Method and device for synchronizing a process for printing on cardboard
AssigneeKento Digital Printing S.L.U.
InventorPedro Benito Alcantara
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention as its name indicates relates to a method and device that comprises the adjustment and synchronization of a flexographic printing process and a digital printing process, both in a hybrid printer suitable for printing on a cardboard plate, in such a way that the prints of the largest colored spots, such as backgrounds or abundant colors, and the superimposed colors or watermarks overlap with high precision according to a pre-set design and are adjusted.
Claims11
A METHOD FOR SYNCHRONISING A PRINTING PROCESS ON CARDBOARD to align and synchronise the flexographic printing process and the digital printing process respectively in a hybrid printer characterized in that it comprises a calibration process comprising:
- Printing of a registration mark on a first cardboard plate and detection of said mark by the sensor;
- A first sample plate with a registration mark printed by the flexographic printing where, upon arriving at the printing line, the sensorics detect the colour of the printing line, the colour of the cardboard plate and the colour of the registration mark;
- Validation of the settings by accepting the detected colour sequence;
- Generation of a time window where these colours will be recognized as good signals allowing a single detection in this window which becomes the recognition pattern;
- and
- Introduction into the print line of a second printed sample plate to verify the correct detection of the recognition pattern and that the time window is well established;
- wherein the system is synchronised in such a way so that, each time the sequence of colours “cardboard colour-registration mark colour” on the cardboard is detected in the sensor area, it will record the specified recognition pattern and generate a warning signal for the system to perform the calculation of the time in which it will start printing in digital.
A DEVICE FOR SYNCHRONISING A PRINTING PROCESS ON CARDBOARD characterized in that it comprises:
- A flexographic printing station;
- A transition table;
- Sensorics;
- A transport table;
- and
- A digital printing station;
- wherein the flexographic printing station the registration mark is printed that the sensorics will read prior to enabling the digital printing process;
- and wherein that the colour sensor has two light beams arranged in line parallel to the direction of advancement of the cardboard plates on the printing line.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.