Koenig & Bauer-Aktiengesellschaft

Kba-Notasys Sa

Thomas Türke

Harald Willeke

Volker Lohweg

Johannes Georg Schaede

Jean-Baptiste Lanternier

Stefan Bauer

Bernd Rüdiger Stöber

Carsten Diederichs

Jörn Sacher

Andreas Stefan Birkenfeld

Volkmar Rolf Schwitzky

Matthias Gygi

Patrick Kress

Andreas Ewald Heinrich Bernard

Thomas Kersten

Eugen Gillich

Tobias Diehm

Stefan Budach

Thomas Hendle

Bernd Stöber

Johannes Schweers

Daniel Ziegler

Rolf Volkmar Schwitzky

Harald Heinz Peter Jeschonneck

Patrick Kreß

Sylwia Szczukiewicz

Denis Petker

Harald Heinrich Willeke

Stefan Arthur Budach

Examples include a sheet processing machine to which a transport path is assigned for transporting sheets. The sheet processing machine includes an application device with an application point for applying material to the sheets. A cooling device including a cooling cylinder is arranged along the transport path, downstream from the application point. An inspection transport body is arranged along the transport path, downstream from the cooling cylinder, and has a sensor device of an inspection unit aligned therewith. Examples further include a sheet-fed printing machine with a simultaneous double printing unit and an application point. A curing device with an LED UV radiation source is arranged downstream from the application point and includes two curing units for drying two opposite sides of sheets. A cooling device of the curing device includes a cooling element with a line system, and the cooling section is arranged downstream from the curing section.

Sheet processing machine with cooling roller and inspection device as well as a sheet printing machine with simultaneous double printing unit, curing device and cooling device

A printing press and a method for producing security products or security intermediate products comprises a feed device for feeding unprinted printing substrate into the printing press. Multiple printing couples print the unprinted printing substrate in an indirect planographic or in a letterpress printing method in one or more printing nips. In a conveyor line, between the feed device and the first printing nip located in the printing substrate path, at least one inspection device, which is embodied as a transmissive inspection device, is provided for inspecting the as yet unprinted printing substrate.

Printing press and method for producing security products or security intermediate products

There is described a color control pattern (CP) for the optical measurement of colors printed on a sheet or web substrate (S) by means of a multicolor printing press, especially by means of a multicolor security printing press, which substrate (S) exhibits an effective printed region (EF) having a multicolor printed image comprising a plurality of juxtaposed colored areas (A-H) printed with a corresponding plurality of printing inks of different colors, wherein the color control pattern (CP) is located in a margin portion (Im) of the substrate (S) next to the effective printed region (EF). The color control pattern (CP) comprises one or more color control strips (a-d) extending transversely to a direction of transport (T) of the substrate (S), each color control strip (a-d) comprising a plurality of distinct color control fields (CF, CFto CF) consisting of printed fields of each relevant printing ink that is printed in the effective printed region (EF). The color control fields (CF, CFto CF) are coordinated to actual application of the relevant printing inks in the effective printed region (EF) and are positioned transversely to the direction of transport (T) of the substrate (S) at locations corresponding to actual positions where the relevant printing inks are applied in the effective printed region (EF).

Color control pattern for the optical measurement of colors printed on a sheet or web substrate by means of a multicolor printing press and uses thereof

There is described an inspection system () for in-line inspection of sheet or web material on an intaglio printing press, wherein the inspection system comprises an optical quality control apparatus for carrying out inspection of a printed area on a printed side of the sheet or web material, the optical quality control apparatus including a camera system () with one or more camera units each comprising at least one line-scan camera () for scanning and acquiring an image of the printed area while the sheet or web material is being transported in the intaglio printing press past the camera system (). A location of the at least one line-scan camera () in the intaglio printing press along a delivery path of the sheet or web material is such that cyclical vibrations that spread periodically throughout the intaglio printing press during operation of the intaglio printing press do not occur while the camera system () is scanning the printed area of the sheet or web material and acquiring a complete image of the printed area.

Inspection system for in-line inspection of printed material produced on an intaglio printing press

There is described a sheet numbering process involving feeding of individual sheets (S) in succession, which individual sheets (S) each carry a plurality of imprints (P) that are arranged in a matrix of rows and columns, and providing unique serial numbers to multiple ones of the plurality of imprints (P) carried by the individual sheets (S). The sheet numbering process comprises numbering of at least some of the individual sheets (S), wherein numbering of the individual sheets (S) is selectively commutable between a first numbering scheme (N) and at least a second numbering scheme (N; N'; N*), different from the first numbering scheme (N), without interruption of the numbering process. The first numbering scheme (N) involves providing all imprints (P) of a first subset (S) of individual sheets (S) with a unique serial number (SN) of the first numbering scheme (N). The second numbering scheme (N; N&#x2032;; N*) involves providing all or part of the imprints (P) of a second subset (S&#x2032;; S*) of individual sheets (S) with a unique serial number (SN; SN&#x2032;; SN*) of the second numbering scheme (N; N&#x2032;; N*). The first subset (S) of individual sheets (S) and the second subset (S&#x2032;; S*) of individual sheets are sorted after numbering in dependence of the numbering scheme (N; N; N&#x2032;; N*). Also described is a sheet-processing machine for carrying out the aforementioned sheet numbering process.

Sheet numbering process and sheet-processing machine for carrying out the same

There is described a device () for offline inspection and color measurement of printed sheets for the production of banknotes and like printed securities, comprising (i) a console () having a supporting surface () for supporting a sample printed sheet (S), (ii) a multipurpose measuring apparatus (), which multipurpose measuring apparatus () comprises multiple sensors () including at least one camera () for taking images of selected portions of the sample printed sheet (S) and a color measurement sensor () for performing spectrophotometric, colorimetric, and/or densitometric measurements at selected locations on () the sample printed sheet (S), (iii) a display () for displaying the images taken by the camera () and the measurements performed by the color measurement sensor (), and (iv) a control and processing unit () coupled to the multipurpose measuring apparatus () and the display (). The device () comprises a move-sensor beam () housing the multipurpose measuring apparatus (), which moveable sensor beam () is displaceable along an x-axis over the supporting surface () of the console () and over the entire surface of the sample printed sheet (S) located on the supporting surface (), the multiple sensors () being mounted on a common sensor head () which is displaceable within the moveable sensor beam () along a y-axis so that the multipurpose measuring apparatus () can selectively take images of selected portions of the sample printed sheet (S) by means of the camera () or perform measurements at selected locations on the sample printed sheet (S) by means of the color measurement sensor (). The control and processing unit () is configured to control displacement of the moveable sensor beam () along the x-axis and of the sensor head () along the y-axis.

Device for offline inspection and color measurement of printed sheets for the production of banknotes and like printed securities

There is described a method for touchless counting of substantially planar substrates, especially banknotes, which are stacked in the form of stacks of substrates, said method comprising the following steps: taking at least one sample image of a portion of a side of a stack of substrates, which sample image contains contrast information representing substrate edges that extend along substantially a first direction in the sample image; processing the contrast information representing the substrate edges within the sample image (), which processing includes subjecting at least one area of interest () within the sample image () to anisotropic diffusion to produce a processed image containing a substantially coherent set of continuous lines representing the substrate edges; and counting the number of substrate edges in said processed image.

Method and system for touchless counting of stacked substrates, especially bundled banknotes

There is described a method for detection of occurrence of printing errors on printed substrates during processing thereof on a printing press comprising the steps of providing multiple sensors on functional components of the printing press to monitor the behavior of the printing press during processing of the printed substrates and performing an in-line analysis of the behavior of the printing press to determine occurrence of a characteristic behavior of the printing press which leads or is likely to lead to occurrence of printing errors on the printed substrates or which leads or is likely to lead to good printing quality of the printed substrates. In-line analysis of the behavior of the printing press preferably includes performing fuzzy pattern classification of the behavior of the printing press. According to one embodiment of the proposed method in-line analysis of the behavior of the printing press is coupled with an in-line optical inspection of the printed substrates.

Method for detection of occurrence of printing errors on printed substrates during processing thereof on a printing press

A method for controlling the quality of printed documents, such as banknotes, in which only part of the surface of the printed documents is available for inspection, comprising the steps of (i) storing a reference image; (ii) acquiring a sample image of a sample printed document to be controlled, which sample image covers only a limited portion of the sample printed document; (iii) selecting a search pattern within the acquired sample image; (iv) searching the reference image for a match with the selected search pattern, (v) determining control parameters linked to the position of the search pattern within said sample image and within said reference image, (vi) comparing the control parameters linked to the position of the search pattern within the sample image with the control parameters linked to the position of the search pattern within the reference image; and (vii) based on the results of the comparison of the control parameters, accepting or rejecting the sample printed document.

Method for controlling the quality of printed documents based on pattern matching

A communications system, with a network, is usable to transmit at least image data to at least one illuminating device. The illustrating device illustrates a printed image location in a printing machine. A network is provided for the control and/or monitoring of the printing machine. A network for the communication of data to be processed in a pre-printing stage is also provided in that pre-printing stage, which prepares that image data. These two networks are connected to the same signal line or transmission link or are each constructed identically, with respect to their data transmission properties. The communications system, with the network, can control or monitor a printing machine having a number of sections, with at least two of these sections having a section controlling device. These section controlling devices are connected to the network, and control or monitor their respective sections. The network has the same data transmission properties in each of these sections.

Communications system with a network for transmitting image data to at least one illustrating device and communications system with a network for controlling and/or monitoring a printing machine having a number of sections

A printed image is produced at least one printed image location using a printing machine with at least one illuminating device that produces at least one printed image at a number of printed image locations. These respective printed images belong to the same page of a printed product to be produced by the printing machine. This page of the printed product exists in the form of a file containing image data before it is produced as the printed image. That file contains image data of all of the printed images of the page of the printed product. A raster image processor is aligned with each printed image location and converts only image data of the printed images of the page of the printed product into raster data, with that printed image being assigned to a respective printed image position. A network is provided for use in the electronic communication of at least image data. Each raster image processor is connected to this network by an interface which receives data. The network provides the interface of each raster image processor with the file containing the image data of all of the printed images of the pages of the printed product.

Device for producing a printed image at at least one printed image location

A method is used for adapting an inking unit of a printing press. During a setup phase for the printing press, at least a first actual value with regard to an ink application that is set at the inking unit and that is applied to the printed material, is determined by use of a first measuring device. The inking unit is initially set using this first actual value. During continuous printing of the printing press, a plurality of second actual values, with respect to a printed image formed on the printed materials, are determined using a second measuring device which is different from the first measuring device. These second values are fed to an ink adapting device for the inking unit. At least one of these several actual values, which corresponds to the setting mode in the setting phase, is set in the ink adjusting device as its setpoint value. The ink adjusting device detects deviations of the other second actual values for this setpoint value and adjusts the inking unit to minimize these deviations.

Method for adjusting an inking unit of a printing press

The quality of printed matter, which is one of several copies of the same printed matter produced by a printing machine, is evaluated. An amount of copies of the printed matter is selected from the total production of this printed matter. The selected amount of these copies are evaluated with regard to at least one error type which belongs to an amount of different error types or with regard to at least one feature of the error. Within the selected amount of copies, an error of a defined error type or of a defined feature, which is detected on at least one of the copies, is evaluated in relation to at least one error of another type or feature detected on the same copy, or another copy of the selected amount. The printed matter is classified as having good or bad quality based on that evaluation. A common reading, producing image data, is obtained by an image sensor from the selected copies. All of the errors to be evaluated in relation to each other are detected from image data gathered during the same common recording.

Method for evaluating the quality of a printed matter, provided by a printing machine

A method is used for the early identification of a deviation in the printed images which have been formed by a printing press during continuous production. A second decision threshold is provided, in addition to a decision regarding good or bad print quality. A current printed image, that has been captured, is compared with a reference image. If the current image deviates from the reference image, that deviation is evaluated using two decision thresholds.

Method for the early identification of a deviation in the printed images that have been created by a printing press during continuous production

A printing machine has at least one machine element which can be adjusted by the use of a setting element. An adjustment of the one machine element has an effect on the quality of the printing performed by the printing machine. An optical detection device, which includes a sensor that is oriented toward the surface of a material which is being printed, detects the quality of the printing. A controlling device receives data from the optical sensor and adjusts, together with the setting element, the at least one machine element based on a difference between a quality of the printing which has been specified as a set value and the quality of the printing detected as an actual value by the optical detection device. This adjustment is done to manage the differences between the set value and the actual value. The control is based on the fact that the quality of the printing is detected in its entirety by the optical detection device and the data is evaluated with regard to disturbing influences acting upon the quality of the printing.

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Lonay, Switzerland

Thomas Türke