Printing machine and a method for producing a printed product

• US 7,997,200 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2006
• Issued: 08/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koenig & Bauer AG
• Original Assignee: Koenig & Bauer AG
• Inventors: Stiel, Jürgen Alfred
• Primary Examiner(s): Colilla; Daniel J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Simmons; Jennifer
• Application Number:
  US11/921,186
• Publication Number:
  US 20090188405A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,937 Days
• Field of Search: 101/480, 101/484
• US Class Current: 101/484
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 17/00 Printing apparatus or machines of special types or for particular purposes, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 33/0036 Devices for scanning or checking the printed matter for quality control
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0269 for visual or optical inspection
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09936 Marks, inscriptions, etc. for information
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/1545 Continuous processing, i.e. involving rolls moving a band-like or solid carrier along a continuous production path
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/163 Monitoring a manufacturing process
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/12 using thick film techniques, e.g. printing techniques to apply the conductive material or similar techniques for applying conductive paste or ink patterns
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/1275 by other printing techniques, e.g. letterpress printing, intaglio printing, lithographic printing, offset printing

Abstract

A printing machine is provided with at least one printing unit that is usable for printing an image, in ink, on a printable material. The printing machine includes at least one application device which is usable to apply at least one contactless identification characteristic, in the form of an RFID system or a part thereof, to the printable material. At least one inspection device is also provided in the printing machine. At least one test device, for testing the identification characteristic, or the part thereof, is also provided in the printing machine.

Claims

1. A printing machine comprising:

at least a first printing group adapted to print on a printing substrate using printing ink as the printing substrate is moved through the at least first printing group in a direction of transport of the printing substrate;

at least one application device usable to apply at least a portion of at least one contactless identification feature, configured as an RFID system, onto the printing substrate, the at least a portion of the at least one contactless identification feature having at least one optical property in the shape of electrical printed conductors and which form an antenna of the RFID system;

at least a first inspection device in the printing machine and configured to inspect the at least one optical property of the at least a portion of the contactless identification feature, the first inspection device being arranged, after, in the direction of transport of the printing substrate, the at least one application device and before, in the direction of transport of the printing substrates, the at least first printing group; and

at least one second inspection device in the printing machine and configured to inspect the printed image of a printed product printed on the printing substrate.

2. The printing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one application device is a printing device for imprinting the at least a portion of at least one contactless identification feature.

3. The printing machine according to claim 2, characterized in that the printing device operates using a letterpress printing process.

4. The printing machine according to claim 2, characterized in that the printing device operates using an intaglio printing process.

5. The printing machine according to claim 2, characterized in that the printing device operates using a planographic printing process.

6. The printing machine according to claim 2, characterized in that the printing device is an offset printing group.

7. The printing machine according to claim 2, characterized in that the at least one printing group, viewed in the direction of transport of the printing substrate, is arranged downstream of the at least one printing device.

8. The printing machine according to claim 2, characterized in that the first inspection device is arranged on the at least one printing device.

9. The printing machine according to claim 2, characterized in that the printing device is configured to print electrically conductive material.

10. The printing machine according to claim 9, characterized in that the material contains a polymer.

11. The printing machine according to claim 9, wherein at least three printing devices are arranged to print the electrically insulating material.

12. The printing machine according to claim 2, characterized in that the printing device is configured to print electrically insulating material.

13. The printing machine according to claim 12, wherein at least two printing devices are arranged to print the electrically insulating material.

14. The printing machine according to claim 2, characterized in that the printing device is configured to print electrically semiconductive material.

15. The printing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one application device is an adhesion device for attaching the at least a portion of at least one contactless identification feature by adhesion.

16. The printing machine according to claim 15, characterized in that the adhesion device is configured to attach at least one chip of an RFID system by adhesion.

17. The printing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one application device is configured for applying an electronic component to the printing substrate.

18. The printing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one printing group and the at least one application device are located in-line in the direction of transport of the printing substrate.

19. The printing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least first inspection device and the at least one application device are connected in-line.

20. The printing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one second inspection device, the at least one printing group and the at least one first inspection device are connected in-line.

21. The printing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one second inspection device is arranged on one of the at least one printing group and connected downstream of the at least one printing group.

22. The printing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one printing group is an offset printing group.

23. The printing machine according to claim 22, characterized in that at least four offset printing groups are provided for multicolor printing on the printing substrate.

24. The printing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the printing substrate is configured as one of a sheet and a web.

25. The printing machine according to claim 24, characterized in that the printed substrate, configured as a sheet, can be fed to a sorting device.

26. The printing machine according to claim 25, further including providing transport path of the sheets, two holding stacks, arranged in series in the direction of transport of the printing substrate, and to each of which two holding stacks each of the printed sheets can optionally be delivered, based upon the quality of the printed product printed on each such sheet.

27. The printing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one printing group is configured having an axial direction and wherein, in the axial direction of the printing group, a plurality of copies are printed side by side on the printing substrate.

28. The printing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one printing group is configured having a longitudinal direction and wherein, in a longitudinal direction, a plurality of copies are printed in series on the printing substrate.

29. The printing machine according to claim 28, wherein copies of folding cartons are formed by the printing machine.

30. The printing machine according to claim 28, wherein copies of labels are formed by the printing machine.

31. The printing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least first inspection device is configured to also inspect at least one of an electrical and magnetic and electromagnetic property of the at least one of a portion of a contactless identification feature.

32. The printing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one second inspection device is configured for the optical inspection of the printed product printed on the printing substrate.

33. The printing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that one of a CCD device and a CMOS device is provided to inspect the at least one optical property.

34. The printing machine according to claim 33, characterized in that the CCD device is a CCD line camera.

35. The printing machine according to claim 34, wherein said printing substrate has a maximum width and further wherein the maximum width of the printing substrate can be scanned using the CCD line camera.

36. The printing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one second inspection device is configured to inspect one register and the color properties of the printed image.

37. The printing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one second inspection device is arranged downstream of one of the at least one printing group and after a last printing group in the printing machine.

38. A method for producing a printed product including:

providing a printing machine;

using a printing technique and initially applying at least a portion of a contactless identification feature, configured as an RFID system to a printing substrate moving through the printing machine in a direction of travel;

subsequently printing a printed image on the printing substrate by applying printing ink to the printing substrate using the printing machine;

providing a first inspection device;

initially inspecting at least one of a property and a characteristic of the at least a portion of the contactless identification feature, following its application to the printing substrate, and with respect to at least one of an optical, electrical, magnetic, and electromagnetic property of the at least portion of the contactless identification feature using the first inspection device;

providing a second inspection device; and

inspecting optical properties of the printed product applied to the printing substrate, after the application of the at least a portion of the contactless identification feature to the printing substrate, and after the inspecting of the one of a property and a characteristic of the at least a portion of the contactless identification feature.

39. The method according to claim 38, further including operating the first inspection device in a contactless fashion.

40. The method according to claim 38, further including operating the first inspection device in an inductive fashion.

41. The method according to claim 38, further including inspecting the at least one of an optical, electric, magnetic and electromagnetic property of the identification feature at a first location in relation to the direction of travel, and inspecting the optical properties of the printed product at a second location.

42. The method according to claim 38, further including over printing the at least a portion of a contactless identification feature in multiple colors.

43. The method according to claim 38, further including inspecting properties of the RFID system in-line, and including at least one of a frequency of the antenna oscillator circuit and an identification number and the key to a digital signature.

44. The method according to claim 38, further including applying the at least a portion of a contactless identification feature and the printed image to the same side of the printing substrate.

45. The method according to claim 38, further including first applying the at least a portion of the contactless identification feature and then applying the printed image to the printing substrate in the printing machine.