Printing Press Plate to Plate Registration tool

PrintQuick (new product line – 2000 to 2002)

o   Vision Components – VC38 smart camera, serial (data) and Ethernet (image) communications, monochrome images

• Analog Devices DSP 2183

o   External Xenon Flash unit (PerkinElmer MVS 4000 Mini Strobe)

o   Multiple Encoder Sources for press production

o   Auto thresholding algorithms for image capture and analysis

o   Add-in PCB: Intel 80251 controller for flash timing and image capture

o   Printing Press interfaces – color plate positioning via geared motors and electronic phasing

Summary – special printed targets used to align color plate positions in press production. Flash timing and image capture performed to analyze targets. Smart camera analyzed printed production image and corrected color position errors.

Smart camera – 20K LOC C language, Timing controller – 5K LOC assembly

PC controlled printing press paper web positioning control  - RibbonQuick (new product line – 2001 to 2003)

·        Same equipment for plate register system

·        Printing Press interfaces – paper web steering, folder ribbon bars, compensators, cutoff controls

·        Press Folder mechanicals: paper web ribbon guides, cutting copy or ribbon slitters.

Summary – special printed targets used to move position of paper web in printed press production. Flash timing and image capture performed to analyze targets. Smart camera analyzed printed production image and corrected paper web position errors. Also used for cutting between each printed copy and moving position of paper web slitting tools.

Smart camera – 10K LOC C language, Timing controller – 5K LOC assembly

Mark was responsible for the smart camera firmware used to locate special printed targets for each printed color, determine the x and y delta of each color to a reference color. These delta values were used to correct the mechanical positioning of the printing plates inside the printing press. The delta value to communicated to the CCU computer for further analysis and press control adjustments.  Finding the targets and accurately determining their relative position is a challenge to perform in the fewest printed copies of the press production.

 Complete register systems costs $50,000 to $80,000, depending on accessories.