Digital Printing Plant Movable Applicator for Uniform Sheet Treatment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current digital printing processes for sheet materials, such as fabrics and non-woven fabrics, face inefficiencies in pretreatment, leading to uneven treatment and reduced print quality due to complex structures and high costs, with existing solutions failing to ensure fast, even, and cost-effective treatment.
Innovation Solution
A printing plant and process featuring a conveyor system with a containment device and applicator configuration that allows for controlled, uniform treatment of sheet materials, enabling efficient pretreatment with a treatment composition that is confined and applied in a manner to ensure high printing resolution and reduced material usage, while simplifying the structure for easier maintenance and operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional stationary dispensers are used for pretreatment, then the structure is simple, but the treatment uniformity is poor leading to reduced print quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the pretreatment applicator movable along the width of the sheet material. Instead of using fixed stationary dispensers, the applicator can dynamically adjust its position to treat different areas of the material uniformly. This dynamic capability resolves the contradiction by achieving good treatment uniformity (improving manufacturing precision) while maintaining operational simplicity through controlled movement rather than complex multi-point stationary systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The movable applicator serves multiple functions: it can treat the entire width of the sheet material by moving laterally, apply treatment composition during both forward and return strokes, and work continuously without requiring multiple separate dispensers. This multi-functionality achieves uniform treatment across the material width while avoiding the structural complexity of having multiple independent stationary dispensing systems.
2Productivity
If intermittent conveyor advancement is used to synchronize with movable heads, then printing can be performed, but the treatment becomes uneven and productivity is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous action by having the applicator move continuously along with the conveyor belt during the entire printing process. The treatment composition is applied continuously as the sheet material passes through, eliminating the intermittent start-stop cycles that cause uneven treatment. This continuous operation maintains both high productivity and uniform treatment quality throughout the printing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The applicator performs preliminary treatment of the sheet material before it reaches the printing station. By pre-treating the material surface in advance during its movement on the conveyor, the system ensures uniform preparation of the entire material width before printing begins, avoiding the need to stop the conveyor for treatment and maintain continuous high-speed operation.
3Loss of substance
If treatment composition is applied without containment, then the application process is simple, but material usage is excessive and waste increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a containment structure with barriers or walls that form a defined application zone. This containment structure, while adding some complexity to the applicator, precisely controls where the treatment composition is deposited, preventing it from spreading to untreated areas. The result is significant reduction in material waste and excessive usage, justifying the moderate increase in device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The containment structure creates a localized treatment zone where the treatment composition is applied only to the specific area of the sheet material that requires treatment. This localised approach prevents waste by ensuring the composition is not dispersed unnecessarily, achieving efficient material usage while the containment structure remains relatively simple in design.
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
The solution enables efficient, uniform treatment of sheet materials, improving print quality and reducing costs by minimizing pretreatment time and substance usage, while simplifying the printing plant's structure for enhanced productivity and reduced downtime.
Implementation Method 1
the containment device (71) comprises at least one barrier (72) configured to confine the treatment composition (C) inside a deposit region; the at least one barrier is configured to prevent said treatment composition (C) from passing through said at least one barrier (72) according to a direction transversal to the advancement direction (A)
Implementation Method 2
an applicator (12) configured to dispense the treatment composition (C) in the deposit region
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The present invention refers to a digital printing plant (1) of sheet material (T), said printing plant (1) comprising: a treatment device having a conveyor (2) configured to move the sheet material (T) along an operative section (3) according to an advancement direction (A) and an applicator (12) configured to dispense a treatment composition destined to treat the sheet material (T); a printing station (6) configured to ink-print the sheet material (T) placed on the operative section (3). The treatment device (70) comprises a movement device (40) carrying the applicator (12) and configured to move this latter, at least during a movement of the sheet material (T), along a direction parallel to the advancement direction (A). Moreover, the present invention refers to a printing process using said plant.