EP3769966B1 - Colour assisted automatic control menu guide - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a printing machine with printing units, a computer and a display device, the printing units having optical signaling devices which are connected to the computer and the computer being connected to the display device.

From the Japanese patent application JP 2009/202378 A a printing machine is known which is equipped with lighting devices on printing units. The lighting devices on the printing units are intended to give the operator a visual indication of the status of the printing machine, with the operator being able to see the lighting devices on the printing units even if he moves a little away from the printing machine. The lighting devices are mounted on the side walls of the printing units of the printing press and the current operating status of the printing press is recorded by several sensors and forwarded to a control computer. This control computer in turn controls the lighting devices on the printing units, which z. B. show a remaining amount of ink on the respective printing unit. The display of the amount of ink is based on information that the sensors deliver to the control computer of the printing press. A disadvantage of this printing press is that the display of the information on the printing units is not related to other operating elements of the printing press, in particular a display device such as a screen.

From the patent specification DE 103 39 571 B4 a method for determining the optimal procedure for a job change on a printing press with at least one control computer is also known. The control computer compares the data of a first machine job with the data of a subsequent machine job and, by means of the comparison, calculates a sequence of the work that is due when the job changes. In order to carry out the job change, the operating personnel are guided visually through these work processes on the basis of the calculated order of the work processes be carried out on display devices which are attached to the printing press.

From the disclosure document WO2008/103254 A2 (see also the European patent EP2112975 B1 ) shows a web-fed rotary printing machine with a printing unit, a dryer and a folding table, these three units each having a sensor and an associated signaling device. The signaling devices are connected to a computer, which in turn controls the web-fed rotary printing machine and has a graphical user interface. This Graphical User Interface is able to display a graphic representation of a print job running on the web-fed rotary printing press. This graphical representation shows the current status of the sensors and the optical signaling devices of the three units, with nothing further being said about the color coordination of the representations on the graphical user interface. The operator of the web-fed rotary press can thus follow the current status of the web-fed rotary press in real time on a display at the control station.

It is the object of the present invention to reduce downtimes in printing presses and to optimize operator actions on the printing press by optimizing the operator prompting for the printing press operator.

The present object is achieved by patent claim 1 according to the invention. Advantageous configurations of the present invention result from the dependent claims, the description and the figures. The printing machine can be an offset printing machine, an inkjet printing machine or another printing machine with any desired printing technology, which is at least equipped with a printing device such as a printing unit. The printing press must have a computer which is connected to at least one display device such as a screen and optical signaling devices on the printing units of the printing press. In this way, the computer can coordinate and control the display process on the optical signaling devices on the display device. According to the invention, it is provided that the printing press is set up in such a way that the computer can display the of operating states of the printing machine on the display device in a color matching the displays of the operating states on the optical signaling devices of the printing units. This means that the printing press operator an operating state of the printing press both on a display device such. B. the operating screen of the printing press is displayed in the same or at least a similar color as the operating status on the optical signaling device on the respective printing unit. As a result, the display of the operating states on the screen and on the respective printing unit is visually coordinated by the color-coordinated display, so that confusion for the operator is virtually impossible. Optimally, the color display on the optical signaling devices and on the display device is in exactly the same color tone, but certain deviations in color tone that do not lead to confusion are entirely permissible.

In a first embodiment of the present invention, it is provided that an optical signaling device on a printing unit simultaneously or alternately displays a plurality of operating states in different colors. Depending on the operating status of the printing machine, several actions can be pending or carried out on a printing unit. In order to be able to display these multiple actions on a printing unit, it is possible for the optical signaling device to display different colors at the same time or alternately. In the case of simultaneous display, this means that the visual signaling device is divided into two or more areas and a different color is displayed in each area, which color is assigned to a specific operating state. In this way, the status "setup due to print job change" and "manual intervention required" can be displayed on a printing unit with two different colors at the same time. Furthermore, it is also possible to alternately display different colors on the optical signaling device of the printing unit by changing the color at time intervals. H. a quick color change is possible.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the present invention, it is provided that the optical signaling device is a multicolor LED light bar. Modern multicolor LEDs have the great advantage that they can be shaped in almost any way, consume little energy and can produce a wide range of colors. In this way it is possible to attach an optical signaling device of almost any shape to the printing unit and to let it shine in almost any number of colors. Because each color is assigned an operating status, almost any number of operating statuses can be displayed in different colors. It is only important that the colors of the different operating states can also be distinguished optically for the operator so that no confusion occurs. In the multicolor signal device, the LEDs can also be arranged as an array with a certain width and a certain length with a number of LEDs next to one another and one below the other, so that arrows or other symbols can be displayed in color.

In a further development of the invention, it is provided. that on the display device a user interface with at least one mask is displayed, with a timeline being present in one area of the mask, which chronologically displays the print jobs assigned to the printing machine in a print job queue. The display device can be designed purely as a display device, in particular as a large wall screen, on the control panel of the printing press, but it can also be a separate touchscreen that accepts the user interface with inputs from the operator of the printing press. The user interface can also run on a mobile device such as a smartphone, tablet to enable mobile applications. The user interface can thus enable direct input or can only be used as a display, which is controlled via other input devices such as a mouse or keyboard. A timeline is then permanently present in an area of the mask on the user interface of the display device, which chronologically displays the print jobs assigned to the printing machine in a print job queue. In this way, the operator of the printing machine can see at any time which print job is being processed, which print jobs are still pending and which print jobs have already been completed. The print job queue is preferably displayed in the same color that is used on the printing units to signal the “continuous printing mode” operating state. This embodiment of the invention can be combined with the colored signal elements and the coordinated coloring of the user interface, but it also works without the colored coordination.

In a further previous embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the user interface contains a mask with an area which displays properties of a current print job and properties of an upcoming print job, and that the computer on the user interface makes suggestions for managing the print job change between the current and the upcoming one Print job displays, which include manual intervention by an operator. Whenever a print job change is pending, a mask is displayed on the user interface in good time, which contains an area in which the properties such as edition, printing inks, substrate, name of the customer, etc. of both a current and an upcoming print job are displayed, see above that the operator can immediately see what is happening when changing print jobs between the current print job and the upcoming print job changes. Furthermore, suggestions for managing the print job change between the current and the upcoming print job are displayed on the mask, which include manual intervention by an operator. In order for the operator of the printing press to be able to carry out the necessary manual interventions correctly, the computer in the printing press also displays corresponding suggestions for handling the print job change on a screen, so that he is optimally prepared for the forthcoming manual interventions. In addition, these manual interventions can then be signaled by correspondingly identical coloring on the user interface of the display device and the optical signaling device on the respective printing unit.

Advantageously, it is also provided that the computer displays a further mask on the display device at the start of the print job change, which shows the ongoing set-up processes of a printing press, and that the optical signaling devices on the printing units of the printing press display the corresponding set-up processes in matching colors. In this embodiment, the mask changes at the start of the print job change by displaying another mask, which then shows the setup processes taking place on the printing press, with the corresponding setup processes on the user interface and on the optical signaling devices of the printing units also being color-coordinated here. Advantageously, only the next set-up process pending at the corresponding printing unit is displayed in the mask and signaled in the appropriate color on the associated printing unit of the printing press, so that the printer is optimally guided and only has to deal with one set-up process and knows which printing unit he is working on has to carry this out.

In a further embodiment of the present invention, it is provided that manual set-up processes are displayed in a different color than automatic set-up processes on the display device and on the optical signaling devices of the printing units. In this embodiment of the present invention, a color distinction is made between manual set-up processes and automatic set-up processes. In this way, the operator knows on the one hand which printing units he has to carry out manual set-up processes on, on the other hand For others, a different color is used to indicate to the other printing units that set-up processes are also being carried out there, but that he does not have to intervene manually with them.

A further embodiment of the present invention provides that the computer displays a mask on the user interface, which displays areas for displaying ink metering and color measurement results during the set-up phase until production of a print job is ramped up after a print job change. In order to optimally guide the operator, another mask is displayed on the user interface during the set-up phase until production of a print job is ramped up, which shows important information during this set-up phase. In particular, this mask contains areas for displaying color dosing and color measurement results. Since the printing press is not in a stable state during the set-up phase until production of a print job is ramped up, the production of the printed products must be stopped, e.g. B. be monitored by an image inspection device or a color measuring device, which transmits the corresponding color measurement results to the computer of the printing press. These color measurement results are then displayed in the mask during the setup phase so that the printer can see whether the color measurement results are within the desired range. It is also advantageous if the operator is shown the ink metering, particularly in the case of zonal inking units in offset printing machines, so that the operator always has the openings of the individual ink zones in the printing units on the user interface in the mask in view. In this way, color measurement results and openings of the color metering elements in the printing machine can be placed next to each other in the same mask, which significantly increases the clarity for the operator.

Provision is also advantageously made for the computer to display a mask on the user interface of the display device during ongoing production of a print job, which mask contains measured color values and displays the openings of ink metering elements in the printing units of the printing press. In order to clearly separate the set-up phase from ongoing production until production is ramped up, another mask is preferably displayed on the user interface, which is only displayed during ongoing production is used and also displays the corresponding measured color values and openings of color metering elements in the printing units of the printing press. Thus, the operator knows immediately that he is in the current production of the print job and that the print quality of the current print job is now being monitored.

In a further embodiment of the present invention, it is provided that during the production of a print job, the computer displays a mask on the user interface of the display device, which shows deviations in the print quality between printed substrates and a printed original based on measured values determined by a measuring device and changes in the setting of the press as a remedy. In this case, a target/actual value comparison is carried out between the digital data of the print original and the measured values determined by a measuring device, and corresponding deviations are displayed in the mask during the production of the print job. In the event of impermissible deviations, suggestions are displayed in the mask as to how the deviations from the printed original can be minimized by changing the settings of the printing machine. In this way, during the production of the print job, the printer has both measured values and suggestions for changing the setting in the event of impermissible deviations in the same mask at a glance mask on the user interface.

Figur 1:

eine Offsetbogendruckmaschine mit mehreren Druckwerken mit optischen Signaleinrichtungen, einem Rechner und einer Anzeigevorrichtung an der Druckmaschine,

Figur 2:

eine Bedienmaske einer Bedienoberfläche auf der Anzeigevorrichtung der Druckmaschine nach dem Start eines Druckauftragswechsels und

Figur 3:

eine Maske der Bedienoberfläche in der Einrichtphase bis zum Hochlaufen der Produktion eines Druckauftrags.

The present invention is described and explained in more detail below with reference to three figures. Show it:

Figure 1:

an offset sheet-fed printing press with several printing units with optical signaling devices, a computer and a display device on the printing press,

Figure 2:

an operating mask of a user interface on the display device of the printing press after the start of a print job change and

Figure 3:

a mask of the user interface in the set-up phase until production of a print job is ramped up.

In figure 1 a sheet-fed offset printing press 1 is shown as an example, which has six printing units 2, a feeder 3, a delivery 4 and a control point 5. With the control point 5, which has a display device in the form of a screen, the entire printing press or parts of the printing press can be controlled. In addition, it is possible to provide a large screen such as a wall screen, which can be figure 1 is not shown. The control point 5 is connected to a control computer 6 which controls the printing press 1 . The control computer 6 controls the printing units 2 as well as the feeder 3 and the delivery 4. An LED light strip 7 is attached to each printing unit 2 and can light up in different colors. The LED light strips 7 are also coupled to the control computer 6 so that the control computer 6 can control the LED light strips 7 in accordance with the color. Depending on the operating status of the associated printing unit 2, the light strips 7 show different colors. The continuous printing operation is displayed in the color blue, while an automatic set-up process is displayed in the color green. If manual intervention by the operator is required on a printing unit 2, the associated LED light strip 7 lights up in yellow. The corresponding machine statuses are displayed on the screen of operating point 5 in the same color as on the LED light strip 7 of the associated printing unit 2. In this way, the operator can visually and correctly match the displays on printing unit 2 and the displays on operating point 5 in terms of color. If several operating states are to be displayed on a printing unit 2, the LED light strip 7 can be controlled in such a way that it alternately displays different colors in succession or simultaneously in at least two areas, which are assigned to different operating states of the printing press 1. In this way, several operating states can be displayed at the same time on a printing unit 2 by means of an LED light strip 7 .

In the figures 2 and 3 a user interface 8 is shown, which is displayed on the control point 5. The printing machine 1 is controlled with the user interface 8 . In addition the relevant process information on the current machine status is displayed to the operator on the user interface 8 at all times. The system guides the operator and automatically suggests the necessary next steps. In order to keep things clear for the operator, the appropriate masks for the respective process on the printing press 1 are displayed on the user interface 8 so that the operator always knows which process is currently pending on the printing press 1 . In conjunction with the LED light strips 7 on the printing units 2, the current operating status of the printing machine 1 is displayed to all people involved in the printing process, such as B. Printers, helpers, print shop managers made visible from afar. In addition, on the user interface 8 there is an area 13 with a print job queue, which permanently displays the pending print jobs chronologically in a timeline. In this way, the operator of the printing machine 1 always knows which print jobs have just been processed, which print jobs are still to be processed and which print job is currently being processed on the printing machine 1 . The masks, which are displayed to the operator as a function of the respective process in the printing press 1, cannot be operated themselves; they only serve to inform the operator. The operator only makes adjustments to the printing machine 1 via a corresponding operating menu at the operating point 5, which is separate from the masks.

In figure 2 a mask is shown on the user interface 8, which is automatically displayed at the start of a print job change. It can be seen that the print job queue 13 is always displayed in the lower area of the mask, so that the operator always has an overview of the print jobs pending at the printing press 1 . There is also an area 11 which displays the properties and data of a print job before the print job change, while an area 12 shows the properties and data of a print job after the print job change. The operator thus knows which settings on the printing press 1 have to be changed in order to be able to carry out the print job change. There is also an area 10 in the mask, which shows the processes taking place at the printing units 2 during the print job change. The processes running at the printing units 2 are displayed in the mask in the same color as they are on the respective Printing unit 2 are signaled by the LED light strips 7. Above this area, the printing press 1 is shown in the area 9 so that there is an additional assignment between color-coded processes on the printing units on the display device 5 when the print job is changed and the respective printing unit 2 in the printing press 1 . Ongoing set-up processes on the printing units 2 are displayed in green, while the respective printing unit and the respective process are colored yellow in the event of manual intervention.

In figure 3 Another mask is shown on the user interface 8, which is displayed during the setup phase until the start of the next print job. This mask is also referred to as a so-called fine setup mask and consists of two states and starts with the first printing unit 2 when this is switched to print. The first state includes the start-up of the printing press 1 until the first measurement of a printed product produced by a color measuring device, a preview image 14 of the print job with ink zone profile of the printing press 1 is displayed, print circuit and machine settings and the respective color register. The second state is displayed from the first measurement until the start of a good sheet. Then the color zone display is replaced by the measurement results, the other displays remain the same. If the printing press 1 is operated without a color measuring device, the mask remains in the first state.

As soon as a good sheet has been detected, the mask changes to the production status and, if there is a color measuring device, a print quality check is carried out, with measurement results being displayed in the mask in comparison to the print original.

The concept with the various masks has the advantage that the operator is only ever shown the respective mask suitable for the process in the printing press 1 on the operating point 5 and its user interface 8 and he is guided dynamically through the processes in the printing press 1 . The operator is not inundated with information, but only confronted with the information that matches the processes currently taking place on the printing press 1 . In this way, operation is made more intuitive and incorrect operation by the operator is avoided. This reduces downtimes of the printing press 1 and increases production reliability.

Reference List

1

printing press

2

printing works

3

investor

4

boom

5

control panel

6

control computer

7

LED light strips

8th

user interface

9

area machine

10

Operations on printing units area

11

Area before print job change

12

Area after print job change

13

print job queue

14

print preview

Claims (10)

1. Printing machine (1) with printing units (2), a computer (6), and a display device (5) connected to the computer (6),
   characterized

   in that the printing units (2) have optical signal devices (7) which are connected to the computer (6), and

   in that the printing machine (1) is set up in such a way that the computer (6) organizes the representation of operating conditions of the printing machine (1) on the display device (5) in such a way that the colours match the colours of the displays of the operating conditions on the optical signal devices (7) of the printing units (2).
2. Printing machine (1) according to claim 1,
   characterized
   in that an optical signal device (7) on a printing unit (2) simultaneously or alternatingly displays multiple operating conditions in different colours.
3. Printing machine (1) according to claim 1 or 2,
   characterized
   in that the optical signal device (7) is a multicolour LED light bar.
4. Printing machine (1) according to any one of the preceding claims,
   characterized
   in that a user interface (8) with at least one screen is displayed on the display device (5), wherein a region of the screen includes a time line (12) which chronologically displays the print jobs assigned to the printing machine (1) in a print job queue.
5. Printing machine (1) according to claim 4,
   characterized
   in that the user interface (5) includes a screen with a region which displays characteristics of a running print job and characteristics of a pending print job, and in that the computer (6) displays suggestions on the user interface (8) on how to handle the print job change between the running print job and the pending print job, said suggestions comprising manual interventions by an operator.
6. Printing machine (1) according to claim 5,
   characterized
   in that when the print job change starts, the computer (6) displays a further screen on the display device (5), said further screen displaying the progress of the set-up operations made on the printing machine (1) and in that the optical signal device (7) on the printing units (2) of the printing machine (1) display the corresponding set-up operations in matching colours.
7. Printing machine (1) according to claim 6,
   characterized
   in that manual set-up operations and automated set-up operations are displayed on the display device (5) and on the optical signal devices (7) of the printing units (2) in different colors.
8. Printing machine (1) according to any one of the preceding claims 4 to 7, characterized
   in that on the user interface (8), the computer (6) displays a screen which displays regions for displaying ink metering and colour measurement results during the set-up phase until the start of the production run of a print job after a print job change.
9. Printing machine (1) according to any one of claims 4 to 8,
   characterized
   in that during a production run of a print job, on the user interface (8) of the display device (5), the computer (6) displays a screen which includes measured colour values and displays the settings of ink metering elements in the printing units (2) of the printing machine (1).
10. Printing machine (1) according to any one of claims 4 to 9,
    characterized
    in that during the production run of a print job, on the user interface (8) of the display device (5), the computer (6) displays a screen which, based on measurement results obtained by a measuring device, indicates deviations in terms of print quality between printed printing materials and an original, and suggests modifications to the settings of the printing machine (1) as remedial measures.

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