US 11,376,866 B1 · Process for optimization of cure settings in the printing of images on transparent and semi-transparent media

Abstract

A process is disclosed to precisely control the total amount of UV energy applied to images printed onto the exterior of a 3D object, such as a container like a wine bottle. The process includes establishing a UV dosage energy value to optimally cure an applied layer of ink expressed via an inkjet printing head onto the surface of the object, doing a partial cure of a printed ink layer, using a formula to calculate a power scale factor for the printed 3D object, and then based on the power scale factor tailoring a final cure step by controlling the amount of UV energy applied to the object to obtain an optimum cure result on the 3D object. The process allows for the control of a number of variables in the printing system to consistently apply an optimal amount of UV energy to the printed images.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A process for utilizing a power scale factor to control curing of an inked image applied to the surface of a 3D object transparent media, comprising the steps of:

a. establishing a UV dosage energy amount to optimally cure an expressed image applied onto the exterior of a 3D object transparent media, wherein said step of establishing said optimal UV dosage amount comprises recursively applying UV light energy to said 3D object transparent media exterior painted with a UV curable inked image until the entirety of said ink in said image hardens to a permanence level optimized for longevity without sacrificing appearance, and recording said UV light energy amount;
b. expressing said image onto the exterior of a piece of 3D object transparent media while rotating said media;
c. exposing the exterior of said 3D object transparent media to a UV cure lamp while rotating and moving said media along its rotational axis in proximity to said cure lamp until said expressed image partially cures into a gelled state;
d. calculating a percentage of said recorded optimal UV dosage amount applied to said 3D object media during said partial curing step;
e. moving said 3D object media along its rotational axis into proximity to a UV curing lamp and exposing said expressed image to UV light to achieve final curing of said image on said media;
and,
f. wherein said final curing step comprises the step of reducing said recorded UV optimal dosage energy amount by the calculated percentage of energy applied during said partial curing step and applying said reduced UV energy amount to said 3D object transparent media during said final curing step.

4 more elements

A process for utilizing a power scale factor to control curing of an inked image applied to the surface of transparent media, comprising the steps of:

a. establishing a UV dosage energy amount to optimally cure an expressed image onto the exterior of transparent media;
b. expressing an image onto the exterior of said media while rotating said media;
c. exposing the exterior of said transparent media to a UV cure lamp while rotating and moving said media along its rotational axis in proximity to said cure lamp until said expressed image partially cures into a gelled state;
d. calculating a percentage of said UV optimal dosage amount applied to said media during said partial curing step;
e. moving said media along its rotational axis into proximity to a UV curing lamp and exposing said expressed image to UV light to achieve final curing of said image on said media;
and,
f. wherein said final curing step is tailored responsive to said calculated optimal percentage step such that said established UV optimal dosage energy amount is substantially met, and wherein said tailoring step is based upon a power scale factor calculated in accordance with the formula:
Power
⁢
⁢
Scale
⁢
⁢
Factor
=
(
Rotaional
⁢
⁢
Speed
⁢
⁢
of
⁢
⁢
Media
)
×
(
Step
⁢
⁢
Distance
⁢
⁢
per
⁢
⁢
Media
⁢
⁢
Revolution
)
×
(
Media
⁢
⁢
Perimeter
)
×
(
Dose
⁢
⁢
density
)
(
Distance
⁢
⁢
of
⁢
⁢
Exposure
)
×
(
Power
⁢
⁢
Density
⁢
⁢
of
⁢
⁢
UV
⁢
⁢
Lamp
)
×
(
Lamp
⁢
⁢
Width
)
where Rotational Speed of Media represents the rotational speed of said media in revolutions per second during said partial curing step;
where Step Distance per Media Revolution represents the distance that the media traverses along its rotational axis during said partial cure step during each revolution of said media in mm per revolution;
where Media Perimeter represents the circumference of said media at the location of the expressed image on the surface of said media measured in mm;
where Dose density represents the determined optimal dosage power density in m Joules per cm2 for the expressed image;
where Distance of Exposure represents the lesser of the maximum image height as measured along the axis of rotation of said media and the curing lamp length in mm;
where Power Density of UV Lamp represents the total power output in the curing lamp in mW per cm2;
and,
where Lamp Width represents the curing lamp width in mm.

94 more elements

A process for utilizing a power scale factor to control curing of an inked image applied to the surface of transparent media, comprising the steps of:

a. establishing a UV dosage energy amount to optimally cure an expressed image onto the exterior of transparent media;
b. expressing an image onto the exterior of said media while rotating said media;
c. exposing the exterior of said transparent media to a UV cure lamp while rotating and moving said media along its rotational axis in proximity to said cure lamp until said expressed image partially cures into a gelled state;
d. calculating a percentage of said UV optimal dosage amount applied to said media during said partial curing step;
e. moving said media along its rotational axis into proximity to a UV curing lamp and exposing said expressed image to UV light to achieve final curing of said image on said media;
f. wherein said final curing step is tailored responsive to said calculated optimal percentage step such that said established UV optimal dosage energy amount is substantially met and,
wherein said tailoring step is based upon a power scale factor calculated in accordance with the formula:
Power
⁢
⁢
Scale
⁢
⁢
Factor
=
(
UV
⁢
⁢
Dosage
⁢
⁢
Applied
⁢
⁢
to
⁢
⁢
Expressed
Image
⁢
⁢
During
⁢
⁢
Partial
⁢
⁢
Curing
)
(
Time
⁢
⁢
of
⁢
⁢
Exposure
)
×
(
Power
⁢
⁢
Density
⁢
⁢
of
⁢
⁢
the
⁢
⁢
UV
⁢
⁢
Lamp
)
where UV Dosage Applied represents the total amount of UV energy applied over the expressed image during said partial curing step in m Joules;
where the Time of Exposure represents the total amount of time in seconds that the expressed image is exposed within a UV illumination zone during said partial curing step;
and,
where Power Density of the UV Lamp represents the total power output of a curing lamp used in said partial curing step in mW per cm2.

69 more elements

A process for utilizing a power scale factor to control curing of an inked image applied to the surface of transparent media, comprising the steps of:

a. establishing a UV dosage energy amount to optimally cure an expressed image onto the exterior of transparent media;
b. expressing an image onto the exterior of said media while rotating said media;
c. exposing the exterior of said transparent media to a UV cure lamp while rotating and moving said media along its rotational axis in proximity to said cure lamp until said expressed image partially cures into a gelled state;
d. calculating a percentage of said UV optimal dosage amount applied to said media during said partial curing step;
e. moving said media along its rotational axis into proximity to a UV curing lamp and exposing said expressed image to UV light to achieve final curing of said image on said media;
f. wherein said final curing step is tailored responsive to said calculated optimal percentage step such that said established UV optimal dosage energy amount is substantially met and,
wherein said tailoring step comprises the steps of;
i. calculating the amount of UV energy applied to said expressed image during said partial curing step;
ii. subtracting said calculated partial curing UV energy value from said established a UV dosage energy amount necessary to optimally cure said expressed image applied to said media;
iii. adjusting the amount of UV energy applied to said gelled image in said final cure step to match the value obtained in said UV energy subtraction step.

7 more elements

A process for utilizing a power scale factor to control curing of an inked image applied to the surface of transparent media, comprising the steps of:

a. step for establishing a UV dosage energy amount to optimally cure an expressed image onto the exterior of transparent media;
b. step for expressing an image onto the exterior of said media while rotating said media;
c. step for exposing the exterior of said transparent media to a UV cure lamp while rotating and moving said media along its rotational axis in proximity to said cure lamp until said expressed image partially cures into a gelled state;
d. step for calculating a percentage of said UV optimal dosage amount applied to said media during said step for partial curing;
e. step for moving said media along its rotational axis into proximity to a UV curing lamp and exposing said expressed image to UV light to achieve final curing of said image on said media;
and,
f. wherein said step for final curing is tailored responsive to said calculated optimal percentage step such that said established UV optimal dosage energy amount is substantially met and,
g. wherein said step for tailoring comprises the steps of;
i. calculating the amount of UV energy applied to said expressed image during said step for partial curing;
ii. subtracting said value obtained in said calculating step from said established a UV dosage energy amount necessary to optimally cure said expressed image applied to said media;
iii. adjusting the amount of UV energy applied to said gelled image in said step for final curing to match the value obtained in said UV energy subtraction step.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Process for optimization of cure settings in the printing of images on transparent and semi-transparent media

Life of this patent

Process for optimization of cure settings in the printing of images on transparent and semi-transparent media

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20