An egg printing system comprises a printer (30, 31, 32) and an endless egg conveyor (1) that is adapted to move the eggs (50) past the printer. The conveyor including an endless element running around a set of rotational wheels and a drive unit defining a conveying direction of the conveyor. The egg conveyor includes a lane of egg retaining pockets (10) coupled to the endless element, said lane of retaining pockets in use moving in the conveying direction. Each retaining pocket has a central axis and an upper receiving opening to receive an egg with a longitudinal axis of the egg generally aligned with said central axis of the pocket. The pocket has a side opening at a side thereof facing in the conveying direction and/or in the opposite direction, leaving a side surface area exposed of the egg that is received in the pocket. The retaining pockets remain in an upright position in every position in the lane. The printer is positioned at one of the head sections of the conveyor with a printing head facing the corresponding lane being directed to said side opening in the pocket to allow printing on said side surface area of the egg.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a lumber handling and cutting apparatus, including an incoming material conveyor assembly, a material infeed assembly adjacent to the incoming material conveyor assembly, a cutting assembly adjacent to the material infeed assembly, a material outfeed assembly adjacent to the cutting assembly, an outgoing material conveyor assembly adjacent to the cutting assembly, and a printer assembly adjacent to the incoming material conveyor assembly and the material infeed assembly.

A liquid discharge apparatus includes a liquid discharge unit, a position detector, and circuitry. The liquid discharge unit has a liquid discharge port and discharges a liquid from the liquid discharge port toward an object. The position detector detects a position of the liquid discharge unit relative to the object. The circuitry calculates a movement trajectory of the liquid discharge unit based on the position of the liquid discharge unit detected by the position detector. Further, the circuitry performs a first operation of causing the liquid discharge unit to move along the movement trajectory without discharging the liquid and performs a second operation of causing the liquid discharge unit to move along the movement trajectory while discharging the liquid to the object after the first operation.

A marking system for decorating one or more workpieces includes a plurality of marking stations that can mark product images on blank workpieces to produce product workpieces, at least some of which have different sizes, shapes, materials, or a combination thereof, a control system that can select one of the plurality of marking stations and send product image data to the selected one of the plurality of marking stations, and a robotic manipulator that can transport a blank workpiece to the selected marking station under the control of the robotic manipulator. The selected marking station can mark the product image the blank workpiece based on the product image data which produces a product workpiece. The robotic manipulator can remove the product workpiece from the selected one of the plurality of marking stations.

System for providing marked containers comprising a computerised control system storing at least one unique identifier for each container, to be applied to a respective container, a printing unit comprising an ink delivery station, operatively connected with said computerised control system, able to print said identifier on each container, comprising a printing head filled with ink and having a plurality of nozzles configured for spraying said ink on an external surface of each container, displacement means able to perform a relative rotation, translation or rotary translation between each container and the printing head during the printing of the identifier on the container, said displacement means being operatively connected with said computerised control system.

A can body that has been subjected to outer surface painting (OV), inner surface painting (INS), and a neck process (SDN) but that has not been subjected to image formation is manufactured in a canning factory. The can body that has not been subjected to image formation is shipped to a beverage can manufacturing factory. At the beverage can manufacturing factory, an image formation process using a printer (PR) is performed. Specifically, ink is ejected from an inkjet head toward the can body, to thereby form an image on the outer circumferential surface of the can body. Thereafter, the can body is filled with beverage in a filler (FL), and then a can lid is attached to the can body in a seamer (SM).

The present invention is directed to a glass container having an outer glass surface with an inkjet printed image provided on said surface, characterized in that a CEC with a thickness between 0 to 20 nm is present between the outer glass surface and the inkjet printed image. Such glass container is preferably a one-way beverage bottle. In addition, the present invention is directed to a method of inkjet printing an image on a glass container comprising the steps of: a) manufacturing a glass container having a CEC layer; b) removing at least part of the CEC layer to a level wherein the remaining CEC layer has a thickness of 0 to 20 nm; c) inkjet printing an image on the glass container

A printer for direct printing on a print substrate comprises a front support supporting a printing device; the front support to be arranged at a front side of a print substrate and to be aligned relative to a rear support across the print substrate in a contact-less manner.

A printer includes a printing head, a nail information detection unit, an outline comparison determination unit, and a display unit. The printing head prints on a print target. The nail information detection unit detects a base outline that is a base outline in an area including the print target and a non-print target adjacent to the print target. The outline comparison determination unit compares a print outline that is an outline of an area to be printed on the print target with the base outline, and determines whether or not there is a difference equal to or larger than a set value. The display unit reports, as a reporting unit, to a user that the difference determined by the outline comparison determination unit is equal to or larger than the set value.

An apparatus and methods of decorating a metallic container are provided. More specifically, the present invention relates to apparatus and methods used to provide a decoration or indicia on a predetermined portion of an outer surface of a metallic container body. The decorator includes at least one digital print unit, a transfer blanket, and a support element. The digital print unit transfers a decorating material to the transfer blanket to form a decoration on the transfer blanket. The support element then moves a metallic container into contact with the transfer blanket. In this manner, the decorating material is transferred to an exterior surface portion of the metallic container to decorate the metallic container. In one embodiment, the digital print unit is an electrophotographic system which transfers a toner material to the transfer blanket. In another embodiment, the digital print unit includes an inkjet print head which transfers an ink to the transfer blanket. Optionally, the decorator may include two or more support elements.