Dual-Actuator Tension Control for Roll-to-Roll Printing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing roll-to-roll printing apparatuses face limitations in achieving fine control of tension due to the large inertia of drive rolls and restricted range of operation in compensator roll methods, leading to reduced overlay printing accuracy.
Innovation Solution
A roll-to-roll printing apparatus with a dancer actuator having significantly small mass and inertia, combined with a tension detection device and control system, allows for precise tension control by using the dancer actuator to suppress tension variations in high and low frequency bands.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If drive rolls with large inertia are used to control tension, then the tension control range is extended, but the response speed and fine control capability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The tension control function is segmented between two types of actuators: drive rolls for coarse control and dancer actuators for fine control. This division allows each component to optimize its performance for its specific control range, resolving the contradiction between control range and response speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The dancer actuator serves as an intermediary device between the drive rolls and the base material tension control. It has small mass and inertia, enabling fast response, while the drive rolls provide the necessary control range. The dancer actuator mediates the control signals to achieve both wide range and high speed performance.
2Manufacturing precision
If compensator roll method is used to control tension, then the fine control capability is improved, but the control range is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the compensator roll method (dancer actuator) with drive roll control into a unified dual-control system. The dancer actuator provides fine control for high precision, while the drive rolls extend the control range, achieving both precision and versatility simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the control system are assigned different control characteristics: the dancer actuator handles local fine adjustments for precision, while the drive rolls handle broader range adjustments. This local specialization resolves the contradiction between fine control capability and control range.
3Speed
If dancer actuator with small mass and inertia is used, then the response speed is improved, but the control authority is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The control authority is segmented between drive rolls and dancer actuators. The drive rolls provide the necessary control authority for large tension variations, while the lightweight dancer actuators provide fast response for fine adjustments. This segmentation resolves the contradiction between response speed and control authority.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~4
AI summary
In order to provide, to a roll-to-roll printing apparatus which seamlessly performs printing on a base material using a roll-to-roll method, performance for finely controlling the tension of the base material, the roll-to-roll printing apparatus includes a drive roll (74) that supplies a base material (B) to a plate cylinder, a drive roll actuator that rotates the drive roll (74), a dancer actuator (84) that changes a path line length of the base material (B) to vary the tension of the base material (B), a tension detection device (78) that detects the tension of the base material (B), and a tension control device (80) that controls the drive roll actuator and the dancer actuator (84) in accordance with a result of the detection by the tension detection device (78) to compensate for a variation in the tension of the base material (B). When compensating for the variation in the tension of the base material (B), the tension control device (80) uses the drive roll actuator to perform relatively rough control, while using the dancer actuator (84) to perform relatively fine control.