Abstract:
An apparatus (310) for decorating a ceramic article, comprising: decoration groups (311), each of which includes: an inkjet type printing unit (312) for ejecting a glue or a liquid adhesive substance (S1) so as to form on the article (MF) to be decorated a virtual image (IV) corresponding to the final decoration (D); a dispensing unit (313) including a oscillating hopper (313') adapted to be filled with a ceramic toner; and a removal unit (314) including an aspirator (314'), wherein which the hopper of each decoration group, oscillating (f2) in the normal direction to the feed direction of the article coming from the inkjet printer unit included in the decoration group, dispenses and disperses on the article the ceramic toner so as to form by adhesion on the surface of the article a decoration (D) of ceramic toner corresponding to the virtual image previously printed with the inkjet type printing unit, and the ceramic toner that does not adhere to the article (MF) but remains on its surface is then completely aspirated by the removal unit of the decoration group, and wherein the decoration of ceramic toner thus formed is finally stably fixed in a furnace (14) so as to obtain the final decorated article. Advantageously, the decorating apparatus allows both a controlled dispensing of the ceramic toner on the article, bearing the virtual image exhibiting adhesive properties, coming from the inkjet printing unit, and a complete removal of the ceramic toner that has not adhered to that virtual image, to the benefit of the quality of the final decorated article.
Abstract:
Apparatus (10) for color decoration of an article of ceramic material, comprising: a digital color printer (1 1), in particular of the laser type, advantageously constituted by a printer model already available in the market; - a separation bath (12); and a baking furnace (13); wherein the digital color printer (1 1) is configured both to print (21), using a plurality of cartridges (C1, C2, C3, C4) of colored ceramic toners (C, M, Y, K) accommodated in respective printing units (1 1-1, 11-2, 1 1-3, 11-4) of the digital color printer (11), a colored image (I) of ceramic toner on a printing support sheet (F), and to directly apply (22), using a special cartridge (C5), containing a ceramic fondant (FO), housed in a respective printing unit (11-5) of the same digital color printer (1 1), a layer of this ceramic fondant (FO) on the colored image (I), of ceramic toner, printed on the printing support sheet (F), and wherein the decal (D) formed by the colored image (I) of ceramic toner, printed on the printing support sheet (F), and by the layer of ceramic fondant (FO) applied on the image (I) during the printing step, is separated in the separation bath (12) from the printing support sheet (F) and then applied on the surface of an article (M) to be decorated, that finally is baked in the baking furnace (13), so as to stably fix the colored image (I) of ceramic toner on the surface of the article (M) and thus obtain the final decorated article (A). Advantageously the apparatus (10) allows to avoid quality defects, typical of conventional decal decoration processes, such as unwanted halos formed around the image that decorates the final article and the so-called "stamp effect", and moreover implies limited decoration costs since the apparatus uses a usual digital color printer, without modification, available in the market.