A method of inspecting images on printed products by a computer in a printing machine. Printed products are recorded and digitized by an image sensor of an image inspection system in the course of the image inspection process, and the computer compares them to a digital reference image. If deviations are found, the defective printed products are removed. The computer analyzes the deviations found in the course of the image inspection process together with further data from other system parts and from the machine, determines specific defect classes and the causes thereof based on the defects by machine learning processes, assigns the defects found in the image inspection process to the defect classes in a corresponding way, and displays the classified detected defects with their defect classes and causes to an operator of the machine so that the operator can initiate specific measures to eliminate the defect causes.

A drag force sensor on a fountain solution carrier roller surface measures drag force of a fountain solution layer on the fountain solution carrier roller surface in real-time during a printing operation. The measured drag force is used in a feedback loop to actively control the fountain solution layer thickness by adjusting the volumetric feed rate of fountain solution added onto the imaging member surface during a printing operation to reach a desired uniform thickness for the printing. This fountain solution monitoring system may be fully automated.

A heat press includes a base, a handle, a heater arm, a controller, a lower platen, and an upper platen. The handle is pivotally coupled to the base. The heater arm is pivotally coupled to the base. The controller is pivotally coupled to the handle and the heater arm such that the controller pivots from a first position to a second position during a pivotal movement of the handle from an open position to a closed position. The lower platen is connected to base. The upper platen is connected to the heater arm. A surface of the upper platen is separated from a surface of the lower platen in the open position. The surface of the upper platen is in contact with the surface of the lower platen in the closed position.

According to the invention there is an apparatus for printing onto cylindrical structures comprising: a plurality of inker devices each comprising a print cylinder and one or more servomotors for adjustably controlling the position or orientation of a print cylinder; a blanket device comprising a plurality of print blankets, in which the blanket device is configured to bring each print blanket into contact with the print cylinders to transfer ink from the print cylinders to the print blanket, and to bring each print blanket into contact with a cylindrical structure to achieve printing thereon; a transporter for transporting the cylindrical structures into and out of contact with the print blankets; and an automatic print correction system comprising a print inspection device for detecting a misregistration of ink transferred from one or more of the print cylinders onto a print blanket, and a controller for controlling the servomotors of the print cylinders to correct the misregistration in response to data received from the print inspection device.

A pump for the transfer a predetermined total volume of fluid from a pump inlet to a pump outlet in a unit of time is calibrated by deriving a count of the number of times a volume of the fluid is transferred from a pump inlet to a pump outlet in a unit of time; and adjusting the number of times the volume is transferred in a unit of time until the derived count is substantially equal to a predetermined threshold value.

A pump for the transfer a predetermined total volume of fluid from a pump inlet to a pump outlet in a unit of time is calibrated by deriving a count of the number of times a volume of the fluid is transferred from a pump inlet to a pump outlet in a unit of time; and adjusting the number of times the volume is transferred in a unit of time until the derived count is substantially equal to a predetermined threshold value.

A can decorator comprising a spindle disc, a blanket drum, a transfer wheel, a pin chain drive, and a controller. The spindle disc is adapted for (i) receiving beverage cans from an infeed and (ii) carrying and rotating each can body on a corresponding spindle. The blanket drum is adapted for (i) applying ink to printing cylinders and (ii) rotating the print cylinders in registration with beverage cans on the spindle disc to decorate the cans. The transfer wheel is adapted for receiving beverage cans from the spindle disc after decoration by the blanket drum. The pin chain drive is adapted for receiving cans from the transfer wheel and transporting the cans on a chain through an oven. The controller adapted for receiving encoder information and matching or adjusting speeds of a spindle disc motor, a blanket drum motor, a transfer wheel motor, and a pin chain drive motor.

A device for measuring elevations on a surface of a rotary body provided as a cylinder, sleeve, or plate for a graphic industry machine, for instance a flexographic printing plate, includes a first motor rotating the rotary body about an axis of rotation and a measuring device including at least one radiation source, at least one line scan camera, and a computer taking contact-free measurements and combining individual images of the line scan camera to form a joint image. The measuring device preferably includes a reference object such as a wire tautened in an axially parallel direction, a second motor and, if required, a further second motor adjusting the measuring device and/or reference object perpendicular to the axis of rotation. The device provides fast high-precision measurements of elevations such as flexographic printing dots. A system includes the measuring device and a flexographic printing press.

Pattern transfer sheets, methods of monitoring pattern transfer printing, and pattern transfer printing systems are provided, for monitoring and adjusting laser illumination used for transferring paste patterns from trenches on the sheets onto a substrate such as electronic circuitry and/or solar cell substrates. Pattern transfer sheets comprise, outside the pattern, (i) trace mark(s) configured to receive the printing paste, aligned to the trenches and are wider than the width of the illuminating laser beam—to detect misalignment of paste release from within the trace mark(s) and/or (ii) working window marks configured to receive the printing paste, set at specified offsets with respect to specific trenches, with different working window marks set at different offsets—to correct the effective working window by adjusting the power of the laser beam.

The invention relates to a method for online quality control of decorative prints on substrate materials, including similarity comparisons of actual and target images and adjusting decorative prints if deviations of color values are detected. The method may include the steps of: a) producing a hyperspectral digital image of a print decoration; b) calibrating the print decoration via a hyperspectral digital image; c) producing and storing a digital target image of the print decoration; d) creating a first print decoration on a first substrate material; e) producing and storing a digital actual image of the printed decoration on the first substrate material; f) determining color deviations between the digital target image and the digital actual image via a computer program; and g) printing on at least one side of substrate materials so as to form a decorative layer. The invention also relates to a device for carrying out the method.