Screen printing device having a screen printing stencil

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11338569-B2
Application number	US-201917255460-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 10, 2019
Priority date	Oct 8, 2018
Publication date	May 24, 2022
Grant date	May 24, 2022

Abstract

A screen printing device has a screen printing stencil. At least two doctor blade systems, each acting on the screen printing stencil are provided. The at least two doctor blade systems are arranged to each apply printing ink to an object to be printed in the same printing process. Each of the doctor blade systems has at least one doctor blade. Each of the doctor blades is arranged to sweep over the screen printing stencil. Each of the doctor blade systems is individually controlled by a control unit. The at least one doctor blade of each of the doctor blade systems is moved by a robot. At least respective two-dimensional motion paths of the doctor blades of each doctor blade system are each freely programmed and are established by control of the robot.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A screen printing device comprising:
a single screen printing stencil;
at least first and second separate squeegee systems, each of the at least first and second separate squeegee systems acting independently on the single screen printing stencil, each of the at least first and second separate squeegee systems being positioned to apply printing ink, in a single printing process, to an object to be printed, each of the at least first and second separate squeegee systems each having at least one squeegee, wherein each of the at least one squeegee in each of the at least first and second separate squeegee systems is positioned to sweep independently over the single screen printing stencil;
a control unit for individually, separately controlling each of the at least first and second separate squeegee systems independently of each other;
wherein the at least one squeegee of each of the at least first and second separate squeegee systems is moved by a respective separate one of a first and second robot; wherein a respective at least two-dimensional, mutually individual motion sequence of the respective at least one squeegee of each of the at least first and second separate squeegee systems, by mutually independent individual motion sequence of each of the respective ones of the first and second robots, is individually programmed and is separately controlled by the control unit; and
wherein each of respective ones of the first and second separately controlled robots is configured as a multiple parallel arm robot having delta kinematics.

2. The screen printing device according to claim 1 , wherein the respective motion path of the respective at least one squeegee of each of the at least first and second squeegee system is specified based on contours of the object to be printed by the screen printing device.

3. The screen printing device according to claim 1 , wherein the single screen printing stencil is one of configured as a flat screen printing stencil and is enclosed in a stationary frame.

4. The screen printing device according to claim 1 , wherein the multiple arms of each of the respective first and second robots are each connected by articulated joints to a respective one of a first and a second base, wherein the respective base of each of the respective first and second robots is arranged above moving parts of each of the first and second robots and wherein the multiple arms of each of the first and second robots each extend downward from the respective one of the first and second bases, wherein lower ends of the multiple arms of each of the first and second robots are connected to a gripper platform for each of the first and second robots, which gripper platform is smaller than the respective one of the first and second bases, wherein the at least one squeegee of each of the at least first and second squeegee systems acting on the single screen printing stencil is connected to the respective gripper platform that is moved by the relevant multiple arms of each of the first and second robots, wherein, as a drive for a motion to be executed by at least one of the multiple arms of each of the first and second of the respective robot, at least one motor, which is controlled by the control unit, is arranged in the respective one of the first and second bases.

5. The screen printing device according to claim 1 , wherein each at least one squeegee of each of the at least first and second squeegee systems is guided within a separate one of first and second planes, wherein the first and second planes are arranged being spaced apart from one another and parallel to one another.

6. The screen printing device according to claim 5 , wherein, with respect to a longitudinal axis of the object to be printed, the mutually parallel ones of the separate first and second planes are arranged one behind the other.

7. The screen printing device according to claim 1 , wherein one of a squeegee pressure and a squeegee position and a squeegee speed are adjusted individually in each of the at least first and second squeegee systems.

8. A method for using a screen printing device according to claim 1 , including using the screen printing device for printing at least one object, with each object being configured as one of a hollow object and as a round object.

9. The method according to claim 8 , further including measuring at least the contours of the at least one object to be printed, specifying a respective motion path of the respective at least one squeegee of each of the at least first and second squeegee systems, based on the measuring results, using a program, and controlling the relevant robot using the control unit in accordance with the program.

10. The method according to claim 8 , wherein, if the contours of the at least one object to be printed are one of uneven and discontinuous, deploying the respective at least one squeegee of each of the at least first and second squeegee systems on the single screen printing stencil only at selected positions of a print image that is to be applied to the at least one object to be printed, and being positioned to sweep over the single screen printing stencil.

11. The method according to claim 8 , further including deploying each of the respective at least one squeegee of each of the at least first and second squeegee systems in the printing process one of alternatingly and at staggered intervals.

12. One of a linear printing press and a rotary table printing press, each having at least one screen printing device according to claim 1 , and each having a transport system, wherein the object to be printed is held in the transport system and is guided by the transport system through the printing press, wherein the object to be printed is positioned by the transport system, during the printing process, at the single screen printing stencil of the screen printing device located in the printing press.

13. The one of the linear printing press and the rotary table printing press according to claim 12 , wherein, during a printing process, the object to be printed is positioned by the transport system beneath the single screen printing stencil of the screen printing device arranged in the printing press.

14. The one of the linear printing press and the rotary table printing press according to claim 12 , wherein a respective one of first and second bases of each of the respective first and second robots is arranged fixedly on a mounting frame of the one of the linear printing press and the rotary table printing press.

15. A method for using one of the linear printing press and the rotary table printing press according to claim 12 one of wherein the screen printing device, which is arranged in the one of the linear printing press and in the rotary table printing press, is used in an industrial printing process for printing mass-produced articles and wherein, in the one of the linear printing press and in the rotary table printing press, between 300 and 600 objects per minute are printed in succession by the screen printing device.

Assignees

• Koenig & Bauer Ag

Inventors

• Jeretzky Gerald
• Redeker Ralf-Rudi

Classifications

• B41F15/0895

  for printing on curved surfaces not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B41F15/423 Primary

  Driving means for reciprocating squeegees · CPC title

• B41F15/0872

  for printing on articles having essentially cylindrical surfaces · CPC title

• B41F15/0863

  with a plurality of flat screens mounted on a turntable · CPC title

• B41F15/0877

  of varying cross-section · CPC title