Upstream Inspection for Security Printing Presses

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current security printing machines lack effective mechanisms to detect and eject defective or unprintable security features in unprinted printing materials before the initial printing process, leading to potential errors and increased costs due to incorrect security copies being produced.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating upstream inspection devices, including a transmission inspection device using IR radiation and a reflection inspection device using UV radiation, to check for security features on unprinted printing materials before the first printing point, ensuring that defective sections are recognized and ejected before printing begins.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If inspection devices are installed upstream of the first printing point to detect defective security features, then the reliability of security product production is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvereliability of security product productionVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The inspection devices are positioned upstream of the first printing point to perform preliminary detection of security features before the printing process begins. This allows defective materials to be identified and removed in advance, preventing errors from propagating through subsequent printing operations and ensuring only valid security features are printed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Measurement precision

If transmission inspection using IR radiation and reflection inspection using UV radiation are used to check unprinted substrate, then the measurement precision of security features is improved, but the use of energy increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemeasurement precision of security featuresVSAvoiduse of energy by inspection devices
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The inspection system utilizes different electromagnetic radiation parameters (IR transmission and UV reflection) to detect security features in the unprinted substrate. By changing the radiation type and detection method, the system achieves high measurement precision for identifying security features while managing energy consumption through targeted inspection approaches.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

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 approach significantly reduces the risk of producing incorrect security copies by identifying and removing defective materials before printing, thereby enhancing the accuracy and quality of security products by ensuring that only valid security features are printed.

Implementation Method 1

a transmission inspection device using IR radiation

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectInfrared radiation: Infrared Radiation

Implementation Method 2

a reflection inspection device using UV radiation

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectUltraviolet radiation: Light

Data Source

PatentEP3890978B1Printing press with inspection device and method for manufacturing security documents or their intermediate products
Publication Date: 2022.12.21 KOENIG & BAUER AG
  • EP3890978B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3890978B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3890978B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

The invention relates to a printing press and to a method for producing security paper products or security paper intermediate products with a feed device (01) for feeding unprinted printing material (02) into the printing press, with a plurality of printing units (06; 07; 08; 09), by way of which the unprinted printing material (02) can be printed at one or at a plurality of printing points (11; 12) in an indirect planographic and/or letterpress printing method, wherein at least one inspection device (41) which is configured as a transmission inspection device (41) for the inspection of the printing material (02) which is still unprinted is provided in a conveying path (36) between the feed device (01) and the first printing point (11; 12) which is arranged in the printing material path.