An example support for a fluid container is described, comprising a bracket comprising a U-shaped cross section and a strain gauge attached on a web of the U-shaped cross section of the bracket, between a mounting portion for attaching the bracket to a printing apparatus and a bearing portion for attaching a fluid container to the bracket. An example method for determining the amount of fluid in a container is also described, comprising measuring with a strain gauge a strain occurring at the web of a U-shaped bracket, the U-shaped bracket having a wing for attachment to a printing apparatus and a wing for carrying a fluid container; and determining the amount of fluid in the fluid container based on the measured strain.

An ink supply system (10) comprises an ink chamber (12); an ink line (14) with a Venturi nozzle (16), wherein the ink chamber (12) has an inlet (18), which is connected to the ink line (14) upstream of the Venturi nozzle (16), and an outlet (24), which is connected to the suction side of the Venturi nozzle (16); an ink reservoir (30) from which the ink is transferred by a pump (28) to the inlet (18) and into the ink line (32); and an ink return line (32), which connects the downstream end of the Venturi nozzle (16) with the ink reservoir (30).

An ink delivery system is provided. The ink delivery system includes at least one ink cartridge dispenser including an ink cartridge holder for holding an ink cartridge storing printing ink, at least one ink level sensor, a rotatable ink fountain roller and an ink fountain blade, forming a dispensed ink area receiving printing ink from the ink cartridge. The ink delivery system also includes a support supporting the at least one ink cartridge dispenser movably across a longitudinal axis of the ink fountain roller. The ink cartridge dispenser is movable along the support and fixable to the support manually. A method for supplying printing ink is also provided.

A computer-implemented system for determining ink availability in one or more ink reservoirs in a print system is described. The system includes at least one ink reservoir for each color ink used in the printing system, a print unit associated with each ink reservoir configured to apply a print image including at least one color of ink to a substrate based on print image information, and an ink level monitoring system configured to determine an ink availability in each ink reservoir based on printed image count information including a number of printings of the print image and a total wet ink utilization generated based on a characterization of a print condition and further based on a measured dry ink utilization per area of coverage using the print image information and corrected by an ink usage correction multiplier.

An inking unit of a printing unit and a device for printing on hollow bodies each have a cylindrical lateral surface. The device comprises the inking unit. The inking unit has an anilox roller which receives a printing ink from an ink reservoir and has an inking roller placed against a printing cylinder of the printing unit. A rider roller is arranged axially parallel to the anilox roller in a region between the ink reservoir and the inking roller, that region being located subsequent to the ink reservoir in a direction of rotation of the anilox roller. The ink reservoir interacts with the anilox roller. The rider roller is placed against the anilox roller. The rider roller is rotationally driven by the anilox roller by friction. The inking roller is rotationally driven by the anilox roller by friction. The plate cylinder and the anilox roller are each independently rotationally driven by a motor.

An inking unit of a printing unit and a device for printing on hollow bodies each have a cylindrical lateral surface. The device comprises the inking unit. The inking unit has an anilox roller which receives a printing ink from an ink reservoir and has an inking roller placed against a printing cylinder of the printing unit. A rider roller is arranged axially parallel to the anilox roller in a region between the ink reservoir and the inking roller, that region being located subsequent to the ink reservoir in a direction of rotation of the anilox roller. The ink reservoir interacts with the anilox roller. The rider roller is placed against the anilox roller. The rider roller is rotationally driven by the anilox roller by friction. The inking roller is rotationally driven by the anilox roller by friction. The plate cylinder and the anilox roller are each independently rotationally driven by a motor.

A computer-implemented system for determining ink availability in one or more ink reservoirs in a print system is described. The system includes at least one ink reservoir for each color ink used in the printing system, a print unit associated with each ink reservoir configured to apply a print image including at least one color of ink to a substrate based on print image information, and an ink level monitoring system configured to determine an ink availability in each ink reservoir based on printed image count information including a number of printings of the print image and a total wet ink utilization generated based on a characterization of a print condition and further based on a measured dry ink utilization per area of coverage using the print image information and corrected by an ink usage correction multiplier.

This invention discloses an ink dispensing system for a printer using the nip area between the inking cylinder and the gravure/anilox cylinder as the sole source of inking. Our solution solves the problem of reducing the amount of ink present in the inking buffer, i.e. the nip area, of such printing machines, thereby accelerating the reaction time of an ink replacement and reducing the amount of waste and the cleaning time. The idea behind the invention is to provide ink to the nip area at selected locations when needed by using a dispensing apparatus that moves along the nip area.

A printing system (10) is provided for printing on a material, comprising an ink formulation module (12) comprising at least one ink reservoir (14) and an ink adjustment system (16), a printing unit (18) for applying ink to the material, a sensor module (22) comprising at least one probe (24) for generating color measurement data, and a control module (25) being connected to the ink formulation module (12), the sensor module (22) and the printing unit (18). The color measurement data comprises at least one ink color value of the ink before being applied on the material by the printing unit (18). The control module (25) is configured to receive the color measurement data from the sensor module (22) and to transmit an ink adjustment request to the ink formulation module (12), wherein the ink formulation module (12) is configured to adjust the ink composition of the ink in the at least one ink reservoir (14) based on the ink adjustment request.

The present application provides a solder paste dispensing feedback system (10) for a circuit board printer. The system (10) comprises a solder paste container (101), a solder paste extruding device, a first sensor, a second sensor and a control device. The solder paste container (101) is used to contain solder paste and has an outlet. The solder paste extruding device is used to extrude the solder paste from the outlet of the solder paste container (101). The first sensor is used to detect solder paste in the solder paste container (101), and generate a first signal to indicate whether the solder paste container (101) still contains solder paste. The second sensor is used to detect an operating state of the solder paste container (101), and generate a second signal to indicate whether solder paste is extruded from the outlet of the solder paste container (101). The control device is used to receive the first signal and the second signal, and control the operation of the circuit board printer according to the indications of the first signal and the second signal.