Web Printing Pause Mode Drying Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing printing processes on webs face issues with maintaining print quality when pausing the printing process, leading to improper drying or curing of ink, which results in reduced quality and web wastage due to unprinted portions.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a pause mode where the web continues to be fed through the dryer or curer after printing is paused, ensuring that all printed but uncured ink is dried or cured before halting the web movement, and using a resume mode to reposition unprinted sections upstream for continuous printing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of repair
If the web is paused simultaneously at both printer and dryer during maintenance, then machine maintenance can be performed, but the printing quality deteriorates due to improper drying or curing of ink
Solution Approach 1:
The pausing operation is segmented into two independent phases: first pausing the printer while allowing the web to continue moving through the dryer, then after the printed portion is properly dried, pausing the web feed. This segmentation allows maintenance activities to occur without compromising print quality, as the drying process continues uninterrupted during the printer pause phase.
Solution Approach 2:
The web is allowed to continue moving through the dryer before pausing the web feed, ensuring that the printing is completely dried or cured before the pause is implemented. This preliminary action of maintaining web movement during the critical drying phase prevents quality deterioration while enabling maintenance.
2Ease of repair
If the web feeding is paused immediately when printing is paused, then machine maintenance can be performed, but web wastage increases due to unprinted portions
Solution Approach 1:
The pause operation is divided into two distinct stages: Stage 1 pauses only the printer while web feeding continues, and Stage 2 pauses the web feeding only after the printed portion has been dried. This segmentation eliminates web wastage by ensuring that unprinted web is not discarded, and maintenance can be performed during Stage 1 when the system is stable.
3Manufacturing precision
If the web continues to be fed after printing is paused but before drying is complete, then print quality is maintained, but the pause mode becomes more complex to control
Solution Approach 1:
The control system continuously monitors the drying status of the printed web and uses this feedback to determine when to transition from the first pause stage (printer paused, web feeding continues) to the second pause stage (web feeding paused). This feedback mechanism automates the complex timing requirements, maintaining print quality while reducing the burden on operators to manually coordinate the multi-stage pause sequence.
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 method maintains print quality during pauses and reduces web wastage by ensuring all printed sections are properly dried or cured, allowing for seamless resumption of printing without missing sections or duplicating prints.
Implementation Method 1
drying or curing the printing with a dryer or curer located downstream
Implementation Method 2
drying or curing the printing with a dryer or curer located downstream
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
Method and means of printing on a web. The method means comprise in a normal mode: feeding the web in a machine direction; printing on the web with a printer; and drying or curing the printing with a dryer or curer located downstream, with respect to the machine direction, of the printer; and in a pause mode: pausing printing on the web; feeding the web in the machine direction while printing on the web is paused by a distance such that a portion of the web located between the printer and the dryer or curer, the portion having printing thereon that has not yet been cured or dried, is fed through the dryer or curer to dry or cure the printing; and thereafter pausing feeding of the web in the machine direction.