An apparatus is disclosed for coating a surface that is movable relative to the apparatus with a layer of metallic particles or particles having a metal-like appearance and reflectivity, the particles adhering more strongly to the surface than to one another. The apparatus comprises at least one spray head for directly or indirectly applying to the surface a fluid stream within which the particles are suspended, a housing surrounding the spray head(s) and defining an interior plenum for confining the fluid stream, the housing having a rim adjacent the surface that is configured to prevent egress of particles from a sealing gap defined between the rim of the housing and the surface to be coated, and a suction source connected to the housing to extract from the plenum the sprayed fluid and particles suspended in the sprayed fluid. In operation, the suction source extracts substantially all particles that are not in direct contact with the surface, so as to leave only a substantially single particle layer adhering to the surface on exiting the apparatus.

The present invention relates to the field of and processes and printing apparatuses for producing optical effect layers (OEL) comprising magnetically oriented platelet-shaped magnetic or magnetizable pigment particles on a substrate. In particular, the present invention relates to processes using printing apparatuses comprising a first magnetic-field-generating device mounted on a transferring device (TD) and a static second magnetic-field-generating device for producing said OELs as anti-counterfeit means on security documents or security articles or for decorative purposes.

A printer is configured for printing with conductive ink for applying a conductive pattern to a surface including a wheeling structure for moving the printer over the surface and a transfer unit for applying a layer of electrically conductive ink to the surface. To provide accurate printing with the ability to obtain fine tolerances, the transfer unit has a printing drum rotatable about a printing drum axis and defining a printing drum periphery moving between a first zone and a second zone by rotation of the printing drum. The printing drum periphery, in the first zone, receives the conductive ink and in the second zone transfers the ink to the surface.

There is disclosed a method of printing onto the surface of a substrate, which method comprises i) coating a donor surface with a monolayer of particles, ii) treating the substrate surface to render at least selected regions tacky, and iii) contacting the substrate surface with the donor surface to cause particles to transfer from the donor surface only to the tacky regions of the substrate surface. After printing on a substrate, the donor surface returns to the coating station where the continuity of the monolayer is restored by recovering with fresh particles the regions of the donor surface exposed by the transfer of particles to the substrate.

There is described a printing press (100) comprising a printing group (2) adapted to apply on a substrate at least one ink or varnish vehicle containing magnetic or magnetisable flakes and at least one magnetic orientation unit (10) located downstream of the printing group (2) along a path of the substrate, which magnetic orientation unit (10) includes at least one magnetic-field-inducing device (12) adapted to orient the magnetic or magnetisable flakes contained in the ink or varnish vehicle applied on the substrate to induce an optically-variable effect in the ink or varnish vehicle. The printing press (100) further comprises a drying/curing unit (15) located along the path of the substrate and cooperating with the magnetic orientation unit (10), which drying/curing unit (15) is adapted to dry or cure the ink or varnish vehicle applied on the substrate following orientation of the magnetic or magnetisable flakes. The drying/curing unit (15) is mounted on a movable supporting structure (16) that is adapted to move the drying/curing unit (15) between a working position (WP), where the drying/curing unit (15) is cooperating with the magnetic orientation unit (10) and which is located proximate to the path of the substrate next to the magnetic orientation unit (10), and a retracted position (RP), where the drying/curing unit (15) is retracted away from the magnetic orientation unit (10) and from the path of the substrate.

The apparatus and methods of the present disclosure relate to devices comprising spinning magnets driven by electric motors for use with printing or coating equipment. These devices and methods are for orienting magnetic or magnetisable pigment particles in an unhardened coating composition on a substrate. Specifically, these devices and methods are for producing optical effect layers. The apparatus comprises a holder, onto which is mounted a motor and a permanent magnet assembly. The motor is configured to spin the permanent magnet assembly. The holder is configured to be removably fixed to a base of a rotating magnetic cylinder (RMC) or a flatbed printing unit.

A sheet-fed simultaneous printing machine has two directly interacting collecting cylinders with respective axes of rotation. An axial plane contains these axes of rotation. A reference plane contains such an axis of rotation of this type and has a horizontal surface normal. The intersection angle between the axial plane and the reference plane is max 0.5°. The sheet-fed simultaneous sheet printing unit has exactly four plate cylinders, of which two are arranged such that they directly interact with the first and two are arranged to such that they directly interact with the second collector cylinder. An inking unit with a respective ink supply is arranged in each plate cylinder and a supply sectional plane is determined for each ink supply, which intersects this ink supply and which also contains the axis of rotation of the corresponding plate cylinder. An intersection angle between the reference plane and a supply sectional plane of the respective ink supply is max 35°. A sheet-fed machine comprises at least one sheet-fed printing unit of this type, as well as a sheet-fed printing unit having two directly interacting impression cylinders. An intersection angle between the axial plane on one side and the reference plane on the other side is max 45°.

In some examples, a machine for generating optically variable image elements on a substrate includes a printing substrate infeed and a printing unit including a printing mechanism by which a substrate guided on a transport path is printed with a coating agent containing magnetic or magnetizable particles. A device for aligning the magnetic or magnetizable particles includes a first alignment device in the transport path and a further alignment device arranged upstream therefrom. During normal operation, the further alignment device is fixed to a frame at the transport path. The further alignment device includes a plurality of magnets that are spaced apart from one another transversely to the transport direction and, during operation, remain stationary. The number of magnets included in the further alignment device correspond to a number of columns of image-producing print motifs or groups of image-producing print motifs around a circumference of a forme cylinder.

A printing form for producing a structure of an electronic component, in particular a photovoltaic solar cell, having a screen frame and a screen, which is in the form of a sheet-like textile and has a multiplicity of elongate screen elements. The screen is arranged in the screen frame and the screen has at least one printing region which a printing paste can permeate and at least one barrier region which the printing paste cannot permeate. The elongate screen elements are made from glass fiber, carbon fiber and/or carbon nanotubes.

The present invention relates to the field of and processes and printing apparatuses for producing optical effect layers (OEL) comprising magnetically oriented platelet-shaped magnetic or magnetizable pigment particles on a substrate. In particular, the present invention relates to processes using printing apparatuses comprising a first magnetic-field-generating device mounted on a transferring device (TD) and a static second magnetic-field-generating device for producing said OELs as anti-counterfeit means on security documents or security articles or for decorative purposes.