System and method for aligning an inker of a decorator

A method of sensing and correcting an abnormality in a decoration applied to an exterior surface of a container, comprising:

• providing a container;
• providing a decorator that includes:
• an inking assembly including an ink roller having an outer perimeter surface to receive ink, an ink reservoir, a plurality of ink blades configured to travel generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of each of the plurality of ink blades, and an actuator associated with each of the plurality of ink blades which is operable to adjust an amount of linear travel of the ink blade to control an amount of ink transferred from the ink reservoir to a portion of the outer perimeter surface of the ink roller;
• a plate cylinder including a printing plate in a predetermined alignment with respect to the ink roller such that the printing plate receives at least some ink from the ink roller;
• a blanket cylinder including transfer blankets in a predetermined alignment with respect to the plate cylinder such that each of the transfer blankets receives at least some ink from the printing plate;
• and
• a support element to receive the container from a conveyor and move the container into contact with a transfer blanket of the blanket cylinder to transfer at least some ink from the transfer blanket to the exterior surface of the container;
• retrieving from a database, by a control system, an image of the decoration to be applied to the container;
• determining, by the control system, initial positions for each of the plurality of ink blades based on the image;
• sending signals, by the control system, to actuators associated with each of the plurality of ink blades to move each ink blade to its initial position;
• decorating the container with the decorator;
• transferring the decorated container to an oven to cure ink used to create the decoration;
• obtaining data about the decoration on the exterior surface of the container by at least one sensor, wherein the at least one sensor is positioned downstream from the oven;
• determining, by the control system, if the decoration includes an abnormality, wherein the control system evaluates a plurality of data points associated with multiple target areas received from the at least one sensor, wherein at least one of the multiple target areas is associated with one of the plurality of ink blades;
• and
• sending, by the control system, a signal to the decorator to alter at least one of a color, a density, a thickness, an alignment, and a consistency of decorations formed on subsequent containers.

A non-transitory computer readable medium provided on a storage medium and having instructions that when executed by a processor of a control system cause the processor to perform a method of sensing and correcting an abnormality in a decoration formed on a cylindrical surface of a container by a decorator, comprising:

• instructions to retrieve an image of the decoration from a database;
• instructions to determine initial positions for each of a plurality of ink blades of an inking assembly of the decorator based on the image;
• instructions to send a signal to an actuator associated with each of the plurality of ink blades, the signal causing each actuator to move an associated ink blade to its initial position;
• instructions to receive data from a sensor related to the decoration formed on the cylindrical surface of the container after the container has passed through an oven to cure ink used to create the decoration;
• instructions to evaluate a plurality of data points associated with a plurality of target areas in the data received from the sensor, wherein at least one of the plurality of target areas is associated with one of the plurality of ink blades;
• instructions to determine if the decoration includes an abnormality related to at least one of a color, a density, a thickness, an alignment, and a consistency of the decoration;
• and
• instructions to send a signal to the decorator to alter at least one of a color, a density, a thickness, an alignment, and a consistency of subsequent decorations formed by the decorator, wherein the signal causes an actuator to move an ink blade of the plurality of ink blades in a direction generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the ink blade and generally linearly relative to an ink roller of the decorator to alter an amount of ink transferred to the ink roller, wherein the ink blade includes a body between a first endwall and a second endwall, and wherein the actuator includes a shaft with a first end extending from the actuator and a second end that extends to the first endwall.