Patent · US Expired

Ink key control in a printing press including lateral ink spread, ink saturation, and back-flow compensation

US6318260A · kind A · utility

32Cited by
19References
14Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 5, 1999
Grant dateNov 20, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 5, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB41F33/0027
  • WIPO fieldTextile and paper machines
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A method is disclosed for determining ink key control settings for a plurality of ink keys in a printing press. Each of the ink keys controls the amount of ink supplied to a roller and then to a respective ink key zone on a substrate to print an image. A press model relates image requirements to ink key control settings. The press model includes a gain and a respective offset associated with each ink key. The offset represents the amount a value represented by the ink key control setting varies from the actual ink key opening. The drift in the respective offsets of the ink keys is tracked by comparing control settings predicted by the press model with final control settings after a press job has been satisfactorily completed.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.