Numerical jet machine for the application of a coating onto a substrate

Abstract

The invention concerns a contactless numerical printing machine for products of average fluidity, such as varnish, glue, and conducting or scratchable ink, onto a substrate of variable thickness and dimensions. The machine includes a special device for printing without contact by projection. The projected materials are materials of average fluidity or composed of large-dimension molecules. The process used includes an electro-acoustic device for control of the projection, and a multiplicity of projection nozzles, each controlled individually. The machine also includes a production chain with different work stations, whose printing devices are controlled by a computer management system. The production chain allows printing with a certain precision in given zones located during the processing by an appropriate work station.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A numerical jet machine for viscous material product for the application of a coating to a plastic face of a substrate, including:
 a reservoir configured for including a viscous product having viscosity between 100 and 1000 centipoises, 
 an input magazine and an output magazine, 
 work stations and a computer device to manage the operations on each of the work stations, 
 a movement device for moving the substrate between the different work stations, 
 a device for grasping and transferring the substrate from the input magazine to the movement device and from the movement device to the output magazine, 
 further comprising at leastsaid work stations comprising at least:
 a read station for reading and determining at least one position of the substrate and/or of markers placed on the substrate,   aan application station including a series of plural nozzles arranged in a ramp, each of the nozzles including a hollow needle, a piezoelectric actuator affixed to a resonator formed by an assembly included in each hollow needle,   a drying station with an infra-red or heated air current of UV drying oven; ,    wherein each hollow needle is piloted separately by a command the computer device, and is arranged to be fed from said reservoir configured for including said viscous product to be applied onto the substrate during relative movement between the substrate and the application station, to apply the product in a given zone on the substrate,   wherein each hollow needle is arranged to be vibrated by its associated piezoelectric actuator, with the excitation of the actuator, in duration and power, determining the dimensions and the shape of the drop of viscous product, to apply the product in a given application zone on the substrate, said application zone being defined for each substrate by a configuration file concerning the zone shape, the zone position on the substrate in relation to the position determined by the read station, the quantity of product to be applied,   
 wherein of the management computer device is arranged to be responsive to an established programming said configuration file for controlling the command device of the application station according to the position translate the information into parameters of relative movement of the substrate, to the read station and to the drying station with the management of the nozzles, and selective control of the information received at the different work stations to coordinate the operations each actuator of each nozzle. 
 
     
     
       2. A machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the application zone is specified for each substrate by a configuration file concerning the shape of the zone, the position of the zone on the substrate in relation to the substrate markers position determined by the read station, the quantity of product to be applied, with a machine control program arranged to use this information for translating the information into parameters of relative movement of the substrate and of the nozzles, for selective control of the nozzles and for reiteration of the offset passage of the substrate in front of the nozzles to produce joined-up lines if necessary. 
     
     
       3. A machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the ramp in which the nozzles are arranged is equipped with a movement resource in relation to the medium the substrate defining said relative movement between the substrate and the application station. 
     
     
       4. A machine according to one of  claim 1 , wherein the said application site zone on the substrate is specified by the relative movement of the substrate in relation to the ramp on which the nozzles are arranged. 
     
     
       5. A machine according to one of  claim 1 , wherein the product is glue and the drying station includes a heated air current source. 
     
     
       6. The machine according to  claim 5  in combination with an independent printing station or of a station for installing an electronic chip on the substrate, wherein the machine is disposed upstream or downstream of the independent printing station or of a station for installing an electronic chip on the substrate. 
     
     
       7. The combination according to  claim 6 , wherein the a first machine is disposed upstream of the printing station, for applying glue in a zone other than the zone receiving the printing, and the a second machine is disposed downstream of the printing station for applying varnish on the printed part. 
     
     
       8. The combination according to  claim 6 , wherein the a second machine is disposed upstream of the printing station for applying varnish in a zone other than the zone receiving the printing, and the a first machine is disposed downstream of the printing station for applying glue in a third zone. 
     
     
       9. The combination according to  claim 6 , wherein the a first machine is disposed upstream of the station for the installation of an electronic chip on the substrate applying glue in the zone intended to receive the chip. 
     
     
       10. A machine according to one of  claim 1 , wherein the product is an aqueous varnish and the drying station includes an infra-red source. 
     
     
       11. The machine according to  claim 10  in combination with an independent printing station or of a station for installing an electronic chip on the substrate, wherein the machine is disposed upstream or downstream of the independent printing station or of a station for installing an electronic chip on the substrate. 
     
     
       12. A machine according to one of  claim 1 , wherein the product is a scratchable opaque ink and the drying station includes a heated air current source. 
     
     
       13. A machine according to one of  claim 1 , further comprising a device for pressuring the product to be applied. 
     
     
       14. A machine according to claim 5, wherein the work stations further comprise an additional station for assembling different parts together, in the case of application of glue to contact zones. 
     
     
       15. A machine according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is paper with an aqueous ink printed thereon prior to application of viscous product. 
     
     
       16. A numerical jet machine for the application of a viscous product on a substrate, comprising:
 a reservoir configured for including a viscous product having viscosity between 100 and 1000 centipoises;   an input magazine and an output magazine;   one or more work stations and a computer device to manage the operations on each of the work stations;   a movement device for moving the substrate between the work stations;   a device for grasping and transferring the substrate from the input magazine to the movement device and from the movement device to the output magazine;   said one or more work stations including:   a read station for reading and determining at least one position of the substrate and/or of markers placed on the substrate;   a drying station; and   an application station comprising a series of nozzles arranged in a ramp, each nozzle being:   separately controllable by the computer device,   actuable by a piezoelectric actuator, and   arranged to be fed from the reservoir configured for including said viscous product to be applied onto the substrate during relative movement between the substrate and the application station, to apply the product in a given application zone on the substrate,   said computer device managing the operations on each of the work stations according to the position of the substrate, to the read station and to the drying station, and/or with the management of the information received at the different work stations to coordinate the operations; and   said application zone being defined for each substrate by a configuration file concerning the zone shape, the zone position on the substrate in relation to the position determined by the read station, the quantity of product to be applied, the computer device arranged to be responsive to the configuration file to translate the information into parameters of relative movement of the substrate and of the nozzles, and selective control of each actuator of each nozzle.   
     
     
       17. A machine according to claim 16, wherein the computer device is arranged to control a reiterated driving of the same substrate in front of the nozzles to produce jointed lines. 
     
     
       18. A machine according to claim 16, wherein the computer device is arranged to control the excitation of the actuator, in duration and power, to determine the dimensions and the shape of a viscous product drop in accordance with an average viscosity of the product. 
     
     
       19. A machine according to claim 16, wherein the ramp is provided with a movement device in relation to the substrate defining said relative movement between the substrate and the application station. 
     
     
       20. A machine according to claim 16, wherein the application zone on the substrate is defined by the relative movement of the substrate in relation to the ramp. 
     
     
       21. A machine according to claim 16, wherein the viscous product is a glue and the drying station comprises a heated air source. 
     
     
       22. The machine according to claim 21 in combination with an independent printing station or of a station for installing an electronic chip on the substrate, one or more of the machines disposed upstream or downstream of the independent printing station or of a station for installing an electronic chip on the substrate. 
     
     
       23. The combination according to claim 22, further comprising a first machine, using a glue as viscous product and disposed upstream of the independent printing station, for applying glue in a zone other than a printing zone receiving the printing, and a second machine using a varnish disposed downstream of the printing station for applying varnish on the printing zone. 
     
     
       24. The combination according to claim 22, further comprising a second machine, using a varnish as viscous product and disposed upstream of the independent printing station for applying varnish in a zone other than a printing zone receiving the printing, and a first machine disposed downstream of the printing station for applying glue in a third zone. 
     
     
       25. The combination according to claim 22, further comprising a first machine, using a glue as viscous product and disposed upstream of the station for the installation of an electronic chip on the substrate applying glue in the zone which is to receive the chip. 
     
     
       26. The combination according to claim 22, the machine disposed downstream of the printing station for applying varnish on a printed portion of the substrate, further comprising a second machine using varnish as viscous product arranged upstream of the printing station for applying varnish in a zone other than a printing zone receiving the printing. 
     
     
       27. The combination according to claim 22, wherein the device for grasping and transferring is adapted for a plastic substrate and the viscous product is adapted for a plastic substrate. 
     
     
       28. A machine according to claim 21, wherein the work stations further comprise an additional station for assembling different parts together, in the case of application of glue to contact zones. 
     
     
       29. A machine according to claim 16, wherein the viscous product is an aqueous varnish and the drying station comprises an infra red source. 
     
     
       30. A machine according to claim 16, wherein the viscous product is a scratchable opaque ink and the drying station comprises a heated air flow source. 
     
     
       31. A machine according to claim 16, comprising a device pressuring the viscous product to be applied. 
     
     
       32. A numerical jet machine for the application of a coating of varnish on a substrate, comprising:
 a reservoir including a varnish having viscosity between 10 and 1000 centipoises;   an input magazine and an output magazine;   one or more work stations and a computer device to manage the operations on each of the work stations;   a movement device for moving the substrate between the work stations;   a device for grasping and transferring the substrate from the input magazine to the movement device and from the movement device to the output magazine;   said one or more work stations comprising:   a read station for reading and determining at least one position of the substrate and/or of markers placed on the substrate;   a drying station; and   an application station comprising a series of nozzles arranged in a ramp; each nozzle being:
 separately controllable by the computer device, 
 actuable by a piezoelectric actuator, and 
 arranged to be fed from the reservoir including said viscous product to be applied onto the substrate during relative movement between the substrate and the application station, to apply the product in a given application zone on the substrate, 
   said computer device managing the operations on each of the work stations according to the position of the substrate, to the read station and to the drying station, and/or with the management of the information received at the different work stations to coordinate the operations; and   said application zone being defined for each substrate by a configuration file concerning the zone shape, the zone position on the substrate in relation to the position determined by the read station, the quantity of product to be applied, the computer device arranged to be responsive to the configuration file to translate the information into parameters of relative movement of the substrate and of the nozzles, and selective control of each actuator of each nozzle.   
     
     
       33. A numerical jet machine as claimed in claim 32, wherein the reservoir includes a varnish having viscosity between 100 and 1000 centipoises. 
     
     
       34. A numerical jet machine as claimed in claim 32, wherein the reservoir includes a varnish having viscosity greater than 10 and less than or equal to 1000 centipoises.