DE102015119673A1 - Method for controlling or regulating a production process in the production of printed products - Google Patents

Abstract

A method for controlling a production process in the production of printed products from a sheet-form substrate (1) in a printing plant, the method comprising the steps of: printing a code (4a, 4b), in particular a matrix code, with production information contained therein the control and / or monitoring or control of the production process on the substrate (1); Detecting the code (4a, 4b) by means of a detection device (6); Evaluation of the production information contained in the code (4a, 4b) by means of an evaluation unit; Executing the control actions and / or monitoring functions on the basis of the determined production information by the printing unit; wherein production information obtained in the evaluation unit from the evaluation of the codes (4a, 4b) is completed and / or verified on the basis of clock information about the cycle of the production process.

Description

The invention relates to a method for controlling or regulating a production process in the production of printed products.

A widespread method for controlling printed products and controlling or regulating the printing process is the application and detection of so-called print marks, via the positioning or design of which corresponding control commands for usually subsequent processing units of the printing press can be transferred. One embodiment of such print marks are, for example, contrast marks which are used, for example, for cutting the printing substrate and for further processing. About the position of the contrast marks the right time for a cut can be transferred to a cutting device, so that it can be applied as desired. Furthermore, over the length of the contrast marks in the direction of the substrate encoding of a few further information is possible, on the example, collection and stapling information for further processing can be stored and retrieved. In such contrast marks very little information and control commands can be deposited, so that the scope is limited.

From practice, it is already known to print codes on the printed matter for controlling a production process in the production of printed products and to record and evaluate the codes, in particular 2D codes, in order to determine, based on the production information contained in the codes. or to carry out control actions in the production process during the production of the printed products. Such codes may, for example, be 1D codes such as bar codes or 2D codes, or 2D stack codes or even 2D matrix codes.

The basic structure, for example, of such 2D codes is from the product catalog "Competence Direct Part Marking, Sick Sensor Intelligence, November 2007, Sick AG" known. For example, 2D codes have different sections, namely edge sections and inner sections. The edge sections are used in particular for recognizing or finding the 2D code as such. In the inner sections, the actual content of the 2D code is stored. It is already known, within one and the same 2D code, so in the inner portion of the same, to deposit data in different sections of the inner portion redundant.

Even if one-dimensional codes such as bar codes have no redundancy in the classical sense, such as 2D codes, redundancy can nevertheless be achieved to a certain extent by various measures, such as the formation of intermediate or cross sums. In particular, if only a few process steps are controlled or monitored with such a 1D code, sufficient additional information in the sense of redundancy can also be mapped using such codes.

With so-called multi-dimensional 3D or 4D codes, for example when 2D codes are printed with different colors or gray levels, the number of information contained therein and thus also the available redundancy can be significantly increased again. Due to the numerous possibilities of available codes, the collective term code is used below.

Then, when large parts of a code are unreadable, for example, in about 50% of a code, then typically the entire content of the code is no longer detectable and subsequently evaluable, so that even a redundant deposit of data in a code does not help. This is particularly problematic in production processes that are not always the same. This may be e.g. to collect collections of different numbers of signatures to individually designed books or book blocks. In this case, a non-evaluable code for production interruption and / or for the generation of waste and / or to a non-continuous monitoring or control and possibly not complete documentation.

In the present invention is defined as a sheet arcuate, unprinted substrate, whereas a finished printed sheet is called a signature. In the case of printing a substrate web is also called a printed and isolated substrate as a signature, and such a signature can optionally also be folded in particular in the case of a occurring in the web press folding operation. Signatures are accordingly intermediate products which are processed with or without at least one additional additional working step such as, for example, a folding operation to form a final printed product.

On this basis, the present invention has the object to provide a novel method in which a variety of production information for the control or and / or the monitoring or control of a production process can be stored on the substrate and safely retrieved with low error rate ,

This object is achieved by a method for controlling or regulating a production process in the production of printed products according to claim 1.

The method according to the invention comprises at least the following steps: printing a code, in particular a 2D code or a matrix code, with production information contained therein for controlling or regulating the production process on the printing substrate; Detecting the code by means of a detection device; Evaluation of the production information contained in the code by means of an evaluation unit; Executing the control actions and / or monitoring functions on the basis of the determined production information by the printing unit; wherein production information obtained in the evaluation unit from the evaluation of the codes is completed and / or verified on the basis of clock information about the cycle of the production process.

According to the invention, the invention uses codes in order to print production information required for a production process in the production of printed products on the printing material, these codes subsequently being recorded and evaluated in order to determine, based on the production information determined therefrom, control actions and / or monitoring or Perform control functions. By using codes, you can increase the amount of production information that is printed on a substrate and subsequently captured and evaluated.

In this context, it is important for the invention that production information obtained from the evaluation of the codes via clock information about the cycle of the production process be completed and / or verified. If, therefore, a code printed on a signature should be largely or completely unreadable, the respective code or its production information can be reconstructed via the clock information of the production process. As a result, the production process in the production of printed products can be carried out more stably with less susceptibility to errors, so that less paper waste is produced or produced.

According to a first advantageous development of the invention, the timing information about the cycle of the production process of the evaluation are the control side specified. As a result, the production process in the production of printed products can be carried out more stably with less susceptibility to errors, so that less paper waste is produced or produced. This also allows complete monitoring and / or control and thus, if necessary, complete documentation of the respective print job.

According to a second advantageous development, the timing information about the cycle of the production process in the code is not contained as such but rather is learned during the production process by means of the evaluation unit from the production information obtained from the evaluation of the codes, namely from the sequence of codes or the sequence Codes containing signatures. As a result, the production process in the production of printed products can be carried out more stably with less susceptibility to errors, so that less paper waste is produced or produced. This also allows complete monitoring and / or control and thus, if necessary, complete documentation of the respective print job.

According to a third advantageous development of the invention, the timing information about the cycle of the production process in the code are contained as such and detected by means of the detection device and evaluated by means of the evaluation unit. As a result, the production process in the production of printed products can be carried out more stably with less susceptibility to errors, so that less paper waste is produced or produced. This also allows complete monitoring and / or control and thus, if necessary, complete documentation of the respective print job.

Preferred embodiments of the invention will become apparent from the dependent claims and the description below. Embodiments of the invention will be described, without being limited thereto, with reference to the drawings. Showing:

1 : a schematic structure of a printing system to illustrate the method according to the invention for controlling or regulating a production process in the production of printed products; and

2 a schematic representation of a signature sequence of multiple signatures.

The invention relates to a method for controlling and / or monitoring or controlling a production process in the production of printed products.

1 shows a printed substrate 1 , At the printing material web 1 can by cross-cutting using a cutter 7 signatures 2a . 2 B . 2c be isolated, in the Embodiment of 1 on the individual signatures 2a . 2 B . 2c printed pages 3 are printed.

1 can be seen that the signatures 2a . 2 B . 2c in terms of the number of printed pages printed on the same 3 can distinguish. It is also possible that all signatures with the same number of printed pages 3 are printed.

To control or regulate the production process in the production of printed products are on the substrate web 1 codes 4 , preferably matrix codes in the form of a DataMatrix code or QR code, printed, which contain production information for the control or regulation of the production process. According to 1 will be on every signature 2a . 2 B . 2c each printed at least one code, wherein in 1 on the signature 2a the code 4a and on the signature 2 B the code 4b is printed. The on the signature 2c printed code is in 1 not visible.

The production information can be all the data for the print job and for the further processing and finishing of the signatures, in particular data for positioning the printed pages 2 , the order of the printed pages 3 , the collecting order and the folding order.

As already stated, they contain the signatures 2a . 2 B . 2c the printing material web 1 printed codes 4a . 4b Production information about the printed products to be produced, which are used for the control and / or monitoring or control of the production process, wherein the codes by means of a detection device 6 standing on a truss 5 is mounted and transverse to the web direction B of the printing substrate 1 can be moved.

The detected codes are evaluated in an evaluation unit, not shown, in order to obtain production information contained in the codes, wherein subsequently control actions for the production process are executed on the basis of the production information determined in the evaluation unit on the printing system.

In particular, if a code is largely unreadable and therefore the product information contained therein in the evaluation unit can not be evaluated, to avoid a production interruption and / or the production of waste, based on timing information on the cycle of the production process product information obtained from the evaluation of the codes is completed and / or verified in the evaluation unit. The invention is based on the finding that a production process on a printing system always follows a certain timing or a certain rhythm, in which or in which signatures, that of a printed, web-shaped substrate web 1 be separated by transverse cutting, follow one another in the signature stream or subsequently combined into printed products or further processed. Should therefore a code 4 a signature 2 damaged and therefore not be evaluated, so based on the clock information of the code 4 be reconstructed so as to complete and / or verify the production information. This avoids production interruptions and reduces waste printing. This also allows complete monitoring and / or control and thus, if necessary, complete documentation of the respective print job.

2 shows a signature stream of signatures 2a . 2 B . 2c . 2d . 2e . 2f . 2g . 2h . 2i . 2y . 2k and 2l that with the codes 4a . 4b . 4c . 4d are printed. So bear the signatures 2a . 2e . 2i the code 4a , the signatures 2 B . 2f . 2y carry the code 4b , the signatures 2c . 2g . 2k carry the code 4c and the signatures 2d . 2h . 2l carry the code 4d ,

Should therefore, for example, the code 4d the signature 2h be damaged so that its production information can not be read, it can by using the clock information on the clock of the production process or the clock or rhythm of the signatures in the signature stream on the information content of the codes 4d the signatures 2l . 2d be resorted to the non-evaluable code 4d the signature 2d to reconstruct and complete production information.

Based on the timing information about the timing of the production process, production information can also be verified, for example, by the codes 4b the signatures 2 B . 2f and 2y obtained production information compared. In the event of a deviation, it is possible to conclude that the production process has been disrupted.

The timing information about the clock of the production process or the clock or rhythm of the signatures in the signature stream of the evaluation unit can be specified on the control side, for example via a parent Produktionsleitrechner.

Furthermore, it is possible for the clock information about the cycle of the production process to be contained in the code as such by means of the detection device 6 detected and evaluated by means of the evaluation unit.

Particularly preferred is a variant of the invention in which the timing information about the cycle of the production process is neither predetermined by a production control computer control side, nor is contained in the code as such, but rather is learned during the production process by means of the evaluation, namely from the evaluation the codes obtained production information. So can from the sequence of codes 4 in the signature stream or from the sequence of the corresponding production information of the codes 4 the rhythm of the production process or the bar or rhythm of the signatures 2 be learned automatically in the signature stream. This has the advantage that for the clock information in the code 4 no space needs to be kept ready, and that, moreover, no corresponding control-side link with a superordinate production control computer is required.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

substrate

2a

signature

2 B

signature

2c

signature

2d

signature

2e

signature

2f

signature

2g

signature

2h

signature

2i

signature

2y

signature

2k

signature

2l

signature

3

pressure side

4a

code

4b

code

4c

code

4d

code

5

traverse

6

detector

7

cutter

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited non-patent literature

• "Competence Direct Part Marking, Sick Sensor Intelligence, November 2007, Sick AG" [0004]

Claims (5)

Method for controlling or regulating a production process in the production of printed products from a web-shaped or sheet-shaped printing substrate ( 1 ) in a printing plant, the method comprising the steps of: printing a code ( 4a . 4b ), in particular a 2D code or a matrix code, with production information contained therein for the control or regulation of the production process on the printing substrate ( 1 ); Enter the code ( 4a . 4b ) by means of a detection device ( 6 ); Evaluation of the code ( 4a . 4b ) contained production information by means of an evaluation unit; Executing the control actions and / or monitoring functions on the basis of the determined production information by the printing unit; based on clock information about the cycle of the production process from the evaluation of the codes ( 4a . 4b ) are completed and / or verified in the evaluation unit. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the timing information on the clock of the production process of the evaluation are given control side. A method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the clock information is not included on the clock of the production process in the code as such, but during the production process by means of the evaluation unit from the (from the evaluation of the codes 4a . 4b ), namely from the sequence of codes ( 4a . 4b ) or the sequence of codes ( 4a . 4b ) having signatures. Method according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the timing information on the clock of the production process in the code is contained as such and detected by the detection means and evaluated by the evaluation unit. Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that as code ( 4 ) a 2D code or a matrix code, in particular DataMatrix code or a QR code, is used.

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