EP1142711A1 - Dryer controlling device in a printing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

The controller for the drying apparatus of the printer (1) operated such that the mode of operation of the drying apparatus (3,4,5) is controlled by control signals. At least one signal of a parameter characteristic of the printing process is supplied to the controller (7). In response, the controller generates signals (8,9,10) which change the manner of operation of the drying apparatus in a predetermined way. The signals fed to the controlled may be e.g. setting values of the amount of color in the various printing and coating devices of the printer and/or on the amount of color etc. to be dispensed.

Description

The invention relates to a control for the drying device a printing press according to the preamble of claim 1.

[State of the art]

Sheet printing machines with several printing units and in particular Sheetfed offset presses where the printing units have one or several finishing devices in the form of Painting devices are connected downstream, have dryer devices on. Depending on the type of print applied (color / Lacquer), these dryer devices are IR (infrared), TL (thermal air) and / or UV (ultraviolet) drying devices used up. The IR and UV dryers are among the Radiation dryers in which the radiation power and the related to the irradiation of the printing material Sizes can be influenced. For TL dryers is essentially the volume flow (volume per unit of time), the temperature and the humidification of the warm air influenceable. The type of dryer to be used (dryer device) depends on the type of substrate, on Printing process and the type of ink / varnish printed.

Sheetfed offset presses often have one or more Turning devices between the printing units, so that thereby a high variability in the possibility of executable print jobs. As with a turn of the bow the sheet with the freshly printed side on the surface the impression cylinder of the next printing unit to lie on comes, dryer devices are increasingly turning devices assigned. The type of dryer As already mentioned above, it is based on Art the color to be printed and / or the substrate. With one or more painting or other printing technology Refinement facilities have advanced printing presses either between the individual printing or painting devices and / or between the last printing or painting device and the boom one or more, often according to different Operating principle built dryer devices on. These are mostly in an extended funding path between the last printing and coating unit and the delivery of the Sheet printing machine arranged. The arrangement of several and especially according to different physical principles working dryer facilities enables here individual adjustment of the drying process to the respective Printing process. So in the printing and coating units Optionally curable or UV radiation or IR radiation dryable colors are printed. TL dryer facilities have the additional advantage that the sheet guide, especially in the area of archery or other critical points within the sheet guide, can be influenced is.

Adequate drying or hardening of the printed Paints / varnishes are a prerequisite for high quality Prints. The sheets pass through the machine within the conveying path can touch the freshly printed sheet surface Cause damage, which causes waste. Also the sheets stacked in the delivery must be in terms of the printed inks / varnishes have dried sufficiently, otherwise the ones sliding on each other during stacking Smear the sheets or glue them together. Especially the latter would complicate further processing of the stack or make it completely impossible.

At the setting of the differently constructed dryer devices are high demands during the printing process to deliver. Already when setting up the printing press the operator has settings on the dryer equipment to make after the shortest possible time and number of Waste sheet (preliminary waste) the required quality to be able to produce. A too high setting of the Dryer performance does not only result in high energy consumption the printing press and also a high waste heat output, which increases the temperature of the printing room or through the air conditioning system of the printing room on the would regulate the intended value, but also the printing process in itself is negatively affected. As is known, changes the speed and viscosity of paint / varnish so that high machine heating in addition to the heating of color and the metering device may cause waste again Make readjustments necessary. Chosen too little Setting variables for the dryer effect or dryer output are also to be avoided, otherwise the described Danger of smearing freshly printed sheets during of sheet transport or delivery.

DE 38 29 342 A1 is a print shop control system known, in which the in the individual work areas a press on data generated on computers Network of control of the printing press provided can be. So it is possible to prepress data to be used directly for presetting the press, without having to enter data manually or appropriate data carriers are to be used.

EP 0 355 473 B1 describes a device for drying Known print products in a printing press, which a Has radiation device outside the printing press is arranged. To transmit the radiation power Optical fiber cables are provided on the sheets to be dried. Through this facility it is possible to work within waste heat generated by the printing press and thus heating of machine components. Through the optical fiber cables, the total of the printed sheets in one Exposing the line to radiation is also a differentiated one Adjustment of the amount of radiation according to the zonal applied amount of paint or varnish possible. These settings but must be by qualified and experienced staff according to the current print job.

This known device reduces the in Machine introduced heat output, but is overall Complex in its structure. To the individual print subject To achieve customized control of the dryer are according to this device also to arrange sensors by which is the allocation of the individual batches of the printed sheet be recorded. An influencing / control of conventional Drying facilities are not in this way possible.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is a control device to expand in accordance with the preamble of claim 1, so avoiding the above Disadvantages a differentiated on the existing printing process coordinated and not negatively influencing this Possibility to set the dryer automatically is obtained.

This task is solved by the characteristic features of claim 1. Developments of the invention result from the subclaims.

[Examples]

According to the invention it is provided that the Control at least one characterizing the printing process Size supplied in the form of one or more signals is and that preferably as a programmable computer trained control depending on these signals at least an influencing the operation of the dryer Signals determined which of the dryer is fed.

The quantities listed below can be influenced of the dryer devices listed in each case:

With a UV dryer, the UV performance is due to power reduction taking into account the shift in Vienna adjustable. In the case of IR dryers, the overall IR performance is complete Control of the single radiator outputs and by switching off individual lamps (taking into account) the people of Vienna Displacement and the specific radiator wavelengths installed changeable. With TL dryers, the volume flow is (Volume per unit of time), the temperature and the pressure influenceable. Has the sheetfed offset press UV intermediate dryer after each printing unit, so this UV intermediate dryer depending on the color assignment of each Previous printing unit individually controlled in performance become.

Depending on the influence of the respective dryer Signals can also be additional and indirect on the drying process quantities involved are influenced. So is the fan performance and the operation of the fans (suction / blowing) from Operating state of the machine can be influenced in the sheet guide. Also depending on the dryer output set the arc path cooling is preset accordingly and controlled during the printing process. The fan performance for extraction of a previously introduced TL volume flow is directly corresponding to one from the controller provided signal adjustable. For dryer facilities, at which air (warm or cold air) under changeable angles hitting the arch is by appropriate remotely controllable adjusting means the angle of the Air flow directing elements (baffles or the like) influenceable. Indirectly affected and therefore also controllable the powder quantity, the powder air volume flow and the powder suction power. The reason for this is that with a very differentiated to the present print order Setting the dryer reduces the amount of powder as much as possible can be. Ultimately, a control of Dryer elements in, across or at an angle to the direction of sheet travel possible. Are the individual dryer devices arranged in blocks across the format width, see above can also the individual blocks / modules according to the Color assignment (of the subject) can be controlled. Parts of the Sheets in which only a small or no color application are carried out with a correspondingly low or no dryer output (Radiation or warm air), whereas Batches of the sheet with medium or high amount of paint exposed to high dryer performance.

The formation of signals influencing the above Control variables enumerated by a preferably as Computer-trained control. This will be one or more signals characterizing the printing process. These signals can either be during the printing process by sensors or other signal generators, which in particular already exist on the machine are generated or stand at the control center of the printing press and in particular the prepress is provided in electronic form Available. Such a size would be the mode of operation in particular the press or the color assignment during of the print job to be executed. Especially when using Intermediate dryers between the individual printing units are certain dryers with little or no performance to operate if the corresponding previous printing units not be used.

The color assignment of the individual printing units, the type of in the Printing units used paint or varnish as well as by the individual printing units caused color allocation (zonal color distribution) are also influencing the printing process Variables which are detected by the control according to the invention and to generate differentiated control signals can be used for one or more dryers. The zonal Color assignment in the individual printing units can in particular by printing plate scanning using a plate scanner or taken directly from the digital prepress as a data record become. Especially in the latter case of digital Prepress is then also information about the type of used paint or varnish used so that on the one hand, the controller can determine which dryer device is to be activated and also with which Performance of the activated dryer operate. There is therefore an automatic switchover from UV to IR dryer operation, for example.

By transferring data from the respective print job prepress and especially digital prepress in addition to the type and amount of color (color assignment) other printing parameters can also be recorded. This is particularly so the type of substrate, what when using especially with directed and adjustable air operable dryers is important. So the line width is the surface quality, the grammage, the Thickness and the suction behavior of the substrate can be taken into account.

Through one or more temperature sensors on or inside the machine is also the current machine or Air temperature of the control according to the invention can be supplied, see above that the setting of the dryer means this value too can be chosen accordingly. Especially the temperature and the volume flow of TL dryers can be influenced.

The consideration of quality features or the quality of the substrate has a special meaning of dryer devices operating in volume flow and / or Direction adjustable blowing and / or suction devices.

Another in the control of the dryer device according to the invention The size that can be taken into account is the type and composition of the dampening solution and the consideration of the Circumstance, whether printed using the wet or dry offset process becomes.

With temperature sensors and other sensors in the Feeder, boom and in particular the stack in and out The stack temperatures and possibly the stack moisture are also booms of the substrate can be taken into account.

Ultimately, both the current of the printing press driven speed (number of sheets per time) as well the planned print speed entered by default also taken into account. So it is possible when using as spotlights trained UV and IR dryer facilities under Consideration of the Vienna shift the radiation power as well as the drying effect according to the current Adjust printing speed or the printing speed track. Just this type of speed-dependent Drying is preferably carried out according to the specified Characteristic curves created by the user via the control center or other input means can be changed in a targeted manner. The This gives the machine operator the option of the specified one Characteristic curve (programmed), for example, in its steepness to adapt to the current conditions. Ultimately, he can based on observations during printing or after Quality analysis of printed copies produced also others Select the specified pressure characteristics. So you can especially the quality and gloss of paint or other Affect finishing coatings.

Furthermore, the by the signals of the invention Control caused adjustment of in particular TL dryer devices for controlling suction devices Consideration. So it is possible the suction power to the current heating output or dryer output adapt and so the drying effect of the printed product optimal use. Also cooling devices for sheets, stacks and machine equipment can be controlled.

The ones described above that characterize the printing process Sizes are individually and preferably also in Combination in the form of several signals of the invention Control fed. The provision of the dryer influencing signals, for example such that for a given color type, color assignment and type of substrate selected a saved characteristic and the performance of the respective during the printing operation Dryer device depending on the printing speed is tracked according to this characteristic. How As already mentioned, the operator has the additional option the preselected on the part of the control according to the invention To influence the characteristic in a targeted manner and in particular the working point the dryer control appropriately.

Due to the dryer control according to the invention is in particular a waste reduction at the start of production and after Stops can be restarted. The machine operator no manual presetting of the dryer equipment carry out, because of the given data of the to be executed Corresponding basic settings for the dryer devices can be determined. Due to the printing speed dependent Tracking the dryer performance are also changes in machine speed, for example critical conditions of the sheet guidance during turning operation to avoid being guaranteed.

The control system according to the invention is preferably located in the control center the printing press in signal connection, via which the previously listed and characterizing in the printing process Sizes can be entered. The control center of the printing press are also those inside or outside the machine determined by appropriate signal generators or sensors Measured values available.

Due to the dryer control according to the invention, in addition to a Waste reduction also saves a lot of energy possible. Because the dryer facilities only work with performance be driven, which according to the current Conditions are required, the current consumption of the Facilities reduced to the required value. Since the dryer devices also produce waste heat, this results in there is also a reduced heating of machine elements or the entire machine. This also extends the lifespan the machine or machine components increased. Ultimately avoids a reduced performance of the dryer Increase in the press room temperature. With an air-conditioned Print room this also gives an energy saving because less waste heat is produced by the dryer.

The generated by the control device according to the invention Control signals for the dryer devices are on suitable Storage medium for repeat jobs can be saved. Furthermore, operating data of the drying devices can also be are recorded and stored, which in particular leads to investigations the lifespan of radiation sources in the dryer equipment and to carry out maintenance work is an advantage. Ultimately, the control of UV or IR dryer devices also depending on the current one Lifespan, as is known the effect of such drying devices changes over the lifespan. A business of dryers with the currently adjusted output results in an overall increase in the life of the corresponding components.

Through a signal connection of the control device according to the invention with the control center of a printing press Connection of a diagnostic system to the machine control center too a remote diagnosis of the connected dryer devices respectively.

Furthermore, an embodiment of the invention is explained with reference to the drawing. This shows:
A printing press with several printing and coating units, dryer devices arranged at different locations, a controller assigned to these drying devices and the control center of the printing press.

The figure shows a printing press 1 with a feeder (right) an extension arm (left), a number of printing units and one, subordinate to the last printing unit and the Upstream boom, coating unit. In the printing press 1 are a number of dryer devices 3, 4, 5, 6 at different Positions arranged. With these dryer devices 3, 4, 5, 6 are based on different active principles trained dryer (UV dryer, IR dryer, TL dryer device or combinations of these devices).

The individual dryer devices 3, 4, 5, 6 are over Lines connected to an associated controller 7. about the lines are through the dryer devices 3, 4, 5, 6 the control 7 can be influenced in its operating mode, i.e. in particular the performance of the individual dryer devices 3, 4, 5, 6 is changeable. On the part of the controller 7 can other sizes of the drying devices 3, 4, 5, 6 be changed in a targeted manner. In the present invention Influencing factors that are preferably used have been described above called.

The printing press 1 has a signal generator 8 for the printing speed and / or the angular position of the printing couple cylinders the printing press 1. The signal generator signals 8 are fed to the control center 2 of the printing press. The Signals from the signal generator 8 are transmitted via the control station 2 or the control of the printing press, not shown in the figure 1 for activating additional ones in the printing press 1 arranged functional units used.

The control center 2 of the printing press 1 is in signal connection with the control 7 of the dryer devices 3, 4, 5, 6, see above that the signals of the signal generator 8 (printing speed / Angular position) can also be fed to the controller 7. Consequently can on the part of the controller 7 a printing speed dependent Control of the dryer device 3, 4, 5, 6 take place. In the controller 7, in particular, several characteristic curves can be used Tracking the dryer performance depending on the printing speed be filed. About the control center 2 on the part an operator also made a manual selection different characteristic curves can be carried out.

In principle, the figure shows two further signal generators 9, 10, through which the temperature outside (signal generator 9) as also within (signal generator 10) the temperature of the printing press 1 is detectable. The signal transmitters can in particular in the field of sheet transport, the feeder, the delivery or be arranged in other relevant places. Through the Signal generator 9, 10 provided temperature information can other influencing variables on the part of the controller 7 for the Drying device 3, 4, 5, 6 are taken into account.

Additional signal transmitters (not shown), by which other influencing factors (parameters characterizing the printing process) are. In particular, the control center 2 Printing machine 1 of controller 7 all preset data the printing press 1 as well as that during the printing process manually and / or automatically adjusted Setting values supplied. So an adjustment of the dryer facilities 3, 4, 5, 6 depending on the individual Printing units and painting facilities made Color dosing (subject to subject).

[List of reference numerals]

1

Printing press

2

Control center (control and operation of printing press 1)

3

Dryer

4

Dryer

5

Dryer

6

Dryer

7

Control (dryer device 3, 4, 5, 6)

8th

Signal generator (printing speed / angular position)

9

Signal generator (temperature outside printing press 1)

10

Signal generator (temperature inside printing press 1)

Claims (17)

Control for the dryer device of a printing press, in particular for a sheet-fed offset printing press, in which the mode of operation of the dryer device can be influenced by signals from a controller.
characterized in that the control (7) can be supplied with at least one signal of a size characterizing the printing process and signals can be generated by the control, by means of which the mode of operation of the drying device (3, 4, 5, 6) can be changed in the intended manner. Control according to claim 1,
characterized in that the controller (7) is in signal connection with signal transmitters (8, 9, 10) arranged in the printing press (1). Control according to claim 1 or 2,
characterized in that the control (7) is in signal connection with the control station (2) of the printing press (1), through which the control (7) can be supplied with setting values of the printing press (1). Control according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that the controller (7) can be supplied with data from the prepress stage with regard to a print job to be executed. Control according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that the controller (7) can be supplied with setting values for the ink metering in the individual printing and coating devices of the printing press (1). Control according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that the controller (7) can be supplied with data about the colors and / or varnishes used in a print job to be carried out. Control according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that the controller (7) can be supplied with data on the printing material used in a print job to be carried out. Control according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that signals for influencing the dryer performance of the dryer device (3, 4, 5, 6) can be generated by the controller (7). Control according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that signals can be generated by the controller (7) for influencing an air flow associated with the drying process. Control according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that the control (7) can process a signal representing the printing speed of the printing press (1) for speed-dependent tracking of the drying device (3, 4, 5, 6). Control according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that hot air extraction can be set by the controller (7) depending on the current operating mode of the dryer device (3, 4, 5, 6). Control according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that setting values for a dryer device (3, 4, 5, 6) are determined by the controller (7) in connection with the presetting data characterizing the printing process to be carried out and brought to the setting. Control according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that the control (7) determines the set values for the printing press (1) from the supplied signals and the maximum effect (maximum output) that can be achieved by the dryer device (3, 4, 5, 6). Control according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that setting values of the dryer device (3, 4, 5, 6) of a executed print job can be stored in the control (7) and can be executed again at a later point in time. Control according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that the controller (7) can control a cooling device depending on the current operating mode of the drying device (3, 4, 5, 6). Control according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that the controller (7) can control the dryer device (3, 4, 5, 6) as a function of measured values obtained on the printing material. Control according to claim 16,
characterized in that, on the printing material, the values reflecting the quality of the print, such as, in particular, lacquer or ink layer thickness and / or gloss are determined.

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