PRINTING PRESS CONTROL SYSTEM (XINK)

• US 20120136469A1
• Filed: 06/08/2006
• Published: 05/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: James Nielson, Michael Petersen, Mykola Sherstyuk
• Original Assignee: James Nielson, Michael Petersen, Mykola Sherstyuk
• Inventors: Sherstyuk, Mykola, Petersen, Michael, Nielson, James
• Application Number:
  US12/279,956
• Publication Number:
  US 20120136469A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/110
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 31/005 Ink viscosity control means
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2225 used in active tags, i.e. provided with its own power source or in passive tags, i.e. deriving power from RF signal
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0266 Marks, test patterns or identification means
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0268 for electrical inspection or testing
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/092 Dispersed materials, e.g. conductive pastes or inks
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/095 for polymer thick films, i.e. having a permanent organic polymeric binder
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09936 Marks, inscriptions, etc. for information
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/163 Monitoring a manufacturing process
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/1233 Methods or means for supplying the conductive material and for forcing it through the screen or stencil
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/125 by ink-jet printing

Abstract

A system for controlling the operation of a printing press used to apply an aqueous printable electrically conductive ink onto a substrate to create electrically conductive traces of such ink includes a probe for contacting the electrical traces and for obtaining a resistance measurement therefrom. A computer receives the resistance measurement, compares such measurement with pre-selected data correlating resistance with acceptable performance criteria for such traces, determines whether such resistance measurement signifies acceptable performance, and signals an appropriate mechanism for identifying those electrical traces which do not meet the acceptable performance criteria. Unacceptable traces are removed from the press prior to further processing. The computer can also signal an ink replenishment or conditioning system, contained in a replaceable cartridge, to correct any abnormalities in the ink properties.

Claims

1. A system for controlling the operation of a printing press used to apply an aqueous printable electrically conductive ink onto a substrate to create electrically conductive traces of such ink on such substrate, comprising:

probe means for contacting said electrical traces and for obtaining a resistance measurement therefrom;

computer means for receiving such resistance measurement, comparing such measurement with pre-selected data correlating resistance with acceptable predetermined performance criteria for such traces, determining whether such resistance measurement signifies acceptable performance, and signalling selection means for identifying those electrical traces which do not meet the acceptable performance criteria; and

means associated with said press for rejecting substrate having unacceptable electrical traces thereon from the press prior to further processing.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein said electrical traces include RFID antennas, printed medical, chemical and biological sensors, printed touchpads and related devices.

3. The system according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said probe means contact the electrical traces at a predetermined point along the printing line where said traces are sufficiently dry that they will not be damaged by contact with said probe means.

4. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein said rejecting means includes means for preventing the attachment of unacceptable electrical traces to a chip.

5. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 4 including printing means for applying information including but not limited to serial numbers and resistance measurements to acceptable substrate during the printing process to facilitate subsequent inventory control and quality assurance processes.

6. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein said computer means is capable of signalling an ink replenishment system for correcting deficiencies in ink quality in real time during operation of said press following the correlation of said resistance measurement with said pre-selected data.

7. The system according to claim 6 wherein said ink replenishment system comprises an ink conditioning pump which receives control signals from said computer means, an ink conditioning agent reservoir connected to said pump and containing an ink conditioning agent, and an ink reservoir connected to an ink circulation system of said press, said pump feeding a controlled volume of conditioning agent to said ink reservoir so that ink flowing from said ink reservoir will exhibit acceptable performance criteria.

8. The system according to claim 7 wherein said ink conditioning agent is capable of altering the viscosity of the ink flowing from said ink reservoir to said press.

9. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein said computer means is capable of correlating said resistance measurements with the operating conditions of the press and with the viscosity of the ink.

10. The system according to any one of claims 6 to 9 wherein the components of said ink replenishment system may be all contained within a replaceable cartridge that can be removably connected to said press.

11. A replenishment system for use with a printing press used to apply an aqueous printable conductive ink onto a substrate to create electrically conductive traces of such ink on the substrate, comprising:

an ink conditioning pump which receives control signals from a computer means;

an ink conditioning agent reservoir connected to said pump and containing an ink conditioning agent; and

an ink reservoir connected to an ink circulation system of said press, said pump being adapted to feed a controlled volume of said conditioning agent to said ink reservoir so that ink flowing from said ink reservoir will exhibit acceptable performance criteria as determined by said computer means.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said ink conditioning agent is capable of altering the viscosity of the ink flowing from said ink reservoir to said press.

13. The system of claim 11 or claim 12 wherein said ink conditioning pump, said ink conditioning agent reservoir and said ink reservoir are contained within a replaceable cartridge that can be removably connected to said press.

14. A system for controlling the operation of a printing press used to apply an aqueous printable electrically conductive ink onto a substrate to create electrically conductive traces of such ink on such substrate, comprising:

probe means for contacting said electrical traces and for obtaining a resistance measurement therefrom;

an ink replenishment system containing an ink conditioning agent capable of correcting deficiencies in ink quality; and

computer means for receiving such resistance measurement, comparing such measurement with pre-selected data correlating resistance with predetermined acceptable performance criteria for such traces, determining whether such resistance measurement signifies a deficiency from such acceptable performance, and signalling said ink replenishment system to apply an appropriate amount of said ink conditioning agent to an ink circulation system of said press in order to correct such deficiency.

15. The system of claim 14 further comprising selection means for identifying those electrical traces which do not meet the acceptable performance criteria, and means for rejecting substrate having unacceptable electrical traces thereon form the press prior to further processing.

16. The system according to claim 14 or claim 15 wherein said probe means contact the electrical traces at a predetermined point along the printing line where said traces are sufficiently dry that they will not be damaged by contact with said probe means.

17. The system according to claim 15 wherein said rejecting means includes means for preventing the attachment of unacceptable electrical traces to a chip.

18. The system according to any one of claims 14 to 17 including printing means for applying information including but not limited to serial numbers and resistance measurements to acceptable substrate during the printing process to facilitate subsequent inventory control and quality assurance processes.

19. The system according to any one of claims 14 to 18 wherein said ink replenishment system comprises an ink conditioning pump which receives control signals from said computer means, an ink conditioning agent reservoir connected to said pump and containing said ink conditioning agent, and an ink reservoir connected to said ink circulation system of said press, said pump feeding a controlled volume of said ink conditioning agent to said ink reservoir so that ink flowing from said ink reservoir will exhibit acceptable performance criteria.

20. The system according to claim 19 wherein said ink conditioning agent is capable of altering the viscosity of the ink flowing from said ink reservoir to said press.

21. The system according to claim 20 wherein said computer means is capable of correlating said resistance measurements with the operating conditions of the press and the viscosity of the ink.

22. The system according to any one of claims 19 to 21 wherein said ink conditioning pump, said ink conditioning agent reservoir, and said ink reservoir are contained within a replaceable cartridge that can be removably connected to said press.

23. The system of claim 9 or claim 21 wherein said operating conditions include but are not limited to one or more of the operating temperature of the press, the humidity in the vicinity of the press, the anilox roil surface, the ink quality, and the type of dryer on the press.