The present invention relates to the field of optical effect layers (OEL) comprising magnetically oriented non-spherical oblate magnetic or magnetizable pigment particles on a substrate, spinneable magnetic assemblies and processes for producing said optical effect layers (OEL). In particular, the present invention relates to spinneable magnetic assemblies and processes for producing said OELs as anti-counterfeit means on security documents or security articles or for decorative purposes.

A device is provided for aligning magnetic or magnetizable particles, which are contained in a coating that is applied to a first side of a web-type or a sheet-type substrate. An application device is arranged in the transport path of the substrate, by the use of which, the coating is applied or is applicable to the first side of the substrate, in at least one application site. A first cylinder, which is embodied as a magnetic cylinder, is arranged in the transport path of the substrate to be transported downstream of the application device and comprises a plurality of elements creating a magnetic field in the region of the outer periphery of the first cylinder. Another cylinder, which is embodied as a magnetic cylinder, is arranged in the transport path of the substrate to be transported and comprises a plurality of elements creating a magnetic field in the region of the outer periphery of that cylinder. A drying device or an hardening device is arranged on the transport path between a site of a winding-on of the substrate on the first cylinder and a site of a winding-on of the other cylinder. The first cylinder, which is embodied as the magnetic cylinder, is arranged in the transport path of the substrate to be transported on the second side thereof. The drying or the hardening device is oriented in the transport path of the substrate to be transported on the first side thereof.

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°.

Devices are provided for aligning magnetic or magnetizable particles, which particles are contained in a coating that is applied on one side of a substrate, which substrate is in the form of a web or sheet. The device has a magnet cylinder, which is arranged in a transport path of the substrate to be conveyed and, in a region of the outer circumference of the magnet cylinder, the device has a plurality of devices for effecting a magnetic field, or magnet devices for short. Some or all of the magnet devices comprise a magnet which is rotatable by an associated motor. The magnet cylinder is rotatably arranged in frame walls of a frame. At least one transducer for contactless transfer of electrical energy or control signals from the outside is provided in or on the rotating magnet cylinder, which comprises a first transducer part fixed to the frame and a second transducer part fixed to the cylinder during operation.

There is disclosed a print construction comprising: (a) a printing substrate having an image-receiving surface; (b) a receptive layer, at least partially covering said image-receiving surface, and having a particle reception surface distally disposed to said image-receiving surface, said receptive layer optionally having a thickness of at least 1000 nanometer (nm); and (c) a plurality of individual particles adhered to said particle reception surface, and forming a monolayer thereon, the features of which are described herein.

Provided is a sensor comprising a non-conductive substrate; and a conductive layer electronically printed on one side of the substrate, wherein the conductive layer comprises: an antenna pattern for transmitting and receiving a radio signal with an external device; a sensing electrode connected to the antenna pattern via a circular wiring for sensing an impedance change due to contact with a sensing target material; and a coating electrode stacked on the sensing electrode for removing an occurrence of noise of the impedance change. Accordingly, the present invention solves the problem of a sensor, in the form of a terminal, not being compact and the problem of high manufacturing costs and low manufacturing quality of a sensor manufactured using a deposition method in order to replace such sensor with a sensor manufactured by a printing method, and solves a corrosion problem of a sensing electrode, a durability problem, etc. that may occur in the sensor of the printing method.

A cylinder is usable, in particular, for aligning magnetic of magnetizable particles, which are contained in a coating medium that is applied to a first side of a web-like or a sheet-like substrate, which cylinder, in the region of its outer circumference, has a plurality of elements effecting a magnetic field, magnetic elements for short. The magnetic elements are arranged in or on a plurality of ring elements that are spaced axially apart from one another and that are positionable in the axial direction on a shaft, in or on which ring elements, in turn, a plurality of magnetic elements are respectively arranged one after the other in the circumferential direction. At least two adjacent ring elements, each have a covering element, forming a part of the cylindrical lateral surface of the cylinder and extending in the circumferential direction, at least over the circumferential region populated with magnetic elements. The covering elements of two ring elements adjacent to each other have, on their sides facing each other in the axial direction, a plurality of projections alternating in the circumferential direction with recesses and offset in a circumferential direction in such a way that, during a relative movement of the two ring elements towards each other, the projections on the covering element of one ring element engage, in the manner of teeth, in corresponding recesses of the other ring element, and, as seen in the circumferential direction, can overlap. A security paper printing machine, having such a cylinder, is also disclosed.

The present invention relates to a flexographic printing process comprising: applying an energy-curable primer to at least a portion of a surface of a substrate; curing said energy-curable primer to form a cured primer layer on the substrate; applying a metallic ink to at least a portion of the cured primer layer; and curing or drying the metallic ink; wherein the energy-curable primer is applied using a flexographic printing process; and wherein the metallic ink is applied using a flexographic printing process which uses an anilox roller having a transfer volume of from about 6 cm.sup.3/m.sup.2 to about 30 cm.sup.3/m.sup.2.

There is disclosed a method of printing onto the surface of a substrate, which method comprises i) coating a donor surface (12) with a monolayer of particles, ii) treating the substrate surface (80) 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 (20), the donor surface (12) returns to the coating station (14) 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.

An apparatus for coating a donor surface that is movable relative to the apparatus with a layer of thermoplastic particles, the particles adhering more strongly to the surface than to one another. The apparatus comprises an application device to apply to the donor surface a fluid stream within which the particles are suspended, a housing surrounds the application device forming an interior plenum for confining the fluid stream, the housing prevents 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 excess fluid and particles. In operation, the suction source extracts substantially all particles that are not in direct contact with the donor surface, leaving substantially a single particle layer adhering to the donor surface upon exiting the apparatus.