Security Printing Dryer with Periodic Radiation Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current security printing machines face challenges in achieving high print quality, reducing wear and tear, energy consumption, and maintenance costs while allowing for variable format and selective drying of image elements.
Innovation Solution
A security printing machine with a dryer device featuring separately switchable dryer elements offset in the transverse direction, controlled by a system that activates and deactivates them in a repetitive cycle synchronized with the machine and printing material phases, ensuring efficient and economical drying.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a continuous dryer is used to dry printed material, then drying effectiveness is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies periodic action by switching the dryer on and off in cycles rather than continuous operation. The control unit activates the dryer for specific time periods (on-phase) and deactivates it (off-phase) based on drying requirements, reducing overall energy consumption while maintaining effective drying when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamics by making the dryer operation adaptive and variable. The cycle time, on-phase duration, and off-phase duration can be adjusted based on drying requirements, material type, and production speed, allowing the system to optimize between drying effectiveness and energy consumption dynamically.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the dryer operates continuously, then drying consistency is improved, but wear and tear increases
Solution Approach 1:
The periodic on-off operation reduces cumulative wear on the dryer components compared to continuous operation, while the structured cycle pattern maintains sufficient drying consistency by ensuring adequate drying periods are provided regularly throughout the production process.
3Adaptability or versatility
If separately switchable dryer elements are used, then selective drying capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The dryer is divided into multiple independently controllable dryer elements or zones that can be switched on and off separately. This segmentation allows selective drying of different areas of the printed material based on specific requirements, improving adaptability while the modular structure makes the complexity manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
Different zones of the dryer can be activated based on local drying requirements of different areas of the printed material. This allows tailored drying approaches for different regions, improving selective drying capability while the zoned structure provides a systematic way to manage the complexity.
4Adaptability or versatility
If variable format printing is supported, then production flexibility is improved, but drying control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The drying system uses dynamic control where cycle parameters (cycle time, on-phase duration, off-phase duration) are adjusted based on the specific printing format and drying requirements. This dynamic adaptability supports variable format printing while the automated control logic manages the complexity of coordinating dryer operation with diverse print specifications.
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 enhances print quality, reduces wear and tear, and lowers energy and maintenance costs while enabling flexible and efficient drying, supporting longer print runs and selective image element drying.
Implementation Method 1
a dryer located in the substrate path between the first and second printing points and/or in the substrate path following the second printing point, by which substrate passing through the dryer on its transport path can be exposed to radiation for drying purposes
Data Source
Figure 1a
Figure 1b
Figure 1c
AI summary
The invention relates to a value-document printing machine comprising, in the path of the printing material, at least a first printing site (06"), at which a printing material (02) passing through said printing site can be printed, in segments on at least a first of the two sides of said printing material in a cycle (Z) at a print image width (B44) with a cycle length (L) that is fixed in relation to the advancing of the printing material at the printing site, with print images of a print image length (L) that is shorter than the cycle length, and a second printing site (07") that follows next downstream, at which the printing material passing through said printing site can likewise be printed with print images on at least the second of the sides of the printing material, and a dryer device having a dryer (14, 16, 36), which comprises a one- or multi-part radiation means and which is arranged in the printing material path between the first and the second printing sites and/or in the printing material path following the second printing site and by means of which radiation can be applied to the printing material passing through the dryer on the transport path of the printing material in order to dry said printing material. A control device (37) that controls the drying means (38) of the dryer with regard to activation and deactivation is provided, which control device has a signal connection to a transmitter (42) that provides signals (S) representing the machine phase and/or the printing material progress and effects a switch-on and switch-off of the drying means or at least part of the drying means in each cycle in accordance with a sequence comprising at least one active and at least one inactive phase (P) in correlation with the machine and/or printing-material phase position. During operation, a switch-on and switch-off of the radiation source or at least part of the radiation source having at least one active and one inactive phase occurs in each cycle.