Processing machine for processing sheets, and method for processing sheets

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11858255-B2
Application number	US-202017433621-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 28, 2020
Priority date	Jul 17, 2019
Publication date	Jan 2, 2024
Grant date	Jan 2, 2024

Abstract

A processing machine for processing sheets comprises at least one application unit and at least one sheet sensor associated with that application unit. The at least one sheet sensor is arranged upstream of the associated application unit, along a transport path for sheets. The at least one sheet sensor is configured to detect the arrival time of sheets as the position of the sheet sensor. The at least one application unit, in each case, comprises at least one printing couple having a forme cylinder and an individual drive which is associated to that forme cylinder. The at least one sheet sensor is configured to control the position or the rotational speed of the forme cylinder in one of a closed loop or an open loop. The invention also relates to a method for processing sheets.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A processing machine ( 01 ) for processing sheets ( 02 ), comprising at least one application unit ( 600 ) and at least one sheet sensor ( 622 ) associated with the at least one application unit ( 600 ), wherein the at least one sheet sensor ( 622 ) is arranged upstream of the at least one application unit ( 600 ) along a transport path for the sheets ( 02 ), wherein the at least one sheet sensor ( 622 ) is configured to detect an arrival time of the sheets ( 02 ) at a position of the at least one sheet sensor ( 622 ), wherein the at least one application unit ( 600 ) comprises at least one printing couple ( 614 ) having a forme cylinder ( 616 ) and an individual drive which is associated with the forme cylinder ( 616 ), wherein the at least one application unit ( 600 ) has at least one processing point ( 621 ), wherein the at least one sheet sensor ( 622 ) is configured to control a position and/or rotational speed of the forme cylinder ( 616 ) in a closed loop and/or an open loop, and wherein the processing machine ( 01 ) comprises a shaping device ( 900 ) which has a plate cylinder ( 901 ) with an individual drive and has a processing point ( 909 ) associated with the plate cylinder ( 901 ), wherein:
at least one uniquely dedicated sheet sensor ( 622 ) of the at least one sheet sensor ( 622 ) is associated with each at least one application unit ( 600 ), and
upstream of the processing point ( 909 ) of the shaping device ( 900 ), along the transport path for the sheets ( 02 ), at least one additional sheet sensor ( 922 ) is arranged, which is configured for controlling a position and/or rotational speed of the plate cylinder ( 901 ) of the shaping device ( 900 ) in a closed loop and/or an open loop, and in dependence of which the transport speed of the sheets ( 02 ) are able to be adjusted by accelerating and/or decelerating at least one sheet ( 02 ) of the sheets ( 02 ) relative to a processing speed of the processing machine ( 01 ) at a relevant position using at least one part of a transport means ( 700 ) upstream of the processing point ( 909 ) of the shaping device ( 900 ).

2. The processing machine according to claim 1 , characterized in that a master axis value for the sheets ( 02 ), which corresponds to a respective time of detection by the at least one sheet sensor ( 622 ) and the at least one additional sheet sensor ( 922 ), is compared with a master axis value for a position of a forward edge of a printing region of the forme cylinder ( 616 ) or the plate cylinder ( 901 ), and in that in a case of a difference in values between an assigned master axis value for the position of the forward edge of the printing region of the forme cylinder ( 616 ) or the plate cylinder ( 901 ) and an assigned master axis value for a position of a leading edge ( 03 ) and/or at least one register mark ( 16 ; 17 ; 18 ; 19 ; 21 ; 22 ; 23 ; 24 ) and/or one part of a printed image of a sheet ( 02 ), at least one adjustment and/or at least one variation of the assigned master axis value for the position of the forward edge relative to the assigned master axis value for the position of the leading edge ( 03 ) and/or relative to the at least one register mark ( 16 ; 17 ; 18 ; 19 ; 21 ; 22 ; 23 ; 24 ) and/or relative to the at least one part of the printed image of the sheet ( 02 ) is performed, and in that the position of the forward edge is configured as adjustable, and additionally or alternatively the at least one part of the transport means ( 700 ) is configured for accelerating and/or decelerating the sheet ( 02 ).

3. The processing machine according to claim 1 , characterized in that the at least one sheet sensor ( 622 ) is arranged such that the at least one part of the transport means ( 700 ) is arranged between the at least one sheet sensor ( 622 ) and the processing point ( 621 ) of the at least one application unit ( 600 ), and/or the at least one other sheet sensor ( 922 ) is arranged such that the at least one part of the transport means ( 700 ) is arranged between the at least one other sheet sensor ( 922 ) and the processing point ( 909 ) of the shaping device ( 900 ), in that the transport means ( 700 ) is configured as an upper suction transport means ( 700 ), and in that at least one transport roller and/or at least one transport cylinder of the upper suction transport means ( 700 ) is arranged between a respective sheet sensor ( 622 ; 922 ) and a respective processing point ( 621 ; 909 ), with respect to a direction of transport T.

4. The processing machine according to claim 1 , characterized in that the processing machine ( 01 ) has transport means ( 119 ; 136 ; 700 ; 906 ) at one or more locations and in that at least one transport means ( 119 ; 136 ; 700 ; 906 ) of the transport means ( 119 ; 136 ; 700 ; 906 ) is configured to transport the sheets ( 02 ) in a hanging state, and/or in that the at least one sheet sensor ( 622 ) is configured as a leading edge sensor for generating a leading edge signal, and/or in that the at least one sheet sensor ( 622 ) is configured as a trailing edge sensor for generating a trailing edge signal, and/or in that the processing machine ( 01 ) is embodied as a flexographic printing press ( 01 ), and/or in that the at least one application unit ( 600 ) is embodied as a flexographic printing unit ( 600 ), and/or in that the at least one printing couple ( 614 ) is embodied as a flexographic printing couple, and/or in that the at least one sheet sensor ( 622 ) has a sampling frequency of at least 2 kHz (two kilohertz).

5. The processing machine according to claim 1 , characterized in that the forme cylinder ( 616 ) is configured as drivable by and/or is driven by the individual drive, and/or in that the forme cylinder ( 616 ) is driven mechanically independently of every other cylinder and/or roller of the at least one printing couple ( 614 ), and/or in that an impression cylinder ( 617 ) associated with a respective forme cylinder ( 616 ) has a separate individual drive, and/or in that the impression cylinder ( 617 ) is configured to move independently of at least one signal from the at least one sheet sensor ( 622 ), and/or in that a print length (l 2 ) can be adjusted by altering a circumferential speed and/or rotational speed of the forme cylinder ( 616 ) relative to a circumferential speed and/or rotational speed of the impression cylinder ( 617 ) associated with the forme cylinder ( 616 ), and/or in that in a printing operating state, a register can be adjusted in a circumferential direction of the forme cylinder ( 616 ) by a signal from the at least one sheet sensor ( 622 ) associated with the application unit ( 600 ) for controlling the forme cylinder ( 616 ) in a closed loop and/or an open loop.

6. The processing machine according to claim 1 , characterized:
in that the processing machine ( 01 ) has at least one inspection device ( 726 ; 728 ; 916 ), in that the at least one inspection device ( 726 ; 728 ; 916 ) is located downstream of the at least one application unit ( 600 ) in a direction of transport (T), and/or in that the at least one inspection device ( 726 ; 728 ; 916 ) is configured to detect:
at least one register of a printed image, and
additionally or alternatively at least one image forming element on the sheets ( 02 ), and
additionally or alternatively at least one measurement of a print length (l 2 ) of at least one printed image of the at least one sheet ( 02 ) of the sheets ( 02 ), and
additionally or alternatively at least one defect in at least one processing of the at least one sheet ( 02 ) of the sheets ( 02 ), and
additionally or alternatively at least one defect in the at least one printed image of the at least one sheet ( 02 ) of the sheets ( 02 ), and/or

in that the inspection device

Assignees

• Koenig & Bauer Ag

Inventors

• Bernard Andreas
• Geldhauser Rudolf
• Müller Torsten
• Schneider Thomas

Classifications

• B41F33/0036 Primary

  Devices for scanning or checking the printed matter for quality control · CPC title

• B41F5/24

  for flexographic printing · CPC title

• B41F13/004

  Electric or hydraulic features of drives · CPC title

• B41F33/02

  Arrangements of indicating devices, e.g. counters · CPC title

• B41F19/008 Primary

  with means for stamping or cutting out · CPC title