Sublimation of a multi-layer item

A sublimation device, for transferring ink from a sheet to a multi-layered workpiece, comprising:

• a first membrane;
• a vacuum device configured to produce a vacuum to draw the first membrane against the sheet to draw the sheet against the multi-layered workpiece;
• a heating mechanism comprising at least one energy source to heat the ink and at least a first surface of the multi-layered workpiece to at least a sublimation temperature of the ink while the sheet is drawn against at least the first surface of the multi-layered workpiece and the first membrane is drawn against the sheet;
• a sensor mechanism configured to sense at least one temperature indicative of at least one surface temperature of at least one region of the first surface of the multi-layered workpiece overlapping with at least one portion of the ink to be transferred to produce at least one sensed temperature indication;
• and
• a controller, communicatively coupled to the heating mechanism and the sensor mechanism, to control the heating mechanism based on the at least one sensed temperature indication;
• wherein the multi-layered workpiece includes a first layer that provides the first surface of the multi-layered workpiece, a second layer, and an adhesive between the first layer and the second layer, and wherein the controller is configured to control the heating mechanism to maintain a temperature of the adhesive below a breakdown temperature of the adhesive at which the adhesive changes from being rigid to being ductile.

A sublimation device, for transferring ink to a multi-layered workpiece, comprising:

• a first membrane;
• a second membrane;
• a vacuum device configured to produce a first vacuum to draw the first membrane against a first sheet containing first ink to draw the first sheet against at least a first surface of the multi-layered workpiece, and to produce a second vacuum to draw the second membrane against a second sheet containing second ink to draw the second sheet against at least a second surface of the multi-layered workpiece, the first surface being a top surface of the multi-layered workpiece and the second surface being a bottom surface of the multi-layered workpiece and being separated from the first surface by a thickness of the multi-layered workpiece;
• a heating mechanism comprising at least one first energy source configured to heat the first ink and at least the first surface of the multi-layered workpiece to at least a sublimation temperature of the first ink while the first sheet is drawn against at least the first surface of the multi-layered workpiece and the first membrane is drawn against the first sheet, and the heating mechanism comprising at least one second energy source configured to heat the second ink and at least the second surface of the multi-layered workpiece while the second sheet is drawn against at least the second surface of the multi-layered workpiece and the second membrane is drawn against the second sheet;
• a sensor mechanism configured to sense at least one first temperature indicative of at least one first surface temperature of the first surface of the multi-layered workpiece to produce at least one first sensed temperature indication, and configured to sense at least one second temperature indicative of at least one second surface temperature of at least the second surface of the multi-layered workpiece to produce at least one second sensed temperature indication;
• and
• a controller, communicatively coupled to the heating mechanism and the sensor mechanism, configured to control the heating mechanism based on the at least one first sensed temperature indication, and configured to control the at least one second energy source of the heating mechanism based on the at least one second sensed temperature indication.

A sublimation device, for transferring ink to a multi-layered workpiece, comprising:

• a first membrane;
• a second membrane;
• a vacuum device configured to produce a first vacuum to draw the first membrane against a first sheet containing first ink to draw the first sheet against at least a first surface of the multi-layered workpiece, and to produce a second vacuum to draw the second membrane against a second sheet containing second ink to draw the second sheet against at least a second surface of the multi-layered workpiece;
• a heating mechanism comprising at least one first energy source configured to heat the first ink and at least the first surface of the multi-layered workpiece to at least a sublimation temperature of the first ink while the first sheet is drawn against at least the first surface of the multi-layered workpiece and the first membrane is drawn against the first sheet, and the heating mechanism comprising at least one second energy source configured to heat the second ink and at least the second surface of the multi-layered workpiece while the second sheet is drawn against at least the second surface of the multi-layered workpiece and the second membrane is drawn against the second sheet;
• a sensor mechanism configured to sense at least one first temperature indicative of at least one first surface temperature of the first surface of the multi-layered workpiece to produce at least one first sensed temperature indication, and configured to sense at least one second temperature indicative of at least one second surface temperature of at least the second surface of the multi-layered workpiece to produce at least one second sensed temperature indication;
• and
• a controller, communicatively coupled to the heating mechanism and the sensor mechanism, configured to control the heating mechanism based on the at least one first sensed temperature indication, and configured to control the at least one second energy source of the heating mechanism based on the at least one second sensed temperature indication;
• wherein the sublimation temperature is a first sublimation temperature, wherein the controller is configured to control the heating mechanism to heat the first ink and at least the first surface of the multi-layered workpiece to at least the first sublimation temperature of the first ink for a first time duration and to heat the second ink and at least the second surface of the multi-layered workpiece to a second sublimation temperature of the second ink for a second time duration, and wherein at least one of (1) the first sublimation temperature is different from the second sublimation temperature, and (2) the first time duration is different from the second time duration.

A sublimation device, for transferring ink from a sheet to a multi-layered workpiece, comprising:

• a first membrane;
• a vacuum device to produce a vacuum to draw the first membrane against the sheet to draw the sheet against the multi-layered workpiece;
• a heating mechanism comprising at least one energy source to heat the ink and at least a first surface of the multi-layered workpiece to at least a sublimation temperature of the ink while the sheet is drawn against at least the first surface of the multi-layered workpiece and the first membrane is drawn against the sheet;
• a sensor mechanism capable of sensing at least one sensed temperature indicative of at least one surface temperature of the first surface of the multi-layered workpiece;
• and
• a controller, communicatively coupled to the heating mechanism and the sensor mechanism, configured to control the heating mechanism based on the at least one sensed temperature to maintain a temperature of an adhesive, between a first layer of the multi-layered workpiece and a second layer of the multi-layered workpiece, below a breakdown temperature of the adhesive at which the adhesive changes from being rigid to being ductile.