JP7384676B2 - Printing device and printing equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a printing device for printing characters, numbers, symbols, figures including lines, etc. on the lower surface of a plate-shaped printing material used for metal processing that is being conveyed by a conveyor, and a printing device using this printing device. This relates to the printing equipment that was used.

In the shipbuilding industry, the iron structure industry, and the shearing industry, letters, numbers, lines, etc. that provide information regarding cutting and welding are printed (or marked) on the surface of steel plates. When printing on a steel plate, it is common to keep the steel plate stopped in a work area and print preset characters, numbers, lines, etc. while moving the print head two-dimensionally. The printing device for performing such printing consists of a surface plate on which the steel plate is placed, a trolley that runs along the surface plate, a carriage mounted on the trolley that moves across the surface plate, and a carriage mounted on the carriage. (For example, see Patent Document 1).

On the other hand, the invention described in Patent Document 2 relates to a marking device that is capable of marking a plate material being transported by a transporting device. This marking device includes a plate thickness detection sensor, a plate edge detection sensor, a plate surface height detection sensor, which detects a plate material conveyed by a conveyance device, and a dot marking head that marks the plate material. The dot marking head is disposed on the entire lower surface of the marking device in a direction transverse to the conveying device so that it can simultaneously mark the entire width of the moving board.

Then, the dot marking head is raised and lowered in accordance with the board thickness detected by the board thickness detection sensor to maintain the optimal height, and the dot marking head is transported in accordance with the position of the board edge detected by the board edge detection sensor. The device is moved in the transverse direction, and in this state marking is performed on the plate material. In particular, the plate surface height detection sensor is placed on the bottom surface of the marking device in the same way as the dot marking head, and the marking device detects local changes in the plate material immediately before marking the plate material and responds to this change. is followed.

Patent Document 2 describes a configuration in which a shop primer coating dryer is disposed upstream of the conveyance device. Therefore, it becomes possible to perform the painting of the shop primer on the board, drying, and marking after drying as a series of operations. Therefore, there is no need for a special work space for marking, equipment for transporting plate materials, etc., and rational work can be carried out.

Patent No. 4574110 Patent No. 2736604

When a plate is a structural member, other members are generally attached to both sides of the plate by fixing means including welding. For this reason, it has recently become necessary to print different characters, numbers, lines, etc. on the top and bottom surfaces of the board.

The invention described in Patent Document 1 is intended to print on the upper surface of a steel plate, and is not configured to be able to print on the lower surface of a steel plate. The purpose is to mark the upper surface of the plate, and it is not designed to be able to mark the lower surface of the plate. For this reason, in order to print on both the upper and lower surfaces using the devices described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, it is necessary to invert the plate material, which poses a problem in that a large-scale inverting device is required.

When printing on the bottom surface of a plate being transported by a conveyor, it is necessary to spray printing paint such as ink from the bottom upwards and move in the conveying direction in synchronization with the board, so this is where the printing device is installed. It is necessary to provide sufficient clearance on the conveyor. In order for the printing material to pass through this gap smoothly, it is necessary to provide auxiliary equipment such as equipment to hold the printing material while it passes through the gap, which requires large-scale work. .

For this reason, there is a demand for the development of a printing device that can print on the lower surface of a printing material without installing large-scale equipment even if the existing conveyor has a small gap.

An object of the present invention is to provide a printing device suitable for printing on the lower surface of a printing material even in a narrow gap, and printing equipment using this printing device.

In order to solve the above problems, a printing device according to the present invention is a printing device for printing on the lower surface of a plate-shaped printing material used for metal processing that is being conveyed by a conveyor, and in which a garter installed in the separated part of the conveyor below the conveyance surface of the conveyor and in a direction across the conveyor; and a garter installed on the garter and installed in the direction across the conveyor. a traversing carriage configured to be able to traverse; a traveling carriage mounted on each of a plurality of traversing members constituting the traversing carriage and configured to be movable in the conveyance direction by the conveyor; and one or more print heads configured to print on the lower surface of the printing material conveyed by the conveyor.

In the above-mentioned printing device, the traverse carriage is constructed by connecting a plurality of traversing members configured to be separable, and each traversing member is mounted with one or more print heads.

Further, the printing equipment according to the present invention includes a conveyor that conveys a plate-shaped printing material used for metal processing and has a separation part spaced apart in the conveyance direction, and a separation part of the conveyor that is arranged from the conveyance surface of the conveyor. It is constructed by connecting a garter installed below and in a direction transverse to the conveyor , and a plurality of separable transverse members, and is configured to be mounted on the garter and transverse in a direction transverse to the conveyor. a traveling carriage mounted on each of a plurality of traveling members constituting the traveling carriage and configured to be movable in the conveying direction by the conveyor; and a traveling carriage mounted on the traveling carriage and configured to be movable up and down. a printing device having one or more print heads that print on the lower surface of the printing material conveyed by the conveyor;
a conveyance speed detection device that is disposed upstream of the printing device in the conveyance direction of the conveyor and detects the conveyance speed of the printing material ;
a control device that stores printing material data including the thickness of the printing material to be printed in advance and printing data for the printing material, and controls the printing device based on the stored printing data;
It has the following.

In the above printing equipment, a longitudinal end detection member for detecting the longitudinal end of the printing material is provided upstream of the printing device in the direction of conveyance by the conveyor, and a longitudinal end detection member for detecting the longitudinal end of the printing material is provided. The widthwise end detection member is disposed on the upstream side in the conveyance direction and detects the widthwise end of the printing material, and the lengthwise end detection member detects the widthwise end of the printing material. A tilt detection unit is arranged to detect the inclination of the printing material by synchronizing the detection of the edge and the detection of the widthwise end of the printing material by the width direction edge detection member, and the inclination detection unit Preferably, the control device is configured to convert the coordinates of the stored print data in accordance with the inclination of the printing material detected by the method, and control the printing device.

In particular , the conveyance speed detection device has a rotating body that comes into contact with the surface of the printing material conveyed by the conveyor and rotates as the printing material moves, and detects the rotation of the rotating body to detect the printing target. The conveyance speed of the material is detected.

In the printing device according to the present invention, even if the existing conveyor has a narrow gap in the separation part separated in the conveyance direction, the plate-shaped printing material used for metal processing (for example, a steel plate) being conveyed by the conveyor can be used. Characters, numbers, symbols, or figures including lines can be accurately printed on the bottom surface of materials (such as copper plates, aluminum plates, etc.).

In other words, a plurality of print heads that are configured to be movable in the conveyance direction and can be raised and lowered are mounted on a traversal carriage that is configured to be able to traverse in the direction across the conveyor. The distance traveled can be reduced. Therefore, even if the size of the separation part (gap) in the conveyor is small, printing can be performed on the lower surface of the printing material conveyed by the conveyor.

Further, the traversing carriage is constructed by connecting a plurality of traversing members that are configured to be separable, and each traversing member is equipped with one or more print heads. Therefore, the dimension in the direction across the conveyor (traverse dimension) in which each print head prints can be reduced. Therefore, by setting the number of print heads in accordance with conditions such as the conveyance speed of the conveyor and the width dimension of the printing material, printing can be performed reliably even if the gap between the conveyors is small. Further, when performing maintenance on the print head, the traversing carriage can be divided and retracted to both sides of the conveyor, thereby shortening the travel time required for entering and retracting from the conveyor.

Further, in the printing equipment according to the present invention, the print head is mounted on a traverse carriage and is configured to traverse in a direction intersecting the direction of conveyance by the conveyor, and to be movable in the direction of conveyance and movable up and down. Therefore, in the process of printing on the printing material, it is possible to follow the detected distortion in the height and thickness direction of both end portions of the printing material.

In addition, since the inclination detection section detects the widthwise end in synchronization with the detection of the downstream end of the printing material by the longitudinal end detection member, it is possible to reliably detect the inclination of the printing material. can be detected.

The conveyance speed detection device has a rotating body that contacts the surface of the printing material and rotates as the printing material moves, and detects the rotation of the rotating body to determine the conveyance speed of the printing material. Since the transport speed is detected, printing can be executed by controlling the moving speed of the print head according to the detected transport speed.

FIG. 1 is a schematic front view illustrating the configuration of a printing device according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a schematic side view illustrating the configuration of a printing device according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view illustrating the configuration of printing equipment according to the present embodiment. FIG. 4 is a side view of FIG. 3; It is a schematic front view explaining the structure of a thickness detection part. FIG. 3 is a schematic front view illustrating the configuration of both end side height detection sections. It is a block diagram explaining the composition of a control part.

The printing device according to the present invention applies to the lower surface of a plate-shaped printing material used for metal processing, such as a steel plate, a copper plate, or an aluminum plate (hereinafter simply referred to as "printing material" or "steel plate"), which is conveyed by a conveyor. This is a device for printing characters, numbers, symbols, or figures including lines on the paper.

In particular, printing devices utilize gaps between adjacent rollers or conveyor belts, such as between the rollers of an already installed roller conveyor or between an upstream belt conveyor and a downstream belt conveyor, to print. It is configured so that it can be done. Furthermore, it has been realized that it can be incorporated into an operating rust removal line or painting line without requiring large-scale modification.

In the present invention, the conveyor conveys the printing material. Therefore, the structure of the conveyor is not limited as long as it has the function of placing and conveying the printing material. Such a conveyor includes a roller conveyor, a slat conveyor, a belt conveyor, etc., but a roller conveyor is preferable in consideration of the weight and warpage of the printing material.

Further, the printing equipment according to the present invention uses the above-mentioned printing device to detect the inclination of the printing material with respect to the conveying direction, the warpage or distortion in the out-of-plane direction, and performs printing in accordance with the detected inclination, warpage, or distortion. The head is activated or the print head is passed without printing.

First, a printing device according to this embodiment will be explained using FIGS. 1 to 3. In this embodiment, a roller conveyor in which a large number of rollers are arranged in parallel and drives each roller is used as the conveyor, and a steel plate is used as the printing material.

The printing device A shown in the figure is arranged in a separation section 12 formed between adjacent rollers 11a of a conveyor 11. Then, preset letters, numbers, symbols, or lines are placed at a preset position on the lower surface of the steel plate 13 that is being conveyed in the direction of arrow X (hereinafter also referred to as "downstream direction" or "conveying direction") by the conveyor 11. It is configured to be able to print figures, etc., including.

The distance between the rollers 11a in the separating section 12, that is, the dimension of the separating section 12 in the conveyance direction is not limited. However, since the printing device A according to the present invention is intended to be applied to the existing conveyor 11, the width dimension of the existing conveyor 11 (especially the maximum width dimension of the steel plate 13 to be printed), the conveyance speed, the printing device A The number of print heads is appropriately set in accordance with various conditions including the printing speed in the printing process.

Further, the surface condition of the steel plate 13 is not limited, and may be a black scaled state, a rust-removed state, or a painted state. In this embodiment, a steel plate 13 whose surface is coated with anti-rust coating is targeted. That is, a shot blasting device and a painting device are installed on the upstream side of the conveyor 11 in the conveyance direction, and as the steel plate 13 passes through these devices, the surface is removed from rust, and an anti-corrosion paint is applied to the removed surface. has been done. Therefore, the steel plate 13 is transported at a speed suitable for shot blasting and painting.

The printing device A has a plurality of print heads 1 (four in this embodiment) that are configured to be movable. By driving these print heads 1 while moving them in the direction across the conveyor 11 and in the conveying direction, preset letters, numbers, or symbols are printed at preset positions on the lower surface of the steel plate 13 being conveyed. Alternatively, it is possible to print figures including lines (hereinafter referred to as "figures etc.").

The printing device A has a garter 2 installed below a separation section 12 formed on the conveyor 11 in a direction that crosses the conveyor 11. A traversing carriage 3 is mounted on the garter 2 and is configured to be able to traverse in a direction (Y direction) intersecting the direction of conveyance by the conveyor 11 (arrow X direction). Further, a linear guide 2a is arranged in the Y direction on the garter 2, and the transverse carriage 3 is configured to be able to linearly reciprocate in the Y direction along the linear guide 2a.

In this embodiment, the print head 1 has a large number of nozzles formed on its surface, and prints on the steel plate 13 by selectively ejecting ink from these nozzles. For this reason, the nozzles may become clogged with ink, especially when the print head 1 is not operating, and continuous cleaning is essential to prevent this. When performing this cleaning, it is necessary to move all the print heads 1 in the Y direction and evacuate them from the conveyor 11, and an area is required on the side of the conveyor 11 in which the traversing carriage 3 can be evacuated.

The length of the transverse carriage 3 (dimension in the Y direction) corresponds to the width dimension of the steel plate 13. For this reason, when the width dimension of the steel plate 13 is small, the length of the area necessary for retracting the traversing carriage 3 is small. However, as the width of the steel plate 13 increases, the length of the traversing carriage 3 also increases, which increases the length of the retraction area required on the sides of the conveyor 11, which may adversely affect the layout of the factory. In this case, by dividing the traversing carriage 3 into two and retracting them to both sides of the conveyor 11, it is possible to reduce the length of the retracting area.

Further, when the width of the steel plate 13 is small (for example, less than half of the allowable width for printing), when the transverse carriage 3 is divided into two, for example, the first transverse carriage 3a is operated to perform the printing operation, and the first transverse carriage 3a is operated for printing. By retracting the two traversing carriages 3b from the conveyor 11, it becomes possible to eliminate unnecessary operations in the traversing carriages 3.

As mentioned above, it is possible to select whether the traversing carriage 3 is configured as a single unit or divided into multiple parts, depending on the width of the steel plate 13 to be printed and the surrounding environment where the conveyor 11 is installed. is preferred. In this embodiment, the transverse carriage 3 is divided into two units, a first transverse carriage 3a and a second transverse carriage 3b.

When the traversing carriage 3 is composed of a first traversing carriage 3a and a second traversing carriage 3b, when printing on the steel plate 13, the two traversing carriages are connected, and in this state, the first traversing motor 3c causes Ya The print head is driven while moving the print head in the same direction. When cleaning the print head 1, the first traversing carriage 3a and the second traversing carriage 3b are disconnected, and the first traversing motor 3c and the second traversing motor 3d move the respective carriages in the Yb direction and the Ya direction. It is moved and evacuated to the side of the conveyor 11.

The structure for connecting the first transverse carriage 3a and the second transverse carriage 3b is not particularly limited, and may be a commonly used clamp mechanism, screw mechanism, or the like.

A plurality of (four) print heads 1 configured to be movable in the X direction are mounted on the traverse carriage 3. The plurality of print heads 1 are arranged at equal intervals (pitch) with respect to a transverse carriage 3 to which a first transverse carriage 3a and a second transverse carriage 3b are connected.

Therefore, the number of print heads 1 is set based on numerical values such as the maximum width of the steel plate 13, the conveyance speed by the conveyor 11, the printing speed by the print head 1, and the dimensions of the separation section 12 on the conveyor 11. In this embodiment, two print heads 1 are mounted on each of the first transverse carriage 3a and the second transverse carriage 3b.

The arrangement positions of the plurality of print heads 1 with respect to the transverse carriage 3 are not particularly limited. However, it is preferable not to make any unnecessary movement in the Y direction when starting printing on the steel plate 13. Therefore, among the plurality of print heads 1, the print head 1 disposed at one end in the Y direction is placed at a position corresponding to the end in the width direction of the steel plate 13 to be printed with a preset maximum width. Therefore, it is arranged at a position that takes into consideration the displacement dimension in the Y direction that is allowed during transportation. Therefore, by moving the transverse carriage 3 transversely in the Y direction by the distance between the print heads 1, it is possible for the plurality of print heads 1 to traverse the lower surface of the steel plate 13.

A first traveling carriage 4a and a second traveling carriage 4b are mounted on each of the first traveling carriage 3a and the second traveling carriage 3b. Further, a linear guide 3e is arranged in the X direction on the first transverse carriage 3a and the second transverse carriage 3b, and a first traveling carriage 4a and a second traveling carriage 4b are arranged on each linear guide 3e. The first traveling carriage 4a is driven by a traveling motor 4c, and the second traveling carriage 4b is driven by a traveling motor 4d, so that they can reciprocate in the directions of arrows Xa and Xb.

The method of moving the print head 1 in the X direction is not particularly limited, and each print head 1 may be configured to be able to move by itself. In this embodiment, two print heads 1 are mounted on each of the first traveling carriage 4a and the second traveling carriage 4b.

Each print head 1 is configured to be movable up and down in a direction perpendicular to the conveyor 11 (direction of arrow Z, hereinafter also simply referred to as "vertical direction"). The structure for raising and lowering the print head 1 is not particularly limited, and each traveling carriage 4a, 4b is provided with a lifting bracket that is driven up and down by an air cylinder, a screw mechanism, etc., and the print head 1 is arranged on this lifting bracket. It is possible to do so.

In this embodiment, an elevating member 5 made of an air cylinder or the like is attached to a position corresponding to the print head 1 disposed on each traveling carriage 4a, 4b, and each print head 1 is raised and lowered by this elevating member 5. It consists of

The printing operation on the lower surface of the steel plate 13 by the printing device A configured as described above will be explained. First, the transverse carriage 3 is set to the initial position in the Yb direction shown in FIG. 3, each of the traveling carriages 4a and 4b is set to the initial position in the Xb direction shown in the same figure, and the elevating member 5 is set to the initial position where the print head 1 is lowered. do.

When the steel plate 13 being conveyed by the conveyor 11 reaches the separation part 12 of the conveyor 11, the elevating member 5 moves the print head 1 to a distance (hereinafter referred to as "height" for convenience) from the lower surface of the steel plate 13 in advance. Raise it until it reaches the set dimensions. Next, while each of the traveling carriages 4a, 4b and the print head 1 are caused to traverse in the direction of the arrow Ya (hereinafter also referred to as "the width direction of the conveyor 11") by the traversing carriage 3, the conveying speed of the steel plate 13 is adjusted by each of the traveling carriages 4a, 4b. It is moved in the direction of arrow Xa in a corresponding manner.

As a result, the print head 1 disposed at the end in the Yb direction shown in FIG. 3 moves from the initial position 6a to the end position 6b. Therefore, during this movement process, it is possible to print on the steel plate 13 by operating the print head 1 according to preset print information.

Next, the configuration of printing equipment B according to this embodiment will be explained. The printing equipment B according to this embodiment uses the above-described printing device A, and includes a tilt detection section C for detecting the tilt of the steel plate 13 on the upstream side of the printing device A, and a tilt detection section C in the vicinity of the downstream end 13a of the steel plate 13. and a both-end height detection section D that detects the height of the vicinity of both ends 13b1 and 13b2 in the width direction, a strain detection section E that detects strain in the thickness direction of the steel plate 13, such as warpage, and a conveyance of the steel plate 13. The transport speed detecting section F detects the speed.

The inclination detection section C is arranged upstream of the printing device A in the conveyance direction of the conveyor 11, and detects the inclination of the steel plate 13 being conveyed before the steel plate 13 reaches the printing device A. Therefore, the inclination detection unit C includes a longitudinal end detection member 18 that detects the downstream end 13a of the steel plate 13 in the longitudinal direction, and a longitudinal end detection member 18 that is located upstream of the longitudinal end detection member 18 in the conveying direction. A pair of widthwise end face detection members 19a and 19b are provided to detect a widthwise end face 13c which is arranged at a widthwise end of the printing material.

The detection mechanism of the steel plate 13 by the longitudinal end detection member 18 and the width direction end face detection members 19a and 19b is not limited, and may be a contact type sensor or a non-contact type sensor. In this embodiment, non-contact laser sensors are used as each detection member.

The longitudinal end detection member 18 is disposed above the conveyor 11 at a position where it can be detected perpendicularly to the upper surface of the steel plate 13 being conveyed by the conveyor 11. The pair of width direction end face detection members 19a and 19b are located on one side of the conveyor 1 in the width direction, above the conveyance surface of the conveyor 11, and spaced apart by a preset distance toward the center of the conveyor 11. arranged in parallel. By synchronizing the detection of the lengthwise end 13a of the steel plate 13 by the lengthwise end detection member 18 and the detection of the widthwise end face 13c of the steel plate 13 by the widthwise end face detection members 19a and 19b, the steel plate It is possible to detect the inclination of 13 with respect to the transport direction.

In accordance with the inclination of the steel plate 13 detected by the inclination detection unit C, the control unit 35 described later converts the coordinates of print data for the steel plate 13 stored in advance, and drives and controls the print head 1 using the converted print data. It becomes possible to do so.

A thickness detection member 20 is disposed upstream of the printing device A in the conveyance direction by the conveyor 11, and detects the thickness of the steel plate 13 being conveyed by the conveyor 11 before the steel plate 13 reaches the printing device A. configured to be detectable. This thickness detection member 20 is constituted by a laser sensor, and is arranged vertically approximately at the center of the conveyor 11 in the width direction.

According to the thickness t of the steel plate 13 detected by the thickness detection member 20, the control unit 35, which will be described later, compares the thickness of the steel plate 13 stored in advance with the detected thickness t. If the stored thickness and the detected thickness t are equal, the print head 1 is raised so that the distance from the bottom surface of the steel plate 13 becomes the optimal height for printing. In addition, if the detected thickness t of the steel plate 13 is different from the previously stored thickness, it is determined that the steel plate is not the target of printing, and the printing device A only transports the steel plate 13 without printing. control so that it passes.

The timing at which the thickness t of the steel plate 13 is detected by the thickness detection member 20 is not particularly limited, but the timing at which the thickness t of the steel plate 13 is detected by the lengthwise end detection member 18 in the inclination detection section C described above is detected by the lengthwise end of the steel plate 13. It is preferable to synchronize the detection with the section 13a.

When performing printing on the steel plate 13, if the steel plate 13 is flat across the width and length directions, smooth printing can be performed. However, there is no guarantee that the steel plate 13 is flat over the entire surface. When the steel plate 13 is warped in the width direction, the distance from the print head 1 becomes large at the warped end of the steel plate 13, and there is a possibility that good printing may not be possible. Therefore, by detecting the height near both ends of the steel plate 13 in the width direction by the both end side height detection parts D, warpage of the steel plate 13 can be detected.

The both end height detection unit D is disposed upstream of the printing device A in the direction of conveyance by the conveyor 11, and is configured to print the height of the steel plate 13 in the vicinity of both widthwise ends on the downstream side of the steel plate 13 being conveyed. It is detected before it reaches device A. Then, the warp dimension is calculated based on the difference between the detected heights hb1 and hb2 near both ends of the steel plate 13 in the width direction and the thickness t of the steel plate 13 detected by the thickness detection member 20, and the calculated warp dimension The height of the print head 1 is corrected in accordance with the height of the print head 1 to perform printing.

Both end side height detection parts D have a pair of distance detection members 23a and 23b configured to be movable in the direction across the conveyor 11, and the distance detection members 23a and 23b allow the distance detection members 23a and 23b to move in the width direction of the steel plate 13. The configuration is such that the heights of these parts can be detected by detecting the distances from the surfaces of the ends 13b1 and 13b2. The vicinity of the end in the width direction of the steel plate 13 is not strictly limited to the dimension from the end 13a in the length direction and the dimension from the end surface 13c in the width direction, and may be approximately in the vicinity of the end.

For this reason, the pair of distance detection members 23a and 23b are configured to be able to move to positions facing near the ends in the width direction of the steel plate 13 being conveyed by the conveyor 11. That is, stands 24 are installed at opposing positions on both sides of the conveyor 11 in the conveyance direction, and these stands 24 are driven by drive motors 26a and 26b to provide a direction across the conveyor 11. Arms 25a and 25b that move are arranged. Distance detection members 23a and 23b are attached to the tips of the arms 25a and 25b, respectively.

Each distance detection member 23a, 23b is constituted by a laser sensor like the thickness detection member 20, and is arranged at a preset height H from the conveyance surface by the conveyor 11 in the vertical direction of the conveyor 11. There is. Further, the configuration is such that the heights hb1 and hb2 in the vicinity can be detected from the difference between the preset height H and the distance when the surfaces in the vicinity of both ends in the width direction of the steel plate 13 are detected.

The both end side height detection unit D is not limited to simply detecting the height near the ends in the width direction of the steel plate 13, but also extends the arm 25a or the arm 25b in the direction across the conveyor 11 to detect the steel plate. Preferably, the height can be detected by changing the position in the width direction of 13. In particular, by detecting the height of the steel plate 13 in advance in relation to the horizontal position of the print head 1 as printing progresses on the steel plate 13 and the conveyance speed of the steel plate 13, the height of the steel plate 13 can be detected in advance. This makes it possible to correct the height of the print head 1.

The strain detection section E is arranged upstream of the printing device A in the conveyance direction, and detects the strain in the thickness direction by detecting the unevenness of the steel plate 13 in the width direction. That is, as described above, there is no guarantee that the steel plate 13 is flat over the entire surface, and undulating distortion may occur in the width direction and/or length direction. If there is a large strain on the steel plate 13, there is a possibility that the print head 1 will not be able to follow this strain or that the quality of the formed print will deteriorate. For this reason, when it is detected that a large strain has occurred in the steel plate 13, it is preferable to stop printing on the steel plate 13 and allow the steel plate 13 to pass through the printing device A.

The strain detection section E is configured by arranging a plurality of distance detection members 29 at preset intervals on a frame 28 installed across the conveyor 11. The distance detection members 29 utilize a laser sensor, and are attached to the frame 28 at the same height H in the vertical direction of the conveyor 11. The interval between adjacent distance detection members 29 is not particularly limited, and is preferably set appropriately according to the preset maximum width dimension of the steel plate 13 and the assumed distortion.

The steel plate 13 is conveyed by a conveyor 11 driven at a preset speed. However, there is a possibility that slipping may occur between the steel plate 13 and the conveyor 11, and the driving speed of the conveyor 11 and the speed at which the steel plate 13 is actually conveyed may not match. In this case, the printing performed on the steel plate 13 will be deviated from the intended position. Therefore, it is necessary to detect the actual conveyance speed of the steel plate 13 and operate the print head 1 in accordance with it.

The conveyance speed detection section F detects the actual conveyance speed of the steel plate 13, and is located upstream of the printing device A in the conveyance direction of the conveyor 11 at a position where the steel plate 13 being conveyed by the conveyor 11 can be detected. It is located. The conveying speed detecting unit F includes a rotating body 31 that contacts the surface of the steel plate 13 being conveyed and rotates as the steel plate 13 is conveyed, and a rotating body 31 that is supported by the frame 28 and rotates the rotating body 31 against the surface of the steel plate 13. It has a pressing member 32 that presses against it.

The conveyance speed of the steel plate 13 can be detected by detecting the rotation of the rotating body 31 by a rotary encoder (not shown). In particular, the rotating body 31 is pressed against the surface of the steel plate 13 by a pressing member 32 with a substantially constant force. Therefore, there is no risk of slippage occurring between the rotating body 31 and the surface of the steel plate 13, and even if unevenness occurs in the longitudinal direction of the steel plate 13, it is possible to follow the unevenness, and the steel plate It becomes possible to detect 13 actual conveyance speeds.

In this embodiment, the rotating body 31 is configured to rotate as the steel plate 13 is conveyed by contacting the upper surface of the steel plate 13 . However, the surface that the rotating body 31 comes into contact with is not limited to the top surface of the steel plate 13, but may be the bottom surface or the side surface.

Further, in this embodiment, the conveyance speed detection section F is disposed only upstream of the printing device A in the conveyance direction by the conveyor 11, but in order to more steadily and accurately detect the actual conveyance speed, The conveyance speed detection section F may also be additionally arranged on the downstream side in the conveyance direction.

The control unit 35 includes a print data storage unit 35a that stores print data input from the input device 36, a printing device A, a tilt detection unit C, a thickness detection unit D, and both end side height detection units that constitute printing equipment B. A program storage section 35b that stores operation programs for E, strain detection section F, and conveyance speed detection section G, and a comparison/discrimination calculation section 35c.

Specification information such as the plate thickness, width dimension, and length dimension of the target steel plate 13 and printing information to be printed are input into the printing data storage section 35a in advance from the input device 36, and are stored as specification data and printing data. There is. Further, the program storage section 35b stores in advance an operation program for the printing device A and each section C to F for the steel plate 13 supplied from the upstream side of the conveyor 11.

Next, the progress of printing on the steel plate 13 using the printing equipment B configured as described above will be explained.

A steel plate 13 is supplied from the upstream side of the conveyor 11, and when the specification information of the steel plate 13 is transmitted or inputted from, for example, a shot blasting device disposed upstream of the conveyor 11 to the control unit 35, the information set on the steel plate 13 is set. The specified specification data and print data are stored.

When the downstream end 13a of the steel plate 13 conveyed by the conveyor 11 is detected by the longitudinal end detection member 18 of the inclination detection unit C, at the same time, the width direction end face detection members 19a and 19b detect the length of the steel plate 13. The distance to the end face 13c in the width direction is detected and sent to the control section 35. The control unit 35 calculates the inclination of the steel plate 13 based on the difference in distance to the end face 13c detected by the width direction end face detection members 19a and 19b, and converts the coordinates of the stored print data based on the calculation result. do.

At the same time as the longitudinal end detection member 18 detects the longitudinal end 13a of the steel plate 13, the thickness detection member 20 detects the distance to the surface of the steel plate 13, and the detected distance h is sent to the control unit 35. It will be done. The control unit 35 compares the thickness t of the steel plate 13 obtained from the height H of the thickness detection member 20 from the conveyor 11 and the detected distance h with pre-stored specification data of the steel plate 13, and determines that the difference between the two is acceptable. If it is within the range, it is determined that it is the target steel plate.

When it is determined that the supplied steel plate 13 is the target steel plate to be printed, the following end-side height detection unit D, strain detection unit E, conveyance speed detection unit F, and printing device A are activated on the downstream side in the conveyance direction. Each is controlled according to a preset operating program. At this time, the height at which the print head 1 should be separated from the lower surface of the steel plate 13 is specified for the elevating member 5 of the printing device A.

In addition, if the thickness t of the steel plate 13 deviates from the specification data stored in advance, the supplied steel plate 13 is determined not to be the target steel plate, and is not targeted for printing, and both ends downstream in the conveyance direction are It passes through a height detection section D, a strain detection section E, a conveyance speed detection section F, and a printing device A.

When the steel plate 13 being conveyed by the conveyor 11 is to be printed, the drive motors 26a and 26b of the both end height detection units E rotate based on a command from the control unit 35 to move the arms 25a and 25b to the conveyor 11, respectively. Pay out in the transverse direction. By letting out the arms 25a, 25b, the distance detection members 23a, 23b are opposed to the widthwise ends 13b1, 13b2 of the steel plate 13.

Then, the heights hb1 and hb2 near both ends of the steel plate 13 in the width direction are detected by the respective distance detection members 23a and 23b and sent to the control section 35. The control unit 35 compares the heights hb1 and hb2 near both ends of the steel plate 13 in the width direction detected by the distance detection members 23a and 23b with the thickness t of the steel plate 13 detected by the thickness detection member 20.

If there is a difference between the two, and if this difference is within an allowable range, the height of the print head 1 from the lower surface of the steel plate 13 is corrected with respect to the elevating member 5 of the printing device A based on this difference. If the difference between the two is outside the allowable range, it is determined that it is impossible to print on the steel plate 13, and the steel plate 13 is passed through the subsequent conveyance speed detection section F and printing device A.

When the steel plate 13 to be printed that is being conveyed by the conveyor 11 reaches the strain detection section E, the distance to the surface of the steel plate 13 is simultaneously detected by a plurality of distance detection members 29 arranged in the strain detection section E. It is sent to the control section 35. The control unit 35 compares the distances from the sent distance detection members 29 to detect the strain on the steel plate surface in the width direction of the steel plate 13, that is, the degree of unevenness of the steel plate 13. If the degree of distortion is within the allowable range, the height value of the print head 1 from the surface of the steel plate 13 is corrected for the elevating member 5 of the printing device A based on this distortion. If the difference between the two is outside the allowable range, it is determined that it is impossible to print on the steel plate 13, and the steel plate 13 is passed through the subsequent conveyance speed detection section F and printing device A.

When the steel plate 13 to be printed that is being conveyed by the conveyor 11 reaches the conveyance speed detection section F, the rotating body 31 is pressed against the surface of the steel plate 13 by the pressing member 32. and rotate. The rotation of the rotary body 31 is detected by a rotary encoder built in or connected to the rotary body 31 and sent to the control unit 35, and the actual conveyance speed of the steel plate 13 is detected by the control unit 35. Based on the detected actual transport speed of the steel plate 13, the drive motor 3c of the transverse carriage 3 of the printing device A and the drive motors 4c and 4d of the respective traveling carriages 4a and 4b are controlled.

As the steel plate 13 is further conveyed by the conveyor 11, when the downstream end 13a of the steel plate 13 reaches the separation part 12 where the printing device A is disposed, the control unit 35 detects the thickness using the thickness detection member 20. The height of the print head 1 from the bottom surface of the steel plate 13 is set based on the thickness t of the steel plate 13, and the coordinates of the print data are converted in accordance with the inclination of the steel plate 13 detected by the inclination detection section C. Further, by driving the transverse carriage 3 and each of the traveling carriages 4a and 4b, respectively, based on the actual conveyance speed of the steel plate 13 detected by the conveyance speed detection unit F, desired printing is performed on the lower surface of the steel plate 13. It is possible to do so. Then, by correcting the height of the print head 1 based on the difference in height detected by the both end side height detection sections D and the distortion detection section E, it is possible to perform clear printing.

When a series of printing operations are completed and the print head 1 is to be cleaned, first, the first transverse carriage 3a and the second transverse carriage 3b that constitute the transverse carriage 3 are disconnected. Then, the first traverse motor 3c and the second traverse motor 3d are driven to retract the first traverse carriage 3a and the second traverse carriage 3b to the sides of the conveyor 11, respectively.

With the evacuation of the first traversing carriage 3a and the second traversing carriage 3b, the print heads 1 mounted on the respective traveling carriages 4a and 4b move to the sides of the conveyor 11, so each print head 1 is cleaned in this state. Is possible.

The printing device and printing equipment according to the present invention are advantageously used when printing on the lower surface of a plate-shaped printing material conveyed by a conveyor.

A Printing device B Printing equipment C Tilt detection unit D Both end height detection unit E Distortion detection unit F Conveying speed detection unit 1 Print head 2 Garter 2a Straight guide 3 Traverse carriage 3a First traverse carriage 3b Second traverse carriage 3c First Traversing motor 3d Second traversing motor 3e Linear guide 4a First traveling carriage 4b Second traveling carriage 4c, 4d Traveling motor 5 Lifting member 11 Conveyor 11a Roller 12 Separating part 13 Steel plate 13a Downstream end 13c End face 18 Length direction end Detection member 19a, 19b Width direction end face detection member 20 Thickness detection member 23a, 23b Distance detection member 24 Stand 25a, 25b Arm 26a, 26b Drive motor 28 Frame 29 Distance detection member 31 Rotating body 32 Pressing member 35 Control unit 35a Print data Storage unit 35b Program storage unit 35c Comparison/discrimination calculation unit 36 Input device

Claims (3)

A printing device for printing on the lower surface of a plate-shaped printing material used for metal processing that is being conveyed by a conveyor,
a conveyor having separating parts spaced apart in the conveying direction;
a garter installed at a remote part of the conveyor below the conveyance surface of the conveyor and in a direction across the conveyor;
a traversing carriage configured by connecting a plurality of traversing members configured to be separable and configured to be mounted on the garter and configured to be able to traverse in a direction across the conveyor;
a traveling carriage mounted on each of the plurality of traversing members constituting the traversing carriage and configured to be movable in the conveyance direction by the conveyor;
one or more print heads that are mounted on the traveling carriage and configured to be movable up and down, and that print on the lower surface of the printing material that is conveyed by the conveyor;
A printing device characterized by having: A conveyor that conveys a plate-shaped printing material used for metal processing and has a separating section spaced apart in the conveying direction;
A garter installed in a remote part of the conveyor below the conveyance surface of the conveyor and in a direction transverse to the conveyor, and a plurality of divisible transverse members connected to each other, and mounted on the garter. a traveling carriage configured to be movable in a direction across the conveyor; a traveling carriage mounted on each of a plurality of traversing members constituting the traversing carriage and configured to be movable in the conveyance direction by the conveyor ; a printing device having one or more print heads that are mounted on a traveling carriage and configured to be movable up and down, and print on the lower surface of a printing material that is conveyed by the conveyor;
A rotating body that is arranged upstream of the printing device in the direction of conveyance by the conveyor and contacts the surface of the printing material conveyed by the conveyor and rotates as the printing material moves; a conveyance speed detection device that detects the conveyance speed of the printing material by detecting rotation ;
a control device that stores printing material data including the thickness of the printing material to be printed in advance and printing data for the printing material, and controls the printing device based on the stored printing data;
Printing equipment characterized by having: A longitudinal end detection member for detecting the longitudinal end of the printing material is provided upstream of the printing device in the conveyance direction by the conveyor, and a longitudinal end detection member is provided upstream of the longitudinal end detection member in the conveyance direction. a widthwise end detecting member arranged to detect the widthwise end of the printing material; detecting the lengthwise end of the printing material by the longitudinal end detecting member; A tilt detection section is arranged to detect the inclination of the printing material by synchronizing the detection of the widthwise end of the printing material by the width direction edge detection member, and the printing material detected by the tilt detection section is 3. The printing equipment according to claim 2, wherein the control device controls the printing device by converting the coordinates of the stored printing data according to the inclination of the printing data.

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