Water-Soluble Packaging Two-Stage Printing Process
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for producing water-soluble packaging with printed images face challenges in achieving high-quality, precise image positioning, particularly when using flexographic printing, which requires complex setup and is time-consuming, especially for multi-color printing and guiding flexible film webs.
Innovation Solution
A two-stage printing process is employed, where a first print is applied using a roller printing unit for background and large-area designs, and a second print is applied using a digital printer for precise positioning, allowing for high-quality and accurate placement of critical image elements, with the digital printer enabling precise alignment and correction of positioning inaccuracies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If flexographic printing is used to print on water-soluble films, then high-quality opaque print images can be achieved, but complex setup and precise positioning relative to the cavity and product becomes time-consuming and difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The printing process is divided into two distinct stages: a first printing step using a roller printing unit for initial print application, and a second printing step using a digital printer for precise positioning corrections. This segmentation allows each printing method to optimize for its strengths while collectively achieving both quality and precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The first printing step applies the initial print image before the second printing step. This preliminary action establishes the base print layer, allowing the subsequent digital printing step to focus solely on precise positioning adjustments without needing to print the entire image from scratch.
2Measurement precision
If multiple printheads are used for multi-color digital printing, then precise positioning can be achieved, but guiding the flexible film webs becomes difficult and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The printing system is segmented into a roller printing unit for initial print application and a digital printer for precise positioning. This division simplifies the overall system complexity by assigning different functions to different devices, avoiding the need for a single complex multi-printhead system to handle both quality and positioning requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The first print applied by the roller printing unit serves as an intermediary layer that facilitates the second printing step. This intermediate print layer provides a stable base for the digital printer to apply precise positioning adjustments, making the film guidance process more manageable compared to attempting direct precise positioning from multiple printheads.
3Strength
If the film is printed before cavity formation, then the film material acts as a protective layer, but precise positioning of the print image relative to the cavity and product becomes more challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The printing process is segmented into two steps: the first printing step applies the initial print when the film serves as a protective layer during cavity formation, and the second printing step applies precise positioning adjustments after the cavity is formed. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by separating the protective function from the precise positioning function in time.
Solution Approach 2:
The first printing step is performed as a preliminary action before cavity formation, allowing the printed film to serve as a protective layer during the cavity formation process. The second printing step then compensates for any positioning shifts that occur during cavity formation, ensuring final precision is achieved.
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for producing a water-soluble packaging (1) which comprises a product (23), preferably a laundry detergent product or a dishwasher detergent product, and a water-soluble shell which is formed from a water-soluble base film (19) and a water-soluble cover film (27), wherein the method comprises the following steps: a) supplying a first film web (10) in order to provide the base film (19); b) moulding a cavity (21) into the base film (19); c) filling the cavity (21) with the product (23); d) supplying a second film web (25) in order to provide the cover film (27); e) sealing the cavity (21) that is filled with the product (23) with the cover film (27); and f) printing the cover film (27) and/or the base film (19). The printing is carried out in a first printing step and in at least one second printing step. The method is characterised in that a first print is generated in the first printing step by means of a roller printing unit (13) and a second print is generated in second printing step by means of a digital printer (28).