Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
  • B41M—PRINTING, DUPLICATING, MARKING, OR COPYING PROCESSES; COLOUR PRINTING
  • B41M1/00—Inking and printing with a printer's forme
  • B41M1/24—Inking and printing with a printer's forme combined with embossing
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
  • B41C—PROCESSES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR REPRODUCTION OF PRINTING SURFACES
  • B41C1/00—Forme preparation
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
  • B41M—PRINTING, DUPLICATING, MARKING, OR COPYING PROCESSES; COLOUR PRINTING
  • B41M3/00—Printing processes to produce particular kinds of printed work, e.g. patterns
  • B41M3/14—Security printing
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
  • B41N—PRINTING PLATES OR FOILS; MATERIALS FOR SURFACES USED IN PRINTING MACHINES FOR PRINTING, INKING, DAMPING, OR THE LIKE; PREPARING SUCH SURFACES FOR USE AND CONSERVING THEM
  • B41N1/00—Printing plates or foils; Materials therefor
  • B41N1/04—Printing plates or foils; Materials therefor metallic
  • B41N1/06—Printing plates or foils; Materials therefor metallic for relief printing or intaglio printing
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B42—BOOKBINDING; ALBUMS; FILES; SPECIAL PRINTED MATTER
  • B42D—BOOKS; BOOK COVERS; LOOSE LEAVES; PRINTED MATTER CHARACTERISED BY IDENTIFICATION OR SECURITY FEATURES; PRINTED MATTER OF SPECIAL FORMAT OR STYLE NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; DEVICES FOR USE THEREWITH AND NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; MOVABLE-STRIP WRITING OR READING APPARATUS
  • B42D25/00—Information-bearing cards or sheet-like structures characterised by identification or security features; Manufacture thereof
  • B42D25/20—Information-bearing cards or sheet-like structures characterised by identification or security features; Manufacture thereof characterised by a particular use or purpose
  • B42D25/29—Securities; Bank notes
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
  • B41C—PROCESSES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR REPRODUCTION OF PRINTING SURFACES
  • B41C1/00—Forme preparation
  • B41C1/02—Engraving; Heads therefor
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10S101/00—Printing
  • Y10S101/43—Machines printing by both intaglio and another type of printing means

Definitions

• the invention relates to a method for producing a security document, in particular a security such as a bank note, check and the like, with a printed image applied using the steel gravure printing method and with an embossed microstructure area, the structures of which are of the order of magnitude of less than 100 ⁇ m.
• the invention further relates to tools suitable for the manufacturing process, namely steel gravure printing plates, and their manufacture, including semi-finished products, namely originals and intermediate forms for the manufacture of steel intaglio printing plates and the security documents produced therewith.
• the steel gravure corresponds to the intaglio printing, whereby the printing plate is made of steel. In this way, a longer service life of the printing plate is achieved and the long runs required for printing securities and in particular banknote printing are made possible.
• Blind embossing is sometimes produced together with the steel intaglio print in a common printing process using a single, partially colored steel intaglio printing plate.
• the paper is pressed into the depressions in the blind embossing areas and thus permanently deformed.
• the blind embossing areas of the printing plate are not filled with ink, see above that the substrate material of the security document is only permanently deformed, that is, embossed, in these areas (WO 97/48555; DE-A-19845 552).
• blind embossing there are special three-dimensional optical impressions due to light and shadow effects.
• blind embossing with the appropriate dimensions can also be easily detected tactilely.
• the structures for the steel intaglio printing image and for the blind embossing are usually introduced into the surface of the printing plate by means of a stylus, laser or in the etching process. Regardless of the insertion technique used, these structures are also generally referred to below as “engravings”. However, the fineness of the structures is limited, on the one hand by the engraving techniques used themselves, and on the other hand by the fact that particularly fine structures also contribute to the mechanical influences of the wiping cylinder The excess printing ink is wiped off the partially colored printing plate in the long run.
• embossed structures with a size of significantly less than 100 ⁇ m (hereinafter referred to as "Microstructures" referred to) damaged in the shortest possible time. Accordingly, embossments with microstructures are produced which are significantly smaller than 100 ⁇ m in order to produce special optical effects in an embossing process which is carried out separately from the printing process for applying the steel intaglio image.
• DE-A-19845 552 proposes to prefabricate a security with all security elements, including, for example, embossed diffraction structures, and to print the paper as a last process step, for example using the steel gravure printing process.
• the diffraction structures are built up in layers on a previously locally smoothed area of the security substrate by first applying a curable lacquer to the smoothed area and providing it with an extremely thin, reflective metal layer.
• a diffraction-optical relief structure is then embossed into this coated lacquer layer using an embossing stamp, and the diffraction structure thus produced is then covered with a protective lacquer.
• embossed microstructures in a security document be it as blind embossing in the substrate material itself or as a diffraction-optical relief structure in a lacquer layer specially provided for this, therefore requires a separate work step in addition to the printing process for producing the steel intaglio print image.
• the object of the present invention is to propose a method for producing a security document with which steel intaglio printing images and embossed microstructures can be produced more easily.
• a further task consists in proposing tools for carrying out the method and a method for producing these tools and their semi-finished products.
• the steel intaglio printing image and the embossed microstructures are produced in a common printing process using a common printing plate, in which both the printing image engraving and the microstructures are present.
• the microstructures are slightly lowered relative to the printing plate surface, so that they are removed from the
• Wiping cylinders are not detected, but still allow a perfect embossing process.
• the dimension of the rearward offset of the microstructures depends on the surface size of the microstructures area "on the one hand and on the other hand, on the compressibility of the wiping cylinder material and the Wischzylinderanpress horr.
• the microstructures should therefore about 20 microns to 100 microns below the printing plate surface are preferably rnindants 40 microns and a maximum of 60 .mu.m,
• This information relates to the components of the microstructures closest to the printing plate surface, for example a square microstructure area should have an area of less than 100 mm 2 in order to prevent the wiping cylinder from penetrating down to the lower-lying microstructures, or in other words, the dimension of the microstructure -
• the area in the direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the wiper cylinder and parallel to the printing plate surface should be less than 10 mm.
• microstructure areas can together form a larger microstructure area, the individual microstructure areas being separated by webs reaching up to the printing plate surface.
• the webs have such a width on the printing plate surface that they are Can carry wiping cylinders without being permanently damaged by their contact pressure. In this way, an arbitrarily shaped and arbitrarily large area matrix can be generated from smaller microstructure areas.
• the dimensions of the microstructures i.e. their height and / or lateral structure size are preferably in the order of magnitude between 5 ⁇ m and 100 ⁇ m if simple blind embossing is to be produced. If, on the other hand, the microstructures are to be used to emboss a diffraction-optical relief structure, for example in a lacquer layer that may have been metallized and specially applied for this purpose on the security document material, the order of magnitude of the microstructures in the wave-optical range is at and below 1 ⁇ m.
• the invention provides for a two-stage printing plate production.
• an original printing plate with the print image engraving and, on the other hand, one or more embossing stamps with the microstructures are produced separately in a conventional manner, and the original printing plate or a material molded thereon is then combined with the original embossing stamp or duplicate stamps.
• intermediate forms are first embossed with the original printing plate.
• many materials are embossed as the finished intaglio printing plate should have benefits.
• a number of duplicates corresponding to the benefits of the steel intaglio printing plate are also produced from the microstructure embossing stamps.
• the mater which is then combined with the duplicates of the microstructure embossing stamps, for example by arranging them side by side and connecting them appropriately. This complex then serves as the actual intermediate form for re-forming one or more duplicate printing plates, which are then used as deep steel printing plates in the printing units.
• one or more areas are removed from the original printing plate into which the printed image is engraved, into which the original microstructure embossing star is inserted in such a way that the microstructures lie below the plate surface.
• the maters are then formed by the resulting complex.
• a number of maters assembled in the desired arrangement of sheets then form the intermediate form for producing the steel intaglio printing plates.
• the printing plate can be engraved directly with the micro-embossed structures which are lower than the non-engraved printing plate level.
• a precondition is the use of a precision engraving device, since standard devices for the engraving of intaglio printing plates do not have sufficient accuracy to reproducibly produce predetermined structures whose dimensions are smaller than 100 ⁇ m. Precision engraving can be done by mechanical, i.e. cutting engraving as well as laser engraving.
• the areas provided for the embossing microstructures can first be removed by the amount by which the reduction is to take place. In this below the level of the unprocessed printing plate The microstructures are then introduced into the surface areas by precision engraving. In principle, it is also possible to first create the microstructures in the specified target depth and, if necessary, then to remove any remaining printing plate material in order to achieve the desired reduction in one area.
• the printing plate original with the microstructures can be used directly as a combined printing and embossing plate. However, the original can also be reproduced using the usual reproduction and impression techniques.
• the intaglio printing plates according to the invention guarantee, even after long runs, concise embossed structures with high sharpness of contours on the securities produced with them.
• the substrate material for example cotton paper
• the substrate material for example cotton paper
• the lowering of the embossed structures in the printing plate in the corresponding area of the processed substrate causes an area that is not or at least less compressed, from which the embossed microstructures rise.
• the embossed microstructures can be provided with stabilizing protective layers.
• Fig. 1 is a banknote with a steel gravure print and embossed Microstructures
• FIG. 2 shows the banknote from FIG. 1 in cross section, the microstructures being blind embossed
• FIG. 5 shows a bank note, similar to the bank note from FIG. 1 with a plurality of microstructure regions spaced apart from one another, and
• FIG. 1 shows, by way of example, as one of many possible types of security documents, a banknote in plan view with a printed image 1 produced in the steel intaglio printing process and a microstructure embossing 2 also produced in the steel intaglio printing process plastic layer applied to the paper substrate.
• FIG. 2 shows a cross section through the banknote from FIG. 1, the microstructure embossing 2 being blind embossing in the surface of the banknote Substrate 3 is present.
• the printing ink applied in the steel gravure printing process and forming the printed image 1 “stands” on the surface of the substrate 3 and can therefore be detected by tactile means.
• the raised microstructure of microstructure embossing 2 is, for example, a line grid with a grid width in the range from 5 to 100 ⁇ m. Such a structure is visually perceptible as a fine light / shadow pattern and the surface can also be tactilely distinguished from the surrounding, unembossed surface.
• FIGS. 3a to 3c An embodiment is shown in FIGS. 3a to 3c, in which the microstructure embossing 2 is designed as a diffraction-optical relief structure.
• the structures have an order of magnitude of approximately 1 ⁇ m or less than 1 ⁇ m, that is to say in the wavelength range of visible light.
• 3a shows the still unprinted banknote substrate 3, which is smoothed in a zone 4, so that an embossing lacquer 5 adheres particularly well to the substrate 3 in this area.
• the embossing lacquer 5 is vapor-coated with a thin metal layer 6.
• the printed image 1 is applied to the substrate 3 prepared in this way using the steel gravure printing process, and the diffraction-optical microstructure embossing 2 is also applied (FIG. 3b).
• the microstructure embossing 2 is then covered with a scratch-resistant protective lacquer 7 (FIG. 3c).
• the printed image 1 and the microstructured embossing 2 according to the exemplary embodiments according to FIGS. 2 and 3a to 3c are produced in a single printing operation using a single printing plate.
• Suitable pressure plates 8 are shown in cross-section by way of example in FIGS. 4d and 6e.
• FIG. 4d shows that steel intaglio structures 10 for producing the printed image 1 and on the other hand, microstructures 11 for producing microstructure embossing 2 are present.
• the microstructures 11 are slightly embedded in the printing plate surface 9, so that the uppermost microstructure regions, that is to say the tips of the microstructure relief, lie at a small distance d below the printing plate surface 9.
• the distance d measures between 20 and 100 ⁇ m, preferably between 40 and 60 ⁇ m.
• the printing ink is first partially applied to the printing plate surface 9 in the area of the steel gravure printing structures 10, and excess printing ink is wiped off the printing plate surface 9 by means of a wiping cylinder, not shown.
• the lowering of the microstructures 11 ensures that the wiping cylinder does not come into contact with the filigree microstructures 11 and cannot damage them.
• the substrate of the security document is pressed into the steel intaglio structures 10 and into the microstructures 11, whereby on the one hand the ink is absorbed from the steel intaglio structures 10 and adheres to the substrate surface and on the other hand the substrate on its surface in the area of the microstructures 11 shaped, that is permanently deformed, is.
• the pressures and temperatures of the printing plate cylinder used in the gravure printing process to produce the printed image are suitable for embossing conventional security papers, so that the simultaneous embossing and printing of security paper with a single steel intaglio printing plate is possible without any problems.
• a typical heating temperature of the plate cylinders is around 80 ° C, but it can also be between 50 and 90 ° C. 4a to 4d and 6a to 6e, two alternative methods for producing the printing plate 8 with deeper microstructures 11 are described below.
• steel intaglio structures 10 are introduced into an original printing plate O in a conventional manner, for example by means of a stylus or in the etching process.
• embossing dies D with microstructures 11 are also produced in a conventional manner, for example using the same methods that are usually used to produce diffraction-optical relief structures.
• duplicates of the original printing plate O and the die D are produced.
• the duplicate of the original printing plate O that is the Mater M
• the duplicate of the original printing plate O can be produced, for example, by embossing the original printing plate in a plastically deformable plastic, which then forms the Mater M (Cobex embossing).
• Mater M Cobex embossing
• other impression techniques are known and can be used.
• a number of maters M 1, M 2..., M n corresponding to the number of uses of the steel intaglio printing plate are produced.
• a corresponding number of duplicate dies DDi, DD 2 ,... Are also produced from the die or dies D with the microstructures 11.
• the molding process of the duplicate embossing dies DD is preferably carried out galvanoplastic, in that the microstructure 11 is first made electrically conductive and then metallized, for example with copper. The copper layer is then poured over, for example with tin in order to stabilize the structure, and backed with lead or plastic in order to make the duplicate embossing stamp DD manageable.
• a third step (FIG. 4c), the mats Mi, M2, ... and the duplicate dies DDi, DD 2 , ... are arranged next to each other and firmly connected to one another by suitable connecting techniques, for example gluing, in order to form an intermediate form Z. , In the intermediate form Z shown in FIG.
• a pair of material and embossing dies M, DDi or M 2 , DD 2 etc. form a use of the steel gravure printing plate 8 to be produced by means of the intermediate form Z. It can be seen that the microstructures that are shown here are present as negative microstructures 11 ', lying slightly above the impression plane 9' of the intermediate form Z.
• the steel intaglio printing plate 8 is molded from the intermediate form Z (FIG. 4d) again in a galvanoplastic manner in a manner similar to the duplication of the die D.
• the printing plate surface 9 can be hardened by nickel plating, chrome plating in a further manufacturing step.
• FIGS. 6a to 6e An alternative method for manufacturing the printing plate 8 is shown in FIGS. 6a to 6e.
• the original printing plate O with the intaglio printing structures 10 is first produced (FIG. 6a).
• Certain surface areas are then extracted segment by segment from the original printing plate O, for example using high-precision milling technology (FIG. 6b).
• the die D with the microstructures 11, as shown in FIG. 4a, is then inserted into the recess 13 thus produced (FIG. 6c).
• This requires a precise processing of the stamp D so that the microstructures after inserting the stamp D into the recess 13 are a defined distance d lower than the surface of the original printing plate O.
• the original printing plate O prepared in this way is then used to stamp Mat M ( 6d), the embossing again being carried out, for example, in the cobex embossing process.
• each Mater M is used for further production.
• the materials Mi, M2, M3, ... are in turn assembled by suitable connection techniques to form an intermediate form Z (FIG. 6e), from which the steel intaglio printing plate 8 is electroplated.
• the stamping of the original plate from FIG. 6c into a sufficiently large intermediate shape Z can be repeated in accordance with the number of desired uses.
• the step of joining the individual maters Mi, M2, M3, ... to the intermediate form Z is omitted.
• a steel intaglio printing plate 8 for producing a printed image 1 with microstructure embossments 2 integrated therein, as shown in FIG. 5, can be produced particularly well by a production method according to FIGS the steel intaglio d 1, which is indicated in FIG. 5 only by its outer border, several microstructure embossments 2 form a field of microstructure embossments in which the individual microstructure embossments embossings 2 are spaced apart.
• These distances 12 ' are a consequence of the fact that the individual microstructure areas 11 of the steel intaglio printing plate 8 must not exceed a maximum size for protection against damage by a wiping cylinder and are therefore separated from one another by separating webs 12 (FIG. 4d). These separating webs 12 extend to the pressure plate surface 9 and have the necessary width in order to be able to absorb the pressure of the wiping cylinder.

Landscapes

• Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
• Accounting & Taxation (AREA)
• Finance (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
• Printing Methods (AREA)
• Manufacture Or Reproduction Of Printing Formes (AREA)
• Printing Plates And Materials Therefor (AREA)
• Shaping Metal By Deep-Drawing, Or The Like (AREA)
• Mechanical Operated Clutches (AREA)
• Rotary Presses (AREA)
• Application Of Or Painting With Fluid Materials (AREA)
• Multi-Process Working Machines And Systems (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (3)

Family

ID=7712033

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (12)

Families Citing this family (37)

Family Cites Families (20)

• 2002
  • 2002-01-11 DE DE10201032A patent/DE10201032A1/de not_active Ceased
• 2003
  • 2003-01-08 AT AT03702402T patent/ATE367934T1/de active
  • 2003-01-08 RU RU2004124522/12A patent/RU2314209C2/ru not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2003-01-08 CN CNB03801579XA patent/CN100386214C/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2003-01-08 US US10/500,924 patent/US7213512B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2003-01-08 EP EP03702402.3A patent/EP1467871B2/fr not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2003-01-08 ES ES03702402T patent/ES2289257T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2003-01-08 DE DE50307762T patent/DE50307762D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2003-01-08 AU AU2003205579A patent/AU2003205579A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2003-01-08 CA CA2472020A patent/CA2472020C/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2003-01-08 WO PCT/EP2003/000112 patent/WO2003057494A1/fr active IP Right Grant
  • 2003-01-08 PT PT03702402T patent/PT1467871E/pt unknown
  • 2003-01-09 MY MYPI20030064A patent/MY136554A/en unknown
• 2007
  • 2007-05-07 US US11/745,240 patent/US7690300B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related

Non-Patent Citations (1)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events