Device for machining the surface of parts

• US 20060137548A1
• Filed: 06/06/2003
• Published: 06/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ball Packaging Europe Holding GmbH & Company KG (ARD Holdings SA)
• Original Assignee: Ball Packaging Europe Holding GmbH & Company KG (ARD Holdings SA)
• Inventors: Vetter, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 7,905,174 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 101/38.100
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 17/22 by rolling contact
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 33/0009 Central control units
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2203/011 Inspecting the shape or condition, e.g. wrinkled or warped, of a medium to be printed before printing on it
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/4073 Printing on three-dimensional objects not being in sheet or web form, e.g. spherical or cubic objects B41J3/283, B41J3/286 take precedence; building up a 3D object using individual droplets from jetting heads B29C64/112
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/40733 Printing on cylindrical or rotationally symmetrical objects, e. g. on bottles

Abstract

Device for Processing the Surface of Objects The invention relates to a device (1) for processing the surface of objects (3) and comprises a predetermined number of processing stations (B₁-B₈) performing processing processes and a conveying unit performing processing movements. The objects are transported into predetermined desired positions at the processing stations (B₁-B₈) by means of the conveying unit. The device (1) further comprises a central controller (7), by means of which the processing movements of the conveying unit and the processing processes of the processing stations are synchronized by presetting a clock pulse being correlated with the processing movement of the object (3) to be processed and controlling the respective processing process via the central Is controller (7) for each processing station (B₁-B₈).

Claims

1. A device for processing the surface of an object comprising,

a conveying unit, by which said objects are transported into desired positions at said processing stations;

a central controller, by which the functions of said conveying unit and of said processing station are synchronized by a clock pulse correlated with transport of said object and wherein said central controller controls each processing station.

2. The device according to claim 1,wherein said processing stations further comprises a printing unit.

3. The device according to claim 2,wherein at least one of said printing units further comprises an inkjet printing head.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein at least one of said printing units further comprises a printing roller.

5. The device according to claim 3, wherein at least one of said processing stations further comprises an inspection unit.

6. The device according to claim 1,wherein said obiects are symmetrical about a rotational axis.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein said objects are selected from the group consisting of beverage cans, beverage bottles or cups.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein said conveying unit comprises a rotary cycle apparatus, on which said objects are arranged in the circumferential direction and may each be set into rotation by means of a conveyor drive means.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein said objects are each rotationally journalled with respect to their axis of rotation.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein starting signals are generated in the central controller, by which the individual processing stations may be started independently.

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein by predetermining the duration of the transmission of said clock pulse to a processing station, the duration of the function of said processing station may be predefined by the central controller.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein at least one incremental encoder is provided for detecting the rotary position of said objects.

13. The device according to claim 12, wherein said conveyer drive means generate rotation in dependence upon the signals of said incremental encoder are position controlled.

14. The device according to claim 13, wherein a lead frequency defining the clock pulse may be preset by said central controller.

15. The device according to claim 14, wherein said lead frequency may be adjusted.

16. The device according to claim 14, characterized in that said lead frequency is transmitted to a computing unit for synchronizing the rotation of said objects generated by said conveyer drive means to said processing stations.

17. The device according to claim 16, wherein said computing unit is stationary.

18. The device according to claim 16, wherein said computing unit is arranged on said rotary cycle apparatus

19. The device according to claim 16, wherein said lead frequency and the signals of said incremental encoders constitute input quantities for the position control of the respective conveyer drive means.

20. The device according to claim 16, wherein said lead frequency may be adapted to the operating frequencies of said processing stations.

21. The device according to claim 20, wherein said lead frequency is an operating frequency of inkjet droplets of an inkjet printing head.

22. (canceled)

23. (canceled)

24. (canceled)

25. (canceled)

26. (canceled)

27. (canceled)

28. (canceled)

29. A device for processing the surface of an object comprising;

at least one processing station;

a conveying unit, by which said object is transported into desired positions at said processing station;

a central controller, by which the functions of said conveying unit and said processing stations are synchronized by presetting a clock pulse being correlated with the transport of said object, and wherein said central controller controls for each processing station; and

,

wherein said clock pulse is derived from the cyclically and currently detected position values and detection times of the position values derived from the transport of the object being processed.

30. The device according to claim 29, wherein the position values and the detection times of the position values of said objects are detected by an incremental encoder and stored as data sets in an evaluation unit.

31. The device according to claim 30, wherein said clock pulse for a processing station comprises a series of counting pulses derived from the data sets stored in said evaluation unit and follow the increments of the respective incremental encoder.

32. The device according to claim 31, wherein said counting pulses are generated in a frequency generator controlling a processing station.

33. The device according to claim 32, wherein the output signals generated by said frequency generator are re-read into said central controller.

34. The device according to claim 33, wherein control loops for generating said counting pulses are provided in said central controller, and wherein said re-read output signals of said frequency generators constitute instantaneous values of said control loops.

35. The device according to claim 31, wherein the intervals of the individual counting pulses are shorter than the cycle time of said central controller.