Challenges of Large Scale Single Pass Inkjet Systems

Transcription

1 Challenges of Large Scale Single Pass Inkjet Systems Debbie Thorp, Business Development Director Global Inkjet Systems Ltd IMI Inkjet Printing Conference Las Vegas 2-4 February

2 Contents Introduction to GIS Single pass inkjet system evolution Increasing demand on print data Challenges for RIP & workflow manufacturers Challenges for system builders Advanced system configurations Mixed resolution printing Mixed printhead type printing Production line issues Curved surface compensation Zero gap & overlap printing Print, Pause, Rewind, Resume 2

3 Global Inkjet Systems Founded in 2006 privately held Based in Cambridge, UK Leading developer of software and electronics for industrial inkjet printheads Wide industrial printhead capability Dimatix, Konica Minolta, Kyocera, Xaar etc. Portfolio of products - - 3

4 GIS Product Portfolio OEM System Integrator Ink Developer Industrial User Complete operating system Variable data RIP Colour management/layout tools Printhead electronics Driver software Lower Cost More Features High Volume Wide Format OEM Drive Electronics Software Drivers 4

5 Layout & Design Design File High Speed Variable Data RIP Colour Separation, Management and Linearization Binary and Grey Level Screening Data Source Printheads Head Personality Board Print Manager Board Stitching & Multipass Swathe Generation 5

6 OEM s datapath 3 rd party RIP, content creation, colour management, multipass strategies API Windows DLL Print Manager Board Head Personality Board Printheads 6

7 Contents Introduction to GIS Single pass inkjet system evolution Increasing demand on print data Challenges for RIP & workflow manufacturers Challenges for system builders Advanced system configurations Mixed resolution printing Mixed printhead type printing Production line issues Curved surface compensation Zero gap & overlap printing Print, Pause, Rewind, Resume 7

8 Single Pass System Evolution Fujifilm Jetpress x 20 wide 180 sheets/min Ferro Kerajet 35cm wide 180dpi Inca FastJet demo 52cm wide 200x300dpi 1.6m/sec Kodak Prosper 2 up wide 200m/min 175lpi Nilpeter/FFEI Caslon mm wide greyscale Mono Low res Variable data Miyakoshi MJP600 50cm wide 120 heads Kerajet K700/720 1m -1.26m wide Long established single pass systems Dotrix Dot Factory High res/greyscale Up to 63cm wide (now) DRUPA 2000 Jetrion, CSAT, Durst, Atlantic Zeiser, IIJ, PPSI, Domino... DRUPA 2004 DRUPA 2008/Label Expo 2009/ IPEX 2010/ Tecnargilla Global Inkjet Systems 2007/10

9 Impact of (Latest) Single Pass Systems Combination of:- N-colours Pre-coat & varnish Print speed >1m/sec Fully variable data - every image different Natural material simulation Wide widths >1m becoming well established Increasing demands on print data 9

10 Increasing Demands on Print Data Application Drivers / Quality Improvements Monochrome vs. Colour: Process colour requires at least 4 times the amount of data of monochrome Resolution and Greyscale: Increasing resolution and moving to greyscale all require more data per square mm Static vs. Variable Data Static: All printdata can be downloaded to print electronics before printing PartiallyVariable: Similar to static data but a small section is downloaded on each print FullyVariable: New print data needs to be downloaded every time at the speed it is consumed by the printheads Partially Variable Fully Variable 10 Global Inkjet Systems 2007/10

11 Variable Data Applications Application Example Requirements Example Tracking Data Path Partially variable RIP Real-time Text/Barcode Fully variable Images Pre-cached Late Stage Product Customisation Data Path Partially variable RIP Offline Text/Barcode Static/fully variable Images Pre-cached/fully variable Number Plate Printing Data Path Fully variable RIP Real-time Text/Barcode Fully variable Images Pre-cached ID Card/Passport Printing Data Path Fully variable RIP Real-time Text/Barcode Fully variable Images Fully variable Natural Material Printing Data Path Fully variable RIP Offline Text/Barcode N/A Images Pre-cached 11

12 Industrial Inkjet Printhead Data Rates Printhead data rates have increased over 100 times over the last 15 years Colour/Resolution/Speed/Variable Data/ # of Heads 12 Global Inkjet Systems 2007/10

13 Challenges for RIP and Workflow Manufacturers Single pass inkjet press Graphics Designers Jobs Partially Variable Print Engine Partially Variable Output Fully variable print applications require vast amounts of data and artwork Single pass inkjet press Graphics Designers Jobs Fully Variable Print Engine Fully Variable Output 13

14 Challenges for System Builders Getting data to the printhead Speed isn t everything... Print Server Data Path Electronics Printheads A B C Speed and reliability of hardware; maximum cable lengths; cost; connectors. Speed, reliability, waveform generation and quality, error correction etc. RIP Servers Speed and reliability of network, latency....reliability, cost etc are also factors 14

15 Large Single Pass System Single PC Architecture Example User Interface Print PC Single PC Solution Limited Processing Speed Limited Memory Bandwidth Limited Peripheral I/O Slow Start Up Limited Variable Capability Global Inkjet Systems 2007/10

16 Large Single Pass System Multi-PC Architecture Example Master Full Variable Data Capability TCP / IP (Network) Slave 1 Slave 2 Slave 3 User Interface PC running GIS master controller software PCs running GIS software Global Inkjet Systems 2007/10

17 Contents Introduction to GIS Single pass inkjet system evolution Increasing demand on print data Challenges for RIP & workflow manufacturers Challenges for system builders Advanced system configurations Mixed resolution printing Mixed printhead type printing Production line issues Curved surface compensation Zero gap & overlap printing Print, Pause, Rewind, Resume 17

18 Advanced System Configurations Mixed printhead resolutions Single printhead technology running bars or colours/fluids of printheads at different resolutions e.g. Precoat or varnish in binary mode; image in greyscale Stagger for 720dpi K mm Pre-Coat UV Lamp Post Coat IR Cure 360dpi CMY 720dpi K 18 Global Inkjet Systems 2007/10

19 Advanced System Configurations Mixed technology printheads One technology of printhead for precoat or post-varnish Large drop volume Second technology of printhead for image Small/greyscale drops 19 Global Inkjet Systems 2007/10

20 Contents Introduction to GIS Single pass inkjet system evolution Increasing demand on print data Challenges for RIP & workflow manufacturers Challenges for system builders Advanced system configurations Mixed resolution printing Mixed printhead type printing Production line issues Curved surface compensation Zero gap & overlap printing Print, Pause, Rewind, Resume 20

21 Curved Surface Printing Product decoration using inkjet is becoming more common Most consumer products have curved surfaces which is difficult to print onto using inkjet Some of the key issues include Throw distance Jet straightness Drop density With a combination of techniques most issues can be overcome One of the more complex is drop density or the inter-drop fire separation 21

22 Curved Surface Printing Controlling drop fire separation Printing from 3mm - 8mm from substrate 42pl drop (binary) to achieve throw distance Direction of scan Substrate Printhead Ink Low Density Uniform Density Low Density Uniform Density 22

23 Curved Surface Printing Low Density Uniform Density Low Density Uniform Density 23

24 Overlap Printing Demo Shape Ideally suited for combining inkjet with traditional printing Traditional printing techniques can have zero gap between plates Adding inkjet requires a hardware Print/Go with zero gap or close to zero gap Overlap printing solves this issue allowing:- Small inter-label gaps; zero gaps; and even negative inter-label gaps or overlap Inter-label gap Label size and shape Hardware Print/Go trigger point 24

25 Overlap Printing Example Print Low density Wasted substrate Global Inkjet Systems Overlap Printing Global Inkjet Systems Overlap Printing Global Inkjet Systems Overlap Printing Global Inkjet Systems Overlap Printing High print quality No anti-aliasing 113 of of of of 500 Print/Go gap Zero High density Little substrate wasted Lower print quality Low quality barcode/text Print/Go gap Zero Low density Lowest substrate wastage Global Inkjet Systems Overlap Printing 112 of 500 Global Inkjet Systems Overlap Printing 114 of 500 Global Inkjet Systems Overlap Printing 116 of 500 High Print Quality No anti-aliasing Global Inkjet Systems Overlap Printing 113 of 500 Global Inkjet Systems Overlap Printing 115 of 500 Print Go Gap Negative/Fully overlapped 25

26 Print, Pause, Rewind, Resume Inkjet printing is increasingly being combined with factory production lines Upstream or downstream problems unconnected with the printing station may require the line to be stopped; backed up; and then restarted What happens when the line stops and you need to dry/cure your print? And then have to start printing again where you left off? If a production line is stopped, a short distance of additional travel is beneficial to cure the ink Print, Pause, Rewind, Resume is a method that allows production lines to be stopped, reversed and the print resumed precisely from the point it was stopped 26

27 Print, Pause, Rewind, Resume Printheads UV Lamp Print Printheads UV Lamp Pause & Cure Printheads UV Lamp Rewind Resume Print 27 Printheads UV Lamp

28 Summary Challenges of large single pass systems System configuration innovations Software expertise Inkjet as part of a complex production process Variable data management Job change management More complex workflow More content designers Must be in production 24/7 Cost model and benefits Is the demand really there? Customer education Capabilities of variable data printing training etc Consumer education 28

29 Thank You Any Questions? Debbie Thorp, Business Development Director Global Inkjet Systems Limited St. John s Innovation Centre Cowley Road Cambridge CB4 0WS UK Tel: +44 (0) Web: 29