Apparatus and method for controlling direct printing machines

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10144237-B2
Application number	US-201515523016-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 5, 2015
Priority date	Nov 6, 2014
Publication date	Dec 4, 2018
Grant date	Dec 4, 2018

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for printing objects, in particular containers, wherein the containers are transported along a specified transport path, and the outer surface of the containers is printed at least temporarily by means of at least one printing unit, wherein a controller controls the printing of the containers by means of the at least one printing unit on the basis of at least one printing parameter. According to the invention, at least one object to be printed is printed with at least one test marking in order to ascertain the printing parameter, and the object provided with the test marking is then inspected by means of at least one inspection device, wherein the printing parameter is derived from the result of the inspection.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for printing objects, in particular containers, including applying prints to the containers, wherein the containers are transported along a specified transport path, and the outer surface of the containers is printed at least temporarily by at least one printing unit, wherein a controller controls the printing of the containers by the at least one printing unit on the basis of at least one printing parameter, wherein at least one object to be printed is printed with at least one test marking in order to ascertain the printing parameter, and the object provided with the test marking is then inspected by at least one inspection device, wherein the printing parameter is derived from the result of the inspection, wherein the prints are checked by a test program, which automatically requests a user to check the at least one printing unit, and wherein the test is run before production and/or specific test cycles are used.

2. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the printing of the object with the test marking takes place in the context of a test mode.

3. Method according to claim 1 , wherein a further object is printed with the test marking.

4. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the test marking is compared with at least one reference value.

5. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the container is printed by at least two printing units.

6. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the inspection device performs an evaluation of at least one colour property of the marking.

7. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the inspection device is suitable and intended for detecting at least one defect of the test marking.

8. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the inspection device inspects the test marking by means of an inspection element which is selected from a group of inspection elements which includes spectrophotometers, densitometers, in particular colour densitometers and spectral densitometers.

9. Apparatus for printing objects and in particular containers, with a transport device which transports the objects along a predetermined transport path, with at least one printing unit, which is suitable and intended for applying a print to an outer wall of the object in the context of a working operation, and with a control device for controlling a first printing unit of the at least one printing unit, characterised in that the first printing unit is suitable and intended for applying at least one test marking to an outer surface of the object in the context of a test operation, and with a first inspection device for inspecting the objects printed with the test marking, wherein the first inspection device is arranged downstream of the first printing unit in the transport direction of the objects and outputs at least one inspection result which can be used by the control device for controlling the first printing unit, wherein the prints are checked by a test program, which automatically requests a user to check the at least one printing unit, and wherein the test is run before production and/or specific test cycles are used.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the apparatus has at least one second inspection device which is suitable and intended for inspecting prints applied to the objects during a working operation.

11. Apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the apparatus comprises an inspection device which is used in the working operation that can meet different criteria than an inspection device used in the test operation.

12. Apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the apparatus has an illumination device which illuminates the containers during an inspection thereof by the first inspection device.

13. Apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the first inspection device is movable between a working position and a rest position.

14. Apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein after the test is run the at least one first inspection device is moved or driven into a protection region.

15. Apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the protection region protects by the first inspection device by overpressure against a spray mist caused by a printing operation.

16. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the test marking is a test wedge and/or the test marking has a test wedge.

17. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the inspection device has a color camera or a related image recording device that is suitable for recording spatially resolved images.

18. Method according to claim 1 , wherein in a normal working operation a color camera is used and for the test mode an inspection device is used.

19. Method according to claim 1 , wherein color and position adjustments are carried out quickly and precisely with a defined criteria by an automated optimization loop.

20. Method according to claim 1 , wherein an optimization loop takes place during an ongoing production without having to initiate a special procedure.

21. A method for printing objects and in particular containers, wherein the containers are transported along a predetermined transport path, and an outer surface of the containers is printed at least temporarily by at least one printing unit, wherein a controller controls the printing of the containers by the at least one printing unit on the basis of at least one printing parameter, wherein at least one object to be printed is printed with at least one test marking in order to ascertain the at least one printing parameter, and the at least one object with the test marking is subsequently inspected by at least one inspection device, wherein the at least one printing parameter is derived from a result of the inspection, wherein the printing of the object with the test marking takes place in the context of a test mode, wherein in the working operation the marking or the print which is to be applied to the containers is checked, wherein for this checking a different inspection device is used from the inspection device used for the test mode, wherein the inspection device used in the working operation meets different criteria than the inspection device used in the test operation.

Assignees

• Krones Ag

Inventors

• Sonnauer Andreas
• Lauterbach Florian
• Lindner Peter

Classifications

• B41J2203/01

  Inspecting a printed medium or a medium to be printed using a sensing device · CPC title

• B41J29/393 Primary

  Devices for controlling or analysing the entire machine {; Controlling or analysing mechanical parameters involving printing of test patterns} · CPC title

• B41J3/4073 Primary

  Printing on three-dimensional objects not being in sheet or web form, e.g. spherical or cubic objects (B41J3/283, B41J3/286 take precedence; building up a 3D object using individual droplets from jetting heads B29C64/112) · CPC title

• B41J3/40733 Primary

  Printing on cylindrical or rotationally symmetrical objects, e. g. on bottles · CPC title