Method for managing a printing company that operates at least one printing press

Abstract

An accompanying document for a printing substrate, which is to be printed in a printing press, is configured as an electronic data set that is stored in a memory of an RFID tag. Data relating to a production-preparatory generation of an adhesive surface, on the printing substrate to be fed to the printing press, is written into the data set. Data relating to the manufacturer of the printing substrate of to its supplier, and data relating to the manufacture of the printing substrate are also written into the data set. In the case of a commercial unit having a printing substrate that has been only partially printed during a production run of the printing press, the data set can be supplemented with data which, at least, characterizes an event. The event could relate to a break in the printing substrate or to changes to the commercial unit which occurred during the production process that was implemented in the printing press using the printing substrate of the commercial unit.

1 . A method for managing a printing company having at least one printing unit, said method including, providing a warehouse;
 providing a printing substrate to said warehouse in the form of commercial units in accordance with a planned production of a printed product by said printing company for a specified production period;   supplying said commercial units from said warehouse to said at least one printing unit in accordance with said planned production;   providing an accompanying document for each said commercial unit, said accompanying document being configured as an electronic data set;   configuring each said accompanying document as an RFID tag associated with each said commercial unit and having a memory;   providing a logistics system for managing said commercial units from said warehouse to said at least one printing unit;   including said data set for each said accompanying document for each said commercial unit, as each said commercial unit is moving from said warehouse to said at least one printing press; and   providing in said data set for each said commercial unit at least one of printing substrate manufacturer and supplier data and printing substrate manufacture data.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further including providing said commercial unit having said printing substrate having been previously partially consumed in a prior production period and supplementing said data set for said commercial unit using event characterization data relating to at least one of a break in said printing substrate and damage to said commercial unit during said prior production period. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  further including updating said data set and evaluating said updated data set in said printing company after return of said RFID tag to said manufacturer of said printing substrate. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  further including updating said data set after at least one of changing said commercial unit and changing one of a quality and quantity of said printing substrate supplied with said commercial unit. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  further including providing target values of data affecting processability of said printing substrate in said data set, comparing said target values with actual values and determining a processability of said printing substrate in response to said comparing. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  further including providing a data transmitter and entering data from said data transmitter into said data set after one of authenticating and approving said data transmitter. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  further including providing at least one of access rights and authorization for reading/writing said data set. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  further including providing said RFID tag using a standardized protocol for data exchange. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  further including shipping said commercial unit to said printing company from a paper mill. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  further including providing a control center and transferring data from said data set to said control center. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  further including providing printing press control and registration data, providing at least one read/write station in said printing company and using said at least one read/write station for inputting said printing press control and registration data to said memory of said RFID tag. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  further including providing a printing press control center and acquiring said printing press control and registration data from said printing press control center. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9  further including providing a data network including at least said paper mill and said printing company. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1  further including providing a handling chain connected with each said commercial unit and using a registration and control data set within said handling chain. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1  further including providing at least one read/write station for said RFID tag in said printing company and exchanging data between said RFID tag and said at least one read/write station using an electromagnetic microwave having a frequency of at least 300 MHz. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1  further including said RFID tag having a transmission and receiving frequency that has at least one of 433 MHz, 868 MHz, 915 MHz, 2.45 GHz and 5.6 GHz. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1  further including writing at least one of paper manufacturing machine data, production series data, reel number data, production data and reel position data into said data set. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1  further including writing at least one of packaging data and shipping data and customer of said printing substrate data into said data set. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1  further including writing printing plant storage location of said printing substrate in said warehouse of said printing company into said data set. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1  further including writing at least one of gross weight and net weight of said commercial unit into said data set. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1  further including writing at least one of printing substrate color data, printing substrate length data, printing substrate width data and printing substrate base weight into said data set. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1  further including providing an unpacking station and using said data set for at least one of adjusting and guiding said unpacking station. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 1  further including providing a reel changer having a pair of support arms and using said data set for at least one of adjusting and setting said pair of support arms. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23  further including a reel changer control system and at least one reel changer position sensor and using said data set for positioning said reel changer support arms in response to a position of said commercial unit. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 1  further including writing preparation of said printing substrate for a flying paper reel change data into said data set. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 1  further including writing at least one of preparation of an adhesive surface on said printing substrate and a time of said preparation of said adhesive surface data into said data set. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 1  further including writing use of said printing substrate in said production of said printed product data into said data set. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 1  further including writing quantity of said printing substrate remaining during or after use of said printing substrate in said production of a printed product data into said data set. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 1  further including partially using said printing substrate on said commercial unit and returning said commercial unit to said warehouse. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 1  further including providing a winding core in said commercial unit and rewinding said winding core with said printing substrate after at least partially consuming said printing substrate originally wound on said winding core. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 1  further including writing at least one of lateral register positioning and with control data of a partially consumed reel of paper into said data set. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 1  further including continuously updating at least one of changes in said commercial unit and actions involving said printing substrate supplied with said commercial unit in said data set. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 1  further including feeding said printing substrate to said at least one printing press during said production of said printed product. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 1  further including printing said printing substrate during said production of said printed product.