A rotating handling carousel includes a transfer device arranged on the outer circumference of the handling carousel. The transfer device includes a carry-along element which receives and transports an article and a guide element. The guide element is arranged in such a way that the article transported by the carry-along element is guided into or out of a handling station, for which the guide element extends into an area of the handling station in such a way that the guide element does not collide with the handling device at the transfer position. A sensor detects whether a handling device or the article are not in the transfer position, and/or whether the article is located in the handling station at all, and, after such a determination, issues a collision signal based on a kind of the transfer device.

This disclosure describes substrate(s) having a three-dimensional (3D) feature formed thereon and methods of forming the features. One method involves applying a first layer of UV-curable material on a surface of the glass container around a circumference of the container and curing the first layer of UV-curable material to produce a first cured material layer that forms at least a portion of a first 3D feature. The method further comprises applying a second layer of UV-curable material on the surface of the glass container, spaced apart from the first 3D feature, around the circumference of the container, and curing the second layer of UV-curable material to produce a second cured material layer that forms at least a portion of a second 3D feature. The portion of the glass container between the first and second 3D features has a circumference less than that of the first or second 3D features.

This disclosure relates to a labelling machine (1), comprising a carousel (3) rotatably mounted a supporting frame (2) in such a way that it can rotate about a first axis of rotation (30) and a plurality of supporting elements (4) for articles to be labelled (9). The supporting elements (4) are mounted on the periphery of the carousel (3) and are able to rotate about respective second axes of rotation (40). The machine (1) is characterised in that it comprises an operating unit (55) which is mounted on a rotary support (6) mounted on the supporting frame (2). The support (6) is able to rotate about a third axis of rotation (60) which is at a distance, along a radial line, from the first axis of rotation (30). The carousel (3) is movable relative to the third axis of rotation (60) and the operating unit (55), which is rotatable together with the rotary support (6), is designed to perform an operation on a lateral surface of an article (9) which is on its operating line when the article (9), positioned on a respective supporting element (4), passes near to the operating unit (55) during the rotation of the carousel (3). The rotation of the rotary support (6) about the third axis of rotation (60) is coordinated with the rotation of the carousel (3) about the first axis of rotation (30), whereby, in use, the rotation of the rotary support (6) about the third axis of rotation (60) keeps the operating unit (55) with the operating line towards the article to be labelled (9) along a stretch of angular movement of the carousel (3) about the first axis of rotation (30).

An apparatus for printing on containers includes a transport arm and a lift that cooperate to form a first container-transport device that moves a container at a container-loading position into a printing position. The transport arm is arranged on the lift and pivotable about a pivot axis thereof. The lift is axially displaceable and displaces the transport arm axially in relation to the pivot axis. At the printing position, a print head prints on the container.

A laser irradiation apparatus includes a laser source configured to emit a laser beam to an object that is being conveyed to allow the object to be irradiated with the laser beam; a rotation detector configured to detect rotation of the object to obtain information on the rotation of the object; and circuitry configured to control laser irradiation onto the object based on the information on the rotation of the object.

An apparatus for printing different colors on packages includes holding-and-centering units, each having a primary and a secondary part. The primary part is held at a holding position during package handling. The secondary part is mounted in the primary part to be rotatable about a vertical axis of the unit. The secondary part receives a functional element necessary for handling a package. A plurality of secondary parts adapted to different types, forms and/or sizes of packages are associated with the primary parts.

An ink replenishment system for a can decorator having a plurality of ink fountains corresponding to a plurality of ink station assemblies includes a robotic arm structured to pick up ink from a selected one of a plurality of ink container and to place the picked up ink into a selected one of the plurality of ink fountains, and a controller structured to control operations of the robotic arm.

The invention relates to a method for printing objects, in particular containers, wherein the containers are transported along a specified transport path, and the outer surface of the containers is printed at least temporarily by means of at least one printing unit, wherein a controller controls the printing of the containers by means of the at least one printing unit on the basis of at least one printing parameter. According to the invention, at least one object to be printed is printed with at least one test marking in order to ascertain the printing parameter, and the object provided with the test marking is then inspected by means of at least one inspection device, wherein the printing parameter is derived from the result of the inspection.

In a method and a device for inkjet printing on containers, at least a first and a second subprint complementing each other in the printing direction so as to form a print image are joined. The first subprint is printed starting from a connection area or up to a connection area. Subsequently, the second subprint is printed with a feed towards the connection area such that the first and second subprints interleavingly overlap in the connection area. This allows a joining of subprints with unobtrusive transitions even in the case of dimensional tolerances and complicated cross-sections of the respective container.

A printing system includes a first member and a second member. The second member is positioned parallel to the first member. The system further includes a first extensible member and a second extensible member. The system further includes a first gripper and a second gripper. One end of the first extensible member is mounted to the first member and the other end of the first extensible member is mounted to the first gripper. One end of the second extensible member is mounted to the second member and the other end is mounted to the second gripper. A controller operates a first actuator operatively connected to the first and second extensible members.