Abstract:
There are described various embodiments of an inking system for inking an intaglio printing cylinder (8) of an intaglio printing press (1 I ; 1 II ; 1 III ; 1 IV ; 1 V ), which intaglio printing cylinder carries one or more intaglio printing mediums (8a, 8b, 8c) that are inked by means of a plurality of inking devices (95; 95*; 95**; 905; 905*). The inking system is designed to perform a selective transfer of ink to the one or more intaglio printing mediums by means of a selective inking cylinder (98; 98*; 98**) provided in at least one of the inking devices, preferably in each of the inking devices. More precisely, the selective inking cylinder carries a selective inking plate (90a) receiving ink supplied by an associated inking unit (96/96a/97; 96*/96a*/97*; 96**/96a**; 906/906a/910/915; 906*/906a*/910*/915*), which selective inking plate comprises a coating (900) that is selectively structured to exhibit ink-repellent portions (910) and perform selective transfer of ink at locations (920) corresponding to engraved areas of the one or more intaglio printing mediums that are to be inked with the ink supplied by the associated inking unit. The selective transfer of ink to the one or more intaglio printing mediums is performed indirectly from the selective inking cylinder to the one or more intaglio printing mediums via an ink collecting cylinder (9) and/or via a chablon cylinder (99*; 99**) carrying a chablon plate (99a) comprising relief portions (99A) corresponding to engraved areas of the one or more intaglio printing mediums that are to be inked with the ink supplied by the associated inking unit.
Abstract:
There is described a printing press (100***; 100****) adapted to carry out printing on a sheet-like or web-like substrate (S), in particular for the production of security documents such as banknotes, comprising a printing unit (2*; 2**; 2***; 2****) designed to print a first side (I) and/or a second side (II) of the substrate (S). The printing press (100***; 100****) further comprises an in-line casting device (80; 80*; 80**; 80***) adapted to apply a layer of material acting as an optical medium on a portion of a first side (I, II) of the substrate (S) and to replicate and form a micro-optical structure (L) in the layer of material acting as optical medium. The printing unit (2*; 2**; 2***; 2****) is furthermore adapted to print at least one printed pattern on the first or second side (I, II) of the substrate (S) in register with the micro-optical structure (L), wherein the printing unit (2*; 2**; 2***; 2****) comprises at least a first printing group (93) being adapted to print at least one printed pattern on the second side (II) of the substrate (S) in register with the micro-optical structure (L) and wherein the in-line casting device (80; 80*; 80**; 80***) comprises at least one embossing cylinder (85), which embossing cylinder (85) also is acting as counter-pressure cylinder and cooperates with a printing cylinder (8) of the at least first printing group (93) and/or whereas the in-line casting device (80; 80*; 80**; 80***) and the at least a first printing group (93) being arranged at the Substrate transport path such way, that in-line casting of the micro-optical structure, on one side of the sheets S, and printing of the associated pattern, on the other side of the sheets S, are performed in a same step, without this involving any sheet transfer operation.
Abstract:
There is described an inking apparatus of a printing press, in particular an offset or letterpress printing press, comprising at least one ink duct (11, 12) with an ink supply roller (13, 14), an ink roller train(30) comprising at least one inking roller (31) which receives ink from the at least one ink duct (11, 12), and at least one vibrator roller (15, 16) interposed between the ink supply roller (13, 4) and the inking roller (31), which vibrator roller (15, 16) is swung back and forth between the ink supply roller (13, 14) and the inking roller (31) and intermittently transfers ink from the ink supply roller (13, 14) to the inking roller (31). A circumference of the vibrator roller (15, 16) exhibits an ink-transfer 10 structure (15a, 16a) which reflects a desired inking profile of a printing plate to be inked by the inking apparatus and is designed to modulate a quantity of ink transferred by the vibrator roller (15, 16). The ink-transfer structure (15a, 16a) on the circumference of the vibrator roller (15, 16) is subdivided, in a circumferential direction (y) of the vibrator roller (15, 16), into an integer number 1 (r) of individual ink-transfer portions (15b, 16b) that are repeated with a determined circumferential period (Δy) in the circumferential direction (y), each individual ink-transfer portion (15b, 16b) reflecting the desired inking profile of the printing plate to be inked by the inking apparatus. A contact length (CL) over which the vibrator roller (15, 16) runs in contact with the ink supply roller (13, 20 4) is equivalent to the determined circumferential period (Δy) of the individual ink-transfer portions (15b, 16b) or to an integer multiple of the determined circumferential period (Δy) of the individualink-transfer portions (15b, 16b).
Abstract:
There is described a combined printing press (10) for the production of security documents, in particular banknotes, comprising a screen printing group (3) and a numbering group (4) adapted to process printed substrates in the form of individual sheets or successive portions of a continuous web. The screen printing group(3)is located upstream of the numbering group (4) and comprises at least one screen printing unit (32-33) designed to print a pattern of optically-variable ink, which optically-variable ink contains flakes that can be oriented by means of a magnetic field. The screen printing group further comprises a magnetic unit (36) located downstream of the screen printing unit (32-33), which magnetic unit (36) is designed to magnetically induce an optically-variable effect in the pattern of optically-variable ink applied by the screen printing unit (32-33) prior to drying/curing of the optically-variable ink. The screen printing group (3) further comprises at least one drying/curing unit (37) designed to dry/cure the pattern of optically-variable ink in which the optically-variable effect has been induced by the magnetic unit(36), prior to transfer of the printed substrates to the numbering group (4).
Abstract:
There is described a printed security feature (10) provided onto a printable substrate, which printed security feature includes a printed area (11) with at least a first printed section consisting of a multiplicity of geometric elements (GE, 15) printed with a given distribution over the printed area. The geometric elements are printed with at least first and second inks which exhibit the same or substantially the same optical appearance when illuminated with visible white light, such that the printed security feature produces a first graphical representation (A1) when illuminated with visible white light. At least the first ink is an ink which responds to non-visible light excitation by producing a characteristic optical response differentiating the first ink from the second ink. The printed security feature produces a second graphical representation (B1) when illuminated with non-visible light, which exhibits a distinctive two- dimensional graphic element (B) which is revealed only when the printed security feature is illuminated with non-visible light. The first printed section is subdivided into at least first and second printed portions (P1, P2), adjacent to the distinctive two-dimensional graphic element, and a third printed portion (P3), inside boundaries (200) of the distinctive two-dimensional graphic element. In the first, respectively second printed portion, the geometric elements are printed with the first, respectively second ink. In the third printed portion, the geometric elements are subdivided into first and second contiguous portions (GE_a, GE_b) which are respectively printed with the first and second inks. The first and second inks are printed in register one with respect to the other so that the boundaries of the distinctive two-dimensional graphic element are not visible when the printed security feature is illuminated with visible white light and the distinctive two-dimensional graphic element only becomes visible when the printed security feature is illuminated with non-visible light.
Abstract:
There is described a printing press (1; 1*; 1**) comprising an ink- receiving cylinder (9; 8) receiving ink from an inking system (90-93, 90*, 93*; 95-99, 95*, 99*; 100-104, 100*, 104*) having a plurality of ink-applying cylinders or rollers (93, 93*; 99, 99*; 104, 104*) arranged one above the other around part of a circumference of the ink-receiving cylinder (9; 8), the ink-applying cylinders or rollers (93, 93*; 99, 99*; 104, 104*) being inked by a corresponding plurality of inking devices (90, 90*; 95, 95*; 100, 100*), the printing press (1; 1*; 1**) further comprising an inking carriage (52; 55; 57) supporting the plurality of inking devices (90, 90*; 95, 95*; 100, 100*), which inking carriage (52; 55; 57) can be moved with respect to the ink-receiving cylinder (9; 8) between a working position and a retracted position. The at least one selected inking device (90*; 95*; 100*) amongst the plurality of inking devices (90, 90*; 95, 95*; 100, 100*) of the inking system (90-93, 90*, 93*; 95-99, 95*, 99*; 100-104, 100*, 104*) is supported onto the inking carriage (52; 55; 57) via a movable frame (60; 65; 70), which movable frame (60; 65; 70) is supported by the inking carriage (52; 55; 57) to allow movement of the selected inking device (90*; 95*; 100*) with respect to the inking carriage (52; 55; 57) and with respect to a remaining part (90; 95; 100) of the plurality of inking devices (90, 90*; 95, 95*; 100, 100*).
Abstract:
There is described an ink wiping system (100; 100'; 100") of an intaglio printing press comprising a wiping tank (101) and a rotatable wiping roller assembly (102; 102*) supported on and partly located in the wiping tank (101 ) for wiping excess ink from the surface of a rotatable intaglio printing cylinder (80) of the intaglio printing press. The ink wiping system (100; 100'; 100") comprises a wiping roller retracting device (150) which forms an integral part of the ink wiping system (100; 100'; 100") and is adapted to be coupled to the wiping roller assembly (102; 102*) to move the wiping roller assembly (102; 102*) between a working position (W) where the wiping roller assembly (102; 102*) is supported on and partly located in the wiping tank (101) for cooperation with the intaglio printing cylinder (80) and a parking position (P) where the wiping roller assembly (102; 102*) is retracted out of the wiping tank (101) and away from the intaglio printing cylinder (80). In the working position (W) of the wiping roller assembly (102; 102*), the wiping roller retracting device (150) is coupled to the wiping roller assembly (102; 102*). The ink wiping system (100; 100'; 100") further includes, at the parking position (P), a storage section (110) adapted to receive the wiping roller assembly (102; 102*) which is retracted by the wiping roller retracting device (150).
Abstract:
There is described an ink wiping system (100) for an intaglio printing press comprising a wiping tank (101) and a rotatable wiping roller assembly (102) positioned on and partly located in the wiping tank (101) to wipe excess ink from the surface of a rotatable intaglio printing cylinder (80) of the intaglio printing press. The ink wiping system (100) comprises a supporting mechanism (200) coupled to the wiping roller assembly (102) and designed to move the wiping roller assembly (102) between a working position where the wiping roller assembly (102) is positioned on and partly located in the wiping tank (101) for cooperation with the intaglio printing cylinder (80) and a maintenance position where the wiping roller assembly (102) is moved out of the wiping tank (101) and away from the intaglio printing cylinder (80). Preferably, the wiping roller assembly (102) comprises a rotatable hollow cylindrical body (110) having an outer surface (110a) positioned to wipe the surface of the intaglio printing cylinder (80).
Abstract:
There is described a device (1) for offline inspection and color measurement of printed sheets for the production of banknotes and like printed securities, comprising (i) a console (10) having a supporting surface (10a) for supporting a sample printed sheet (S), (ii) a multipurpose measuring apparatus (20), which multipurpose measuring apparatus (20) comprises multiple sensors (22, 23) including at least one camera (22) for taking images of selected portions of the sample printed sheet (S) and a color measurement sensor (23) for performing spectrophotometric, colorimetric, and/or densitometric measurements at selected locations on the sample printed sheet (S), (iii) a display (30) for displaying the images taken by the camera (22) and the measurements performed by the color measurement sensor (23), and (iv) a control and processing unit (40) coupled to the multipurpose measuring apparatus (20) and the display (30). The device (1) comprises a moveable sensor beam (200) housing the multipurpose measuring apparatus (20), which moveable sensor beam (200) is displaceable along an x-axis over the supporting surface (10a) of the console (10) and over the entire surface of the sample printed sheet (S) located on the supporting surface (10a), the multiple sensors (22, 23) being mounted on a common sensor head (21) which is displaceable within the moveable sensor beam (200) along a y-axis so that the multipurpose measuring apparatus (20) can selectively take images of selected portions of the sample printed sheet (S) by means of the camera (22) or perform measurements at selected locations on the sample printed sheet (S) by means of the color measurement sensor (23). The control and processing unit (40) is configured to control displacement of the moveable sensor beam (200) along the x-axis and of the sensor head (21) along the y-axis.
Abstract:
A device for irradiating substrate material (S) in the form of a sheet or web in a sheet-fed or web-fed processing system, especially in a sheet-fed or web-fed processing or printing press. The device comprises at least one flexible light-emitting sheet (10) for producing radiation of a desired wavelength or wavelength band, which light-emitting sheet (10) is disposed along a path of the substrate material (S) to subject the substrate material (S) to said radiation. The flexible light-emitting sheet (10) is preferably an organic light-emitting device (OLED) sheet.