EP3507098B1 - Aushärtestation und verfahren zum aushärten von druckfarbe eines direktdrucks auf behältern - Google Patents

Aushärtestation und verfahren zum aushärten von druckfarbe eines direktdrucks auf behältern Download PDF

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Publication number
EP3507098B1
EP3507098B1 EP17722448.2A EP17722448A EP3507098B1 EP 3507098 B1 EP3507098 B1 EP 3507098B1 EP 17722448 A EP17722448 A EP 17722448A EP 3507098 B1 EP3507098 B1 EP 3507098B1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
curing
light
containers
leds
container
Prior art date
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Active
Application number
EP17722448.2A
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German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
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EP3507098A1 (de
Inventor
Peter Lindner
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Krones AG
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Krones AG
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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41F—PRINTING MACHINES OR PRESSES
    • B41F23/00—Devices for treating the surfaces of sheets, webs, or other articles in connection with printing
    • B41F23/04—Devices for treating the surfaces of sheets, webs, or other articles in connection with printing by heat drying, by cooling, by applying powders
    • B41F23/0403—Drying webs
    • B41F23/0406—Drying webs by radiation
    • B41F23/0409—Ultraviolet dryers
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41F—PRINTING MACHINES OR PRESSES
    • B41F23/00—Devices for treating the surfaces of sheets, webs, or other articles in connection with printing
    • B41F23/04—Devices for treating the surfaces of sheets, webs, or other articles in connection with printing by heat drying, by cooling, by applying powders
    • B41F23/044—Drying sheets, e.g. between two printing stations
    • B41F23/045—Drying sheets, e.g. between two printing stations by radiation
    • B41F23/0453—Drying sheets, e.g. between two printing stations by radiation by ultraviolet dryers
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41F—PRINTING MACHINES OR PRESSES
    • B41F23/00—Devices for treating the surfaces of sheets, webs, or other articles in connection with printing
    • B41F23/04—Devices for treating the surfaces of sheets, webs, or other articles in connection with printing by heat drying, by cooling, by applying powders
    • B41F23/0486—Particular types of dryers
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J11/00—Devices or arrangements  of selective printing mechanisms, e.g. ink-jet printers or thermal printers, for supporting or handling copy material in sheet or web form
    • B41J11/0015—Devices or arrangements  of selective printing mechanisms, e.g. ink-jet printers or thermal printers, for supporting or handling copy material in sheet or web form for treating before, during or after printing or for uniform coating or laminating the copy material before or after printing
    • B41J11/002—Curing or drying the ink on the copy materials, e.g. by heating or irradiating
    • B41J11/0021—Curing or drying the ink on the copy materials, e.g. by heating or irradiating using irradiation
    • B41J11/00212—Controlling the irradiation means, e.g. image-based controlling of the irradiation zone or control of the duration or intensity of the irradiation
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J11/00—Devices or arrangements  of selective printing mechanisms, e.g. ink-jet printers or thermal printers, for supporting or handling copy material in sheet or web form
    • B41J11/0015—Devices or arrangements  of selective printing mechanisms, e.g. ink-jet printers or thermal printers, for supporting or handling copy material in sheet or web form for treating before, during or after printing or for uniform coating or laminating the copy material before or after printing
    • B41J11/002—Curing or drying the ink on the copy materials, e.g. by heating or irradiating
    • B41J11/0021—Curing or drying the ink on the copy materials, e.g. by heating or irradiating using irradiation
    • B41J11/00214—Curing or drying the ink on the copy materials, e.g. by heating or irradiating using irradiation using UV radiation
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J3/00—Typewriters or selective printing or marking mechanisms characterised by the purpose for which they are constructed
    • B41J3/407—Typewriters or selective printing or marking mechanisms characterised by the purpose for which they are constructed for marking on special material
    • B41J3/4073—Printing on three-dimensional objects not being in sheet or web form, e.g. spherical or cubic objects
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J3/00—Typewriters or selective printing or marking mechanisms characterised by the purpose for which they are constructed
    • B41J3/407—Typewriters or selective printing or marking mechanisms characterised by the purpose for which they are constructed for marking on special material
    • B41J3/4073—Printing on three-dimensional objects not being in sheet or web form, e.g. spherical or cubic objects
    • B41J3/40733—Printing on cylindrical or rotationally symmetrical objects, e. g. on bottles

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a curing station and a method for curing printing ink of a direct print on containers with the features of the preamble of claims 1 and 8 and a direct printing machine for printing containers with at least one printing station and with at least one curing station.
  • the direct print is usually printed onto the outer surface of the container by means of an inkjet printing process, for example to identify and / or advertise the contents of the container.
  • an inkjet printing process for example to identify and / or advertise the contents of the container.
  • To cure the printing ink of the direct print it is then irradiated in a curing station with UV light, whereby the printing ink is crosslinked in a scratch-proof and waterproof manner.
  • the containers are usually transported with a conveyor to a UV light unit and irradiated there with UV light.
  • a UV light unit irradiated there with UV light.
  • mercury vapor lamps as UV lamps is known, since these have a sufficiently high irradiation power for the desired throughput of the container.
  • the WO 2012/028215 discloses a method and a device for treating containers with a plurality of printing modules and a drying and sterilization module in which the print is cured or dried with a UV lamp.
  • UV lamps are complex and inflexible, since they usually require a long warm-up time, are subject to strong heat generation, require a privacy screen due to the UV-C radiation and ozone is generated during treatment.
  • the UV lamp has to be cooled in a complex manner and the surrounding air has to be extracted and filtered. Since UV lamps cool down longer after they have been switched off, there is a risk of injury and burns for the user if they intervene quickly as a result of a machine alarm.
  • the UV lamp after the machine has started up, the UV lamp must first warm up to the operating temperature before the desired UV spectrum is emitted.
  • the radiation output cannot be regulated and there is also no possibility of flexibly adapting the light field to the shape of the container or the size of the direct print.
  • the DE 10 2014 216 576 A1 discloses a container handling machine with an inspection device.
  • the EP 2 447 070 A1 discloses a UV irradiation device and a printing device.
  • the WO 2014/065081 A1 discloses a light irradiation device.
  • the GB 2 399 162 A discloses a curing device with UV radiation.
  • the object of the present invention is therefore to provide a curing station and a direct printing machine that are less complex and more flexible to use.
  • the invention provides a curing station with the features of claim 1.
  • Advantageous embodiments are mentioned in the subclaims.
  • the at least one UV light unit has the 2D arrangement of UV LEDs as the light source, the UV light is generated more efficiently by means of LED technology and can be switched particularly quickly. As a result, the UV light unit develops less heat and can be switched on and off particularly quickly without preheating time. Because it is not a single UV light source, but a 2D arrangement of several LEDs, the LEDs can be controlled individually so that the UV light field is adapted to the actual requirements during curing individually to the container shape or the Size of direct print is adjusted. In addition, a particularly high radiation output can be achieved with the 2D arrangement of UV LEDs.
  • the containers can be moved particularly close to the UV light unit without the surface area closest to the UV light source being excessively irradiated or heated. As a result, less radiation power is required overall than with the known UV lamps. Due to the narrow-band radiation characteristics of UV-LEDs, it is also easier to take protective measures for machine protection by simply filtering out the spectrum of the UV-LEDs or reducing them to a level that is harmless to humans.
  • UV LEDs prove to be particularly advantageous in emergency situations in which, for example, the machine has to be accessed, i.e. the machine protection must be opened. Due to the lower operating temperature compared to e.g. mercury vapor lamps, there is a much lower risk of injury or burns.
  • UV LEDs also increases machine availability because after a fault in the direct printing machine has been eliminated, the machine can be started again immediately without having to wait for the high or low pressure lamps to warm up and settle in.
  • the UV light unit with the 2D arrangement of UV LEDs therefore requires less effort and can be used more flexibly.
  • Direct print can mean a print that is applied directly to a container with a direct print head.
  • the direct print head can be designed to deliver individual print drops directly onto a container.
  • the direct print head can be controlled via digital control signals in order to deliver the print drops onto the container.
  • the direct print head can comprise one or more rows of nozzles in order to deliver the print drops onto the container.
  • the curing station can be arranged downstream of a direct printing machine for applying the direct printing to the container or integrated into it.
  • a direct printing station and the curing station can be interlocked to form a direct printing machine.
  • the curing station or the direct printing machine can be arranged in a beverage processing system and preferably downstream of a filling system for filling a product into the containers and / or a closer.
  • the curing station or the direct printing machine can, however, also be arranged upstream of the filling process and / or be arranged directly after a container manufacturing process.
  • the containers can be provided to hold beverages, hygiene articles, pastes, chemical, biological and / or pharmaceutical products.
  • the containers can be provided for any flowable or fillable media.
  • the containers can consist of plastic, glass and metal, but hybrid containers with material mixtures are also conceivable.
  • the containers can be bottles, cans and / or tubes.
  • the containers can be shaped containers with at least one surface deviating from the rotational symmetry about the longitudinal axis of the container.
  • the mold containers can comprise at least one relief-like surface area.
  • the conveyor can be designed as a carousel that can be rotated about a vertical axis. "Vertical” can mean here that this is the direction that is directed towards the center of the earth. It is also conceivable that the conveyor is designed as a linear conveyor. In addition, the conveyor can include two or more deflection stars with a conveyor belt guided through them, so that linear and circular-arc-shaped conveyor sections are formed for transporting the container.
  • the transporter can comprise container receptacles which are arranged, for example, on the circumference of the carousel or on the conveyor belt.
  • the container receptacles can each comprise a turntable for receiving the container bottom and / or a centering bell for receiving the container mouth.
  • the container receptacles can be designed with direct drives or a control cam to rotate the container with respect to the hardening station during hardening. This allows different sides of the container to be cured.
  • the transporter can be designed to transport the containers continuously or intermittently.
  • the direct print can comprise or be a print image applied to the containers by means of an inkjet printing process.
  • the printing ink of the direct printing can be a printing ink curable by the UV light field of the UV light unit.
  • the printing ink can preferably be curable with UV light.
  • UV light can mean ultraviolet light.
  • the printing ink can comprise color pigments, a polymerizable matrix, monomers, oligomers, UV initiators, water or solvents.
  • the printing ink can comprise monomers and / or oligomers which can be crosslinked with one another by radicals formed by the UV initiator by UV light or by electron beams.
  • the printing ink can have a color consisting of yellow, cyan, magenta, black or white or any mixed color thereof.
  • the UV light unit can comprise a carrier with the UV LEDs arranged thereon.
  • the UV light unit can comprise a circuit board or the like with which the UV LEDs can be electrically controlled individually or in groups.
  • the UV light unit can comprise a heat sink and / or a fan for cooling the UV LEDs.
  • the UV LEDs can be designed to emit a UV light spectrum, preferably a UV-B and / or UV-C light spectrum in a wavelength range between 200 nm - 315 nm, further preferably between 240 nm and 315 nm, to cure the printing inks.
  • the UV LEDs are designed to emit a UV-A light spectrum in a wavelength range of 315 nm-410 nm for pinning.
  • the UV light unit comprises different UV-LED types of the UV-A, UV-B and / or UV-C type, which are preferably designed for UV-C and / or UV-B light for curing after the application of all printing inks and / or emitting UV-A light for pinning between the application of different printing inks.
  • the UV light unit comprises UV LEDs with different UV light spectra, which can also be controlled differently in order to better cure different printing inks.
  • the 2D arrangement of LEDs can be a random 2D arrangement or a regular 2D grid arrangement in which the UV LEDs are distributed on a flat or curved surface.
  • the 2D arrangement of UV LEDs can be a hexagonal or matrix arrangement of several UV LEDs.
  • the 2D arrangement of UV LEDs makes it possible to irradiate the containers with UV light over a longer transport section and thereby achieve the desired curing of the printing ink.
  • the UV light field can mean the light field of all the UV LEDs of a UV light unit that are switched on during operation.
  • the curing station can comprise a control unit in order to control or regulate the UV light unit, the container receptacles and / or the conveyor.
  • the control unit can preferably be connected to the UV light unit, the container receptacles and / or the conveyor via electrical lines.
  • the UV LEDs of the at least one UV light unit are designed to be controllable individually or in groups in order to control the UV light field as a function of the transport positions of the containers with respect to a curing and / or pinning section of the curing station. This makes it possible for the UV LEDs in the area of the curing and / or pinning section to only emit UV light where a container is actually located. This means that the UV LEDs can be switched off between the transport positions of the containers and thus cool down. As a result, less effort is required for cooling and the UV light unit works more efficiently.
  • the UV LEDs can be controlled individually or in groups can mean here that the UV LEDs can be controlled individually or in groups, digitally or analogously, in order to switch them on, off and / or to switch them to any dimmed state.
  • This allows the UV light field to track the transport of the container, which results in a longer distance for curing. As a result, the same curing effect can be obtained with a lower irradiation power. This means that less ozone is formed and UV LEDs with a lower radiation output can also be used.
  • the size, the radiation characteristics, the UV light spectrum and the intensity of the UV light field can be particularly easily adapted to the required radiation effect on the container.
  • a dimmed state is preferably achieved by changing the pulse-pause ratio.
  • the curing section can be an area of the transport path of the conveyor which is provided for curing the printing ink on the containers.
  • the curing section can be arranged downstream of at least one printing station with direct print heads. In other words, this can be a section of the transport path on which all the printing inks of the direct printing have already been applied to the containers during operation with the printing station.
  • the pinning section can be arranged between two printing stations and / or between two direct print heads and be provided to cure a first printing ink before a further printing ink is applied.
  • the first printing ink can be cured with the UV light unit before the subsequent, second printing ink is printed.
  • the two printing inks do not run into one another and a better print image is produced.
  • the UV light unit can also be used for pinning in addition to curing.
  • the control unit is designed to change the UV light field by controlling the power of at least one of the UV LEDs. This enables the UV light field to be applied to the container shape and / or to direct printing via a control procedure stored in the control unit can be flexibly adapted and / or carried along with the container transport. It is conceivable that the power control of the UV LEDs takes place via a change in at least one current, at least one voltage or a pulse / pause ratio of a PWM signal.
  • the control unit is designed to change the power of the UV LEDs based on the transport positions of the containers with respect to the curing and / or pinning section of the curing station in order to carry the UV light field with the transport of the containers.
  • the control unit can preferably be connected to a transmitter which detects the transport positions of the containers on the transporter.
  • the encoder can be a rotary encoder on a carousel axis in order to detect the rotary position of the carousel and thus the container receptacles. It can also be a light barrier, a camera or the like in order to detect the containers on the conveyor and to determine the transport positions therefrom.
  • the control unit can be designed to change the power of the UV LEDs based on a distance between the respective UV LED and a container to be cured in order to homogenize the UV light field acting on the printing ink on the container.
  • a container area remote from the UV light unit can be cured just as quickly as a nearby container area.
  • the distance between the UV light unit and the container can be reduced, since the radiation power on the nearby container area is correspondingly reduced in such a way that the container or the direct print is not damaged by the UV light.
  • the control unit is designed to change the performance of the UV LEDs based on local surface orientations of the container surface with respect to the UV light field. This compensates for the alignment of various surface areas on the container with respect to the UV light field.
  • At least one UV sensor can be assigned to the UV LEDs in order to detect and / or regulate an emission intensity of one or more of the UV LEDs, and which is in particular connected to the control unit. This makes it possible to compensate for production-related or aging-related fluctuations in the radiation output of the UV LEDs. It is conceivable that the UV sensor is a photodiode or transistor that is sensitive to UV light. The UV sensor can be oriented with a light entry surface in the direction of at least one assigned UV LED.
  • the transporter can be designed with container receptacles on each of which one of the UV light units is arranged so as to move along.
  • the UV light units can be used particularly flexibly, for example for pinning between the Printing two inks and then curing.
  • the curing can take place together with the transport of the container along a curing section.
  • the transporter can be designed as a carousel, with each container receptacle being assigned a curing station radially inside or outside. It is also conceivable that each container receptacle on the carousel is assigned a printing station for printing the direct print and a curing station for curing the direct print.
  • the container receptacles and / or the UV light units are enclosed with a treatment labyrinth, preferably the respective UV light unit being controllable with the control unit in such a way that the UV light field between two direct print heads can be activated and deactivated at the position of a direct print head .
  • the treatment labyrinth can comprise shielding elements which form an enclosure for the container receptacles and / or the UV light unit.
  • the shielding elements can form one or more access openings for printing and / or curing the printing ink.
  • the at least one UV light unit can be arranged in a stationary manner on the curing unit.
  • the UV light unit can be designed to carry the UV light field with the transport of the container, preferably by switching over the UV LEDs.
  • the supply lines can be routed particularly easily to the UV light unit without a rotary distributor.
  • “Stationary” can mean here that the UV light unit is fixedly connected to a machine base or a support frame of the curing station. It is conceivable that when the conveyor is designed as a carousel, the UV light unit is arranged radially inside or outside a conveyor track of the conveyor. In the case of a linear conveyor, the UV light unit can be arranged laterally along a transport path. The transport path can be a route along the transport positions of the containers.
  • the UV light unit can preferably be designed to emit the UV light in the direction of the container receptacles and / or transversely to a transport direction of the conveyor.
  • the conveyor can be a carousel with a hollow shaft, the at least one UV light unit being arranged centrally on the hollow shaft.
  • the lighting unit can be arranged in a stationary manner and protrude through the hollow shaft with a stand.
  • the UV LEDs can be arranged outside the hollow shaft, preferably vertically above a carousel level, in order to emit UV light onto the containers in the container receptacles.
  • An emission direction of the UV light can preferably run transversely, preferably perpendicularly, to a carousel axis.
  • the UV light unit comprises a chimney-like cooling body which is arranged centrally on the hollow shaft and on which the UV LEDs are arranged.
  • a fan is preferably arranged on the chimney-like heat sink. This allows the heat from the UV LEDs to be dissipated particularly well.
  • the invention provides a direct printing machine for printing containers with the features of claim 7 to solve the problem.
  • the direct printing press can comprise the features described above individually or in any combination.
  • the use of the 2D arrangement of UV LEDs to generate the UV light field for curing the printing ink requires less effort and can be used more flexibly. This also applies to the printing station.
  • the at least one printing station is designed as a separate unit can mean here that the printing station and the curing station each have their own support frame for being supported on a floor.
  • the printing station's own conveyor can also be designed as a carousel or as a linear conveyor.
  • the printing station can be connected to the curing station via a further conveyor.
  • the printing station can comprise one or more direct print heads in order to print the direct print onto the container, preferably according to the ink jet principle.
  • the direct print heads can each comprise at least one row of nozzles with print nozzles in order to apply the printing ink as ink droplets to the container.
  • the transporter can comprise rotatable container receptacles in order to rotate the container with respect to the direct print heads. This means that the containers can be fully printed.
  • the container receptacles can each comprise a direct drive, a turntable for holding the container base and / or a centering bell for holding the container mouth for rotating the container.
  • the at least one printing station on the conveyor is attached to the curing station.
  • the direct printing machine can be constructed in a particularly compact manner become.
  • the conveyor can be used both for applying the printing ink and for curing.
  • several printing stations, each with at least one direct print head, are attached to the conveyor.
  • the printing stations can also be designed as satellite printing stations.
  • the printing stations can be designed to run along with the carousel on the conveyor and are preferably each assigned to a container receptacle. As a result, a container is printed with all the printing inks and cured in a printing station on the carousel.
  • the invention provides a method for curing printing ink of a direct print on containers with the features of claim 8 to solve the problem.
  • Advantageous embodiments are mentioned in the subclaims.
  • the method can include the features previously described in relation to the curing station and / or the direct printing machine, individually or in any combination.
  • the at least one UV light unit is used to generate a UV light field for curing the printing ink by means of LED technology through the 2D arrangement of UV LEDs, the UV light is generated more efficiently and can be switched particularly quickly. As a result, the UV light unit develops less heat and can be switched on and off particularly quickly without preheating time. Because it is not a single UV light source, but a 2D arrangement of several UV LEDs, the UV LEDs can be controlled individually so that the UV light field is individually adapted to the actual requirements during curing Container shape or the size of the direct print is adjusted. In addition, by adapting the UV light field, the containers can be moved particularly close to the UV light unit without the surface area closest to the UV light source being excessively irradiated. Therefore, overall less radiation power is required than with the known UV light sources. The method therefore requires less effort and can be used more flexibly.
  • the switchability of the UV-LED is particularly advantageous when it comes to avoiding light pollution in relation to the print heads.
  • Control technology ensures that the UV light unit is always switched off when a container is conveyed out of a treatment labyrinth / chamber area and scattered light could reach one of the direct print heads.
  • the UV light units run with the transport of the containers, the UV light fields being generated depending on the transport positions of the containers and / or the container receptacles in relation to a curing and / or pinning section of the curing station.
  • This can the UV light unit can be used particularly flexibly, for example for pinning between the printing of two printing inks and then for curing.
  • the at least one UV light unit is arranged in a stationary manner, the UV light field being carried along with a transport movement of the container in that the UV LEDs are controlled, preferably switched on and off, as a function of the transport movement.
  • the UV light unit can carry the UV light field with the container when it is transported. As a result, the supply lines can be routed particularly easily to the UV light unit without a rotary distributor.
  • the UV lighting unit particularly advantageously has a mixed configuration of different UV light spectra. It is thus possible to expose differently set UV-curing printing inks with the correct spectrum and the correct dose of the spectrum required in each case.
  • the UV LEDs can be controlled based on a distance between the respective UV LED and a container to be cured in order to homogenize the UV light field acting on the printing ink on the container. As a result, a container area remote from the UV light unit can be cured just as quickly as a nearby container area.
  • a UV sensor can measure the radiation intensity of one or more of the UV LEDs and regulate the radiation intensity via this. This makes it possible to compensate for production-related or aging-related fluctuations in the radiation output of the UV LEDs.
  • FIG. 1A-1C an embodiment of a printing station 120 and a curing station 100 is shown in a plan view.
  • the containers 102 can be seen, which are transferred to the conveyor 101 with the feed star 104 and received there in the container receptacles 103.
  • the conveyor 101 is designed here, for example, as a carousel that rotates in the direction T about a vertical axis and thereby guides the container 102 past the printing station 120 and the UV light unit 110 for applying a direct print.
  • the containers 102 are then transferred to the discharge star 105 and fed to further treatment steps.
  • the printing station 120 comprises several direct print heads 121 Y , 121 M , 121 C , 121 K and 121 W , each with one or more rows of nozzles that work according to the ink jet principle.
  • the containers 102 are successively printed with a plurality of raster images in the colors yellow, magenta, cyan, black and white, which are superimposed to form a direct color print that identifies the contents of the container 102.
  • the printing inks can each be cured with UV light and can therefore be dried very quickly.
  • the containers 102 are additionally rotated by the container receptacles 103 with respect to the direct print heads 121 Y , 121 M , 121 C , 121 K and 121 W.
  • the container receptacles 103 each have a turntable 103b that can be rotated with a direct drive and a centering bell 103a.
  • the containers 102 are moved past the UV light unit 110, which is arranged in a stationary manner at the curing station 100.
  • the UV light unit 110 comprises a carrier plate 111 and a matrix arrangement of UV LEDs 112 for generating a UV light field 113.
  • the UV light field 113 can be carried along with the transport direction T of the container 102, in that the UV LEDs are switched on and off or also dimmed accordingly with the control unit 106.
  • the printing inks harden so that they no longer run and are scratch-resistant.
  • the structure of the UV light unit 110 is more precisely shown in FIG Figures 1B from the side and in the Figure 1C shown from above.
  • the UV LEDs 112 are attached to the carrier plate 111 in a matrix arrangement.
  • the 2D arrangement extends, for example, over the entire height of the container 102 along the in FIG Figure 1A curing section A.
  • all UV LEDs 112 work with a wavelength in the UV light spectrum, preferably in the UV-B or UV-C range.
  • the structure of the UV light unit 110 can contain a mixed assembly of different UV LED types with different UV light spectra in order to be able to process differently set UV-curing printing inks.
  • the required UV light spectra can be activated as required and in the correct position, i.e. for example that a front print with 280nm is cured while a back print with 310nm is fixed.
  • UV LEDs 112a are switched off because they are either not located opposite the container 102 or outside an irradiation zone for the direct printing 102a, which here does not extend over the full height of the container 102 but only on the container belly .
  • the UV LEDs 112b are switched on with a higher intensity and the UV LEDs 112c with a lower intensity.
  • this results in a UV light field 113 with a higher intensity at the container areas that are at a greater distance from the UV LEDs 112 and with lower intensity at the container areas that are at a smaller distance from the UV LEDs 112.
  • the UV light field 113 acting on the direct print 102a is homogenized and the curing takes place particularly uniformly.
  • the UV light field 113 is carried along with the container transport in the direction T.
  • the UV LEDs 112 of the UV light unit 110 are controlled with the control unit 106 individually or in groups depending on the respective transport position P 1 , P 2 , P 3 of the container 102 with respect to the curing section A or the UV light unit 110.
  • the UV light field 113 thus virtually moves with the transport movement of the container 102.
  • the containers 102 in the container receptacles 103 can be rotated during transport in the direction T with the turntables 103b in order, for example, to cure a reverse direct print, not shown here.
  • the UV light unit 110 comprises the matrix arrangement of UV LEDs 112
  • the UV light field 113 can be carried along with the transport movement of the container 102 during curing and thus has an effect on the printing ink of the direct print 102a over a longer period of time.
  • the printing ink can be sufficiently cured with less radiation conduction of the UV LEDs 112, without ozone being produced or a high heat output having to be cooled.
  • the UV LEDs 112 can be switched very quickly and the UV light field 113 can be adapted directly to different direct print sizes. A preheating time is also not necessary.
  • the UV LEDs also work in UV-A and / or UV-B, so that the privacy screen is less expensive. Consequently, the curing station 100 or the direct printing machine 120, 100 is less complex and can be used more flexibly.
  • FIG. 2A-2E a further embodiment of a printing station 220 and a curing station 200 is shown.
  • the exemplary embodiment differs essentially in that, instead of the stationary UV light unit 110, the Figures 1A-1C
  • the UV light units 210 are arranged to run concurrently on the container receptacles 203.
  • the printing station 220 with the direct printing heads 221 Y , 221 M , 221 C , 221 K and 221 W corresponds in structure and function to the printing station 120 from FIGS Figures 1A-1C .
  • a container receptacle 203 with the associated curing station 210a can be seen in a side view or in a top view, in which the container 202 is currently being cured. This takes place after printing with the last direct print head 221 W in the curing area A during transport.
  • the UV light unit 210 comprises a carrier 211 and a matrix arrangement of UV LEDs 212 which generates the UV light field 213 for curing the printing ink.
  • the UV light unit 210 is arranged on the carousel 201 and is transported by it together with the respective container receptacle 203 in the transport direction T.
  • the UV light units 210a are deactivated by the control unit 206 so that no printing ink could harden in the print nozzles and cause a malfunction.
  • the UV light units 210 are controlled by the control unit 206 in the pinning sections B 1 - B 4 , i.e. depending on the transport position of the respective container 202 between the direct print heads 221 Y , 221 M , 221 C , 221 K and 221 W , that with the UV LEDs 212 the printing ink that has just been printed is slightly cured (pinning) so that it does not run with the subsequently applied printing ink.
  • control unit 206 controls the power of the UV LEDs 212 on the basis of the transport position of the respective container receptacle 203 individually or in groups so that they create a homogeneously acting UV light field in the curing section A based on a distance between the respective UV LED 212 and the container 202 213 generate.
  • This is more precise in the Figures 2B and 2C shown. Since, in this example, the direct print 202a is only applied to the container belly, the upper UV LEDs 212 are deactivated in order not to generate any unnecessary heat output. In contrast, the two lateral UV-LED groups 212b are switched on with a higher intensity and the UV-LEDs 212c with a lower intensity.
  • the curing section A spans a larger area of the transport path following the printing station 220 up to the discharge star 205, so that the printing ink on the container 202 can be irradiated for a longer period of time. As a result, a sufficient curing effect is achieved even with a lower radiation power of the UV LEDs 212.
  • the UV light units 210 include both UV LEDs 212 in the UV-A range for pinning and in the UV-B and / or UV-C range for curing.
  • the turntables 203b of the container receptacles 203 are designed to be rotatable with a direct drive. During curing, it is therefore possible to rotate the containers 202 in order to cure the printing ink of a direct print applied to the rear of the container.
  • each container receptacle 203 is assigned a UV light unit 210
  • the curing station 200 can Figures 2A-2C can be used particularly flexibly.
  • FIGS 2D - 2E are the printing station 220 and the curing station 200 of the Figure 2A with an additional treatment labyrinth 230 shown in operation in a plan view.
  • the treatment labyrinth 230 with the shielding elements 231a, 231b and 232 is arranged on the conveyor 201 between the individual container receptacles 203.
  • the shielding elements 231a, 231b form a housing for the container receptacles 203 and the shielding elements 232 correspondingly for the UV light units 210.
  • chambers are formed, each with a UV light unit 210 and a container receptacle 203, which shield the scattered light from the adjacent chambers.
  • the shielding elements 231a, 231b, 232 are designed in such a way that a first access opening 233 for the direct print heads 221 and a second access opening for the associated UV light unit 210 are formed for each chamber.
  • the conveyor 201 has been rotated a little further and the containers 202 are currently at positions between the direct print heads 221.
  • scattered light from the UV light units 210a is shielded by the treatment labyrinth 230, preferably by the shielding elements 231a, 231b, so that it cannot reach the inactive direct print heads 221. Consequently, with the conveyor 201 in this position, the UV light units 210a can be activated in order to pin the printing ink through the access openings 234 between the individual direct print heads 221. As a result, an even sharper print result is achieved.
  • FIG. 3 Another embodiment of a curing station 300 with a carousel as a conveyor 301 is shown in a top view.
  • the embodiment differs from that in FIG Figures 1A-1C essentially in that the conveyor is designed as a carousel 301 with a hollow shaft 301a and the UV light unit 310 is arranged centrally in the hollow shaft 301a and not peripherally on the outer circumference.
  • the printing station is not arranged on the conveyor 301 of the curing station 300, but rather as a separate unit, not shown here, with its own conveyor.
  • the printing station is arranged upstream of the curing station, so that the containers 302 that have already been provided with the printing ink are transferred with the feed star 304 to the container receptacles 303 of the curing station 300.
  • the UV light unit 310 is designed with a columnar, hollow heat sink 311, which forms a chimney and can be forcibly ventilated via the fan 314.
  • the UV LEDs 312 are arranged facing radially outward on the outside of the heat sink 311 above the carousel level.
  • the UV light field is emitted essentially radially outwards and the printing ink is cured on the containers 302.
  • the container receptacles 303 are designed to be rotatable, so that the containers 302 can be rotated about their longitudinal axes.
  • the outputs of the UV LEDs are controlled individually or in groups by a control unit (not shown here) based on the transport positions of the containers 302 with respect to the curing section A.
  • a control unit not shown here
  • the UV light field moves with the transport of the containers in the direction T, without the UV light unit 310 having to be rotated for this purpose.
  • the UV light unit 310 can be controlled without a rotary distributor and is therefore particularly simple in structure.
  • FIG. 4 Another embodiment of a curing station 400 with a linear conveyor 401 as a conveyor is shown in a top view. It can be seen that the containers 402 are already provided with printing ink from a printing station (not shown) and are transported by the linear conveyor 401 along the UV lighting unit 410 and are cured in the process.
  • the UV light unit 410 here also comprises a matrix arrangement of UV LEDs 412, which generate a UV light field for curing the printing ink.
  • UV LEDs 412a are switched off because they are not located opposite the container 402.
  • the UV LEDs 412 are switched on with different intensities based on a distance between the respective UV LED 412b and the container 402 in order to homogenize the UV light field acting on the printing ink on the container 402. This means that curing takes place particularly evenly.
  • the UV light field is carried along with the container transport by switching the UV LEDs 412.
  • the UV LEDs 412 of the UV light unit 410 are controlled individually or in groups with a control unit (not shown here) depending on the respective transport position of the container 402 with respect to the curing section A or the UV light unit 410.
  • the UV light field thus moves virtually with the transport movement of the containers 402.
  • a linear conveyor 401 it is also possible with a linear conveyor 401 to use a curing station 400 with a 2D arrangement of UV LEDs 412. As a result, the curing station 400 can be used flexibly and with little effort.
  • FIG. 5 Another embodiment of a curing station 500 with a linear conveyor 501 as a conveyor is shown in a top view.
  • the embodiment differs from that in FIG Figure 4 only in that here two UV light units 510a, 510b are arranged opposite one another on the linear conveyor 501.
  • Both UV light units 510a, 510b are each formed with a carrier 511a, 511b and a matrix arrangement of UV LEDs 512a, 512b.
  • Both UV light units 510a, 510b work like those before with respect to the Figure 4 UV light unit 410 described and are accordingly controlled by a control unit (not shown here) in such a way that the UV light fields are carried along with the transport of the containers 502.
  • both sides of the container can be cured at the same time and without rotating the container.
  • the curing station 500 works particularly efficiently. It is also conceivable that in the curing stations 100, 200, 300 in the Figures 1A - 3 two opposing UV light units are arranged along the transport path.
  • FIG. 6 an exemplary embodiment of a UV-LED 112, 212, 312, 412, 512 is shown, as shown in the curing stations 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 of Figures 1 - 5 can be used.
  • the UV sensor 15 can be seen, which measures the radiation intensity of the UV light and forwards a corresponding signal to the control units. Since the radiation output of UV LEDs fluctuates due to the manufacturing process and aging, this can be detected with the UV sensor 15 and compensated for by means of a corresponding, preferably current control or change in the PWM.
  • the UV sensor 15 ' is arranged on the conveyor 102, 202, 302, 402, 502 opposite the UV LED 112, 212, 312, 412, 512, whereby the radiation intensity in the forward direction is detected particularly well.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Toxicology (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Ink Jet (AREA)
  • Supply, Installation And Extraction Of Printed Sheets Or Plates (AREA)
  • Coating Apparatus (AREA)
EP17722448.2A 2016-09-02 2017-05-10 Aushärtestation und verfahren zum aushärten von druckfarbe eines direktdrucks auf behältern Active EP3507098B1 (de)

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DE102016216627.1A DE102016216627A1 (de) 2016-09-02 2016-09-02 Aushärtestation und Verfahren zum Aushärten von Druckfarbe eines Direktdrucks auf Behältern
PCT/EP2017/061110 WO2018041422A1 (de) 2016-09-02 2017-05-10 Aushärtestation und verfahren zum aushärten von druckfarbe eines direktdrucks auf behältern

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DE202017105318U1 (de) * 2017-09-04 2018-12-06 Krones Ag Behandlungsmaschine für Behälter
DE102019208132A1 (de) * 2019-06-04 2020-12-10 Heraeus Noblelight Gmbh Anordnung mit belichtungseinrichtung und messeinrichtung, beinhaltend eine elektrische messschaltung und eine selektionsschaltung
US20210369889A1 (en) * 2020-05-26 2021-12-02 Sg Gaming, Inc. Playing card cleaner
EP4210958A4 (en) * 2020-09-10 2024-10-16 Ink Cups Now Llc SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PRINTING WITH HOLLOW VESSELS
DE102022101561A1 (de) * 2022-01-24 2023-07-27 Krones Aktiengesellschaft Verfahren zum strahlungsgehärteten Reliefdruck auf Behälter
FR3145307A1 (fr) * 2023-01-30 2024-08-02 Pochet Du Courval Installation de décoration d’objets creux en verre comprenant un convoyeur pour faire défiler les objets devant au moins un poste d’impression digitale

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GB0304761D0 (en) 2003-03-01 2003-04-02 Integration Technology Ltd Ultraviolet curing
CN101142238A (zh) * 2004-01-07 2008-03-12 肯特治疗股份有限公司 旋转式紫外固化方法和设备
DE102005051470A1 (de) 2005-10-21 2007-04-26 Bizerba Gmbh & Co. Kg Aktivierungsvorrichtung für aktivierbare Indikatoren zur Warenkennzeichnung, Vorrichtung zur Bereitstellung von aktivierten Indikatoren und Verfahren zur Aktivierung von Indikatoren
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CN109641446B (zh) 2020-10-30
WO2018041422A1 (de) 2018-03-08
US11383508B2 (en) 2022-07-12
EP3507098A1 (de) 2019-07-10
CN109641446A (zh) 2019-04-16
US20210354482A1 (en) 2021-11-18
DE102016216627A1 (de) 2018-03-08

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