PRINTING SYSTEM AND MEHTOD FOR PRINTING PRINT MATERIAL

Abstract

The invention relates to a printing system and a method for printing print material, with a number of printing stations, at least one pre- and/or post-treatment station and a number of print product carriers for taking up a print product and for transporting the print product to the stations. It is provided according to the invention that the print product carriers each have their own drive, a steerable chassis and a control unit for independent movement of the print product carriers and that the stations are arranged on a transport surface, on which the print product carriers are freely movable.

Claims

1.-12. (canceled)

13. A printing system for printing print material with a number of digital printing stations, at least one pre- and/or post-treatment station and a number of print product carriers for taking up a print product and for transporting the print product to the stations, wherein the print product carriers each have their own drive, a steerable chassis and a control unit for independent movement of the print product carriers on a factory floor as a transport surface and the stations are arranged on the transport surface, on which the print product carriers are freely movable.

14. The printing system according to claim 13, wherein at least one loading station for loading the print product onto the print product carrier and/or at least one unloading station for removing the printed print product from the print product carrier is provided.

15. The printing system according to claim 13, wherein the control unit of the print product carrier has a receiving device for receiving order data for a print order of the print product taken up.

16. The printing system according to claim 14, wherein a transmission device is provided at the loading station for transmitting order data.

17. The printing system according to claim 13, wherein a central computer unit is provided, which is connected to the stations.

18. The printing system according to claim 17, wherein the stations have data transmission devices, which transmit information data on utilization of the station to the central computer unit and/or the control unit of the print product carriers.

19. The printing system according to claim 17, wherein the central computer unit has a data connection to the movable print product carriers.

20. The printing system according to claim 13, wherein the drive of the print product carrier is formed as an electric drive and that the print product carrier has a rechargeable battery.

21. The printing system according to claim 20, wherein at least one electric charging station is provided, which is formed to charge the battery of the print product carrier.

22. The printing system according to claim 13, wherein at least one drying station and/or at least one pressing station and/or at least one flocking station and/or at least one screen printing station and/or at least a further processing station are provided.

23. The printing system according to claim 13, wherein the stations that have been visited for processing the order can be stored by the control unit, and that an evaluation unit is provided, which for quality assurance purposes compares a print result of the printed print product with the stations used.

24. A method for printing a print product, in particular with a printing system according to claim 13, wherein for printing the print product a number of digital printing stations and at least one pre- and/or post-treatment station are provided and the print products are each arranged on a print product carrier and are transported by it to the stations, wherein the print product carriers each have their own drive, a steerable chassis and a control unit, with which the print product carriers are moved independently of one another on a factory floor as a transport surface, and the stations are arranged on the transport surface, on which the print product carriers are moved freely to individual stations.

Description

[0019] A particularly efficient operating mode results according to another embodiment of the invention in that the stations have data transmission devices, which transmit information on the utilization of the station to the central computer unit and/or the control unit of the print product carriers.

[0020] It is particularly expedient in this case that the central computer unit has a data connection to the movable print product carriers.

[0021] In this way the control units of the movable print product carriers receive all the required information that is necessary to process in an efficient manner an order that has been placed. On the basis of set conditions, the control unit or the central computer unit can decide autonomously which station and in which sequence individual stations are to be visited to fulfil a print order.

[0022] In principle the print product carriers can be provided with any suitable drive. In particular, even an inductive drive and/or at least an inductive energy supply can be effected by the transport surface. It is particularly advantageous according to a further development of the invention that the drive of the print product carrier is formed as an electric drive and that the print product carrier has a rechargeable battery. The battery can be preferably a lithium ion battery in this case, which is very powerful and constitutes a relatively inexpensive energy store.

[0023] It is particularly expedient here that at least one electric charging station is provided, which is formed to charge the battery of the print product carrier. The charging stations can be combined with processing stations or can be separate charging or servicing stations. In particular, a plurality of charging stations can be arranged on the transport surface. Here the control unit of each print product carrier or the central computer unit decides when and which charging station is to be visited by the movable print product carrier. This can be decided as a function of the residual capacity of the battery and of free capacities at charging stations.

[0024] Even if the printing system according to the invention is preferably provided with digital printing stations, other printing stations or miscellaneous processing stations can be provided in addition or also alternatively if applicable. It is particularly preferred in this case that at least one drying station and/or at least one pressing station and/or at least one flocking station and/or at least the screen printing station and/or at least another processing station are provided.

[0025] A drying station is used during or after printing for drying an applied substrate or an ink. A pressing station can be used for additional fixing of the applied medium and in particular of the ink. For certain prints with a fiber surface, a so-called flocking station can be provided for applying fibers or other design elements. For the rapid application of larger quantities of ink or other substances, at least one screen printing station can be arranged with a printing screen. A screen print is especially advantageous in this case for applying a primer in particular, for instance a white primer on a dark or black textile.

[0026] According to a further development of the invention, it is advantageous that the control unit can store the stations that have been visited for processing the order, and that an evaluation unit is provided, which for quality assurance purposes compares a print result of the print product to be printed with the stations used.

[0027] If deficiencies in the print result are detected during quality assurance, it can be determined, by means of the stored processing data with the stations used, which station may have to be serviced or switched off to avoid faulty printing. By appropriate automation of the quality assurance, for instance by a camera system with an image processing system, even initial aberrations on a print result can be determined so early that fault-free print operation can be achieved or at least aimed at by prompt servicing of individual stations.

[0028] The method according to the invention is characterized in that the print product carriers each have their own drive, a steerable chassis and a control unit and the print product carriers are moved independently of one another and that the stations are arranged on a transport surface on which the print product carriers are moved freely to individual stations.

[0029] The method according to the invention can be carried out in particular with the previously described printing system according to the invention. The advantages described previously can be achieved in this case.

[0030] The invention is explained further by means of a preferred exemplary embodiment, which is depicted schematically in the drawing.

[0031] In the single drawing, a printing system 10 according to the invention is depicted schematically in a plan view on a greatly reduced scale.

[0032] The printing system 10 has a transport surface 12, which can be a factory floor in particular. Arranged on the transport floor 12 is a plurality of movable print product carriers 40, which each have a box-like, steerable chassis 42 and an upper take-up surface for a print product to be printed, in particular a T-shirt. The take-up surface can have a fixed or detachable pallet. A steerable chassis 42 is to be understood both as a mechanical steering mechanism with a steering axle and as a single-wheel control with a rigid axle or another suitable steering device. The movable print product carriers 40 have an electric drive, which is not shown in greater detail and is supplied with energy by a rechargeable battery. Furthermore, the print product carriers 40, which can also be described as a bot, have a receiving or reading device for receiving order data.

[0033] The order data can be received at a loading station 30, which is provided with a suitable transmission device 32, when the print product is placed automatically or by an operator with or without pallet onto the take-up surface on the print product carrier 40. The textile can be removed here from a store 5 provided directly at the loading station 30. In the exemplary embodiment depicted, the loading station 30 for loading a plurality of print product carriers 40 is formed at the same time as a charging station 34, in order to charge the battery of the print product carrier 40 with electrical energy. However, other charging stations 34 can be provided separately from the loading station 30 on the transport surface 12.

[0034] Furthermore, a monitoring device, in particular a camera system, can be provided at the loading station 30, with which a correct, in particular fold-free placement of the print product on the print product carrier 40 can be checked. If a fault is detected during loading, the print product carrier 40 returns directly to the loading station 30 again for fault rectification.

[0035] According to the order data transmitted in the loading station 30, a control unit of the print product carrier 40 decides, if applicable under the influence of a central computer unit, which stations on the transport surface 12 are to be visited.

[0036] The print product carrier 40 can thus call initially at a pre-treatment station 16, in which the print product is first pre-treated in a known manner for the subsequent printing. The print product carrier 40 can then call with the print product at one or more digital printing stations 14, in which one or more colors are applied to the print product by means of digital inkjet print heads. Here the digital printing stations 14 can be formed as throughput printing stations 14a, in which the print product carrier 40 passes linearly through the printing station. Alternatively or in addition, the print product carrier 40 can also head with the print product for a local printer 14b, at which the print product carrier 40 with the print product is stationary at a printing position during the printing process. Following digital printing the print product carrier 40 leaves the printing position at the local printer 14b again.

[0037] Depending on the print order, the print product carrier 40 can also call in the exemplary embodiment depicted at one or more screen printing stations 24, in which a white background, pre-treatment, special effects such as glitter, films, adhesive, HD etc., for example, can be applied. The screen printing stations 24 can be provided in this case with automatic screen changing devices.

[0038] Further stations such as a dryer can also be provided for post-treatment.

[0039] In the exemplary embodiment of the printing system 10 depicted, the print product carrier 40 calls following the last print and processing step at an unloading station 38, wherein a drying station 20 is connected downstream of the unloading station 38. In the unloading station 38, the printed print product can be removed alone or with a detachable pallet from the print product carrier 40 and moved via a conveying device 39 through a concluding drying station 20 and a packing station 22. The finished and packed print product can then be brought by the conveying device 39 to a dispatch station 6.

[0040] At the unloading station 38 an appropriate device, in particular a camera system, can likewise be provided for quality inspection. If quality defects are detected, the defective goods can be removed or the print product carrier 40 with the print product can be returned to one of the upstream stations, in particular even to the loading station 30, for post-processing.

[0041] Following removal of the finished print product from the print product carrier 40, the print product carrier 40 can return to the loading station 30 again for another processing operation.