Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
  • B65H23/00—Registering, tensioning, smoothing or guiding webs
  • B65H23/04—Registering, tensioning, smoothing or guiding webs longitudinally
  • B65H23/32—Arrangements for turning or reversing webs
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
  • B65H20/00—Advancing webs
  • B65H20/30—Arrangements for accumulating surplus web
  • B65H20/32—Arrangements for accumulating surplus web by making loops
  • B65H20/34—Arrangements for accumulating surplus web by making loops with rollers
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
  • B65H2301/00—Handling processes for sheets or webs
  • B65H2301/40—Type of handling process
  • B65H2301/44—Moving, forwarding, guiding material
  • B65H2301/448—Diverting

Definitions

• the invention relates to a printing line with a first printer that prints printed images on an endless first web, at least one second printer that prints printed images on an endless second web, and with at least one post-processing system that post-processes the printed webs.
• the invention further relates to a method for operating a printing line.
• conventional printing lines include a complex post-processing system that cuts, folds, sorts, binds to books or brochures and / or franked the printed paper in the form of an endless web.
• the devices and systems belonging to the post-processing system are connected in series and work in the same cycle as the upstream printing system. This leads to a reduction in throughput time and simplified operation of the post-processing system.
• Plants or devices of a post-processing are typically system for process speeds greater than 4 to 5 m / sec, while the digital printers with high print quality typically have a process speed of 1 to 2 m / sec. Due to this mismatch in process speeds, the throughput speed that can be achieved with conventional post-processing systems cannot be fully utilized. In principle, higher process speeds can be achieved with digital printers; however, this requires a disproportionately high technical effort, for example in the associated preparation of the digital data.
• the devices of the post-processing system can achieve the aforementioned high process speed with relatively little technical effort because of the necessary stable mechanical construction and the high degree of automation of the components. A reduction in the performance of these devices would therefore hardly bring any economic advantage.
• a printing system with at least three printing devices and a method for operating such a printing system are known from US-A-6 381 440 by the same applicant (parallel European patent application EP-A-1 202 134).
• a first printer prints the front of a paper web.
• the back of this paper web is printed in a second printer and this back is printed in a third printer with a further color coating. It is possible to arrange this printing line consisting of three printers in two, so that the entire printing system then comprises six printers, whereby high performance is achieved.
• a significant mismatch in process speed can occur.
• a device for temporarily storing the band-shaped material contains a rotatably mounted, hollow outer coil former and a stationary inner coil former, a deflection device being arranged in the interior of the inner coil former.
• the mutually displaceable band-shaped material is wound onto the outer bobbin as it rotates and unwound from the inner bobbin. With the help of the deflection device, the band-shaped material is led out of the interior of the inner coil body.
• the device is referred to as a cage memory, which is used in the present patent application below in exemplary embodiments. The content of this document is hereby incorporated by reference into the disclosure of the present patent application.
• a printing line of the type mentioned above in that a web storage unit is arranged between the at least two printers and the postprocessing system, which temporarily stores the webs printed on by the printers, the postprocessing system for one of the printed webs stored in the web storage unit Further processing accesses.
• the printer which prints an endless web is not directly coupled to the post-processing system, but the endless web is first conveyed into a web storage unit and temporarily stored there.
• the endless web is first conveyed into a web storage unit and temporarily stored there.
• the volume of printed material then present in the web storage unit is relatively high and can be output to the post-processing system at a higher speed than the printing speed of an individual printer. This increased output speed is better adapted to the processing speed of the post-processing system, which results in increased throughput and improved economy.
• one or the other components of the printing line can be replaced during the entire service life of the printing line without reducing the efficiency of the entire printing line.
• further developed individual components can be easily integrated into the entire printing line.
• printers and post-processing devices are susceptible to different levels of failure. Due to decoupled production in the printing line, the availability of individual components does not necessarily limit the performance of the entire one Printing line. For example, repair times or other downtimes can also be bridged without loss of performance or loss of economy.
• Another advantage results from the fact that due to the decoupling of the printers from the post-processing system, if a printer fails, there is still a pressure reserve. If a printer fails, the entire printing line can continue to produce with a reduced capacity.
• This stock can be temporarily stored in the web storage unit and further processed by the post-processing system at a later point in time.
• digital printers it cannot always be guaranteed that the data provided can be easily printed.
• the fonts required for the print job may not be available or the print job may require a specific color that is not currently available with the current printer.
• An operator must then take appropriate measures, for example select a different font or reload the correct font using software; she can also change the color station or select a different color. These measures are usually always associated with production interruptions.
• 1 is a printing line with two printing systems and a loop memory as a web storage unit
• FIG. 2 shows a printing line in which the web storage unit contains two cage stores.
• FIG. 3 shows a printing line in which the web storage unit comprises three roller units
• Fig. 4 is a printing line with five similar roller units
• the web storage unit comprises three roller units which have a common support shaft.
• FIG. 1 shows a printing line which contains two printing systems 10, 12.
• the first printing system 10 is designed as a tandem system and comprises two printers 14, 16, which either print two color separations on the same side of the continuous web 18 in the “spot color printing” operating mode or on the front and back in the “duplex printing” operating mode the continuous web 18 printed.
• the endless web 18 is unrolled from a roll 20 which is mounted in a roll unit 22.
• the other printing system 12 is designed as a digital duplex printing system and prints an endless web 24 on both sides, which is unrolled from a roll 26 and fed to the printing system 12 via the roll unit 28.
• the printed endless webs 18, 24 are fed to a unit generally referred to as web storage unit 30.
• This web storage unit 30 comprises a first loop storage 32 and a second loop storage 34.
• Each loop storage 32, 34 which are known per se in the field of paper processing, contains a large number of rolls, between which the endless strip material is stored in a meandering shape.
• the loop memories 32, 34 operate as FIFO memories (first-in-first-out) and feed the respective endless web 18, 24 to a cross table 36, from which the selected web 18 or 24 is specifically transported to a post-processing system 40 .
• This post-processing system 40 can include components such as a cutting system, a folding system, a sorting system, a bookbinding system and / or a franking system.
• the printed material in the form of the endless web 18 or the endless web 24 can optionally be fed from the one of the loop stores 32 or 34 to the post-processing system via the cross table 36, while printed web material continues to be conveyed into the other loop store can.
• Fig. 2 shows a further example of an arrangement of a printing line, with the same parts being labeled the same.
• the web storage unit 30 here comprises two cage memories 42, 44, which operate as FIFO memories.
• Each cage store 42, 44 stores the continuous web 18 or 24 fed to it and outputs the respective continuous web 18, 24 via a NEN cross table 36.
• the structure of the cage stores 42, 44 is described in WO 97/35797 by the same applicant, mentioned earlier. This document is hereby incorporated by reference into the disclosure of the present patent application.
• the cross table 36 is followed by an adhesive unit 46, by means of which the end of a printed endless web 18, 24 connects to the beginning of the subsequent printed endless web 18, 24.
• the printed matter can be conveyed to the postprocessing system 40 from one of the two cage stores 42, 44, while printed material is temporarily stored in the other store.
• the web storage unit 30 comprises a roller unit 50, 52 for each printer 10, 12. On these roll units .50, 52, the endless web 18 or 24 is wound into rolls. Furthermore, an additional roll unit 54 is provided, which is arranged in the opposite direction and serves to unwind an already printed endless web from the roll.
• the roller units 50, 52, 54 are constructed in the same way and are equipped with an underfloor drive which contains rollers arranged at the bottom, on which lie the rollers which are driven by these rollers during winding and unwinding.
• the roller units 50, 52, 54 are aligned with respect to the roller axes, so that a simple change of the rollers from the roller units 50 and 52 to the roller unit 54 is possible.
• the roll in question is axially displaced from the roll unit 50 or 52 into the roll unit 54, while one of the printers 10, 12 continues to print on the other endless web and is wound up by one of the roll units 50 or 52.
• the role change can be done both manually and automatically. With the arrangement shown an uninterrupted printing operation and post-processing operation is possible.
• FIG. 4 shows a further variant of a printing line, in which the web storage unit 30 likewise comprises three roller units 60, 62 and 64.
• the middle roller unit 64 operates in the unwinding direction, while the roller units 60, 62 operate in the winding direction.
• the roller units 60, 62, 64 are of the same type as the roller units 66, 68 which feed the endless webs 18, 24 to the printing systems 10, 12, which results in increased economy.
• the roller units 60 to 68 are equipped with a circumferential drive, whereby a simple roller change from the roller units 60, 62 to the roller unit 64 is possible for unwinding.
• the respective roll is only moved axially into the roll unit 64 for post-processing, while the roll unit 60, 62 not involved further winds up printed material which is printed by the active printing system 10 or 12.
• the other printing system is stopped briefly when changing rolls.
• FIG. 5 shows a further embodiment of the printing line.
• the web storage unit 30 comprises a roll unit 70, 72 for winding up the endless webs 18, 24.
• An additional roll unit 74 is used for unwinding a full roll.
• the roller units 70, 72, 74 have a common base frame 76 and a common support shaft 80 on which the respective rollers can be wound and unwound.
• the rollers are slidably mounted in the axial direction on the support shaft 80, whereby a shift from the winding position to the unwinding position can be easily realized. This role change can be done both manually and automatically.
• the outer roller units 70, 72 have a central drive for winding the rollers, an underfloor drive or a circumferential drive.
• the middle roller unit 74 preferably has a peripheral drive or an underfloor drive.
• An electrical control unit (not shown) is provided for controlling the printing line according to the exemplary embodiments in FIGS. 1 to 5.
• the printed pages are counted, so that the printed pages in front of the adhesive joint and the roof of the adhesive joint are known for connected webs.
• This information is passed on to the postprocessing system 40 in order to insert the required blank pages from there. In this way, printed products with the shown printing lines such as books and catalogs can be produced with almost no waste.
• the exemplary embodiments shown can be modified in many ways.
• the printers mentioned in the aforementioned documents US-A- ⁇ , 381, 440 or US-A- ⁇ 363 231 can also be used.
• More than two printing systems can also be provided, the storage elements in the web storage unit 30 having to be adapted accordingly.
• a further web store can be provided, in which a section of a printed endless web is temporarily stored.
• the post-processing system 40 can be supplied with web material from this web store while a gluing process is taking place, for example in a gluing station 46.

Landscapes

• Folding Of Thin Sheet-Like Materials, Special Discharging Devices, And Others (AREA)
• Accessory Devices And Overall Control Thereof (AREA)
• Traffic Control Systems (AREA)
• Road Signs Or Road Markings (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=33494921

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

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Family Cites Families (21)

• 2003
  • 2003-06-10 DE DE10326080A patent/DE10326080A1/de not_active Ceased
• 2004
  • 2004-06-09 AT AT04739757T patent/ATE396876T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2004-06-09 US US10/559,028 patent/US20070101880A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2004-06-09 DE DE502004007289T patent/DE502004007289D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2004-06-09 EP EP04739757A patent/EP1633569B1/fr not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2004-06-09 WO PCT/EP2004/006253 patent/WO2004108420A1/fr active IP Right Grant

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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