WO2012125303A1 - Reusable printing device - Google Patents

Reusable printing device Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2012125303A1
WO2012125303A1 PCT/US2012/027403 US2012027403W WO2012125303A1 WO 2012125303 A1 WO2012125303 A1 WO 2012125303A1 US 2012027403 W US2012027403 W US 2012027403W WO 2012125303 A1 WO2012125303 A1 WO 2012125303A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
printing
cells
filling material
printing apparatus
image
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Ceased
Application number
PCT/US2012/027403
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Yehuda Solomon
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Eastman Kodak Co
Original Assignee
Eastman Kodak Co
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Eastman Kodak Co filed Critical Eastman Kodak Co
Publication of WO2012125303A1 publication Critical patent/WO2012125303A1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Ceased legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41C—PROCESSES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR REPRODUCTION OF PRINTING SURFACES
    • B41C1/00—Forme preparation
    • B41C1/18—Curved printing formes or printing cylinders
    • B41C1/184—Curved printing formes or printing cylinders by transfer of the design to the cylinder, e.g. from a lithographic printing plate; by drawing the pattern on the cylinder; by direct cutting of the pattern on the cylinder
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41C—PROCESSES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR REPRODUCTION OF PRINTING SURFACES
    • B41C1/00—Forme preparation
    • B41C1/003—Forme preparation the relief or intaglio pattern being obtained by imagewise deposition of a liquid, e.g. by an ink jet
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41C—PROCESSES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR REPRODUCTION OF PRINTING SURFACES
    • B41C1/00—Forme preparation
    • B41C1/02—Engraving; Heads therefor
    • B41C1/04—Engraving; Heads therefor using heads controlled by an electric information signal
    • B41C1/05—Heat-generating engraving heads, e.g. laser beam, electron beam

Definitions

  • This invention relates in general to printing, and in particular to a re-usable printing surface having a plurality of cells.
  • the final image is conveyed to a substrate by transferring ink from an image bearing printing surface to the substrate.
  • the image bearing surface generally picks up ink only on the 'image' areas, the areas that correspond on the substrate to be inked.
  • the print on the substrate is produced by transferring ink directly or indirectly from an inked-up image bearing surface to the substrate.
  • An example of this technology is a printing plate wherein certain areas of the plate are hydrophobic or hydrophilic.
  • the image bearing surface picks up liquid or paste ink, typically from an ink reservoir.
  • the means by which the surface transfers ink to the 'image' areas depends upon the particular technology. Printing plates will be used in flexography and offset lithography, whereas specially made cylinders are used in gravure printing.
  • the ink is then transferred to another surface, be it the final product substrate, such as printed paper, or an intermediate medium such as a rubber blanket.
  • ink is transferred to the substrate in various ways for example, inkjet printing.
  • Digital printing has an advantage over conventional print in its ability to handle variable information. This allows the printer to tailor each print differently.
  • the main drawbacks of digital printing are that it is, in general, significantly more expensive and time consuming than conventional printing processes.
  • an apparatus for preparing a printing cylinder includes providing an image bearing printing surface comprising a plurality of cells; applying a filling material into the cells; fixing the filling material in a first group of cells in a first pattern; and removing the filling material from a second group of cells.
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a printing block with plurality of printing cells
  • FIG. 2a is a schematic illustration of blocked and empty printing cells
  • FIG. 2b is a cross-section of several empty printing cells on the printing block surface
  • FIG. 2c is a cross-section of several printing cells on the printing block surface wherein some of them are empty, fully filled, or partially filled;
  • FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of a printing block imaging device consisting of an imaging system and a cylinder made printing block the imaging system is adapted to adjust the printing cells content;
  • FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of an inkjet system adapted to fill the printing cells with blocking material.
  • the present invention describes a direct printing device containing a surface of printing cells.
  • the printing cells can be filled by selective control thus allowing forming an image to be printed on a substrate.
  • a previously formed image can be erased from printing cells surface and modified forming another image by suitable imaging means.
  • FIG. 1 shows a printing cylinder 100.
  • the printing cylinder 100 contains a printing block 104.
  • the printing block 104 is covered with an image bearing surface 108, containing plurality of printing cells.
  • the printing cells are in a form of micro-cavities of holes spread on surface 108, the printing cells are geometrically arranged for printing.
  • the printing block 104 can be round as is depicted in FIG. 1 or fiat (not shown).
  • the printing block 104 can be made from flexible material. Additionally the round printing block 104 in FIG. 1 can rotated during imaging or can be fixed into a single position during imaging.
  • FIG. 2a depicts an illustration of printing cells 200 representing a segment of printing cells out of image bearing surface 108.
  • the printing cells 200 are divided into two groups of cells, fully filled cells 204 and non-blocked or empty cells 208.
  • the division of cells into two groups forms an image and transforms printing cells surface into an image bearing surface.
  • the image bearing surface 108 when applied with ink and pressed on a substrate (not shown) will cause the image represented by printing cells 204 and 208 to be printed on the substrate.
  • more than two groups can be formed, where each of the additional groups of cells represent filling of printing cells 200 in levels that may range from non empty to not fully filled printing cells.
  • FIG. 2b shows a cross-section of several empty printing cells on the printing block surface 212.
  • FIG. 2c shows the filling level of the printing cells, for example printing cell 216 is fully filled, printing cell 220 is partially filled and printing cell 224 is not filled at all. Similar arrangements can be made by adding additional filling levels. The impact on the printing substrate of the printing cells with various filling will be different and distinct from each other.
  • a filling material is applied one the entire surface 108.
  • the filling material can be a photopolymer that will be cured by ultra violet (UV) light, or the filling material can be a liquid polymer to be solidified by cooling means.
  • Another filling material can a polymer solution that solidifies by vaporization of the solvent, when laser means or other thermal sources area applied. All the printing cells (204 and 208) are filled with the printing material.
  • the filling material can be applied for example by immersing the entire surface 108 in a filling material reservoir (not shown).
  • the next step is to fix the filling material residing in a selected group of printing cells for example printing cells 204 and removing the filling material (which is not fixed) from printing cells 208, the removal of the filling material can be performed by an printing block imaging device 300 (shown in FIG. 3), described further in this document.
  • Fixing of the filling material can be achieved by applying UV (ultra violet) light in printing cells 204.
  • Another alternative for fixing the filling material in cells 204 is by applying heat on the filling material in the first group in printing cells 204.
  • the fixing method depends on the characteristics of the chosen filling material.
  • the image bearing surface 108 represent an image which is ready to be mounted on a printing device (not shown) for printing.
  • the imaging device 300 can integrated into a printing device as a pre -printing step or alternatively can be a standalone system detached from a printing device.
  • the image is formed according to a previously prepared halftone image.
  • the halftone image is typically prepared by a digital front end (DFE) (not shown) server such as Kodak Prinergy, the DFE is capable to process a printing job received in a page description language (PDL) format and rasterizing it into a halftone image or a plurality of halftone images that represent the entire print job, ready for imaging.
  • DFE digital front end
  • PDL page description language
  • the printing block 104 is mounted on a printing device. Printing of the halftone image is initiated, the printing can be performed directly from the printing block 104 to a substrate, or alternatively via an intermediate blanket to the substrate. After printing is completed the printing block 104 is unloaded from the printing device. The printing block 104 is loaded on an imaging device 300 shown in FIG. 3, for removal of the filling material from cells 204. This process will enable reuse of printing block 104 for subsequent printing of new printing jobs. The cleaning of cells 204 or is performed by imaging device 300.
  • the imaging device 300 includes a laser imaging head 304 mounted on carriage 308 in direction 312, parallel to printing cylinder 100. The carriage movement is coordinated by screw 316.
  • the laser imaging head 304 emits laser energy pointed on the cells 204 (filled with filling material).
  • the information which cells are filled with a filling material is provided to imaging head 304 by micro-controller 320.
  • Micro-controller 320 receives the information on cells 204 from the previously prepared halftone image that had been used to form an image on printing block 104.
  • the applied laser energy from imaging head 304 is adapted to dissolve the filling material from cells 204.
  • FIG. 4 shows an inkjet head 404 configured to apply filling material via inkjet means only on cells 204 of surface 108. In this embodiment there is no need to fill the entire cells of surface 108, but only the selected cells 204 defined by the halftone image are injected by inkjet head 404 with filling material 408. The fixing of filling material is preformed selectively to cells 204.
  • cells 204 will serve as printing cells and cells 208 as non printing cells, in other embodiments cells 208 will be printing cells whereas cells 204 will not print.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Optics & Photonics (AREA)
  • Plasma & Fusion (AREA)
  • Manufacture Or Reproduction Of Printing Formes (AREA)
  • Ink Jet (AREA)
  • Printing Plates And Materials Therefor (AREA)

Abstract

An apparatus for preparing a printing cylinder includes providing an image bearing printing surface comprising a plurality of cells; applying a filling material into the cells; fixing the filling material in a first group of cells in a first pattern; and removing the filling material from a second group of cells.

Description

REUSABLE PRINTING DEVICE
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates in general to printing, and in particular to a re-usable printing surface having a plurality of cells.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In current printing technology the final image is conveyed to a substrate by transferring ink from an image bearing printing surface to the substrate. The image bearing surface generally picks up ink only on the 'image' areas, the areas that correspond on the substrate to be inked. The print on the substrate is produced by transferring ink directly or indirectly from an inked-up image bearing surface to the substrate. An example of this technology is a printing plate wherein certain areas of the plate are hydrophobic or hydrophilic.
In conventional printing systems, the image bearing surface picks up liquid or paste ink, typically from an ink reservoir. The means by which the surface transfers ink to the 'image' areas depends upon the particular technology. Printing plates will be used in flexography and offset lithography, whereas specially made cylinders are used in gravure printing. The ink is then transferred to another surface, be it the final product substrate, such as printed paper, or an intermediate medium such as a rubber blanket.
In digital printing systems, ink is transferred to the substrate in various ways for example, inkjet printing. Digital printing has an advantage over conventional print in its ability to handle variable information. This allows the printer to tailor each print differently. The main drawbacks of digital printing are that it is, in general, significantly more expensive and time consuming than conventional printing processes.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Briefly, according to one aspect of the present invention an apparatus for preparing a printing cylinder includes providing an image bearing printing surface comprising a plurality of cells; applying a filling material into the cells; fixing the filling material in a first group of cells in a first pattern; and removing the filling material from a second group of cells. The invention and its objects and advantages will become more apparent in the detailed description of the preferred embodiment presented below.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a printing block with plurality of printing cells;
FIG. 2a is a schematic illustration of blocked and empty printing cells;
FIG. 2b is a cross-section of several empty printing cells on the printing block surface;
FIG. 2c is a cross-section of several printing cells on the printing block surface wherein some of them are empty, fully filled, or partially filled;
FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of a printing block imaging device consisting of an imaging system and a cylinder made printing block the imaging system is adapted to adjust the printing cells content; and
FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of an inkjet system adapted to fill the printing cells with blocking material.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention describes a direct printing device containing a surface of printing cells. The printing cells can be filled by selective control thus allowing forming an image to be printed on a substrate. A previously formed image can be erased from printing cells surface and modified forming another image by suitable imaging means.
FIG. 1 shows a printing cylinder 100. The printing cylinder 100 contains a printing block 104. The printing block 104 is covered with an image bearing surface 108, containing plurality of printing cells. The printing cells are in a form of micro-cavities of holes spread on surface 108, the printing cells are geometrically arranged for printing. The printing block 104 can be round as is depicted in FIG. 1 or fiat (not shown). The printing block 104 can be made from flexible material. Additionally the round printing block 104 in FIG. 1 can rotated during imaging or can be fixed into a single position during imaging.
FIG. 2a, depicts an illustration of printing cells 200 representing a segment of printing cells out of image bearing surface 108. The printing cells 200 are divided into two groups of cells, fully filled cells 204 and non-blocked or empty cells 208. The division of cells into two groups forms an image and transforms printing cells surface into an image bearing surface. The image bearing surface 108 when applied with ink and pressed on a substrate (not shown) will cause the image represented by printing cells 204 and 208 to be printed on the substrate.
In another arrangement, more than two groups (204, 208) can be formed, where each of the additional groups of cells represent filling of printing cells 200 in levels that may range from non empty to not fully filled printing cells.
FIG. 2b shows a cross-section of several empty printing cells on the printing block surface 212. FIG. 2c shows the filling level of the printing cells, for example printing cell 216 is fully filled, printing cell 220 is partially filled and printing cell 224 is not filled at all. Similar arrangements can be made by adding additional filling levels. The impact on the printing substrate of the printing cells with various filling will be different and distinct from each other.
In order to form an image on the image bearing surface 108, a filling material is applied one the entire surface 108. The filling material can be a photopolymer that will be cured by ultra violet (UV) light, or the filling material can be a liquid polymer to be solidified by cooling means. Another filling material can a polymer solution that solidifies by vaporization of the solvent, when laser means or other thermal sources area applied. All the printing cells (204 and 208) are filled with the printing material. The filling material can be applied for example by immersing the entire surface 108 in a filling material reservoir (not shown). The next step is to fix the filling material residing in a selected group of printing cells for example printing cells 204 and removing the filling material (which is not fixed) from printing cells 208, the removal of the filling material can be performed by an printing block imaging device 300 (shown in FIG. 3), described further in this document.
Fixing of the filling material can be achieved by applying UV (ultra violet) light in printing cells 204. Another alternative for fixing the filling material in cells 204 is by applying heat on the filling material in the first group in printing cells 204. The fixing method depends on the characteristics of the chosen filling material.
At this stage the image bearing surface 108 represent an image which is ready to be mounted on a printing device (not shown) for printing. The imaging device 300 can integrated into a printing device as a pre -printing step or alternatively can be a standalone system detached from a printing device. The image is formed according to a previously prepared halftone image. The halftone image is typically prepared by a digital front end (DFE) (not shown) server such as Kodak Prinergy, the DFE is capable to process a printing job received in a page description language (PDL) format and rasterizing it into a halftone image or a plurality of halftone images that represent the entire print job, ready for imaging.
In order to perform printing, the printing block 104 is mounted on a printing device. Printing of the halftone image is initiated, the printing can be performed directly from the printing block 104 to a substrate, or alternatively via an intermediate blanket to the substrate. After printing is completed the printing block 104 is unloaded from the printing device. The printing block 104 is loaded on an imaging device 300 shown in FIG. 3, for removal of the filling material from cells 204. This process will enable reuse of printing block 104 for subsequent printing of new printing jobs. The cleaning of cells 204 or is performed by imaging device 300.
The imaging device 300 includes a laser imaging head 304 mounted on carriage 308 in direction 312, parallel to printing cylinder 100. The carriage movement is coordinated by screw 316. The laser imaging head 304 emits laser energy pointed on the cells 204 (filled with filling material). The information which cells are filled with a filling material is provided to imaging head 304 by micro-controller 320. Micro-controller 320 receives the information on cells 204 from the previously prepared halftone image that had been used to form an image on printing block 104. The applied laser energy from imaging head 304 is adapted to dissolve the filling material from cells 204.
Another embodiment that is used to fill cells 204 with filling material is described in FIG. 4. FIG. 4 shows an inkjet head 404 configured to apply filling material via inkjet means only on cells 204 of surface 108. In this embodiment there is no need to fill the entire cells of surface 108, but only the selected cells 204 defined by the halftone image are injected by inkjet head 404 with filling material 408. The fixing of filling material is preformed selectively to cells 204.
In certain embodiments cells 204 will serve as printing cells and cells 208 as non printing cells, in other embodiments cells 208 will be printing cells whereas cells 204 will not print.
PARTS LIST
100 printing cylinder
104 printing block
108 image bearing surface
200 printing cells
204 fully filled cells
208 empty cells
212 printing block surface
216 fully filled printing cell
220 partially filled printing cell
224 empty printing cell
300 imaging device
304 imaging head
308 carriage
312 carriage direction
316 screw
320 micro-controller
404 inkjet head
408 injected filling material

Claims

CLAIMS:
1. A printing apparatus comprising:
an image printing surface;
a plurality of cells on the printing surface;
a device for filling the cells with a filling material;
a fixing element for fixing the filling material in a first group of cells in at least a first pattern; and
an imaging element for removing the filling material from a second group of cells.
2. A printing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the filling device is an inkjet element.
3. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the printing surface comprises a cylinder.
4. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the printing surface is a flexographic plate.
5. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of cells is arranged in a geometric pattern.
6. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the first pattern is a halftone image.
7. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the fixing element applies ultra violet light to the filling material.
8. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the fixing element applies heat to the filling material.
9. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the imaging device is a laser.
10. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the filling material is selected from a group consisting of a photopolymer, a liquid polymer, a polymer solution, or a combination thereof.
11. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the filling materials only partially fill the cells.
12. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the filling material in a portion of the first group of cells is partially fixed.
PCT/US2012/027403 2011-03-17 2012-03-02 Reusable printing device Ceased WO2012125303A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US13/049,951 US20120234190A1 (en) 2011-03-17 2011-03-17 Reusable printing device
US13/049,951 2011-03-17

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2012125303A1 true WO2012125303A1 (en) 2012-09-20

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PCT/US2012/027403 Ceased WO2012125303A1 (en) 2011-03-17 2012-03-02 Reusable printing device

Country Status (3)

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US (1) US20120234190A1 (en)
TW (1) TW201249656A (en)
WO (1) WO2012125303A1 (en)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN103991270A (en) * 2014-06-03 2014-08-20 中山火炬职业技术学院 A kind of gravure plate cylinder and printing method based on inkjet protection to realize reuse

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE2748062A1 (en) * 1976-11-03 1978-05-18 Aldo Bugnone PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURING AN ENGRAVED PRINTING ROLLER, IN PARTICULAR FOR ROTARY PRINTING
GB1517714A (en) * 1974-11-18 1978-07-12 Crosfield Electronics Ltd Preparation of gravure printing surfaces
JPH07117207A (en) * 1993-10-26 1995-05-09 Hamada Insatsu Kikai Kk Plate making method
EP0730953A2 (en) * 1995-02-07 1996-09-11 MAN Roland Druckmaschinen AG Process and apparatus for intaglio printing
EP0813957A2 (en) * 1996-06-19 1997-12-29 MAN Roland Druckmaschinen AG Process and apparatus for intaglio printing using an erasable form
DE10253654A1 (en) * 2001-11-17 2003-07-17 Erhard Lorch Intaglio printing plate has a regular and unified screen structure, to be filled selectively by an ink jet unit under control of a digital scanner, and the plate can be cleaned for further use

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB1517714A (en) * 1974-11-18 1978-07-12 Crosfield Electronics Ltd Preparation of gravure printing surfaces
DE2748062A1 (en) * 1976-11-03 1978-05-18 Aldo Bugnone PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURING AN ENGRAVED PRINTING ROLLER, IN PARTICULAR FOR ROTARY PRINTING
JPH07117207A (en) * 1993-10-26 1995-05-09 Hamada Insatsu Kikai Kk Plate making method
EP0730953A2 (en) * 1995-02-07 1996-09-11 MAN Roland Druckmaschinen AG Process and apparatus for intaglio printing
EP0813957A2 (en) * 1996-06-19 1997-12-29 MAN Roland Druckmaschinen AG Process and apparatus for intaglio printing using an erasable form
DE10253654A1 (en) * 2001-11-17 2003-07-17 Erhard Lorch Intaglio printing plate has a regular and unified screen structure, to be filled selectively by an ink jet unit under control of a digital scanner, and the plate can be cleaned for further use

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
DONALD P J: "A PRE-CAVITATED ROTOGRAVURE PLATE AND METHOD OF PREPARING SAME FOR PRINTING", RCA TECHNICAL NOTES,, vol. 828, 10 April 1969 (1969-04-10), pages 1/02, XP002028081, ISSN: 0483-7495 *

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN103991270A (en) * 2014-06-03 2014-08-20 中山火炬职业技术学院 A kind of gravure plate cylinder and printing method based on inkjet protection to realize reuse

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
US20120234190A1 (en) 2012-09-20
TW201249656A (en) 2012-12-16

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