Printing System Synchronizing Book Body and Cover Output Orders

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional printing systems face challenges in ensuring correct correspondence and efficient bookbinding of book bodies and covers, especially when printing multiple models in small lots, leading to potential mistakes and increased storage costs due to the need for precise alignment and handling of book components.

Innovation Solution

A printing system with separate sections for book bodies and covers, each equipped with distinct printing machines, utilizes a print control apparatus to generate and manage printing order data ensuring that the output of book bodies and covers align correctly for bookbinding, using continuous feed and sheet-fed printing machines and additional processing capabilities.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If book bodies and covers are printed using different printing machines with separate output sequences, then printing flexibility and specialization are improved, but maintaining correct correspondence between book bodies and covers during bookbinding becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprinting flexibilityVSAvoidcorrespondence accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses identification information (barcodes) printed on book bodies and covers to provide feedback to the bookbinding machine. The bookbinding machine reads this information to automatically determine the correct correspondence and insertion order, ensuring accurate matching between book bodies and covers even when printed on different machines with different output sequences.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

Identification information (barcodes) serves as an intermediary between the printing section and the bookbinding machine. This intermediary carries the necessary correspondence data, allowing the bookbinding machine to correctly match book bodies and covers without direct coordination between the printing machines and bookbinding process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Manufacturing precision

If covers are restacked in reverse order to ensure correct bookbinding sequence, then bookbinding accuracy is improved, but additional manual work and time are required

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebookbinding accuracyVSAvoidoperational simplicity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The bookbinding machine performs self-service by automatically reading identification information from book bodies and covers, determining the correct insertion order, and executing the bookbinding process without manual intervention for restacking. The system autonomously manages the correspondence between components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The manual mechanical process of restacking covers in reverse order is replaced by an automated information-based system. The bookbinding machine uses optical reading of barcodes and automated control to determine insertion order, substituting manual mechanical restacking operations with automated information processing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Extent of automation

If all covers are stored in an automatic warehouse to enable automated retrieval and bookbinding, then automation level is improved, but storage costs and system complexity increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveautomation levelVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Extent of automationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts the essential function of automated retrieval from the complex automatic warehouse system. Instead of storing all covers in a centralized automated warehouse, the system uses identification information on each cover to enable selective retrieval and direct delivery to the bookbinding machine, removing the need for comprehensive automated storage infrastructure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The identification information system serves multiple functions: it identifies book bodies, identifies covers, determines correspondence between them, and controls the bookbinding sequence. This multi-functional approach replaces the need for complex dedicated automated warehouse systems with a simpler universal information-based control mechanism.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS11801706B2Printing system

Publication Date: 2023.10.31 SCREEN HOLDINGS CO LTD

AI summary

A printing system includes a book body printing section including a book body printing machine and outputting book bodies sequentially, and a cover printing section including a cover printing machine and outputting covers sequentially. The book body printing machine and the cover printing machine respectively receive printing order data indicating a printing order with regard to a plurality of jobs from a print control apparatus, and perform printing in the printing order indicated by the printing order data. The print control apparatus generates the printing order data, so that an inserting order in unit of job to a bookbinding machine of the book bodies output from the book body printing section coincides with an inserting order in unit of job to the bookbinding machine of the covers output from the cover printing section.