The invention relates to a die (10) for printing through a print carrier onto an object in a hot stamping machine, characterized in that the die comprises a first layer (11) of a first material, hereinafter referred to as the base layer, the hardness of which is less than 50 shore A measured according to ISO 868 or DIN 53505, and the thickness of which is greater than 20 mm, and a second layer (12) of a second material, hereinafter referred to as the printing layer, the hardness of which is greater than 50 shore A measured according to ISO 868 or DIN 53505, and the thickness of which is less than 5 mm, the second layer being intended to be in contact with the print carrier.

A foil transfer device having a reduced size is provided. The foil transfer device includes an adhesive application mechanism that applies an adhesive to a medium, and a transfer roller pair that presses a foil transfer sheet against the medium to which the adhesive is applied to transfer the foil to the medium. The adhesive application mechanism includes a head that ejects an adhesive onto the medium, and a platen that is disposed on the lower side of the head and on which the medium is mounted. In the foil transfer device, the transfer roller pair is disposed on the lower side of the platen.

An image forming device comprises: a receiving part that receives image data containing first image data relating to a black and white image and second image data relating to a foil image; a carrying path along which a recording medium is carried in a predetermined direction; an inkjet printing part, arranged on the carrying path, injects an ink based on the first image data to the recording medium, and forms the black and white image or the color image on the recording medium; a toner image printing part, arranged on the carrying path, forms the toner image for adhesion based on the second image data, and transfers the toner image to the recording medium; and a foil image forming part, arranged on the carrying path, enables the toner image transferred to the recording medium to melt and attaches the foil to the melted toner image to form the foil image.

An apparatus for coating a part that has an asymmetrical edge. The apparatus includes a film dispenser, a film retriever, a mandrel; and a part holder. Preferably one or both of the mandrel and the part holder move in an angular relationship to one another, and the film dispenser and the film retriever move co-operatively in at least two dimensions with respect to the part holder. There is further provided a film having a first edge and a second edge, and the film can be a decorative coating, a protective coating or combinations of these. The film dispenser holds the first edge of the film, the film is positioned between the mandrel and the part holder and the film retriever holds the film second edge.

There is described a sheet-fed stamping press (10*) comprising a foil application unit (2*) designed to allow transfer or lamination of foil material onto successive sheets (S), which foil material is fed to the foil application unit (2*) in the form of a foil carrier (FC) supplied by means of a foil feeding system (3). The foil application unit (2*) comprises a stamping cylinder (21) at least one circumferential stamping section (210) provided on a circumference of the stamping cylinder (21) and comprising successive stamping segments (211 *; 211 **) distributed one after the other about the circumference of the stamping cylinder (21), the stamping cylinder (21) also acting as sheet-transporting cylinder and comprising multiple sheet holding units (21a) distributed about the circumference of the stamping cylinder (21) and designed to hold successive sheets (S) against the circumference of the stamping cylinder (21). The foil application unit (2*) further comprises a plurality of counter-pressure units (25) distributed about a portion of the circumference of the stamping cylinder (21) and designed to press the successive sheets (S) and the foil carrier (FC) against an outer surface of the stamping segments (211 *; 211 **), the foil carrier (FC) being supplied by the foil feeding system (3) between the sheets (S) and the stamping segments (211 *; 211 **). Each counter-pressure unit (25) is designed as a cylinder unit (250, 255) provided with at least one circumferential pressing element (255) positioned to cooperate with the circumferential stamping section (210) of the stamping cylinder

There is described a sheet-fed stamping press (10*) comprising a foil application unit (2*) designed to allow transfer or lamination of foil material onto successive sheets (S), which foil material is fed to the foil application unit (2*) in the form of a foil carrier (FC) supplied by means of a foil feeding system (3). The foil application unit (2*) comprises a stamping cylinder (21) with at least one circumferential stamping section (210) provided on a circumference of the stamping cylinder (21) and comprising successive stamping segments (211*; 211**) distributed one after the other about the circumference of the stamping cylinder (21), the stamping cylinder (21) also acting as sheet-transporting cylinder and comprising multiple sheet holding units (21a) distributed about the circumference of the stamping cylinder (21) and designed to hold successive sheets (S) against the circumference of the stamping cylinder (21). The foil application unit (2*) further comprises a plurality of counter-pressure units (25) distributed about a portion of the circumference of the stamping cylinder (21) and designed to press the successive sheets (S) and the foil carrier (FC) against an outer surface of the stamping segments (211*; 211**), the foil carrier (FC) being supplied by the foil feeding system (3) between the sheets (S) and the stamping segments (211*; 211**). Each counter-pressure unit (25) is designed as a cylinder unit (250, 255) provided with at least one circumferential pressing element (255) positioned to cooperate with the circumferential stamping section (210) of the stamping cylinder (21), and the counter-pressure units (25) are driven into rotation by means of at least one dedicated drive (26).

Provided are a film cartridge, a film unit, and a layer transfer device capable of restraining a supported layer including a transfer layer from being touched by an operator and restraining the supported layer remaining on the supporting layer remaining on a supporting layer from coming off. A film cartridge includes a supply reel on which a multilayer film including a supported layer with a transfer layer included therein and a supporting layer is wound, and a take-up reel on which to take up the multilayer film. The multilayer film is wound on a supply shaft in such a manner that the supported layer is in contact with the supply shaft, and the multilayer film is wound on the take-up shaft in such a manner that the supported layer is in contact with the take-up shaft.

A production facility for manufacturing motor vehicle license plates includes a hot stamping machine configured for the continuous application of ink to stamped plates by hot stamping. At least one first conveying component is provided to transport stamped plates through the hot stamping machine. The production facility includes at least one transfer arrangement having a buffer with a cashing component for at least two flat objects wherein the production facility includes a control unit for controlling the buffer for a successive deposition of flat objects from the buffer onto the first conveying component. In particular, with such a buffer, stamped plates and/or templates can be deposited on the first conveying component. The disclosure also relates to a process for operating such a production facility.

The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for cold-stamping onto a three-dimensional object. In a first step, an adhesive is applied to the object at a first workstation. In a second step, a transfer film is pressed onto the object by a pressing device at a second workstation. At the same time, the adhesive is cured at the second workstation. As a result, the decorative material of the transfer film adheres to the object at the positions on the object which are provided with adhesive. If, following this, the transfer film is removed from the three-dimensional object after being pressed on, the decorative material remains on the object at the desired positions. At the positions at which in the first step no adhesive has been applied to the object, the decorative material does not adhere to the object but rather remains on the carrier film of the transfer film.

Methods and systems of actively cooling a card while the card is within a card processing machine are described. One or more cooling stations are provided within the card processing machine to actively cool the card prior to performing a processing operation, during a processing operation, and/or after a processing operation on the card in order to reduce a temperature of the surface of the card.