Printer Drum Bubble Removal via Service Rotation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional web-fed printers face issues with air bubbles trapped in the impression drum, leading to inconsistent temperature control, turbulence, and reduced print quality, resulting in wasted supplies and equipment damage.
Innovation Solution
A system and method involving a service rotation engine and outlet tube to apply centrifugal force and remove air bubbles from the drum, utilizing an inlet and outlet tube for liquid circulation to prevent vacuum environments and enhance heat transfer efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If liquid is added to the impression drum for cooling, then temperature control is improved, but air bubbles become trapped causing hot spots and inconsistent temperature
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs a preliminary service rotation before production printing to circulate liquid and remove air bubbles from the drum interior. This preliminary action ensures that the drum is properly filled and debubbled before actual printing begins, preventing hot spots and temperature inconsistencies during production.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements periodic service rotations during operation to continuously remove air bubbles that may form during printing. The service rotation engine periodically reverses or adjusts drum rotation to maintain liquid circulation and prevent bubble accumulation, ensuring consistent temperature control throughout production.
2Productivity
If the drum rotates rapidly during production, then printing productivity is improved, but air bubbles cause turbulence and reduce precision
Solution Approach 1:
Before high-speed production printing, the system performs a service rotation at controlled speeds to establish proper liquid circulation patterns and remove air bubbles. This preliminary preparation ensures that when rapid production rotation occurs, the liquid inside the drum remains stable without turbulence, maintaining both speed and precision.
3Reliability
If air bubbles are present in the drum, then liquid circulation is disrupted, but removing bubbles requires additional servicing time
Solution Approach 1:
The system removes air bubbles through service rotation during maintenance periods or between print jobs, rather than attempting to remove them during production. This preliminary servicing ensures reliable liquid circulation is established before printing begins, avoiding interruptions during productive operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The service rotation mechanism allows for continuous or periodic bubble removal without stopping the drum entirely. By maintaining rotation during the servicing process, the system can eliminate bubbles while minimizing interruption to production, reducing the net loss of time.
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 solution effectively removes air bubbles, improving temperature uniformity, reducing turbulence, and minimizing print quality issues and equipment damage, thereby enhancing printer performance and reducing downtime.
Implementation Method 1
The service rotation is to cause a centrifugal force to be imposed upon a liquid contained within the drum. The centrifugal force is for pushing push gas bubbles away from a curved surface of the drum and towards the longitudinal drum axis.
Implementation Method 2
The inlet tube is for adding liquid into the drum, and the outlet tube is to allow the liquid to leave the drum, such that a quantity of liquid is to circulate through the drum in a non-vacuum environment
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
In an example of the disclosure, service rotation of a drum along a longitudinal axis of the drum is caused. The service rotation is to apply a centrifugal force upon a liquid held by the drum. The centrifugal force pushes gas bubbles in the drum away from a curved surface of the drum and towards the longitudinal drum axis. The gas bubbles evacuate from the drum via an outlet tube positioned adjacent to the longitudinal drum axis. A production rotation of the drum is caused after the service rotation.