Printing Unit Layout for Magnetic Particle Alignment and UV Curing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing printing technologies struggle to efficiently apply and cure coating agents with magnetic or magnetizable particles to substrates while maintaining high resolution and simplicity, particularly in generating optical effects dependent on viewing angle.
Innovation Solution
A printing unit is designed with a tool-dependent printing nip, a non-impact printing position, and a curing device, where the substrate transport path is defined by alignment cylinders, allowing for the application of coating agents with alignable particles and selective curing using print heads, ensuring high resolution and simplicity in adding image information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a layer of cross-linkable coating agent comprising magnetic or magnetizable particles is applied by screen printing and aligned by an alignment device, then optical effects dependent on viewing angle are generated, but the process requires multiple printing steps and curing operations that increase device complexity and production time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines screen printing and inkjet printing into a single integrated printing unit, where the screen printing forme cylinder and inkjet print head are positioned to operate simultaneously on the substrate. This merging eliminates the need for separate printing machines and multiple curing operations, reducing device complexity while maintaining the ability to generate optical effects through particle alignment.
Solution Approach 2:
The inkjet print head applies a further layer of coating agent that contains cross-linking agents or additives in advance, before the final curing step. This preliminary action ensures that all necessary components for curing and optical effect generation are already in place, allowing for a more efficient single-pass curing process that reduces production time and operational complexity.
2Manufacturing precision
If a further layer is applied by ink jet printing device after screen printing, then color information and image details are added, but the parallel orientation of magnetic particles is partially canceled requiring re-alignment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions the inkjet print head and screen printing forme cylinder to operate simultaneously and cooperatively. The inkjet print head applies additional coating material precisely where needed without disrupting the magnetic particle orientation achieved by the screen printing process, as both operations occur in the same printing pass with coordinated timing and positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The inkjet print head applies the further layer of coating agent only in specific localized areas where additional color information or image details are required, rather than covering the entire substrate. This localized application minimizes disruption to the magnetic particle orientation in areas where high-resolution image information is not needed, maintaining particle alignment stability.
3Illumination intensity
If thick coating layers are applied to enable optical effects, then viewing angle dependency is enhanced, but the curing process becomes more difficult and may require selective curing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates cross-linking agents or additives in the coating agent that modify the curing characteristics of the material. These parameter changes enable the thick coating layers to be cured effectively even with the viewing angle dependency requirements, as the modified coating agent responds appropriately to the curing radiation while maintaining the optical effects.
Solution Approach 2:
The inkjet print head applies cross-linking agents or additives in advance to specific areas of the substrate before the final curing step. This preliminary preparation ensures that the thick coating layers contain the necessary components for effective curing, making the subsequent curing process easier and more controllable, and enabling selective curing where needed.
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 design enables the generation of image information with high resolution and simplicity by applying coating agents with alignable particles and selectively curing them, without influencing color properties, and allows for the creation of thick layers with easily visible effects.
Implementation Method 1
at least one first alignment cylinder, which, in the region of the outer circumference thereof, comprises a plurality of elements inducing a magnetic field
Implementation Method 2
apply coating agent comprising magnetic or magnetizable particles to substrate and then align the particles by means of an alignment device operating, for example, with magnetic fields
Implementation Method 3
these particles are oriented parallel to one another by means of an alignment device, wherein thereafter a further layer is applied by means of an ink jet printing device and in the process the parallel orientation of these particles is partially canceled again, and wherein thereafter the layer of the coating agent is cross-linked by means of radiation
Data Source
AI summary
Examples include a printing unit, which has at least one first tool-dependent printing nip formed by a pair of cooperating rotational bodies. The printing unit includes, downstream from the first tool-dependent printing nip, along a transport path provided for a transport of substrate, at least one first alignment cylinder and at least one first non-impact printing position, to which at least one first print head is assigned. The printing unit further includes, downstream from the first non-impact printing position, along the transport path provided for the transport of substrate, at least one first curing device having a first curing area assigned thereto. Additionally, in the region of the first non-impact printing position, the transport path provided for the transport of substrate is defined by the first alignment cylinder or a rotational transport body arranged directly upstream from the first alignment cylinder.