AU611635B2

AU611635B2 - Printing machine with at least one printing unit

Info

Publication number: AU611635B2
Application number: AU71702/87A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Anton Rodi
Original assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
Current assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
Priority date: 1986-04-30
Filing date: 1987-04-16
Publication date: 1991-06-20
Anticipated expiration: 2007-04-16
Also published as: ATE76813T1; DE3779487D1; CN87103144A; EP0243661A1; DK167481B1; EP0243661B1; JPS62267139A; DE3708925C2; DK201887D0; JPH08498U; CN1007607B; DE3708925A1; DK201887A; AU7170287A

Abstract

A printing machine (1) with at least one printing unit (4-7) is proposed in which there are a multiplicity of sensors for monitoring the printing operation and a multiplicity of actuators for the adjustment of, for example, the ink profile, the moisture profile, the paper guidance and the like. The complete processing of the sensor signals, their integration and the output of adjustment signals as well as of display signals takes place in a comprehensive electronic control unit (11), which is connected by data leads (21, 22) with the printing machine or with the sensors and the actuators in the printing machine (1). The comprehensive electronic control unit (11) is, furthermore, connected to measuring instruments, for example a printing plate reader (12) or a quality inspection facility (13), and the measurement signals for adjustment of the printing machine are correspondingly processed. The monitoring of the printing operation and, possibly, necessary interventions in the control of the printing machine take place via a control panel (15), which is connected to the comprehensive electronic control unit (11) by means of a data lead (26). The printing machine itself does not include any additional electronic or electrical control devices apart from the sensors and actuators other than the display indicators necessary for the monitoring of the printing operation on the machine, or operating facilities. <IMAGE>

Description

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AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 6 1 i 3 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

(ORIGINAL)

Application Number: 7/ 7 Lodged: Class Int. Class Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: Published: Priority Related Art: APPLICANT'S REFERENCE: A-520 Vo/Wi Name(s) of Applicant(s): 4 Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Aktiengesellschaft o Address(es) of Applicant(s): Kurfursten-Anlage 52-60, SD-6900 Heidelberg, FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY.

Address for Service is: PHI-T.IPS ORMONDE and FITZPATRICK Pacent and Trade Mark Attorneys 367 Collins Street Melbourne 3000 AUSTRALIA Complete Specification for the invention entitled: PRINTING MACHINE WITH AT LEAST ONE PRINTING UNIT Our Ref 50160 POF Code: 1386/1386 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to applicant(s): 6003q/l 1 4. The basic applicationsT referred to in paragraph 3 hereof was/were the first application(smade in a Convention country in respect of the invention the subject of the application.

Insert PLACE of signing Insert DATE of Declared at D-6900 Heidelerg Dated 27.02.1987 Signature(s) o HEIDELBERGER DRUCKMASCHINEN dclnrant()

AKIENGESELLSCHAFT

Note: No legalization or other witness required To: The Commissioner of Patents I w i l 1 1 71- 7 I= A The 'invention relates to a printing machine comprising at least one printing unit and a plurality of measuring and setting devices.

The European Patent EP-A1 0 160 167 discloses such a printing machine, which includes electronic control of the printing processes. Therein, individual processing devices are arranged directly at the aggregates of the printing machine or in the printing machine.

From the German Patent Application DE-AS 27 28 738 a printing machine has become known, wherein a plurality of ink metering elements are provided as positioning elements across the printing width, which can b) adjusted via a settina device. The color density produced on the printing sheet is sensed by suitable sensors, and after a comparison between reference and actual values the setting of the ink metering elements is corrected.

1o Further, the German Patent Application DE-OS 28 S 085 discloses a method for displaying setting values for printing machines wherein zonal setting elements are 2 provided for metering the ink and/or damping fluid feed, o and wherein the setting values are converted into display o signals via sensing elements.

It is known that printing machines, such as sheet-fed offset printing machines, comprise a number of further sensors or measuring devic3, i.e. for moni'oring the paper run or the paper feed or delivery or the application of damping fluid, also a number of further setting devices, i.e. for register setting. Besides, control or setting devices for the main drive and for the aggregates assigned to the printing machine are required.

The aggregates include compressors, cooling and S lubricating devicec, and powdering devices. It is a S disadvantage with these known designs that various electronic regulating and/or control devices are arranged in a decentralized state throughout the entire machine.

Thus, each of these devices requires at least one own power source and includes an own signal processing system (intelligence) with resipective limited procepsing 39 possibilities.

VF 2 l--rnlii--~_ i_ i It is a further disadvantage that the data processed by the individual electronic devices are not available immediately and only are exchangeable among each other or collectively with an increased expendiutre in data lines.

Besides, the data exchange speed is reduced and thereby the possibility of interference increased. Also, maintenance of these individual electronic units requires a great amount of time.

Therefore, it is the object of this inventioni to simplify the controlling and regulating of a printing machine by eliminating some installations for power supply and data processing.

With this in mind the present invention provides a printing machine having at least one printing unit, wherein measuring and setting devices in the form of electric/mechanical and/or mechanical/electric converters are disposed within the printing machine for monitoring and control of the paper transport from the infeed to the delivery and for monitoring and control of the actual 2a printing process in the printing unit including the ink supply, the dampening, inking, printing and lacquering units, the drying facility and the main and auxiliary drives as well as the aggregates assigned to the printing machine including compressors, cooling and lubricating devices, and powdering devices, the measuring and setting devices being directly connected by means of lines with a centally organized overall electronic control circuitry for the entire monitoring and control of a printing machine arranged outside the printing machine, the lines being provided for transmitting measuring signals directly from the measuring devices to the overall electronic control circuitry and for transmitting setting signals from the overall electronic control circuitry to the setting devices, and within said overall electronic control circuitry there being provided power electronic circuitry for generating the setting signals for the Setting devices as well as transmitting the driving power to the main and auxiliary drives, and a control desk with 39 a display being assigned to said overall electronic I i n 3 control circuitry for monitoring the machine operation.

It is one advantage of the invention that the processing of all measuring signals as well as the entire coordination of the setting signals is effected by said overall electronic control circuitry, also called the data processing and control system. For instance, the functions of paper transport, paper feed and paper delivery, ink and damping fluid application, ink drying, powdering are controlled 'd indicated thereby. The conditions of the machine a' i/or the measuring devices and aggregates, such as machine speed, inking, damping of the plate cylinders, register setting, operational readiness of the measuring devices or the quantity of 393a- VF 3ariili auxiliary materials at hand, etc. through collective monitoring can be computed to be indications for a correct printing process. Furthermore, all data of the printing machine are centrally available and can be recalled.

Additionally, the entire machine control which up to now was implemented by means of a contactor control system known to have confined linking options, from now on can be implemented by an overall control, making possible the optimization of the printing process under various operating conditions, due to the greater linking capacity of the system. The data processing speed is increased by the shorter data paths and a higher degree of resistance to interference is attained.

The said entire system preferably consists of a S number of individual computers which, under the control of at least one main computer process all data supplied by the printing machine and generate control signals. Such a system also is known under the term multiprocessor system. It has the advantage that very short data paths between the individual processors can be realized, whereby a high degree of resistance to interference is attained.

Thus, it has been accomplished that the entire data exchange takes place within one single unit, and unnecessarily long data lines are eliminated. The known systems generally show decentralized process control systems which are connected with each other via a communication unit or a superposed central computer. Such a system, however, has the disadvantage that very long data paths must be overcome, which bears the known risk of susceptibility to interference. Besides, additional interferences, such as vibrations and temperature change can be expected with the use of such systems; also, the maintenance of such individual units is considerably more expensive.

It is a further advantage of the multiprocessor system that a break-down of one processor does not block the entire system, since its function is taken over by the other processors and machine operation does not have to be interrupted.

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With the overall electronic control circuitry it is possible to easily integrate into process control not only the fanctions of the printing machine but also functions of tne additional devices, such as paper feed, paper delivery, drying installations, etc.

For practical purposes, the overall electronic control circuitry is preferably housed in one single control box. Aside from easy operability, this central arrangement also has the advantage that only one single voltage supply and cooling device are required. Also, this arrangement enables a fast display of all data relevant to the operator and necessary for optimizing the printing process.

It is a further advantage of this invention that the S data processing and control system as overall electronic control circuitry can be designed universally, meaning that printing machines of different size and design are controllable therewith With the arrangement of the data processing and control system outside of the printing machine, an adjustment of individual controls to the various components of the printing machine which up to now has been necessary for constructional reasons is no longer necessary.

I A further preferred embodiment of the invention I suggests to divide the data processing and control system into two units, with the first unit processing all data necessary for ink feed, ink application and rerister setting and the second unit processing all remaining data. This has the advantage that the setting of the ink 3D feed can take pldce where a reference value/actual value comparison can be made between the printed product and preset criteria, for instance a proof.

appropriate design of the data processing and control system. A main computer is connected with individual computers via a data bus. It is also possible to use several main computers which work in a grid system. The individual computers are asLonJ to respectively control ade-ma-mee -eaer-i4--f4inoti-Ons or conditions o£fehe= 0 *40 4

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The invention preferably further makes the provision to connect an external data line with the overall electronic control circuitry in order to input preparatory data, such as calculated ink profile, paper thickness, number of prints and presetting data of the printing machine. Furthermore data or diagnostic data can be recalled from the system, i.e. by connecting an error diagnostic- device or via telephone diagnosis, since all data are available in this system.

In a further preferred embodiment of this invention the direct drive of setting devices is carried out with low power via the overall electronic control circuitry.

Suitable setting devices which are switchable also with lower power are provided. Thereby, it is an advantage that there is no need anymore for adapting output signals of the overall electronic control circuitry to setting elements with high input power. Besides, when using low power flat band cables can be used for the transfer of this power. It is an advantage that this type of cables requires little space and is easy to handle, The display and input facilities and/or operating elements of the overall electronic control circuitry may be combined on a control desk. This control desk and the overall electronic control circuitry can be one unit, but this control desk also can be arranged separate from the control circuitry and connected to the control circuitry by lines.

The following description refers in more detail to the various features of the present invention. TO facilitate an understanding of the invention, reference is made in the description to the accompanying drawings where the present invention is illustrated in preferred 39' 6 embodiments. It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the preferred embodiments as illustrated in the drawings.

Fig. 1 shows the schematic layout of a printing machine with an assigned data processing and control system; Fig. 2 shows an alternative version of the data processing and control system shown in Fig. 1.

The printing machine shown in Fig. 1 is a sheet-fed offset printing machine 1 and consists of several printing units 4 to 7, a sheet feeder 2, a sheet delivary 3 and a drive motor 8. The operation is enabled via a control panel 9 at the sheet feeder 2. A further control panel is arranged at the sheet delivery 3 on which, for instance, the machine speed is indicated and by means of which interventions in machine control are possible. All detection signals at the individual components of the printing machine, such as printing units, sheet feeder and sheet delivery, i.e. for the set ink profile, damping fluid profile, sheet run, registering, are transmitted via an information processing signal line 21 to a data processing and control system centrally constructed as an overall electronic control circuitry 11. Simultaneously, display signals are transmitted via these signal lines from the overall electronic control circuitry 11 to the individual components of the printing machine for necessary monitoring directly at the printing machine, Direct drive signals for the electrical setting members within the printing machine components as well as driving power for the main and auxiliary drives of the printing machine are transmitted from a power electronic circuitry 14 within the overall electronic control circuitry 11 to the printing machine via a power control signal line 22.

The overall electronic control circuitry 11 is further connected to a printing plate reader 12 via a data line and to a quality control monitor 13 via a data line 24, said quality control monitor making a densitolnetric evaluation of the printed sheet. Via a data line 26 the overall electronic control circuitry 11 is connected to a -7-

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control desk 15 which comprises an input facility in a first section, a display 17 for control of the ink feed 19, and an input facility and a display 18 for machine operation 16 in a second section. Of course, it is possible to combine both sections and to execute the machine operation and the ink feed combined in one display and one input facility. As showrn in Fig. 1, no additional devices, such as data processing circuits are disposed at the printing machine; the conventional plurality of electrical circuits distributed throughout the printing machine is combined in the overall electronic control circuitry 11. This system not only is a simple combination of the existing components, but by linking these components to each other it enables an optimized regulation and/or control of the printing process.

Furthermore, an external data line 20 is provided through which information can be transmitted to the printini, machine, for instance from a work preparatory station.

Via this data line 20, for instance, all setting values for the setting elements to preset the prithting machine can be transferred. Also, specific data, such as the number of prints to be printed, can be transmitted to the printing machine or to the control desk 15. Likewise, specific data relating to the printing machine can be output, too. For the preparation of a printing process, for instance, pre-inking of the inking units can be carried out via the overall electronic control circuit 11. With this system it also is possible to check the functioning of the setting elements and the sensors, as well as to monitor the wear on machine parts susceptible to wear and to output warning signals, if certain limit values are exceeded.

Fig. 2 illustrates a variation of the embodiment according to Fig. 1 with respect to the design of the overall electronic control circuitry, and it also includes the advantage as described hereinabc'ie.

The printing machine design is as illustrated in Fig. 1. Identical parts are marked with identical reference numerals.

S 8- Lvi V.H The overall electronic control circuitry 11 is divided into a first unit which consists of a processing block 28 with integrated power electronic circuitry 14 and a second unit being partially arranged in the control box This second unit only comprises the ink feed and register setting and is directly connected to the printing units 4 to 7 via the signal line 23 for ink feed and register setting. Of course, this second unit also is connected to the first unit and the processing block 28 for linking the data via data line 26. In this embodiment the printing plate reader 12 and the quality control monitor 13 are directly connected to this unit for ink feed via the &ata lines 24, 25, since the result of the printing plate reader 12 as well as the result of the quality control 13 have a direct effect on the presetting and/or effect a correction of the ink profile. The section 16 for machine operation of the control desk serves as input and display desk for all functions executed in the processing block 28 and/or as display of the machine conditions which do not concern ink feed. The information processing signal line 21 and the power control signal line 22 are connected to the processing block 28. Also, the external data line 20 is connected to the rrocessing block 28, whereby it is possible to also monitor or influence the ink feed via this external data line The structure of the overall electronic control circuitry 11 also lends itself for connection of several printing machines of similar design. The individual printing machines can be contacted separately and the processing and output/input of data from and to the printing machines can take place in any desired manner of operation, whereby a priority evaluation of data can also be made, -9-

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Claims

1. A printing machine having at least one printing unit, wherein measuring and setting devices in the form of electric/mechanical and/or mechanical/electric converters are disposed within the printing machine for monitoring and con~ol of the paper transport from Lhe infeed to the delivery and for monitoring and control of the actual printing process in the printing unit including the ink supply, the dampening, inking, printing and lacquering units, the drying facility and the main and auxiliary drives as well as the aggregates assigned to the printing machine including compressors, cooling and lubricating devices, and powdering devices, the measuring and setting devices being directly connected by means of lines with a centally organized overall electronic control circuitry for the entire monitoring and control of a printing machine arranged outside the printing machine, the lines being provided for transmitting measuring signals directly from the measuring devices to the ove;rall electronic control circuitry and for transmitting setting signals from the overall electronic control circuitry to the setting devices, and within said overall electronic control circuitry there being provided power electronic circuitry for generating the setting signals for the setting devices as well as transmitting the driving power to the main and auxiliary drives, and a control desk with a display being assigned to said overall electronic control circuitry for monitoring the machine operation.

2. A printing machine according to Claim 1, wherein the setting devices of the printing machine as well as the aggregates assignad to the printing machine are directly actuated by means of low power signals.

3. A printing machine according to any one o t o foregoing claims, wherein the ovoc all eictatania onmtU. circuitry consists of a multi- proceo-or s"'t

4* A printing machine a one of the foregoing claims, wherein th nic control circuitry includes a first ti a control of 39 ink feed and register setting eed and a second 10 devices being directly connected by means of lines with a centally organized overall electronic control circuitry for the entire monitoring and control of a printing machine arranged outside the printing machine, the lines /2 c~ I I i L i i I II- i ill 1 t 0, U; unit in which the control and the signal input and signal output of the further functions and/or conditions are executed.

A printing machine according to any one of the foregoing claims, wherein the overall electronic control circuitry has at least one external data line for the input of specific required data and for the output of data for monitoring.

6. A printing machine substantially as hereinbefore described with respect to any one of the embodiments as shown in the accompanying drawings. DATED: 27 March 1991 PHILLIPS ORMONDE FITZPATR ICK) 12 Attorneys for: HEIDELBERGER DROCKMASCHINEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT 39 1 VF 0219b 11