computational system. The printer controller uses software algorithms to calculate spoilage areas based on digital job data and sheet specifications, eliminating the need for manual measurement and providing accurate, real-time waste quantity information

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS11243732B2Print management apparatus to determine amount of spoilage in continuous sheet and non-transitory computer readable medium

Publication Date: 2022.02.08 FUJIFILM BUSINESS INNOVATION CORP

AI summary

A print management apparatus includes a processor configured to, when a printer configured to perform printing on a continuous sheet prints a job, which contains multiple pages, on the continuous sheet, output the area of a part of the continuous sheet as the amount of spoilage. The part is not used for a product manufactured by using printed material corresponding to the job.