JP2014069366A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printer which allows printing satisfying requested printing accuracy even when pattern transfer is performed to a large transfer object by a printing method.SOLUTION: In a printer which transfers a pattern region PR to be constituted of a projection to a printing object region PT by pressing a tubular plate cylinder 21 for attaching a printing plate PL on the surface of which the pattern region PR is formed to the outer peripheral surface to a substrate W, a stage 10 and the plate cylinder 21 are controlled so that a non-contact region NR of the printing plate PR is located on a region out of a printing object except the printing object region PT of the substrate W prior to transfer of the pattern region PR to the printing object region PT, and position adjustment of the stage 10 is performed during a period in which the non-contact region NR is located on the region out of a printing object.

Description

  The present invention relates to a printing apparatus for transferring a light emitting material or the like of organic electroluminescence (organic EL) to a substrate from a printing plate mounted on an outer peripheral surface of a plate cylinder.

  In recent years, organic EL light-emitting materials that are being developed include polymer materials using polymer molecules and low-molecular materials using other molecules. Any of the light emitting materials is difficult to form a pattern using a photolithography method due to restrictions on the base film. For this reason, for low molecular weight materials, the method of vacuum deposition of low molecular weight materials in the required area using a metal mask is used for pattern formation. However, depending on the deposition temperature, the metal mask expands, and the substrate is particularly large. There is a tendency that a film-forming village is generated as it is done. For this reason, pattern formation by various printing methods using a polymer material has been attempted.

  Among such printing methods, in the printing method using a relief plate, a light emitting material as ink is applied to the projections of the printing plate on which a pattern is formed, and the pattern is transferred to a transfer target (usually a transparent glass substrate). To do. As the printing plate, a resin plate (for example, a polyester-based resin plate) is used from the viewpoint of printing on a glass substrate which is a brittle material.

  Here, as an organic EL application, for example, in the case of a display application, each of R (red), G (green), and B (blue) light emitting materials is coated with high definition with a line width of tens to hundreds of μm. The position accuracy is required to be ± 10 μm or less.

  For example, a transparent glass substrate, which is a transfer target, has a plurality of partition walls (also called banks) arranged in parallel to form a display pattern, and R, G, When the B light emitting material is applied, but R ink is applied as the light emitting material, among the plurality of stripe-shaped grooves (called cells) arranged in the printing region of the glass substrate, the R ink on one end side of the array It is necessary to match the total pitch from the cell (R cell) to the R cell on the other end to the total pitch of the R ink printing result by the printing plate with an accuracy of ± 10 μm or less.

  If the total pitch of the printed result is too long, color mixing due to ink protrusion occurs at both ends of the printing area of the glass substrate. Conversely, if it is too short, color mixing with the adjacent G ink or B ink occurs. Either of these causes uneven light emission.

  In recent years, organic EL displays have been increased in size, and those having a 46-inch screen have been developed. However, even in such a large display, the printing accuracy is required to be ± 10 μm or less. Furthermore, since it is inefficient to produce one display panel with one glass substrate, it is required to obtain a plurality of display panels from one glass substrate as disclosed in Patent Document 1. The glass substrate is getting larger.

  For example, in the case of a 46-inch size organic EL display, eight display panels can be obtained from a glass substrate called eighth generation (G8), but the size of the eighth generation glass substrate is 2200 mm × It becomes 2500 mm.

  In order to process a glass substrate of such a size, a larger stage is required, and there is a problem that the required printing accuracy cannot be satisfied unless the dimensional accuracy of the stage and the moving accuracy of the stage are taken into consideration. .

  For example, Patent Document 2 discloses a technique for forming an electronic circuit such as a liquid crystal display by a printing method. In order to improve printing accuracy, the position of a stage is detected at the time of performing a printing process, and a target value and It is disclosed that when there is a deviation, the stage position is adjusted on the spot.

JP 2006-218684 A JP 2011-11500 A

  As disclosed in Patent Document 2, it is effective to detect the position of the stage at the time of performing the printing process and adjust the position of the stage on the spot, but the method of Patent Document 2 is effective. Then, the position of the stage is adjusted while the printing plate affixed to the printing roll is in contact with the transfer target, and a high output motor is required to adjust the position of the stage, which only increases costs. Instead, the position of the stage is changed during printing, which may cause a reduction in print quality.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and is required even when pattern transfer is performed by a printing method on a large transfer target such as an eighth generation glass substrate. An object of the present invention is to provide a printing apparatus capable of printing satisfying printing accuracy.

  According to a first aspect of the printing apparatus of the present invention, there is provided a printing plate on which a pattern area composed of a convex portion is formed on a surface, and a stage that holds a substrate in which a print target area is defined in advance in a horizontal posture. A cylindrical plate cylinder mounted on the outer peripheral surface, a transfer mechanism for transferring the pattern area to the print target area by pressing the printing plate against the substrate, and a control unit for controlling the transfer mechanism; The transfer mechanism includes: a rotation mechanism that rotates the plate cylinder about a rotation axis; the stage in a first direction parallel to the rotation axis; and a second direction perpendicular to the rotation axis. A plane moving mechanism that moves along the plane, and an in-plane rotation mechanism that rotates the stage around the central axis of the plane. Non-contact territory has become a low area The controller is configured to position the non-contact area of the printing plate on a non-printing area other than the printing area of the substrate prior to transferring the pattern area to the printing area. The stage and the plate cylinder are controlled so that the position of the stage is adjusted by controlling the transfer mechanism during a period in which the non-contact area is located on the non-printable area.

  According to a second aspect of the printing apparatus of the present invention, the first displacement obtained by measuring in advance the displacement of the stage in the first direction when the stage is moved along the second direction. A storage unit that stores at least data; and the control unit reads the first displacement data from the storage unit, obtains a variation characteristic of the first displacement data in the print target region of the substrate, During the period in which the non-contact area is located on the non-printing area, the transfer mechanism is controlled to adjust the position of the stage in a direction that cancels the variation characteristics.

  In a third aspect of the printing apparatus according to the present invention, the control unit approximates the variation characteristic of the first displacement data with a straight line, and adjusts the position of the stage in a direction to cancel the obtained variation characteristic of the straight line. I do.

  In a fourth aspect of the printing apparatus according to the present invention, the print target area is provided in a plurality in a row along the second direction on the substrate, and is arranged in a row. The position of the stage is adjusted by controlling the transfer mechanism during a period in which the non-contact area is located between the target areas and on the non-print target area outside the row of the print target areas.

  According to a fifth aspect of the printing apparatus of the present invention, the storage unit includes a third unit that is perpendicular to the first and second directions of the stage when the stage is moved along the second direction. Second displacement data obtained by measuring the displacement in the direction in advance is also stored.

  According to a sixth aspect of the printing apparatus of the present invention, the transfer mechanism further includes a vertical movement mechanism that moves the plate cylinder in the third direction, and the vertical movement mechanism is configured to rotate the plate cylinder. Including first and second vertical movement mechanisms respectively disposed in the left-right direction along the axis, wherein each of the first and second vertical movement mechanisms can operate independently, and the control unit Reads out the second displacement data from the storage unit, and controls the vertical movement mechanism during a period in which the non-contact area is located on the non-printable area so that the plate cylinder, the stage, Adjust the distance.

  In a seventh aspect of the printing apparatus according to the present invention, the print target area is a stripe-shaped groove forming area formed by a plurality of partition walls provided in the substrate surface along the second direction. It is prescribed.

  According to the first aspect of the printing apparatus of the present invention, prior to transferring the pattern area to the print target area, the non-contact area of the printing plate is formed on the non-print target area other than the print target area of the substrate. The stage and the plate cylinder are controlled so as to be positioned, and the position of the stage is adjusted by controlling the transfer mechanism during the period in which the non-contact area is located on the non-printing area. For this reason, the stage is not pressed by the plate cylinder, and a high output motor is not necessary for the mechanism for adjusting the position of the stage. For this reason, the manufacturing cost of the printing apparatus can be reduced. Further, since the position adjustment is performed in a non-contact state with the substrate, the contact position between the pattern area and the print target area does not shift with the adjustment, and the print quality does not deteriorate.

  According to the second aspect of the printing apparatus of the present invention, the control unit reads the first displacement data from the storage unit, acquires the fluctuation characteristics of the first displacement data in the print target area of the substrate, and prints During the period in which the non-contact area is located on the non-target area, the transfer mechanism is controlled to adjust the position of the stage in a direction that cancels the fluctuation characteristics, so that the printing accuracy can be improved.

  According to the third aspect of the printing apparatus of the present invention, since the variation characteristic of the first displacement data is approximated by a straight line, and the stage position is adjusted in a direction that cancels the obtained linear variation characteristic, the position adjustment is performed. Can be simplified.

  According to the fourth aspect of the printing apparatus of the present invention, the stage position is adjusted in a period in which the non-contact area is located between the print target areas and on the non-print target areas outside the columns of the print target areas. Therefore, it is possible to adjust the position of the stage adapted to each of the plurality of print target areas, and it is possible to improve the printing accuracy in all the print target areas.

  According to the fifth aspect of the printing apparatus of the present invention, the second displacement obtained by measuring in advance the displacement in the third direction when the stage is moved along the second direction in the storage unit. Since the data is stored, the distance between the plate cylinder and the stage can be adjusted based on the second displacement data.

  According to the sixth aspect of the printing apparatus of the present invention, the plate cylinder is controlled by controlling the vertical movement mechanism based on the second displacement data during the period in which the non-contact area is located on the non-printing area. Adjust the distance from the stage. For this reason, even when the position in the Z direction is displaced by pitching or rolling when the stage is moved, the distance between the plate cylinder and the stage can be maintained appropriately.

  According to the seventh aspect of the printing apparatus of the present invention, the print target area is defined by the formation areas of the plurality of stripe-shaped grooves provided in the substrate surface along the second direction. A display device used as a cell that emits light from the groove can be obtained.

1 is a perspective view illustrating a schematic configuration of a printing apparatus according to the present invention. 1 is a side view illustrating a schematic configuration of a printing apparatus according to the present invention. It is a figure which shows the hardware constitutions of a control part. It is a side view showing a printing plate in a state where a plate cylinder is mounted. It is a figure which shows typically the state which the shift | offset | difference of the X direction produced in the board | substrate by yawing. It is a figure which shows an example of yawing data. It is a figure which shows the fluctuation characteristic of the displacement of the stage of the X direction. It is the figure which approximated the fluctuation characteristic of the amount of displacement of the X direction of a stage with a straight line. It is a figure which shows typically the printing operation to the base by a plate cylinder. 6 is a flowchart for explaining a printing operation in the printing apparatus according to the present invention. 6 is a flowchart for explaining a printing operation in the printing apparatus according to the present invention. 6 is a flowchart for explaining a printing operation in the printing apparatus according to the present invention. It is a figure which shows typically printing operation | movement with the printing apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows typically printing operation | movement with the printing apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows typically printing operation | movement with the printing apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows typically printing operation | movement with the printing apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows typically printing operation | movement with the printing apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows typically printing operation | movement with the printing apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows typically printing operation | movement with the printing apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows typically printing operation | movement with the printing apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows typically printing operation | movement with the printing apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows typically printing operation | movement with the printing apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows typically printing operation | movement with the printing apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows typically printing operation | movement with the printing apparatus which concerns on this invention.

<Embodiment>
<Device configuration>
The configuration of the printing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a schematic configuration of a printing apparatus 100 according to an embodiment. 1 and the following drawings, an XYZ orthogonal coordinate system in which the Z-axis direction is the vertical direction and the XY plane is the horizontal plane is attached as necessary to clarify the directional relationship.

  A printing apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1 is an apparatus that performs a printing process for forming a pattern of an organic EL element by transferring an organic EL light-emitting material as an ink onto a substrate W. The main configuration is a stage 10 and a plate cylinder 21. In addition, an ink supply mechanism and a transfer mechanism (not shown) and a control unit that controls each operation mechanism of the apparatus to execute a printing process are provided.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the stage 10 is configured to be linearly movable in the X direction parallel to the extending direction of the rotation shaft 22 of the plate cylinder 21 and in the Y direction perpendicular to the X direction. In order to realize such a linear movement, the stage 10 is placed on a pair of linear motion guides, a linear motor is disposed between the linear motion guides, and the stage 10 is linearly driven by the driving force of the linear motor. A first linear motion mechanism that linearly moves in a direction along the guide, and a linear motion direction of the first linear motion mechanism, which is disposed under the first linear motion mechanism and moves the stage 10 together with the first linear motion mechanism. And a second linear motion mechanism that moves linearly in a vertical direction. The second linear motion mechanism can also be constituted by a pair of linear motion guides and a linear motor disposed between the linear motion guides. Since the first and second linear motion mechanisms enable movement in the X and Y directions, both are collectively referred to as a plane movement mechanism.

  In addition, the printing apparatus 100 includes the first and second linear motion mechanisms, and also includes a third linear motion mechanism that linearly moves in the Z direction perpendicular to the XY plane, and the stage 10 can be moved up and down in the Z direction. is there. The stage 10 is also provided with an in-plane rotation mechanism so that it can also rotate in the direction (θ direction) around the central axis (axis parallel to the Z axis) of the XY plane.

  The plate cylinder 21 is a roller having a cylindrical shape, and is configured to be rotatable around the rotation shaft 22 by a plate cylinder motor (not shown) attached to the rotation shaft 22 extending along the X direction. Yes.

  FIG. 2 is a side view illustrating a schematic configuration of the plate cylinder 21, the ink supply mechanism 13, and the transfer mechanism 50 of the printing apparatus 100. The plate cylinder 21 can be rotated clockwise and counterclockwise on the paper surface of FIG. 2, but is rotated clockwise by a plate cylinder motor (not shown) during the printing process. A resin printing plate PL is mounted on the outer peripheral surface of the plate cylinder 21. The resin printing plate PL is formed of, for example, a resin such as polyester and has a hollow cylindrical shape. The cylindrical printing drum 21 is inserted into the outer peripheral surface of the printing drum 21. Note that the printing plate PL is not limited to a hollow cylindrical shape. For example, a plate-like printing plate PL may be wound around the outer peripheral surface of the plate cylinder 21.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the plate cylinder 21 is configured to be movable up and down in the Z direction together with the plate cylinder motor, and its lifting mechanisms are provided on the left and right sides of the plate cylinder 21, respectively, and both the lifting mechanisms are simultaneously in the same direction. If the plate cylinder 21 is moved, the plate cylinder 21 can be moved up and down in the Z direction, and if only one lifting mechanism is moved, the plate cylinder 21 can be tilted left or right.

  The ink supply mechanism 13 supplies a polymer light emitting material of organic EL as ink (printing material) to the printing plate PL mounted on the plate cylinder 21. The ink supply mechanism 13 includes a slit nozzle 11 and an ink supply roller 12. The ink supply roller 12 is disposed in parallel with the plate cylinder 21 (that is, along the X direction). The slit nozzle 11 has a slit extending in the rotation axis direction (X direction) of the ink supply roller 12, and discharges an organic EL polymer light emitting material as ink onto the surface of the ink supply roller 12. The interval between the slit nozzle 11 and the surface of the ink supply roller 12 and the interval between the surface of the ink supply roller 12 and the surface of the printing plate PL on the plate cylinder 21 can be adjusted by an adjustment mechanism (not shown).

  In the printing apparatus 100, ink is supplied from the slit nozzle 11 to the surface of the ink supply roller 12 that rotates, and a thin film of light emitting material is formed on the surface of the ink supply roller 12. Then, when both the ink supply roller 12 and the plate cylinder 21 are rotated, the ink is transferred from the ink supply roller 12 to the pattern of the printing plate PL mounted on the plate cylinder 21 to form a pattern of the light emitting material. Further, while the stage 10 holding the substrate W is moved at a constant speed along the Y direction by a linear motor (not shown), the plate cylinder 21 is rotated by a plate cylinder motor (not shown) to place ink. By pressing the printing plate PL against the substrate W, the pattern of the light emitting material is transferred from the printing plate PL to the substrate W. In other words, the transfer mechanism 50 is configured by the plate cylinder motor 95 that rotates the plate cylinder 21 and the linear motor group that moves the stage 10. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the printing apparatus 100 includes a control unit 90 that controls each operation mechanism of the apparatus to execute a printing process.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the control unit 90. The configuration of the control unit 90 as hardware is the same as that of a general computer. That is, the control unit 90 includes a CPU 91 that performs various arithmetic processes, a ROM 92 that is a read-only memory that stores basic programs, a RAM 93 that is a readable / writable memory that stores various information, control software and data, and a stage described later. A memory 94 (storage unit) for storing measured data of 10 displacements in the X direction is connected to the bus line 99.

  The bus line 99 includes a plate cylinder motor 95 that rotates the plate cylinder 21, a lift motor 96 that moves the stage 10 up and down, an X-axis and Y-axis linear motor 97 that moves the stage 10 in the X direction, and the stage 10. Elements such as an in-plane rotation motor 98 for in-plane rotation in the θ direction, and a left and right plate cylinder elevating motor 951, a right plate cylinder elevating motor 952, and an ink supply mechanism 13 that constitute left and right elevating mechanisms for elevating the plate cylinder 21 are provided. Electrically connected. Further, the bus line 99 may be connected to a display for displaying various information, a keyboard for receiving input of commands and parameters, and a disk drive for reading a recording medium such as a DVD.

<Printing action>
Next, a printing operation in the printing apparatus 100 having the above-described configuration will be described. In the following description, as an embodiment, the substrate W is an 8th generation glass substrate (2200 mm × 2500 mm), and in order to obtain eight display panels from one glass substrate, FIG. As shown, a total of eight print areas are formed on the substrate W. That is, the print areas PA1, PA2, PA3, and PA4 are formed on the left side of the substrate W in FIG. 1 in a row in the Y direction at intervals, and the print areas PA5, PA6, PA7, and PA8 are formed in a line in the Y direction at intervals. It should be noted that areas other than the print target area provided between the print areas PA1 and PA2, between the print areas PA2 and PA3, and between the print areas PA3 and PA4 are respectively designated as non-print areas NC1, NC2, and NC3. Call it. Also, non-printing areas provided between the printing areas PA5 and PA6, between the printing areas PA6 and PA7, and between the printing areas PA7 and PA8 are referred to as non-printing areas NC4, NC5, and NC6, respectively. To do.

  FIG. 4 shows a configuration example of the printing plate PL for forming the printing area as described above. FIG. 4 is a side view showing the printing plate PL in a state where the plate cylinder 21 is mounted, and four pattern regions PR are provided on the surface of the printing plate PL at intervals. The pattern region PR is provided with a convex portion, and ink is transferred from the ink supply roller 12 (FIG. 2) to the tip of the convex portion.

  The gap provided between the pattern regions is a region corresponding to a non-printing region when the printing region is formed on the substrate W as shown in FIG. 1, and the printing plate PL along the axial direction of the plate cylinder 21. Is cut out to a predetermined depth to form a region lower than the convex portion. Since this area does not contact the substrate W during printing, it is called a non-contact area NR.

  When a plurality of printing areas are formed on a large substrate such as an 8th generation glass substrate as the substrate W, the length of the plate cylinder 21 is set to be approximately the same as the length of the substrate W in the X direction, and 2 in one printing. A configuration in which two print areas are formed may be employed. In other words, in the example shown in FIG. 1, if the print regions PR1 and PR5 are formed simultaneously, the processing on the substrate W can be completed with a small number of printing operations.

  However, increasing the length of the plate cylinder 21 leads to an increase in the size of the printing apparatus 100, and the printing plate PL also increases, making it difficult to mount the plate cylinder 21. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1, the length of the plate cylinder 21 is about half of the length of the substrate W in the X direction, and after the print areas PA1 to PA4 are formed, the substrate W is moved in the X direction. The structure which forms PA5-PA8 is taken.

  Here, when organic EL is used as a display, it is necessary to coat each light emitting material of R, G, and B with high-definition with a line width of tens to hundreds of μm level, and the positional accuracy is ± 10 μm. The following is required, and the movement of the stage 10 is required to have the same degree of accuracy or about a fraction of the accuracy considering other error factors.

  However, there is a limit to accurately move the stage 10 larger than the eighth generation glass substrate. For example, when the stage 10 is moved straight in the Y direction, an operation called yawing, which is a displacement in the θ direction, may be performed. Although this also occurs when the straight line is moved in the X direction, the printing operation is performed while moving the substrate W in the Y direction. Therefore, yawing when moving straight in the Y direction has the greatest influence.

  FIG. 5 schematically shows a case where the substrate W is displaced in the X direction by yawing. As shown in FIG. 5, when the substrate W is displaced in the θ direction by an angle α with respect to the Y axis, the displacement ΔX in the X direction immediately below the printing cylinder 21 (printing position) is represented by ΔX = L · α. be able to. Here, L is the distance from the position directly below the central axis of the plate cylinder 21 to the rotation center of the substrate W.

  When the displacement in the X direction of the substrate W due to yawing is defined in this way, an example of yawing data obtained by actually measuring the yawing amount with respect to the Y direction movement distance of the substrate W using a laser length measuring device or the like is shown in FIG. In FIG. 6, the horizontal axis indicates the moving distance (mm) of the stage 10, and the vertical axis indicates the yawing amount (μm / m).

In the example shown in FIG. 6, the yawing in the minus direction increases as the substrate W moves in the Y direction, and the maximum yawing amount is −12 × 10 ⁻⁹ (μm / m) when the movement distance is about 1500 mm. When the moving distance exceeds 1500 mm, the yawing amount starts to decrease and becomes zero when the moving distance is 3000 mm.

  When the displacement in the X direction of the stage 10 is obtained by calculation from such yawing data, fluctuation characteristics as shown in FIG. 7 are obtained. In FIG. 7, the horizontal axis indicates the moving distance (mm) of the stage 10, and the vertical axis indicates the displacement amount (μm) in the X direction.

  As shown in FIG. 7, after the movement is started, the displacement is started in the plus direction. After the movement distance is about 700 mm and the displacement amount is about 6 μm at the maximum, the displacement amount starts to decrease and becomes zero when the movement distance is about 1500 mm. When the moving distance exceeds 1500 mm, it is displaced in the minus direction. After the moving distance reaches about 2500 mm and the maximum amount of displacement is about −6 μm, the amount of displacement starts to decrease and becomes zero when the moving distance is 3000 mm.

  In this way, it can be seen from the yawing data that the stage 10 yaws in a meandering manner. Therefore, the displacement in the X direction of the stage 10 accompanying the yawing is obtained in advance, and the data is stored in the memory 94 or the like for the printing operation. Reads out the data from the memory 94 and adjusts the position of the stage 10 so as to cancel the displacement in the X direction due to yawing, so that the accuracy of movement of the stage 10 can be substantially increased.

  In FIG. 8, the variation characteristic of the displacement amount in the X direction shown in FIG. 7 is approximated by a straight line and applied to the printing areas PA1 to PA4 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 8, in the printing area PA1, the displacement in the X direction is about 6 μm and is almost constant throughout the printing area PA2. In the printing area PA2, the line is a right-downward straight line having an angle α1, and in the printing area PA3, the right having an angle α2. In the printing area PA4, the displacement in the X direction is about −6 μm and is almost constant over the entire area.

  From such an approximate straight line, when forming the print area PA1, the accuracy of movement of the stage 10 can be substantially increased by adjusting the position of the stage 10 in the X direction in the minus direction by about 6 μm. Further, when forming the print area PA2, the position of the stage 10 adjusted in the print area PA1 is taken into consideration, and the angle −α1 is rotated in the minus direction, and the X direction displacement caused by the rotation is moved in a correction direction. By doing so, the accuracy of movement of the stage 10 can be substantially increased. Similarly, when forming the print areas PA3 and PA4, the accuracy of movement of the stage 10 can be substantially increased by adjusting the position of the stage 10 adjusted in the immediately preceding print area.

  Here, in the present invention, the position adjustment in the X direction and the angle adjustment in the θ direction of the stage 10 are not performed in a state where the printing plate PL of the plate cylinder 21 is in contact with the substrate W, but the non-contact region of the plate cylinder 21. It is assumed that the process is performed in a non-contact state where the NR faces the non-printing area NC of the substrate W, that is, the printing plate PL is not in contact with the substrate W.

  This non-contact state will be further described with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 is a diagram schematically showing a printing operation on the substrate W by the plate cylinder 21, and the non-contact area NR provided on the printing plate PL of the plate cylinder 21 faces the non-printing area NC of the substrate W. Indicates the state. As described above, the pattern region PR provided on the printing plate PL is provided with the convex portion. However, the print region PA on the substrate W side is formed with a plurality of cells corresponding to the convex portion. Yes. Each cell forms a stripe-shaped (striped) groove, and a region where a plurality of cells are formed is a print target region, and a region other than this region is a non-print target region.

  Each of the plurality of cells is partitioned by a partition (bank), and at the time of printing, the convex portion of the pattern region PR provided on the printing plate PL faces this cell, and the stage 10 is rotated along with the rotation of the plate cylinder 21. As a result of the movement in the Y direction, the light emitting material applied to the tip of the convex portion of the pattern region PR is transferred along the stripe-shaped cells, whereby the pattern region PR is transferred. For this reason, the printing plate PL is mounted on the plate cylinder 21 so that the extending direction of the convex portions of the pattern region PR coincides with the circumferential direction of the plate cylinder 21.

  FIG. 9 shows a state in which the convex portions of the pattern region PR are facing the stripe-shaped cells of the printing area PA, but the non-contact area NR faces the non-printing area NC of the substrate W, and printing is performed. The plate PL is not in contact with the substrate W. Therefore, in this state, the stage 10 is not pressed by the plate cylinder 21, and a motor for adjusting the position of the stage 10 in the X direction and the angle in the θ direction is not required. For this reason, the manufacturing cost of the printing apparatus 100 can be reduced. In addition, since the position adjustment in the X direction and the angle adjustment in the θ direction are performed in a non-contact state, the contact position between the pattern region PR and the print target region does not shift with the adjustment, and the print quality may be deteriorated. Absent.

  Next, the printing operation on the substrate W will be described using the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 10 to 12 with reference to FIGS. 13 to 20 schematically showing the printing operation. Note that FIGS. 10 to 12 are continuous flowcharts showing that the numbers (1) and (2) attached to each are connected.

  First, in step S <b> 1 shown in FIG. 10, the operator of the printing apparatus 100 mounts the printing plate PL on the outer peripheral surface of the plate cylinder 21. Then, an adjustment substrate is placed on the stage 10 (step S2). The adjustment substrate is a substrate used for adjusting the preliminary position of the stage 10. The preliminary position adjustment of the stage 10 using the adjustment substrate is disclosed in detail in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-20439, and is not related to the present invention, so further explanation is omitted.

  After the preliminary position adjustment of the stage 10 is completed, dummy printing is performed on the adjustment substrate (step S3). Here, in the stage of performing dummy printing, the preliminary position adjustment of the stage 10 has already been completed, and the relative positional deviation between the printing plate PL and the adjustment substrate has been eliminated. For this reason, if dummy printing is executed, the pattern area PR should be accurately transferred in accordance with the printing area PA.

  However, this presupposes that the printing plate PL is formed of a hard material (for example, a metal material), and that the printing plate PL is not deformed at a normal printing pressure level. That is, if the printing plate PL is not deformed, it is possible to prevent the printing deviation only by eliminating the relative positional deviation between the printing plate PL and the adjustment substrate. However, the printing plate PL when an organic EL light-emitting material is used as the coating liquid is formed of a resin such as polyester, and the printing plate PL is easily deformed by printing pressure during printing. When the printing plate PL is deformed during printing, the printing result is displaced even if the relative positional deviation between the printing plate PL and the adjustment substrate is eliminated.

  Therefore, the dummy printing result transferred to the adjustment substrate is picked up by the camera, the image is sent to the control unit 90, and the control unit 90 performs image processing on the picked-up image to measure the deviation amount of the dummy printing result. Based on the deviation amount, a position adjustment correction amount of the adjustment substrate with respect to the printing plate PL is calculated (step S3).

  After the position adjustment correction amount is calculated, the adjustment substrate is removed from the stage 10, and the substrate W that is the substrate to be processed is placed instead (step S4). Here, the adjustment substrate and the substrate W have exactly the same configuration, and one of the plurality of substrates W may be used as the adjustment substrate.

  After placing the substrate W, the same preliminary position adjustment as that performed on the adjustment substrate is performed, and then the θ direction of the stage 10 is determined based on the position adjustment correction amount obtained based on the dummy printing result. Then, the X direction and the Y direction are corrected (step S5). This correction method is also disclosed in detail in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-20439, and is not related to the present invention.

  After the correction of the stage 10, the coating liquid is again supplied from the ink supply roller 12 to the printing plate PL mounted on the plate cylinder 21, and the substrate W placed on the stage 10 is moved along the Y direction. The coating liquid is transferred by rotating the plate cylinder 21 to bring the printing plate PL into contact with the substrate PW. In the present invention, the printing plate PL is not in contact with the printing area PA of the substrate W. Perform further positioning.

  That is, as described above, since the deviation in the X direction occurs in the substrate W due to yawing that occurs when the stage 10 moves straight in the Y direction, position adjustment is performed to reduce this deviation. For this purpose, the displacement in the X direction of the stage 10 accompanying yawing is measured in advance, and the data is stored in the memory 94.

  Further, not only the displacement data in the X direction but also the displacement data in the Z direction of the stage 10 are measured in advance and stored in the memory 94. That is, the flatness of the stage 10 is strictly determined by the accuracy of machining at the time of manufacturing the stage 10, but there is a possibility that the position in the Z direction may be displaced by pitching or rolling when the stage 10 is moved. Since this is also a value specific to the stage 10, when the position in the Z direction is measured in advance and displaced, the left plate cylinder lifting motor 951 and the right plate cylinder lifting provided on the left and right sides of the plate cylinder 21 respectively. Using the motor 952, the plate cylinder 21 is moved up and down. In addition, although it demonstrated as what adjusts the position of the stage 10 in step S6, you may also adjust the Z direction of the plate cylinder 21 in this case.

  The position of the stage 10 in the X direction is adjusted while the printing plate PL is not in contact with the printing area PA of the substrate W. First, the printing cylinder 21 and the printing cylinder 21 are set so as to be in the state immediately before printing on the printing area PA1 is started. The stage 10 is controlled. That is, in FIG. 13, the stage 10 on which the substrate W is mounted moves in the Y direction from the origin position toward the plate cylinder 21, but the plate cylinder 21 has an area between the pattern areas PR of the printing plate PL as shown in FIG. 9. Is provided with a non-contact region NR. First, the non-contact region NR is positioned on the blank region WS of the substrate W. This margin area WS is an area that exists outside the array of print areas, and is the same as the non-print area NC between pattern areas in which no cells are formed. In FIG. 13, the printing target area PT before printing is indicated by a broken line for convenience.

  In a state in which the non-contact area NR is positioned on the blank area WS, the stage 10 is not pressed by the plate cylinder 21, and during the period in which the non-contact area NR is positioned on the blank area WS, step S6 is performed. Position adjustment in the X direction and angle adjustment in the θ direction are performed (step S6). At this time, the plate cylinder 21 is moved up and down using the left plate cylinder lifting motor 951 and the right plate cylinder lifting motor 952 on the basis of the data of the position in the Z direction measured in advance, so as to cope with the displacement of the stage 10 in the Z direction. You may let them.

  Here, as an example of position adjustment in the X direction and angle adjustment in the θ direction, a case will be described in which a linear approximate value of the characteristic of the displacement amount in the X direction shown in FIG. 8 is used. As shown in FIG. 8, in the printing area PA1, the displacement in the X direction is about 6 μm and is almost constant over the entire area. Therefore, the CPU 91 calculates the variation characteristic based on the displacement data in the X direction read from the memory 94, and the printing plate The transfer mechanism is controlled so that the position of the stage 10 in the X direction is shifted in the minus direction by about 6 μm during the period in which the non-contact area NR of PL is located on the margin area WS.

  When the position adjustment is finished, the pattern area PR of the printing plate PL comes into contact with the substrate W, printing on the printing area PA1 starts, and the substrate W is pressed by the plate cylinder 21.

  As the stage 10 moves in the Y direction, the plate cylinder 21 rotates, printing on the printing area PA1 proceeds, and the next non-contact area NR approaches the non-printing area NC1 (the first non-printing area in the first row). The rotation of the plate cylinder 21 and the movement of the stage 10 in the Y direction are controlled in conjunction by the CPU 91 of the control unit 90, and the CPU 91 waits for the timing when the non-contact area NR starts to be positioned on the non-printing area NC1 (step). S7).

  When the non-contact area NR starts to be positioned on the non-printing area NC1, the pressing of the substrate W by the plate cylinder 21 is released, so that the CPU 91 performs the X direction of the stage 10 for forming the printing area PA2 during this period and The X-axis, Y-axis linear motor 97 and in-plane rotation motor 98 are controlled so as to adjust the position in the θ direction (step S8). At this time, the plate cylinder 21 is moved up and down using the left plate cylinder lifting motor 951 and the right plate cylinder lifting motor 952 on the basis of the data of the position in the Z direction measured in advance, so as to cope with the displacement of the stage 10 in the Z direction. You may let them.

  In this case, as shown in FIG. 8, in the print area PA2, the displacement in the X direction is a straight line that falls to the right that forms the angle α1, so the CPU 91 calculates the variation characteristic based on the displacement data in the X direction read from the memory 94. Then, during the period in which the non-contact area NR of the printing plate PL is located on the non-printing area NC1, the angle of the stage 10 is adjusted so as to be the angle −α1, and the angle is adjusted by the θ direction. The position in the X direction is also adjusted. At this time, the position in the X direction is also adjusted in consideration of the position of the stage 10 adjusted in the printing area PA1.

  When the angle adjustment and the position adjustment in the X direction are finished, the pattern region PR of the printing plate PL comes into contact with the substrate W, printing on the printing region PA2 starts, and the substrate W is pressed by the plate cylinder 21. FIG. 14 shows a state in the middle of printing in the print area PA2.

  As the stage 10 moves in the Y direction, the plate cylinder 21 rotates and printing on the printing area PA2 proceeds, and the next non-contact area NR approaches the non-printing area NC2 (first row, second non-printing area). The CPU 91 waits for the timing at which the non-contact area NR starts to be positioned on the non-print area NC2 (step S9).

  When the non-contact area NR starts to be positioned on the non-printing area NC2, the pressing of the substrate W by the plate cylinder 21 is released, so the CPU 91 determines the X direction of the stage 10 for forming the printing area PA3 during this period and The X-axis, Y-axis linear motor 97 and in-plane rotation motor 98 are controlled so as to adjust the position in the θ direction (step S10). At this time, the plate cylinder 21 is moved up and down using the left plate cylinder lifting motor 951 and the right plate cylinder lifting motor 952 on the basis of the data of the position in the Z direction measured in advance, so as to cope with the displacement of the stage 10 in the Z direction. You may let them.

  In this case, as shown in FIG. 8, in the printing area PA3, the displacement in the X direction is a straight line that falls to the right that forms the angle α2, so the CPU 91 calculates the variation characteristic based on the displacement data in the X direction read from the memory 94. Then, during the period when the non-contact area NR of the printing plate PL is located on the non-printing area NC2, the angle of the stage 10 is adjusted so as to be the angle −α2, and the angle is adjusted by the θ direction. The position in the X direction is also adjusted. At this time, the position in the X direction is also adjusted in consideration of the position of the stage 10 adjusted in the printing area PA2.

  When the angle adjustment and the position adjustment in the X direction are finished, the pattern region PR of the printing plate PL comes into contact with the substrate W, printing on the printing region PA3 starts, and the substrate W is pressed by the plate cylinder 21.

  As the stage 10 moves in the Y direction, the plate cylinder 21 rotates and printing on the printing area PA3 proceeds, and the next non-contact area NR approaches the non-printing area NC3 (the third non-printing area in the first row). The CPU 91 waits for the timing when the non-contact area NR starts to be positioned on the non-print area NC3 (step S11).

  When the non-contact area NR starts to be positioned on the non-printing area NC3, the pressing of the substrate W by the plate cylinder 21 is released. Therefore, during this period, the CPU 91 determines the X direction of the stage 10 for forming the printing area PA4 and The X-axis, Y-axis linear motor 97 and in-plane rotation motor 98 are controlled so as to adjust the position in the θ direction (step S12). At this time, the plate cylinder 21 is moved up and down using the left plate cylinder lifting motor 951 and the right plate cylinder lifting motor 952 on the basis of the data of the position in the Z direction measured in advance, so as to cope with the displacement of the stage 10 in the Z direction. You may let them.

  In this case, as shown in FIG. 8, in the printing area PA4, the displacement in the X direction is about −6 μm and is almost constant over the entire area. Therefore, the displacement data in the X direction read from the memory 94 and the adjustment of the stage 10 in the printing area PA3. The CPU 91 calculates the fluctuation characteristics based on the later position, and shifts the position of the stage 10 in the X direction in the plus direction by about 6 μm during the period in which the non-contact area NR of the printing plate PL is located on the margin area WS. .

  When the position adjustment is completed, the pattern area PR of the printing plate PL comes into contact with the substrate W, printing on the printing area PA4 starts, and the substrate W is pressed by the plate cylinder 21.

  As the stage 10 moves in the Y direction, the plate cylinder 21 rotates, printing on the printing area PA4 proceeds, and the next non-contact area NR approaches the blank area WS. Even after the non-contact area NR is positioned on the blank area WS, the stage 10 moves in the Y direction, but the stage 10 is stopped when it reaches a predetermined position. FIG. 15 shows a state where the print areas PA1 to PA4 are formed.

  After the stage 10 reaches a predetermined position, the CPU 91 moves the stage 10 so as to move backward (in the direction of the arrow) in the Y direction as shown in FIG. 16 (step S13). At this time, the CPU 91 controls the plate cylinder motor 95 and arranges the non-contact area NR of the printing plate PL mounted on the plate cylinder 21 so as to face the substrate W, so that the plate cylinder 21 (printing plate PL). Is not in contact with the substrate W, so that the stage 10 can be moved. Note that the plate cylinder 21 (printing plate PL) and the substrate W may be in non-contact, and the left plate cylinder lifting motor 951 and the right plate cylinder lifting motor 952 are controlled to move up and down the plate cylinder 21 so that they are not in contact with each other. Good. Further, the plate cylinder 21 may be prevented from coming into contact with the substrate W by controlling the elevating motor 96 to lower the stage 10.

  FIG. 17 shows a state in which the stage 10 has returned to the origin position. The stage 10 having returned to the origin position moves in the X direction as shown by an arrow in FIG. 18 and is ready to form a second array next to the array of the print areas PA1 to PA4. That is, the stage 10 is moved so that the plate cylinder 21 can print in an area adjacent to the arrangement of the printing areas PA1 to PA4. In this embodiment, after the stage 10 moves in the Y direction and returns to the origin position, the stage 10 moves in the X direction and is arranged at a position where printing can be performed in the adjacent area. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Absent. For example, by controlling the stage 10 to move simultaneously in the Y direction and the X direction, a position where printing can be performed in an adjacent area from a position where the printing of the printing area PA4 is completed (see FIG. 15) (see FIG. 18). In addition, the stage 10 can be moved diagonally, and the tact can be improved. In FIG. 18, the print area target area PT before printing is indicated by a broken line for convenience.

  When the movement of the stage 10 is completed, the non-contact area NR provided on the printing plate PL of the plate cylinder 21 is positioned on the blank area WS of the substrate W immediately before printing on the printing area PA5 is started. The plate cylinder 21 is controlled.

  In a state in which the non-contact area NR is positioned on the blank area WS, the stage 10 is not pressed by the plate cylinder 21, and during the period in which the non-contact area NR is positioned on the blank area WS, step S14 is performed. The position adjustment in the X direction and the angle adjustment in the θ direction are performed. At this time, the plate cylinder 21 is moved up and down using the left plate cylinder lifting motor 951 and the right plate cylinder lifting motor 952 on the basis of the data of the position in the Z direction measured in advance, so as to cope with the displacement of the stage 10 in the Z direction. You may let them.

  Here, the position adjustment in the X direction and the angle adjustment in the θ direction are the same as the adjustment method used when forming the print areas PA1 to PA4, and thus redundant description is omitted.

  When the position adjustment and the angle adjustment in the θ direction are finished, the pattern region PR of the printing plate PL comes into contact with the substrate W, printing on the printing region PA5 starts, and the substrate W is pressed by the plate cylinder 21.

  As the stage 10 moves in the Y direction, the plate cylinder 21 rotates and printing on the printing area PA5 proceeds, and the next non-contact area NR approaches the non-printing area NC4 (second non-printing area in the second row). The CPU 91 waits for the timing when the non-contact area NR starts to be positioned on the non-print area NC4 (step S15).

  When the non-contact area NR starts to be positioned on the non-printing area NC4, the pressing of the substrate W by the plate cylinder 21 is released. Therefore, during this period, the CPU 91 determines the X direction of the stage 10 for forming the printing area PA6 and The X-axis, Y-axis linear motor 97 and in-plane rotation motor 98 are controlled so as to adjust the position in the θ direction (step S16). At this time, the plate cylinder 21 is moved up and down using the left plate cylinder lifting motor 951 and the right plate cylinder lifting motor 952 on the basis of the data of the position in the Z direction measured in advance, so as to cope with the displacement of the stage 10 in the Z direction. You may let them.

  When the position adjustment and the angle adjustment in the θ direction are finished, the pattern region PR of the printing plate PL comes into contact with the substrate W, printing on the printing region PA6 starts, and the substrate W is pressed by the plate cylinder 21.

  As the stage 10 moves in the Y direction, the plate cylinder 21 rotates and printing on the printing area PA6 proceeds, and the next non-contact area NR approaches the non-printing area NC5 (second non-printing area in the second row). The CPU 91 waits for the timing when the non-contact area NR starts to be positioned on the non-print area NC5 (step S17).

  When the non-contact area NR starts to be positioned on the non-printing area NC5, the pressing of the substrate W by the plate cylinder 21 is released. Therefore, during this period, the CPU 91 determines the X direction of the stage 10 for forming the printing area PA7 and The X-axis, Y-axis linear motor 97 and in-plane rotation motor 98 are controlled so as to adjust the position in the θ direction (step S18). At this time, the plate cylinder 21 is moved up and down using the left plate cylinder lifting motor 951 and the right plate cylinder lifting motor 952 on the basis of the data of the position in the Z direction measured in advance, so as to cope with the displacement of the stage 10 in the Z direction. You may let them.

  When the position adjustment and the angle adjustment in the θ direction are finished, the pattern region PR of the printing plate PL comes into contact with the substrate W, printing on the printing region PA7 starts, and the substrate W is pressed by the plate cylinder 21. FIG. 19 shows a state in the middle of printing in the printing area PA7.

  As the stage 10 moves in the Y direction, the plate cylinder 21 rotates and printing on the printing area PA7 proceeds, and the next non-contact area NR approaches the non-printing area NC6 (the third non-printing area in the first row). The CPU 91 waits for the timing when the non-contact area NR starts to be positioned on the non-print area NC6 (step S19).

  When the non-contact area NR starts to be positioned on the non-printing area NC6, the pressing of the substrate W by the plate cylinder 21 is released, so that the CPU 91 performs the X direction of the stage 10 for forming the printing area PA8 during this period and The X-axis, Y-axis linear motor 97 and in-plane rotation motor 98 are controlled so as to adjust the position in the θ direction (step S20). At this time, the plate cylinder 21 is moved up and down using the left plate cylinder lifting motor 951 and the right plate cylinder lifting motor 952 on the basis of the data of the position in the Z direction measured in advance, so as to cope with the displacement of the stage 10 in the Z direction. You may let them.

  When the position adjustment and the angle adjustment in the θ direction are finished, the pattern region PR of the printing plate PL comes into contact with the substrate W, printing on the printing region PA8 starts, and the substrate W is pressed by the plate cylinder 21.

  As the stage 10 moves in the Y direction, the plate cylinder 21 rotates, printing on the printing area PA8 proceeds, and the next non-contact area NR approaches the blank area WS. Even after the non-contact area NR is positioned on the blank area WS, the stage 10 moves in the Y direction, but the stage 10 is stopped when it reaches a predetermined position. FIG. 20 shows a state where the print areas PA5 to PA8 are formed.

  After the stage 10 reaches a predetermined position, the CPU 91 returns the stage 10 to the origin position and ends the printing operation.

<Modification>
The printing operation described above has been described as a so-called one-way printing mode in which the stage 10 is moved only in one direction during printing. However, even when the stage 10 is moved backward, a reciprocating printing mode in which printing is performed may be employed. good. The reciprocating printing operation will be described below with reference to FIGS. 21 to 24 schematically showing the printing operation.

  After forming the print areas PA1 to PA4 through the procedure described with reference to FIGS. 13 to 15, the stage 10 that has reached a predetermined position in the Y direction is moved in the X direction as indicated by an arrow in FIG. The second array is formed next to the array of the print areas PA1 to PA4. That is, the stage 10 is moved so that the plate cylinder 21 can print in an area adjacent to the arrangement of the printing areas PA1 to PA4. In FIG. 21, the printing area PA before printing is indicated by a broken line for convenience.

  When the movement of the stage 10 is completed, the non-contact area NR provided on the printing plate PL of the plate cylinder 21 is positioned on the blank area WS of the substrate W immediately before printing on the printing area PA8 is started. The plate cylinder 21 and the stage 10 are controlled.

  In a state where the non-contact area NR is positioned on the blank area WS, the stage 10 is not pressed by the plate cylinder 21, and during the period in which the non-contact area NR is positioned on the blank area WS, Position adjustment and angle adjustment in the θ direction are performed. At this time, the plate cylinder 21 is moved up and down using the left plate cylinder lifting motor 951 and the right plate cylinder lifting motor 952 on the basis of the data of the position in the Z direction measured in advance, so as to cope with the displacement of the stage 10 in the Z direction. You may let them.

  Here, the position adjustment in the X direction and the angle adjustment in the θ direction are the same as the adjustment method used when forming the print areas PA1 to PA4, and thus redundant description is omitted.

  When the position adjustment and the angle adjustment in the θ direction are finished, the pattern region PR of the printing plate PL comes into contact with the substrate W, printing on the printing region PA8 starts, and the substrate W is pressed by the plate cylinder 21. At this time, the stage 10 moves (reverses) in the direction opposite to that when the printing areas PA1 to PA4 are formed, and the rotation direction of the plate cylinder 21 is also reversed.

  FIG. 22 shows a state in which the print areas PA8 and PA7 are formed by reverse movement and the print area PA6 is being formed.

  FIG. 23 shows a state in which the printing areas PA8 to PA5 are formed while the stage 10 is moved backward. After forming the print areas PA8 to PA5, the CPU 91 moves the stage 10 in the X direction as shown by an arrow in FIG. 24, returns the stage 10 to the origin position, and ends the printing operation.

  As described above, when reciprocal printing is performed, the moving operation of the stage 10 can be reduced, but the slit nozzle 11 and the ink supply roller 12 are provided in order to supply ink even when the plate cylinder 21 is rotated in the reverse direction. A pair is required.

  Further, since the printing apparatus 100 described above has four pattern areas corresponding to the four printing areas as the pattern areas of the printing plate, four printing areas can be obtained by rotating the plate cylinder 21 once. However, the number of pattern areas provided on the printing plate is not limited to this. For example, the printing plate may be provided with two pattern areas, and the printing cylinder 21 may be rotated twice to form four printing areas, or only one pattern area may be provided, It is good also as a structure which forms four printing areas by making it rotate 4 times. Regardless of the configuration, the position adjustment in the X direction and the angle adjustment in the θ direction of the stage 10 are performed in a non-contact state in which the printing plate PL is not in contact with the substrate W, so that the printing apparatus 100 Manufacturing cost can be reduced. Further, since the position adjustment in the X direction and the angle adjustment in the θ direction are performed in a non-contact state, the contact position between the pattern region PR and the print region PA does not shift with the adjustment, and the print quality may be deteriorated. Absent.

10 stage 21 plate cylinder 50 transfer mechanism 90 control unit PL printing plate PR pattern region PT printing target region NR non-contact region W substrate

Claims (7)

A stage for holding a substrate in which a print target area is defined in advance in a horizontal position;
A cylindrical plate cylinder on the outer peripheral surface of which a printing plate having a pattern region formed of convex portions formed on the surface;
A transfer mechanism for transferring the pattern area to the print target area by pressing the printing plate against the substrate;
A control unit for controlling the transfer mechanism,
The transfer mechanism includes a rotation mechanism that rotates the plate cylinder about a rotation axis;
A plane moving mechanism for moving the stage along a first direction parallel to the rotation axis and a second direction perpendicular to the rotation axis;
An in-plane rotation mechanism that rotates the stage around a central axis of the plane;
The printing plate is not formed with the pattern region, has a non-contact region that is a region lower than the convex portion,
The controller is
Prior to transferring the pattern area to the print target area, the stage and the plate cylinder are arranged such that a non-contact area of the printing plate is positioned on a non-print target area other than the print target area of the substrate. And the stage is adjusted by controlling the transfer mechanism during a period in which the non-contact area is located on the non-printable area. A storage unit that stores at least first displacement data obtained by measuring in advance the displacement of the stage in the first direction when the stage is moved along the second direction;
The controller is
Read the first displacement data from the storage unit, obtain the fluctuation characteristics of the first displacement data in the print target area of the substrate,
The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein during the period in which the non-contact area is located on the non-printing area, the transfer mechanism is controlled to adjust the position of the stage in a direction that cancels the variation characteristic. The controller is
The printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the fluctuation characteristic of the first displacement data is approximated by a straight line, and the position of the stage is adjusted in a direction to cancel the obtained fluctuation characteristic of the straight line. A plurality of the print target areas are provided on the substrate at intervals along the second direction to form a row,
The controller is
Adjusting the stage by controlling the transfer mechanism in a period in which the non-contact area is located between the print target areas and on the non-print target areas outside the columns of the print target areas. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The storage unit
Combined with the second displacement data obtained by measuring in advance the displacement of the stage in a third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions when the stage is moved along the second direction. The printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the printing apparatus is stored. The transfer mechanism is
A vertical movement mechanism for moving the plate cylinder in the third direction;
The vertical movement mechanism is
Including first and second vertical movement mechanisms respectively disposed in the left-right direction along the rotation axis of the plate cylinder;
Each of the first and second vertical movement mechanisms can be operated independently;
The controller is
Read the second displacement data from the storage unit,
Adjusting the distance between the plate cylinder and the stage by controlling the vertical movement mechanism based on the second displacement data during a period in which the non-contact area is located on the non-printable area; The printing apparatus according to claim 5.   7. The print target area is defined by a stripe-shaped groove forming area formed by a plurality of partition walls provided in the substrate surface along the second direction. A printing apparatus according to claim 1.

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