APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PRINTING ON AN ARTICLE

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus (100) for printing an article, the apparatus (100) comprising: a data providing device (10) adapted to provide article-specific printing data for the article from product data of the article, and to provide machine-specific printing data for the article in dependence on a printing machine to be used for the printing process; and a control device (20) adapted to merge the article-specific printing data and the machine-specific printing data, and to control the printing machine for printing the article based thereon.

Claims

1. An apparatus for printing an article, the apparatus comprising: a data providing device, which is designed to provide article-specific printing data for the article from product data of the article and to provide machine-specific printing data for the article in dependence on a printing machine to be used for the printing process; and a control devices which is designed to combine the article-specific printing data and the machine-specific printing data and, based thereon, to control the printing machine for printing the article.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the data providing device is designed to provide printing process-specific printing data for the article as a function of a printing process to be used; wherein the control device is designed to combine the article-specific printing data and the machine-specific printing data and the printing-process-specific printing data and, based thereon, to control the printing machine for printing the article.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the printing process-specific printing data comprises data for an application of an adhesion promoter, and the printing process comprises an application process of the adhesion promoter in preparation for a printing process.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the article-specific printing data comprises data on at least one of: i) a number of voltage carrying conductors; ii) a pitch dimension; iii) a conductor cross-section; iv) a number of line poles; v) a dimension; vi) a rated uninterrupted current; vii) a marking text; viii) an article color; or ix) an article material.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the machine-specific printing data comprises data on at least one of: i) a printing resolution of the printing press used for the printing process; ii) a solid ink density of the printing machine used for the printing process; iii) a printing performance of the printing press used for the printing process; iv) a format specification of the printing press used for the printing process; v) a maximum printing area of the printing press used for the printing process; vi) a minimum printing area of the printing press used for the printing process; or vii) inks printable with the printing machine;

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the data providing device is designed to provide the article-specific printing data for the article from the product data of the article present in a neutral data format; and wherein the neutral data format includes at least one of: i) XML format; ii) platform-independent data format; iii) implementation independent data format; or iv) M2M data format.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the device further comprises an interface device adapted to provide the article-specific printing data, which is provided for the article from a description of the article.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the data providing device is designed to transmit the article-specific printing data and/or the machine-specific printing data to a computer network coupled to the device.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control device is designed to combine the article-specific printing data and the machine-specific printing data to form merged printing data and, based on the merged printing data, to control the printing machine for printing the article.

10. A method for printing an article, the method including steps comprising: providing article-specific printing data for the article from product data of the article by means of a data providing device; providing machine-specific printing data as a function of a printing machine to be used for the printing process by means of a data providing device; combining the article-specific printing data and the machine-specific printing data by means of a control device; based thereon, driving the printing machine for printing the article by means of the control device.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the method further includes steps comprising: providing printing process-specific printing data for the article in dependence on a printing process to be used by means of the data providing device; and combining the article-specific printing data and the machine-specific printing data and the printing-process-specific printing data and, based thereon, driving the printing machine to print the article.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the printing process-specific printing data comprises data for an application of an adhesion promoter and the printing process comprises an application process of the adhesion promoter in preparation for a printing process.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the article-specific printing data comprises data on at least one of: i) a number of voltage carrying conductors; ii) a pitch dimension; iii) a conductor cross-section; iv) a number of line poles; v) a dimension; vi) a rated uninterrupted current; vii) a marking text; viii) an article color; or ix) an article material.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein the machine-specific printing data comprises data on at least ono of: i) a printing resolution of the printing machine used for the printing process; ii) a solid ink density of the printing machine used for the printing process; iii) a printing performance of the printing press used for the printing process; iv) a format specification of the printing press used for the printing process; v) a maximum printing area of the printing press used for the printing process; vi) a minimum printing area of the printing press used for the printing process; or vii) inks printable with the printing machine.

15. The method according to claims 10, wherein the article-specific printing data for the article are provided from the product data of the article present in a neutral data format; and wherein the neutral data format includes at least one of: i) XML format; ii) platform-independent data format; iii) implementation independent data format; or iv) M2M data format

16. The method according to claim 10, wherein the article-specific printing data for the article is provided from a description of the article.

17. The method according to claim 10, wherein the article-specific printing data and the machine-specific printing data are combined to form merged printing data, and the printing machine for printing the article is controlled based on the merged printing data.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0094] Showing:

[0095] FIG. 1: a schematic diagram of an apparatus for printing an article in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and

[0096] FIG. 2: a schematic diagram of a flow chart of a method for printing an article according to an embodiment example of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0097] In the figures of the drawings, identical reference signs denote identical or functionally identical elements, parts, components or process steps, unless otherwise indicated.

[0098] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a device for printing an article in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

[0099] The term “neutral data format” as used by the present invention includes, for example, data or file formats for neutral file exchange between units, such as computers, of a computer network.

[0100] The term “neutral data format” as used by the present invention can be understood, for example, as an intermediate file format to translate data between participating systems of the computer network, such as production systems or ordering systems—webshop—or internal data processing systems—backend.

[0101] In other words, a neutral file is generated from original data available in other file formats. However, the target system can read and process the neutral file, unlike the original data.

[0102] For example, the term “product data”, in particular product data of the article, as used by the present invention describes data that defines and classifies an article, in particular according to customer-specific configuration. In other words, the product data describes and identifies parameters, characteristics, and design options of the article.

[0103] The apparatus 100 includes a data providing device 10 and a control device 20.

[0104] The data providing device 10 is adapted to provide article-specific printing data for the article from product data of the article, and to provide machine-specific printing data for the article in dependence on a printing machine to be used for the printing process.

[0105] Optionally, the product data is provided in a neutral data format.

[0106] The control device 20 is configured to combine the article-specific printing data and the machine-specific printing data and, based thereon, to control the printing machine for printing the article.

[0107] FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of a flow chart of a method for printing an article according to an embodiment example of the present invention.

[0108] As a first method step, a providing S1 of article-specific printing data for the article is carried out based on product data of the article by means of a data providing device.

[0109] As a second method step, machine-specific printing data is provided S2 as a function of a printing machine to be used for the printing process by means of a data providing device.

[0110] As a third process step, the article-specific printing data and the machine-specific printing data are combined S3 by means of a control device.

[0111] As a fourth process step, the printing machine is controlled S4 to print the article by means of the control device.

[0112] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to preferred embodiments, it is not limited thereto, but can be modified in a variety of ways. In particular, the invention can be changed or modified in a variety of ways without departing from the essence of the invention.

[0113] Additionally, it should be noted that “comprising” and “comprising” do not exclude other elements or steps, and “one” or “a” do not exclude a plurality.