A printing system comprises printheads to eject ink to a deposition region. Print media are held by vacuum suction against a movable support surface, which moves over a vacuum platen. The vacuum platen comprises platen holes through which the vacuum suction is communicated. An airflow control system comprises airflow zones, each comprising a group of the platen holes, a duct, and a valve, the duct and the valve being arranged to selectively control vacuum suction through the group of the platen holes. For each of the printheads, at least one of the airflow zones is located under the respective printhead. Thus, airflow through platen holes under the printheads can be selectively controlled by selectively controlling the vacuum suction in the airflow zones.

A printing system comprises a printhead to eject a print fluid to a deposition region. Print media are held against a movable support surface via vacuum suction, and the movable support surface transports the print media through the deposition region. A vacuum plenum comprises a vacuum platen over which the movable support surface moves. The vacuum platen has platen holes that communicate the vacuum suction from the vacuum plenum to the movable support surface. An airflow restriction mechanism forms a high impedance zone in the vacuum platen, the high impedance zone comprising a subset of the platen holes. The airflow impedance through the high impedance zone is relatively high compared to the airflow impedance through another subset of the platen holes, which are part of a low impedance zone. The high impedance zone may be located near the printhead to reduce airflow through uncovered platen holes near the printhead.

A printing system comprises printheads to eject ink to a deposition region. Print media are held by vacuum suction against a movable support surface, which moves over a vacuum platen. The vacuum platen comprises platen holes through which the vacuum suction is communicated. An airflow control system comprises airflow zones, each comprising a group of the platen holes, a duct, and a valve, the duct and the valve being arranged to selectively control vacuum suction through the group of the platen holes. For each of the printheads, at least one of the airflow zones is located under the respective printhead. Thus, airflow through platen holes under the printheads can be selectively controlled by selectively controlling the vacuum suction in the airflow zones.

The invention relates to a material web drawing-in apparatus for drawing in a material web. The material web drawing-in apparatus comprises at least one material web holding device for holding the material web to be drawn in, and at least one guide for guiding the at least one material web holding device from a material web drawing-in point to a material web transfer point, and also at least one drawing-in drive which is in connection with the at least one material web holding device and which serves for displacing the at least one material web holding device along the at least one guide upon drawing in the material web to be drawn in in the direction of the material web transfer point.

A medium feeding apparatus includes a roll holding portion which holds a roll body around which a printing medium is wound, a feeding roller which pulls out the printing medium from the roll body and feeds the printing medium, a roll motor which rotates the roll body held by the roll holding portion, a roll motor control portion which controls the roll motor, and rotation position detecting portions which detect a rotation position of the roll body, the roll motor control portion performs removing looseness of the printing medium pulled out from the roll body by driving the roll motor and rotating the roll body in a rewinding direction, and in the removing, driving of the roll motor is finished on the basis of movement of the rotation position detected by the rotation position detecting portions.

A transport device transports an individualized sheet-shaped workpiece. The transport device includes: an annular transport belt having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface and having a plurality of suction holes extending between the first surface and the second surface; first and second decompression chambers arranged along a moving direction of the transport belt; and a vacuum degree adjusting mechanism provided in the first decompression chamber and adjusting a vacuum degree in the first decompression chamber. The first and second decompression chambers each abut against the second surface, and each suction the workpiece through at least one of the plurality of suction holes toward the first surface such that the transport belt is capable of transporting the workpiece in the moving direction in a suspended state from the first surface.

An image forming device includes an image forming unit to form an image on a work, a conveyance unit to convey the work in a predetermined conveyance direction, a conveyance guide member, a suction unit, and a suction control unit. The conveyance guide member is a plate-shaped member which has a plurality of suction holes and guides conveyance of the work by the conveyance unit from below. The suction unit includes a suction device which generates suction air by sucking air in a space on an upper side of the conveyance guide member via the plurality of suction holes, and closely contacts the work to the conveyance guide member by the suction air. The suction control unit changes a sucking force of the suction device according to a length in the work width direction of the work guided by the conveyance guide member.

A printing system comprises a printhead to eject a print fluid to a deposition region. Print media are held against a movable support surface via vacuum suction, and the movable support surface transports the print media through the deposition region. A vacuum plenum comprises a vacuum platen over which the movable support surface moves. The vacuum platen has platen holes that communicate the vacuum suction from the vacuum plenum to the movable support surface. An airflow restriction mechanism forms a high impedance zone in the vacuum platen, the high impedance zone comprising a subset of the platen holes. The airflow impedance through the high impedance zone is relatively high compared to the airflow impedance through another subset of the platen holes, which are part of a low impedance zone. The high impedance zone may be located near the printhead to reduce airflow through uncovered platen holes near the printhead.

A gripper, which removes blanks from a web of material lying flat, includes gripping elements which can each be actuated separately. The gripping elements are mounted independently of one another in a frame so as to be displaceable perpendicularly to a reference plane parallel to the web of material. The gripping elements are set against the web of material and actuated in a takeover position of the gripper aligned with respect to the blank by means of a control device. In addition to the gripping elements located inside the contour line, there are also other gripping elements adjacent to the blank and located outside the contour line that are set against the material web as downholders. Gripping elements within the contour line of the blank are actuated and retracted from the material web, taking along the blank, before the gripper is lifted off the material web from the takeover position.

A suction device configured to reliably support or transfer a fiber material web made from glass fibers, fleece material or paper, the suction device including a first guide roller and a second guide roller; a suction box arranged between the first guide roller and the second guide roller; and a permeable clothing that runs over the first guide roller, the second guide roller and the suction box, wherein the suction box includes an operating surface configured to impart a vacuum upon the permeable clothing that runs over the operating surface and upon the fiber material web transported on the permeable clothing during operations, wherein the operating surface is arranged and sized so that it essentially bridges an entire path traveled by the clothing between the first guide roller and the second guide roller; an additional guide roller and an additional suction box over which the permeable clothing is run.