Method for printing a web of packaging material and an apparatus thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11370629-B2
Application number	US-201917415381-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2019
Priority date	Dec 21, 2018
Publication date	Jun 28, 2022
Grant date	Jun 28, 2022

Abstract

A method for printing a web of packaging material for packages holding liquid food products is provided. The method comprises receiving a web of packaging material, identifying a first register mark using a first sensor, determining a first register mark position based on the first register mark, determining a second register mark position area based on the first register mark position, identifying a second register mark within the second register mark position area using a second sensor and determining a second register mark position for the second register mark, determining a second area position of the second area based on the second register mark position, adjusting the web in relation to printer bars in accordance with the second area position, determining a second area position of the second area based on the second register mark position, and printing the second area by using the printer bars.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for printing a web of packaging material for packages holding liquid food products, wherein the web comprises a number of blanks placed after one another, wherein each blank corresponds to one package, and wherein each of the blanks comprises a first area that is pre-printed and a second area to be printed, the method comprising:
receiving the web of packaging material,
identifying a first register mark using a first sensor,
determining a first register mark position based on the first register mark,
determining a second register mark position area based on the first register mark position,
identifying a second register mark within the second register mark position area using a second sensor and determining a second register mark position for the second register mark,
determining a second area position of the second area based on the second register mark position,
adjusting the web in relation to printer bars in accordance with the second area position, and
printing the second area by using the printer bars.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first sensor comprises a first number of pixels, the second sensor comprises a second number of pixels, wherein the second number of pixels is greater than the first number of pixels.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the second register mark is invisible for a human eye in daylight conditions.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of receiving the web of packaging material comprises:
receiving a reel holding the web of packaging material,
reading reel information from an information tag attached to the reel,
transferring the reel information to a server, and
receiving a first register mark position setpoint and/or a second register mark position setpoint from the server.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the packaging material is a carton-based packaging material comprising at least one carton layer, an inner plastic layer and an outer plastic layer, wherein the first register mark and the second register mark are provided in the at least one carton layer.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first area is off-site printed.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the second area is printed by using digital printing in a printing module placed upstream from a filling machine arranged for producing the packages based on the web of packaging material.

8. A printing module for printing a web of packaging material for packages holding liquid food products, wherein the web comprises a number of blanks placed after one another, wherein each blank corresponds to one package, and wherein each of the blanks comprises a first area that is pre-printed and a second area to be printed, the printing module comprising:
a packaging material receiver arranged to receive the web of packaging material,
a first sensor for identifying a first register mark,
a processing device configured to determine a first register mark position based on the first register mark, determine a second register mark position area based on the first register mark position,
a second sensor for identifying a second register mark within the second register mark position area,
wherein the processing device is further configured to determine a second register mark position for the second register mark, and determine a second area position of the second area based on the second register mark position,
printer bars arranged for printing the second area, and
an adjustment device arranged to adjust the web in relation to the printer bars in accordance with the second area position.

9. The printing module according to claim 8 , wherein the first sensor comprises a first number of pixels, the second sensor comprises a second number of pixels, and wherein the second number of pixels is greater than the first number of pixels.

10. The printing module according to claim 8 , wherein the second register mark is invisible for a human eye in daylight conditions.

11. The printing module according to claim 8 , wherein the packaging material receiver comprises:
a reel holder arranged to receive a reel holding the web of packaging material,
a tag reader arranged to read reel information from a tag attached to the reel, and
a data communications device configured to transfer the reel information to a server, and to receive a first register mark position setpoint and/or a second register mark position setpoint from the server.

12. The printing module according to claim 8 , wherein the packaging material is a carton-based packaging material comprising at least one carton layer, an inner plastic layer and an outer plastic layer, and wherein the first register mark and the second register mark are provided in the at least one carton layer.

13. The printing module according to claim 8 , wherein the first area is off-site printed.

14. The printing module according to claim 8 , wherein the second area is printed by using digital printing, and wherein the printing module is placed upstream from a filling machine arranged for producing the packages based on the web of packaging material.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions which, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to carry out the method according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance

Inventors

• Shourvarzi Keyvan
• Harder Anna
• Scarabelli Paolo

Classifications

• B65B57/02

  responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages · CPC title

• B65B57/00

  Automatic control, checking, warning, or safety devices (registering wrapping or container-forming material fed from rolls B65B41/18) · CPC title

• B65H2553/52

  RFID sensor · CPC title

• B65H2801/69

  Form fill-and-seal machines · CPC title

• B65H2301/5111

  Printing; Marking · CPC title