A Y-axis direction moving mechanism that moves a Y-axis carriage includes a right first driving pulley configured to retract and pay out a right first wire and located in a housing, a right first driven pulley on the Y-axis carriage and around which the right first wire is wound, and a Y-axis motor configured to drive and rotate the right first driving pulley. An X-axis direction moving mechanism that moves an X-axis carriage includes a second driving pulley configured to retract and pay out a second wire and on a Y-axis carriage, a second driven pulley on an X-axis carriage and around which the second wire is wound, and an X-axis motor configured to drive and rotate the second driving pulley.

A thermal transfer apparatus includes a fixture, a foil securing film, a film retainer, a foil transfer tool, and a carriage conveyor. The fixture retains a transfer object. The foil securing film is disposed above the fixture. The foil securing film allows light to pass therethrough. The foil securing film presses, from above, a thermal transfer foil on the transfer object so as to secure the thermal transfer foil onto the transfer object. The film retainer retains the foil securing film. The film retainer moves the foil securing film in an up-down direction relative to the fixture. The foil transfer tool presses the foil securing film and the thermal transfer foil on the transfer object. The foil transfer tool emits light to the foil securing film. The carriage conveyor moves the foil transfer tool relative to the fixture.

The present invention relates to an advance shaft transition apparatus for sheet processing equipment, which comprising: a plurality of advance shafts for feeding foils, the plurality of advance shafts being arranged along a horizontal direction; an advance shaft supporting frame, the advance shaft supporting frame supporting the ends of the advance shafts so that the advance shafts can freely rotate; and a lifting means, the lifting means is provided with a driving means and a transmission mechanism, the lifting means is connected to the advance shaft supporting frame to enable the advance shafts to move between a first position and a second position, at the first position, the advance shafts is operably rotated to feed the foil, and at the second position, the advance shafts being lifted up from the first position to leave a position where the foil can be fed.

A system for transferring graphical representations on an object by sublimation is provided. The system has a first loading device configured to load on a work plane, a support having a graphical representation to be transferred, a second loading device configured to load, the object over the support on the work plane. The system further includes a sublimation apparatus having a catenary, and a plurality of pendulum components hooked to the catenary, each component having ends and jaws configured to cooperate with the work plane so that, by suction, the support wraps the object, is made to adhere to the object and is moved together with the object by way of the catenary in an oven arranged for transferring the support graphical representation from the support to the object. The invention relates also to a method for transferring graphical representations on an object by sublimation.

A thermal transfer printing machine with stationary support elements for supporting an article and a thermal transfer assembly vertically movable above the support elements, between a raised rest position and a lowered working position is disclosed. The machine has a surface heated transfer pad, supply and guide devices, a flexible printing ribbon which carries thermally transferable ink images, a position sensor providing electrical signals indicative of the vertical position of the transfer pad and a control unit with a learning phase, said control unit causes a descent run of the thermal transfer assembly, until the transfer pad engages with an article of a predetermined type. The position sensor detects and stores reference data characterizing descent run and the control unit initiates a subsequent descent run towards an article of the same type, comparing the reference data to the current descent run data, and stopping printing when an anomaly is discovered.

There is disclosed a web transfer apparatus including a web transfer roller to advance a web, a foil transfer roller to advance a foil, and a movable curing unit. The foil transfer roller is movable between a first position and a second position. In the first position, the foil transfer roller is to press the foil against the web and in the second position the foil transfer roller is to disengage the foil from the web. The movable curing unit may comprise a curing device and may be movable between a first position adjacent to the web and a second position remote from the web.

A method of micro-transfer printing comprises providing a component source wafer and components disposed in, on, or over the component source wafer. A destination substrate and a stamp for transferring the components from the component source wafer to the destination substrate is provided. The component source wafer has an attribute or structure that varies across the component source wafer that affects the structure, operation, appearance, or performance of the components. A first array of components is transferred from the component source wafer to the destination substrate with a first orientation. A second array of components is transferred from the component source wafer to the destination substrate with a second orientation different from the first orientation. Components can be transferred by micro-transfer printing and different orientations can be a different rotation, overlap, interlacing, or offset.

Apparatuses and methods for applying a transfer material onto one or more surfaces of an article are disclosed, including apparatuses and methods of transfer printing on and/or decorating three-dimensional articles, as well as the articles printed and/or decorated thereby. The apparatuses and methods may include providing a deposition device, such as a printing device; providing a transfer component; depositing a material onto a portion of the transfer component with the deposition device; modifying the portion of the transfer component with the transfer material thereon to conform the transfer component to at least a portion of one or more surfaces of the three-dimensional article; and transferring the transfer material onto the one or more surfaces of the article.

Apparatuses and methods for applying a transfer material onto one or more surfaces of an article are disclosed, including apparatuses and methods of transfer printing on and/or decorating three-dimensional articles, as well as the articles printed and/or decorated thereby. The apparatuses and methods may include providing a deposition device, such as a printing device; providing a transfer component; depositing a material onto a portion of the transfer component with the deposition device; modifying the portion of the transfer component with the transfer material thereon to conform the transfer component to at least a portion of one or more surfaces of the three-dimensional article; and transferring the transfer material onto the one or more surfaces of the article.

Apparatuses and methods for applying a transfer material onto one or more surfaces of an article are disclosed, including apparatuses and methods of transfer printing on and/or decorating three-dimensional articles, as well as the articles printed and/or decorated thereby. The apparatuses and methods may include providing a deposition device, such as a printing device; providing a transfer component; depositing a material onto a portion of the transfer component with the deposition device; modifying the portion of the transfer component with the transfer material thereon to conform the transfer component to at least a portion of one or more surfaces of the three-dimensional article; and transferring the transfer material onto the one or more surfaces of the article.