Digital Printing for Variable Packaging Graphics

Method for accurately aligning dynamic prints on packaging materials with static prints. The method involves removing the static print in predefined sections to reveal the underlying packaging material, creating a negative of the dynamic print inside the static print. A camera detects reference geometries from the static print and the manufactured negative to evaluate quality features like alignment and readability. This ensures proper positioning of dynamic prints despite packaging material variations.

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Display material and packaging that allows printing using lasers without needing separate labels. The material contains a laser printing layer that changes color when hit by laser light. This allows direct printing by laser irradiation. The layer thickness is optimized to provide visible contrast between printed and unprinted areas. The material also has transparency to maintain visibility of printed text. The layer is made by blending pigments that change color when lasered. The blending technique prevents segregation during extrusion. The laser printing layer is sandwiched between other layers for gas barrier properties.

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Form-fill-seal packaging machine that allows using a common film for different products without needing separate pre-printed films. The machine prints product information on both sides of the film before forming bags. This eliminates the need for different films with pre-printed labels for each product. The printing is synchronized with film transport and can be done with a single printer head. The printed areas are adjacent or integrated to avoid needing separate printer heads for each side. The printer contacts the heated areas for thermal printing.

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Display body like packaging with white printing layers that can be laser printed without delamination or color change. The display body has a white printing layer that allows laser printing. The printing layer contains pigments like titanium oxide or calcium carbonate that change color to black when lasered. The printing layer has a specific void content (10-80%) and void height (1-8 um) to efficiently absorb laser energy. This improves print density without reducing mechanical strength. The non-printed regions remain white. The white printing layer is laminated on the substrate without intermediate layers to prevent delamination.

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Method and packaging device for efficient and effective error handling in automated pouch filling machines for medicines. The method involves printing indicators on the web as the medicaments are fed into it. If errors are detected, fault indicators are printed on the web. The operator can then easily see and locate faulty pouches. This allows immediate intervention to discard faulty pouches without extensive retracing. The device has a web drive, printing station, and filling station.

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Packaging apparatus with improved printing quality and efficiency when the film conveyance speed changes during printing. The apparatus links the printing device operation to the conveyance speed using sensors. When the film speed changes mid-print, the control unit adjusts the printing device to compensate. This ensures consistent printing quality even with varying film speeds.

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Tracing and compensating for web position errors in roll-fed packaging machines to enable efficient and accurate production of packages with unique identifiers without the need for individualized printing. The method involves printing different decorations on sections of the web using multiple printing plates. The web is fed, buffered, and imaged to identify decor locations. The web position estimates are compared to the decor locations and adjusted to compensate for errors. This allows using decored sections from the printed web instead of individually printed packages for traceability without additional equipment.

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Automated carton box packaging device that can adjust the size of the packaging platform to fit boxes of different sizes, write user-specified text on the boxes, and move vertically to accommodate boxes at various heights. It has a body with wheels, hydraulic rods to adjust height, a movable flap to accommodate boxes, a conveyor belt, members with sliders to adjust platform size, telescoping grippers, suction cup, clip dispenser, clamp, cutting blade, screen, robot arm, and touch input. The device allows users to input box dimensions, height, text, and other commands through the touch screen.

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A high-speed system for converting sheet material into custom-sized packaging templates and boxes with features like printing, cutting, creasing, and erecting. The system has separate components for each conversion function arranged in sequence. This allows customization options like dynamic printing placement and size variation based on box size, while minimizing throughput limitations from complex repositioning movements between functions. The system also enables features like box erection and automated transfer.

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Digital printing on the inside of flexible packaging to add unique codes, promotional content, or varying patterns on the inner layers of flexible packaging using a separate digital printing process before lamination. This involves digitally printing on the laminated film rolls before combining them in the lamination process to create the final flexible packaging. A compensator roll is added to the lamination machine to adjust for the thickness variation from the digital printing. This allows precise, customizable inner printing that can vary per package while remaining regular and safe for products.

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Method to manufacture multilayer packaging films with digital printing that enables fast, reliable and cost-effective production of small quantity customized packaging. The method involves printing on the outer layer of an unprinted multilayer film using digital printing, treating the printed surface with corona discharge, heat laminating with an adhesive layer, and rapid cooling. This sequence reduces defects and time compared to conventional methods. The digital printing step involves corona treating the surface before printing, and secondary corona treatment on the printed surface. The lamination step uses an EVA adhesive layer between the printed film and protective film. Rapid cooling after lamination prevents film deformation. The tension sequence is first before printing, second after lamination, and higher during cooling. This prevents wrinkles and bubbles.

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Packaging with curved dot patterns that can be printed late in the manufacturing process to enable flexible curved product identification. The dots have non-integer spacing offsets between them, which creates curved dot patterns when viewed as a whole. This is achieved by selectively adjusting the spacing of adjacent dots beyond integer multiples of the dot diameter. The curved dot patterns can be printed using equipment that allows custom drop spacing.

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Managing information on packages containing multiple stacked boxes wrapped in a single layer film. The method involves printing product information on the film inside each box without damaging it. An RFID tag with unique ID is attached to the pack. The printed and RFID data is linked and stored using a computer. This allows easy scanning of the pack without needing multiple RFID tags or damaging the film.

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Digital printing apparatus for packaging machines that enables customization of packages without reducing production speed. The digital printing apparatus is integrated into a packaging machine for pourable products like juice. It allows printing customized content onto the packages as they are being formed and filled. This allows customization of some or all of the packages without slowing down the packaging line. The digital printing apparatus is designed to work with high-speed packaging machines and does not impact production rates. It allows customization of packages like juice cartons without needing separate customization lines.

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Display body like packaging film that can be printed using lasers. The display body has a white printing layer that allows laser printing. The printing layer has a printed region where laser irradiation has occurred and a nonprinted region. Key properties include: - Difference in color L* values between printed and nonprinted regions should be 1.0-10.0. Lower values make printing hard to see, higher values require more laser power. - Total luminous transmittance of nonprinted regions should be 8%-50%. Lower values provide better concealment but can cause void content and laser pigment exceeding thresholds. - Fractional decrease in thickness of printed region vs nonprinted region should be 1%-80%. Lower values provide less visual contrast, higher values risk holes and fractures.

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A method for producing high-quality, flat printed packaging material using an assembly with improved reliability and quality compared to conventional methods. The method involves printing the packaging material using inkjet printers and drying it using near-infrared (NIR) radiation. The key innovation is transporting the thin material through the drying station using a thermally-conductive carrier roller with adjustable temperature. This allows precise control of the material temperature during drying to prevent quality issues. The carrier roller can have negative pressure or electrostatic attraction to grip the material without tension. This allows transport by roller rotation only. Multiple printers can print each color separately with dedicated drying stations or a single station for high temp materials. The assembly can also have separate white printing and drying stages.

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Packaging discrete medicaments in pouches using a machine that improves efficiency and accuracy compared to manual packaging. The machine forms and fills pouches in an elongated web, prints information related to the medicaments on the web, and inspects the web for faults. When a fault is detected, it prints a symbol on an empty pouch before forming it. This allows operators to quickly identify faulty pouches by the symbol and discard them. The machine has features like web transport, printing, filling, inspection, and fault handling stations.

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Packaging apparatus that improves efficiency by linking printing to film speed. The apparatus has a laser printer, a conveyance unit, and a sensor to measure film speed. The printer is controlled based on the measured film speed to ensure consistent print quality as the film moves. This allows printing during normal conveyance instead of stopping or synchronizing. The sensor can be a rotating member or a contacting roller that moves with the film.

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Packaging apparatus with improved printing quality and efficiency by linking printing to film speed. The apparatus has a laser printer, a unit to acquire film speed info, and a control unit. The control links printer operation to the film speed based on the acquired info. This allows printing during film motion rather than stopping or waiting. By using a member contacting the film to directly measure speed, printing quality is maintained. If film speed changes mid-print, the printer adjusts. This raises efficiency compared to waiting for stops.

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Frame to install a cheese packaging film printer directly on the cheese packaging machine to enable continuous printing and packaging of cheese using the same machine. The frame has features like a printer mount, film supply, film support, and tension maintenance to connect the printer, supply film, support printed film, and maintain tension during transfer. It prevents printer tilting during film feeding by sensing magnetic height differences and tilting the printer back. This allows continuous printing and packaging of cheese in a single space.

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