Single pass plastic card manufacturing system

• US 20070289460A1
• Filed: 05/24/2007
• Published: 12/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Harvard Label LLC
• Original Assignee: Harvard Label (Harvard International plc)
• Inventors: Tang, Michael
• Application Number:
  US11/807,081
• Publication Number:
  US 20070289460A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 101/181
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 5/16 for multicolour printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 5/24 for flexographic printing

Abstract

A system and method is provided for creating a fully formed printed card with a magnetically encoded strip in a continuous, single pass fashion. In one embodiment, a printing system includes a web flexographic press and an automated strip applicator and encoder. The web flexographic press receives a roll of thick card stock and has an unwinder that is adapted to unwind the roll of thick card stock into a continuous web. The automated strip applicator and encoder receives the web from the web flexographic press and lays and encodes a magnetic strip thereon. Here, the web has a thickness greater than 12 mils. In one embodiment, the thick card stock has a thickness ranging from 20 mils to 30 mils.

Claims

1. A printing system comprising:

a web flexographic press adapted to receive a roll of thick card stock and having an unwinder adapted to unwind the roll of thick card stock into a continuous web; and

an automated strip applicator and encoder adapted to receive the web from the web flexographic press and to lay and encode a magnetic strip thereon,

wherein the web has a thickness greater than 12 mils.

2. The printing system of claim 1, wherein the web has a thickness ranging from 12 mils to 30 mils.

3. The printing system of claim 1, wherein the web has a thickness ranging from 20 mils to 30 mils.

4. The printing system of claim 1, wherein the web flexographic press is a servo operated press adapted to perform five-color color flexo printing on the web.

5. The printing system of claim 1, further comprising a variable printing and foil applicator device adapted to receive the web from the automated strip applicator and to print a variable data thereon.

6. The printing system of claim 5, wherein the variable printing and foil applicator device is further adapted to apply a scratchable foil over the variable data to obscure the variable data.

7. The printing system of claim 5, further comprising a card separator adapted to receive the web from the variable printing and foil applicator device and to separate the web into individual finished cards.

8. The printing system of claim 1, further comprising a card separator adapted to receive the web from the automated strip applicator and to separate the web into individual finished cards.

9. The printing system of claim 1, wherein the web flexographic press comprises a plurality of forward print stations, wherein the forward print stations comprise a first print assembly, a second print assembly, a third print assembly, and a fourth print assembly, and wherein the first print assembly, the second print assembly, the third print assembly, and the fourth print assembly are serially connected to each other.

10. The printing system of claim 8, wherein the forward print stations further comprise a laminating assembly coupled to apply a clear coating to the web output from the fourth print assembly.

11. The printing system of claim 9, wherein the forward print stations further comprise a fifth print assembly, and wherein the laminating assembly is coupled between the fourth assembly and the fifth assembly.

12. The printing system of claim 9, wherein the forward print stations further comprise a fifth print assembly, and wherein the laminating assembly is coupled to apply the clear coating to the web output from the fifth print assembly.

13. The printing system of claim 1, wherein the flexographic press is adapted to apply a substantially constant torque to the thick card stock throughout the press to maintain a substantially constant tension to the continuous web.

15. The printing system of claim 12, wherein the control means to perform the at least four-color color flexo printing on the web comprise means for performing at least five-color color flexo printing on the web.

16. The printing system of claim 12, further comprising means for receiving the magnetic stripped web and for printing a variable data thereon.

14. A printing system comprising:

means for receiving a roll of thick card stock and for unwinding the roll of thick card stock into a continuous web;

means for providing a multi-point closed loop tension control to perform at least four-color color flexo printing on the web; and

means for receiving the at least four-color flexo printed web from the web flexographic press and for automatically laying and encoding a magnetic strip thereon,

wherein the web has a thickness greater than 12 mils.

17. The printing system of claim 14, further comprising means for applying a scratchable foil over the variable data to obscure the variable data.

18. The printing system of claim 14, further comprising means for receiving the web having the printed variable data thereon and for separating the web into individual finished cards.

19. A printing system comprising:

a web flexographic press adapted to receive a roll of thick card stock and having an unwinder adapted to unwind the roll of thick card stock into a continuous web; and

a variable printing and foil applicator device adapted to receive the web from the web flexographic press and to print a variable data thereon,

wherein the web has a thickness greater than 12 mils.

20. The printing system of claim 19, wherein the variable printing and foil applicator device is further adapted to apply a scratchable foil over the variable data to obscure the variable data.

21. The printing system of claim 19, further comprising a card separator adapted to receive the web from the variable printing and foil applicator device and to separate the web into individual finished cards.