JP6349434B1 - Printing method and printing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

A printing method and a printing machine capable of easily and appropriately adjusting a printing position. After a plurality of print patterns are overprinted together with alignment marks on a continuous paper 100, a positional relationship between the preceding alignment mark and the subsequent alignment mark is determined. When the subsequent alignment mark is displaced with respect to the previous alignment mark, the printing position of the subsequent printing pattern on the continuous paper 100 is adjusted. Based on the position data of the plurality of alignment marks in the preceding stage and the position data of the plurality of alignment marks in the subsequent stage, the position of the virtual alignment mark is set for each of the print patterns, and based on the positional relationship between the virtual alignment marks. Adjust the print position of the subsequent print pattern. [Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a printing method and a printing machine in which printing patterns are overprinted.

  When overprinting a print pattern on a printing medium such as continuous paper, it is required to establish a predetermined positional relationship without shifting the positional relationship between the preceding printing pattern and the succeeding printing pattern. Is done. For this purpose, it is necessary to detect the position of the printed pattern for confirmation.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a technique in which a plurality of alignment marks printed on a printing target are photographed by an alignment camera and the position of the plate or the printing target is corrected when the alignment marks are misaligned. It is disclosed.

  In Patent Document 2, when the support mechanism that supports the substrate to be printed is configured by a transparent material, the alignment camera photographs the alignment mark of the substrate to be printed through the transparent material, and the position of the alignment mark is shifted, A technique for correcting the position of the support mechanism is disclosed.

JP 2011-161810 A JP 2012-71506 A

  In the techniques of Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, a plurality of alignment marks are photographed by a camera, the position of each alignment mark is determined, and the position of the plate, the printing object, or the support mechanism is determined according to the position. I try to adjust it. Therefore, since the position of the plate or the like is adjusted according to the position data detected at a plurality of locations, the adjustment sequence may be complicated. In some cases, the adjustment cannot be performed accurately, and overprinting may not be performed. In some cases, the upper and lower print patterns are misaligned.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a printing method and a printing machine capable of easily and appropriately adjusting a printing position based on an alignment mark.

  In order to achieve the above object, in the present invention relating to a printing method, after overprinting a plurality of print patterns together with alignment marks on a printing medium, the positional relationship between the preceding alignment mark and the subsequent alignment mark is determined. In the printing method for adjusting the printing position of the subsequent printing pattern on the printing medium when the subsequent alignment mark is displaced with respect to the previous alignment mark, the position data of the plurality of alignment marks in the previous stage And setting the position of the virtual alignment mark for each of the print patterns based on the position data of the plurality of subsequent alignment marks, and determining the print position of the subsequent print pattern based on the positional relationship between the virtual alignment marks. It is characterized by adjusting.

  In the present invention relating to a printing machine, in the printing apparatus that prints a plurality of print patterns on a printing medium in a superimposed manner, and prints a plurality of alignment marks simultaneously with the printing of each print pattern, each alignment mark A mark recognizing means for recognizing the position of the image, a virtual alignment mark setting means for setting a virtual alignment mark between a plurality of alignment marks for each of the print patterns recognized by the mark recognizing means, and setting the virtual alignment mark The determination means for determining the displacement between the preceding and succeeding virtual alignment marks set by the means, and when the succeeding alignment mark is displaced with respect to the preceding alignment mark, the position of the succeeding print pattern changes. To adjust the printing position And a means.

  In the present invention, the position of the subsequent alignment mark is detected, the positional relationship between the previous alignment mark and the subsequent alignment mark is detected, the printing position can be adjusted, and overprinting can be performed accurately. Since a virtual alignment mark is set for each print pattern, and the displacement of the print pattern can be determined based on the displacement of the positional relationship between the alignment marks, the determination process can be simplified.

  In the present invention, it is possible to easily and appropriately adjust the printing position based on the alignment mark.

1 is a simplified diagram of a printing machine according to an embodiment. The top view which shows a screen frame and its related mechanism. 1 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of a printing machine according to an embodiment. (A)-(e) is a schematic diagram which simplifies and shows the relationship between the 1st, 2nd alignment mark and a camera. The top view which shows the process condition of a 1st alignment mark. The top view which shows the process condition of a 2nd alignment mark. The flowchart which shows the operation | movement program of embodiment.

(Embodiment)
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments embodying the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1, in the printing machine of this embodiment, screen printing is performed on a strip-shaped continuous paper 100 as a printing medium. The continuous paper 100 is conveyed in the X-axis direction from the right side to the left side in FIG. Between the left and right frames 11 of the printing machine, a plurality of guide rollers 12 for guiding the continuous paper 100 in order from the upstream side in the conveying direction, a printing cylinder 13 for supporting the continuous paper 100 in a circular manner, and applying upstream tension. A device 14 and a floating device 31 are arranged. Outside the frame 11, a downstream tension applying device 16 is disposed on the downstream side of the floating device 31.

  The guide roller 12 can freely rotate. The printing cylinder 13 is positively and intermittently rotated by the servo motor 21 in the X-axis direction, which is the conveying direction of the continuous paper 100. The printing cylinder 13 has a suction hole (not shown) for sucking the back surface of the continuous paper 100 by driving a blower (not shown). Above the printing cylinder 13, a screen frame 17 is disposed to stretch the screen 19. The screen frame 17 constitutes a printing unit together with the printing cylinder 13. Reference numeral 18 denotes an ink processing unit including a squeegee and a doctor.

  The upstream tension applying device 14 and the downstream tension applying device 16 apply tension to the continuous paper 100. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the floating device 31 continuously blows air to the continuous paper 100 between the upstream feed roller 32 and the downstream feed roller 33 positively rotated. The paper 100 is raised.

  As shown in FIG. 2, one of plates 23 and 25 having pattern printing sections 22 and 27 for printing a pattern is installed in the screen frame 17. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, on the printing cylinder 13, a first printing pattern (hereinafter referred to as a first pattern) 101 to be described later by the pattern printing unit 22 of one plate 23 on the continuous paper 100. Is screen-printed, and the second printing pattern (hereinafter referred to as the second pattern) 111 is superimposed and screen-printed by the pattern printing unit 27 of the other plate 25.

  Mark printing sections 24 and 26 are provided on both sides of the pattern printing sections 22 and 27 in both plates 23 and 25, respectively, and the first alignment mark 102 and the second alignment mark 102 are respectively provided on the left and right sides of the first pattern 101 and the second pattern 111. The alignment mark 106 is screen printed simultaneously with the patterns 101 and 111. In FIG. 4, the first alignment mark 102 and the second alignment mark 106 are depicted as being overlapped, but in reality, they are hardly overlapped and are printed apart.

  A support frame 51 is supported on the frame 11, and the screen frame 17 is supported on the support frame 51. Then, by driving the servo motor 52, the support frame 51 is moved and adjusted in the X-axis direction, which is the transport direction, and by driving the servo motor 53, the screen frame 17 is moved in the Y-axis direction orthogonal to the transport direction. Position.

Above the floating device 31, a pair of left and right cameras 44 are provided for photographing the printed patterns 101 and 111 and confirming the quality of the print result.
A pair of left and right cameras 45 are arranged in the vicinity of the printing cylinder 13 on the upstream side in the rotation direction of the printing cylinder 13 with respect to the upper end of the printing cylinder 13. Both cameras 45 constitute mark recognition means, and photograph both the alignment marks 102 and 106, respectively.

  3 is connected to the cameras 44, 45 and motors 21, 52, 53. The control device 56 controls the operation of each of the servo motors 21, 52, 53 as drive means based on the image pickup signal from the camera 45 by a routine described later. In the present embodiment, the control device 56 constitutes a mark recognition unit, a virtual alignment mark setting unit, a determination unit, and a control unit.

Next, the operation of the printing press configured as described above will be described.
The continuous paper 100 is conveyed in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 1, and the first pattern 101 and the first alignment mark 102 shown in FIG. 5 are screen-printed on the printing cylinder 13 (see FIG. 4A). The portion of the continuous paper 100 on which the first pattern 101 and the first alignment mark 102 have been printed is sent to the floating device 31. On the floating device 31, the quality of each printed first pattern 101 on the continuous paper 100 is sequentially judged by the camera 44 and conveyed to a dryer (not shown) downstream of the printer. Note that the drawings of FIGS. 1 to 6 including FIGS. 4A to 4E are simplified for the sake of explanation, and many of the configurations such as the positional relationship of each member are actual. It is drawn differently.

  Thereafter, the continuous paper 100 on which the first pattern 101 is printed is set again in the printing machine, the second pattern 111 is printed over the first pattern 101, and is separated from the first alignment mark 102 by a predetermined amount. A second alignment mark 106 is printed at the position. As described above, the second pattern 111 is photographed by the camera 44 to determine whether the printing state and the positional relationship with the first pattern 101 are good or bad.

  When printing the second pattern 111, the processing shown in the flowchart of FIG. 7 is executed. In this process, program data stored in a storage unit (not shown) in the control device 56 is read, and the program proceeds under the control of a central processing unit (not shown) in the control device 56. .

  That is, the continuous paper 100 that has finished printing the first pattern 101 and the first alignment mark 102 is set again in the printing machine and conveyed in the X-axis direction (S1). In addition, the plate 25 in the screen frame 17 is changed to print the second pattern 111 and the second alignment mark 106. Next, as shown in FIG. 4B, when the pair of first alignment marks 102 on both sides of the first pattern 101 in the leading portion of the continuous paper 100 face the pair of cameras 45, the continuous paper 100 is conveyed. Stopped (S2). Then, both first alignment marks 102 are imaged by the camera 45 (S3).

  Here, as shown in FIG. 5, the control device 56 recognizes the positional relationship from the positional data of the imaging origin 103 and the first alignment mark 102 set at the center in the imaging area by both cameras 45. That is, the coordinates of the imaging origin 103 and the coordinates of the first alignment mark 102 are recognized by the control device 56. When the displacement in the X-axis direction or the Y-axis direction occurs between the left and right imaging origins 103 and the first alignment mark 102, the control device 56 determines the displacement amount in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, That is, the difference between the coordinates of the imaging origin 103 and the coordinates of the first alignment mark 102 is determined (S4).

  Then, the control device 56 calculates the respective displacement amounts in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction of the left and right first alignment marks 102 with respect to the left and right imaging origins 103, that is, the average value of the position difference. Next, the control device 56 sets the virtual alignment mark 104 at an intermediate position between the left and right first alignment marks 102 based on the averaged displacement value (S5). Then, the control device 56 compares the coordinates of the position of the virtual origin 105 set between the left and right imaging origins 103 with the coordinates of the position in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction between the virtual alignment mark 104. Then, the position difference between the virtual origin 105 and the virtual alignment mark 104 is calculated (S6).

  Next, the control device 56 determines whether or not the difference occurs in at least one of the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction (S7). When there is a difference in at least one of the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, at least one of the motor 21 or the motor 53 is operated to operate at least one of the printing cylinder 13 and the screen frame 17. (S8). That is, when the difference occurs in the X-axis direction, the rotational phase is adjusted by changing the normal rotation amount of the printing cylinder 13 by the difference. When the difference occurs in the Y-axis direction, the screen frame 17 is moved in one direction or the other direction in the Y-axis direction. In this way, when the position of the first alignment mark 102 is displaced from the predetermined position, the printing position with respect to the continuous paper 100 is adjusted and corrected in the biaxial directions of the X axis direction and the Y axis direction.

  Next, while the continuous paper 100 is being conveyed, the second pattern 111 is printed on the first pattern 101 at the head position at the start end of the continuous paper 100, and as shown in FIG. The second alignment marks 106 are simultaneously printed on the left and right ends on the outside of the two patterns 111 (S10).

  Thereafter, the continuous paper 100 is run backward (S11), and the second alignment mark 106 outside the second pattern 111 is imaged by the camera 45 as shown in FIGS. 5 and 4D (S12). Also in this case, the same processing as that at the time of photographing the first alignment mark 102 is executed.

  That is, the control device 56 determines the amount of displacement, that is, the difference in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction between the left and right imaging origins 103 and the second alignment mark 106 (S13). Then, the control device 56 calculates the respective displacement amounts, that is, differences in the X axis direction and the Y axis direction of the left and right second alignment marks 106 with respect to the left and right imaging origins 103 by averaging. Next, the control device 56 sets the virtual alignment mark 112 at an intermediate position between the left and right second alignment marks 106 based on the averaged displacement (S14). The control device 56 compares the virtual origin 105 set between the left and right imaging origins 103 with the position in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction between the virtual alignment mark 112 and the virtual origin 105 A position difference with respect to the virtual alignment mark 112 is calculated (S15).

  In this case, when the second alignment mark 106 is printed, the second alignment mark 106 is used as the first alignment mark 106 in order to prevent the second alignment mark 106 from overlapping the first alignment mark 102 and making image discrimination difficult. Printed with a predetermined distance from 102. Accordingly, the calculation of the position difference based on the comparison in S15 is executed with the amount of deviation taken into account, excluding the amount of deviation. Further, in order to clarify the difference between the first alignment mark 102 and the second alignment mark 106, their shapes and colors may be distinguished. For example, the first alignment mark 102 is made into a ring shape, the second alignment mark 106 is made into a black circle shape, or the first alignment mark 102 is made black and the second alignment mark 106 is made red, thereby avoiding confusion and misunderstanding. Like that.

  Then, the control device 56 determines whether or not the difference occurs in at least one direction of the X axis direction and the Y axis direction (S16). When there is a difference in at least one of the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, at least one of the motor 52 or the motor 53 is operated to move the screen frame 17 between the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. At least one is moved by an amount corresponding to the difference (S17). That is, in this case, the position of the screen frame 17 is moved and the printing position is adjusted without adjusting the rotational phase of the printing cylinder 13. In this way, when the position of the first alignment mark 102 is displaced from the predetermined position, the printing position on the continuous paper 100 is in at least one of the two axial directions of the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. Will be corrected.

  Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 4E, the continuous paper 100 is conveyed (S18), and overprinting is performed so that the first pattern 101 and the second pattern 111 have a predetermined positional relationship (S19). .

Therefore, this embodiment has the following effects.
(1) The position of the first alignment mark 102 is detected, and the rotational phase of the printing cylinder 13 and the position of the screen frame 17 can be adjusted based on the detection. Therefore, the first pattern 101 can be continuously printed at an appropriate position without being displaced with respect to the continuous paper 100.

  (2) The position of the second alignment mark 106 is detected, the positional relationship between the first alignment mark 102 and the second alignment mark 106 is detected, and the screen is changed without changing the rotational phase of the printing cylinder 13. The position of the frame 17 can be adjusted in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. That is, the second pattern 111 is printed on the first pattern 101 on the continuous paper 100 without moving the printing cylinder 13 on which the first pattern 101 has already been printed, in other words, without moving the continuous paper 100. Since the position can be adjusted, overprinting by the second pattern 111 with respect to the first pattern 101 can be executed accurately.

  (3) A pattern to be overprinted at the position on the printing cylinder 13 by determining the positional relationship between the first alignment mark 102 and the second alignment mark 106 printed at the head of the continuous paper 100 using the camera 45. The displacement between 101 and 111 is corrected. Therefore, wasteful printing of the patterns 101 and 111 can be prevented. On the other hand, a long conveyance path is formed between the printing cylinder 13 and the camera 44 on the floating device 31. For this reason, for example, when the first alignment mark 102 and the second alignment mark 106 are photographed by the camera 44 on the floating device 31 so that the print positions of the patterns 101 and 111 can be adjusted, The number of patterns 101 and 111 corresponding to the length is printed. Then, after the patterns 101 and 111 are printed, the positions of the first alignment mark 102 and the second alignment mark 106 are determined. Therefore, when there is a displacement between the patterns 101 and 111, some patterns 101 and 111 are wasted in the portion corresponding to the length of the transport path.

  (4) Since one virtual alignment mark 104, 112 is set corresponding to each pattern 101, 111, and the displacement of the pattern 111 relative to the pattern 101 can be determined by the displacement of the positional relationship between the virtual alignment marks 104, 112. The processing for can be simplified. On the other hand, when the displacement of the pattern 111 relative to the pattern 101 is determined based on the displacement between the alignment marks 102 and 106 on both sides of the patterns 101 and 111 and the printing position is corrected, For 106, there are multiple correction criteria. Therefore, it cannot be avoided that the sequence for the correction becomes complicated.

(Example of change)
The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, and can be embodied in the following aspects.

The adjustment of the printing positions of the first pattern 101 and the second pattern 111 is executed by adjusting the position of only the screen frame 17.
In the embodiment, the print position is adjusted by determining the positions of the first alignment mark 102 and the second alignment mark 106 corresponding to the patterns 101 and 111 at the head of the continuous paper 100. On the other hand, the positions of the first alignment marks 102 and the second alignment marks 106 corresponding to the patterns 101 and 111 subsequent to the leading patterns 101 and 111 are determined to adjust the printing position.

The present invention is embodied in a printing method and a printing machine that perform overprinting of three or more patterns. Therefore, the detection of the alignment mark and the subsequent determination are also executed three times or more.
-Use part of the pattern, symbol, character, etc. as the alignment mark without printing the alignment mark.

-The present invention is embodied in a printing machine other than a screen printing machine, for example, an offset printing machine.
The present invention is embodied in a printing method and a printing machine in which a pattern is printed on a sheet as a printing medium.

  In the embodiment, the positions of the virtual alignment marks 104 and 112 are set by averaging the position data values of the left and right alignment marks 102 and 106. On the other hand, instead of averaging, the position data values of the left and right alignment marks 102 and 106 are added or subtracted, so that the virtual alignment marks 104 and 112 are located at the center position between the left and right alignment marks 102 and 106. To set.

  -The alignment marks 102 and 106 for each of the patterns 101 and 111 are set to two or more. For example, two alignment marks 102 and 106 are provided on the left and right positions of the patterns 101 and 111, respectively.

(Other technical ideas)
The technical idea grasped from the embodiment is as follows.
(A) The printing method according to claim 2, wherein the first and second alignment marks are printed on both sides of the print pattern, and the virtual alignment mark is set at a center position between the alignment marks.

Therefore, if processing related to the positions of the virtual alignment marks in the preceding and subsequent stages is performed, overprinting can be appropriately executed by adjusting the appropriate printing position.
(B) The printing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the front alignment mark and the rear alignment mark are printed at different positions.

Therefore, it can be avoided that the alignment marks of the front and rear stages overlap.
(C) The printing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the mark recognizing unit includes a camera that captures the alignment mark and a control unit that processes image data captured by the camera.

  Therefore, the virtual alignment mark can be easily set by photographing the alignment mark.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 13 ... Printing cylinder, 17 ... Screen frame, 21 ... Motor, 23 ... Plate, 25 ... Plate, 45 ... Camera, 52 ... Motor, 53 ... Motor, 56 ... Control device, 101 ... Print pattern, 102 ... Alignment mark, 104 ... virtual alignment mark, 106 ... alignment mark, 111 ... printing pattern, 112 ... virtual alignment mark.

Claims (5)

After overprinting multiple printed patterns with alignment marks on the printing medium, the positional relationship between the preceding alignment mark and the subsequent alignment mark is judged, and the subsequent alignment mark is displaced relative to the preceding alignment mark. In the printing method for adjusting the printing position of the subsequent printing pattern with respect to the printing medium,
Based on the position data of the plurality of previous alignment marks and the position data of the plurality of subsequent alignment marks, the positions of the virtual alignment marks for each of the print patterns are set, and the positional relationship between the two virtual alignment marks is determined. A printing method that adjusts the printing position of the subsequent printing pattern.   The position data values of the pair of alignment marks in the preceding stage and the position data values of the pair of alignment marks in the subsequent stage are respectively averaged, and virtual alignment marks are respectively set at positions between the alignment marks in the preceding stage and the succeeding stage. Printing method as described. In a printing apparatus that prints a plurality of print patterns on a print medium in a superimposed manner, and prints a plurality of alignment marks simultaneously with the printing of each print pattern,
Mark recognition means for recognizing the position of each alignment mark;
Virtual alignment mark setting means for setting a virtual alignment mark between a plurality of alignment marks for each of the print patterns recognized by the mark recognition means;
Determining means for determining a displacement between the preceding and succeeding virtual alignment marks set by the virtual alignment mark setting means;
And a control unit configured to adjust a printing position so that the position of the subsequent printing pattern is changed when the latter alignment mark is displaced with respect to the previous alignment mark. A printing cylinder capable of rotating in a state in which the printing medium is supported in a circular manner, and a screen frame for supporting a plate for printing a pattern on continuous paper on the printing cylinder,
4. The printing press according to claim 3, wherein the control unit controls an operation of at least one driving unit of the driving unit for moving the printing cylinder and the screen frame in the adjustment of the printing position in the preceding stage. A printing cylinder capable of rotating in a state in which the printing medium is supported in a circular manner, and a screen frame for supporting a plate for printing a pattern on continuous paper on the printing cylinder,
The printing machine according to claim 3, wherein the control unit controls an operation of a driving unit for moving the screen frame in a state where the printing cylinder is stopped in the adjustment of the printing position in the subsequent stage.