Printing machine includes a guide; at least one printing station located along the guide; at least one supporting station for supporting a product to be printed by the printing station; at least a first and a second positioning units mounted along the guide, at least one of the positioning units being located at the printing station. The supporting station includes: a motor substantially integral with the supporting station for moving the supporting station along the guide; an acquisition device capable of acquiring an identification code from each of the positioning units when the supporting station is at each of the positioning units; a memory wherein reference codes corresponding to the identification codes and at least one reference distance corresponding to a distance between the first and second positioning units are stored; a processing unit configured to control the motor based on the acquired identification codes and on the reference codes and reference distance stored in the memory.

Printing machine includes a guide; at least one printing station located along the guide; at least one supporting station for supporting a product to be printed by the printing station; at least a first and a second positioning units mounted along the guide, at least one of the positioning units being located at the printing station. The supporting station includes: a motor substantially integral with the supporting station for moving the supporting station along the guide; an acquisition device capable of acquiring an identification code from each of the positioning units when the supporting station is at each of the positioning units; a memory wherein reference codes corresponding to the identification codes and at least one reference distance corresponding to a distance between the first and second positioning units are stored; a processing unit configured to control the motor based on the acquired identification codes and on the reference codes and reference distance stored in the memory.

Described is an apparatus which comprises: a squeegee head which is operable to drop a material; and a vacuum manifold attachable to the squeegee head, wherein the vacuum manifold is operable to create a vacuum in a space prior to the squeegee head is to drop the material.

Described is an apparatus which comprises: a squeegee head which is operable to drop a material; and a vacuum manifold attachable to the squeegee head, wherein the vacuum manifold is operable to create a vacuum in a space prior to the squeegee head is to drop the material.

Method for producing three-dimensional screen-printed workpieces, in particular 3D screen printing method, in which at least one workpiece carrier for at least one screen-printed workpiece is provided, in which in a printing device a screen-printed workpiece is produced on a layer by layer on a workpiece carrier in a plurality of printing operations, in which the workpiece carrier, for carrying out a printing process, is positioned on a printing table plate being formed separately from the workpiece carrier, and in which the workpiece carrier is, between two successive printing processes for a screen-printed workpiece, removed from the printing table plate for drying the screen-printed workpiece.

Apparatus for producing three-dimensional screen-printed workpieces, in particular 3D screen printing machine, with at least one printing device for the layer-by-layer production of at least one screen-printed workpiece in a plurality of printing operations and with at least one drying device for a screen-printed workpiece, wherein the drying device is designed as a drying path for the continuous drying of screen-printed workpieces.

Apparatus for producing three-dimensional screen-printed workpieces, in particular 3D screen printing machine, with at least one printing device for the layer-by-layer production of at least one screen-printed workpiece in a plurality of printing operations and with at least one drying device for a screen-printed workpiece, wherein the drying device is designed as a drying path for the continuous drying of screen-printed workpieces.

Heights of components or parts thereof are measured within a printing machine by measuring their relative rather than absolute heights. A virtual surface may be constructed from the measured heights, with a tolerance level employed based on the virtual surface. The invention is particularly suited to measurement of tooling components within a printing machine, such as tooling pins.

Apparatus for producing three-dimensional screen-printed workpieces, in particular 3D screen printing machine, with a printing device for the layer-by-layer production of at least one screen-printed workpiece in a plurality of printing operations and with at least one workpiece carrier for at least one screen-printed workpiece, wherein the printing device has at least one printing table plate being formed separately from the workpiece carrier and on which the workpiece carrier can be positioned for carrying out a printing process, an upper printing mechanism with a printing screen and a position detection device for detecting the position of the workpiece carrier, wherein the printing device is configured for fine adjustment and the fine adjustment comprising the position detection of the workpiece carrier by the position detection device and the adjustment of the relative position and/or relative alignment between the workpiece carrier and the printing device dependent on the position detection.

Apparatus for producing three-dimensional screen-printed workpieces, in particular 3D screen printing machine, with a printing device for the layer-by-layer production of at least one screen-printed workpiece in a plurality of printing operations and with at least one workpiece carrier for at least one screen-printed workpiece, wherein the printing device has at least one printing table plate being formed separately from the workpiece carrier and on which the workpiece carrier can be positioned for carrying out a printing process, an upper printing mechanism with a printing screen and a position detection device for detecting the position of the workpiece carrier, wherein the printing device is configured for fine adjustment and the fine adjustment comprising the position detection of the workpiece carrier by the position detection device and the adjustment of the relative position and/or relative alignment between the workpiece carrier and the printing device dependent on the position detection.