DE112021006128T5 - System and method for tracking printing system metrics and predictively monitoring a printing tool - Google Patents

Abstract

A system and method for tracking printing system metrics in a printing workflow for producing a printed image on a substrate. The system has one or more printing system tools (1310) that have a machine-readable unique identifier (1312), a reading device (1320) that is set up to read the machine-readable identifier, a database (1330) with a stored data record (1332) , associated with each of the printing system tools, one or more detectors (1350) for measuring information corresponding to one or more usage metrics of the printing system, and a processor (1340) connected to the reading device and to the one or more detectors is. The processor (1340) is configured to process the measured information and the machine-readable unique identifier, to generate processed information corresponding to the one or more usage metrics, and to provide each record for each of the one or more printing system tools with the processed information updates that correspond to one or more usage metrics.

Description

Cross-reference to related applications

The present application claims priority over the US provisional application 63/117,651 entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TRACKING PRINTING SYSTEM METRICS AND PERFORMING PREDICTIVE MONITORING OF A PRINTING TOOL,” filed November 24, 2000, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Background of the invention

Many printing presses require tools that are involved in the process of transferring ink from the ink source to the substrate to be printed. Some of these tools are designed for a specific print motif, while others can be used for several different motifs or even generically. Most of these tools have a limited lifespan during which they will wear out until they are eventually replaced with new or refurbished tools. An example of specially designed tools is the printing plate, which is designed according to a specific graphic pattern. Examples of tools that can be used for many different designs include anilox rollers, while general tools include doctor blades, blankets and inkjet printheads.

Changes to the tools caused by physical degradation, damage or malfunction may occur gradually or suddenly, during use on the press, during cleaning, during transport between the press and the warehouse, and depending on time and other effects. Most changes can affect either the quality of the print on the substrate or the settings of the printing press and other devices that interact with the tools, or both, with gradual or immediate effects. Deterioration in print quality can be detected on the press itself by automated inspection systems such as AVT Apollo. Once detected, it can be used as the basis for automatic or manual root cause analysis to identify the component of the press that needs to be corrected.

If the printing error is found to be caused by one of the above tools, it may need to be replaced immediately or at a later date. A tool may need to be replaced even if it is not yet causing a noticeable printing error but is showing signs of deteriorating performance.

The most common practice currently is to replace consumables (e.g., parts that will eventually be replaced, sometimes referred to as "expendable" or "replaceable" parts) based on a certain level of usage - meters (or other unit of length in the machine direction) of printed material is a common measurement. Once a printing plate has been used for a certain number of printing meters, it can be retired and a new one ordered so that it is ready for the next printing. An anilox roll may be cleaned based on a first defined threshold of printed meters and renewed based on a second threshold of printed meters.

Many tools have a reasonable lifespan, either set by the manufacturer or known to printers from experience. The service life is influenced by the interactions between the tools and other components, such as ink and printing material, and can therefore also depend on the graphic content of the printed image. Due to the complexity of interactions, it is difficult for printers to accurately predict when a tool will wear to the point of causing damage to the print, and therefore a rule of thumb is applied that aims to achieve maximum machine utilization while maintaining sufficient product quality guarantee. For example, white inks are more aggressive to the anilox surface than most other colors, so anilox used on a white ink deck will deteriorate more quickly than others. Printers currently have no way of tracking which anilox was used for how many meters with which ink, as this is impractical without an automated system that collects this information.

A high utilization of the printing press requires that all preparations for a print job are made so that printing does not have to be interrupted in the middle of the job in order to complete a print job to replace consumables such as a plate or a rubber blanket. That's why printing companies prefer to replace tools earlier than they are actually needed, to be on the safe side. An important parameter for the replacement decision is the useful life of the tool, comparable to the mileage of a car. Another parameter is the color of the ink and the position of this color in the print job. However, the printers do not have a count of how many meters each tool has been used because the tools have no individual identification and their mileage is not recorded in any logging system. So printers are in the dark, knowing only roughly how many miles a plate or blanket has been used, and replacing or overhauling it before they need to, to avoid leaving a press waiting for a replacement part.

For general tools such as doctor blades and inkjet printing modules, print quality is a key factor - printers prefer to operate their doctor blades and inkjet modules as long as they provide sufficient print quality and only replace them when the quality is too low. This delay in replacement can result in press downtime when there is ultimately no choice but to replace the tooling.

As far as specially designed tools are concerned, this "play it safe" policy applies particularly to long-running print jobs or to print jobs that are printed repeatedly at regular intervals, reusing the same tools for the job in question. The production of such tools takes a lot of time and requires action well in advance when needed.With generic or near-generic tools that can be used for all print jobs or for some print jobs, replacement is less of a problem because they are kept in stock and for many different orders can be used.

This results in many tools being replaced prematurely, tool costs being higher than they should be, and printers not having a clear understanding of these costs. Therefore, better systems and procedures are needed to predict when a printing tool should be replaced.

Various ways to track information during a platemaking workflow are discussed in the PCT application PCT/EP2020/078112 filed on October 7, 2020 and priority for the US provisional application 62/911,568 filed on October 7, 2019, entitled “SYSTEM AND PROCESS FOR PERSISTENT MARKING OF FLEXO PLATES AND PLATES MARKED THEREWITH.” The foregoing PCT application, when filed in the applicable jurisdictions, may be construed as a continuation-in-part of U.S -Patent application 16/559,702 entitled “SYSTEM AND PROCESS FOR PERSISTENT MARKING OF FLEXO PLATES AND PLATES MARKED THEREWITH,” filed September 4, 2019, which is a continuation-in-part of the U.S. patent application 16/433,873 which was filed on June 6, 2019 and is a partial continuation of the PCT application PCT/EP19/052536 , filed February 1, 2019, which claims priority to the U.S. provisional patent application 62/653,972 , filed on April 6, 2018, all entitled "METHOD FOR PERSISTENT MARKING OF FLEXO PLATES WITH WORKFLOW INFORMATION AND PLATES MARKED THEREWITH", the contents of all of the foregoing being hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes and collectively referred to herein as the “Esko Persistent Marking Disclosures”.

The above Esko disclosures describe exemplary systems for producing a flexographic plate. Exemplary systems include a plurality of processing machines, each processing machine configured to perform one or more process steps in a workflow, including at least an image processing step, a curing step, a washing step or other step for removing uncured polymer, a printing step, and optionally a cutting step , a storage step or a combination thereof, each processing machine having a controller and at least one variable operating parameter controlled by the controller. The system includes means for applying machine-readable markings to the flexographic plate. The machine readable markings are set up to be permanently readable after washing (and cutting, if any) without being printed in the printing step. The machine-readable tag may include information that includes at least a disk identifier and instructions corresponding to the at least one variable operating parameter for each of the processing machines or information corresponding to an address in computer memory in which the information resides.

The means for providing the identifier may include a computer programmed with instructions for embedding information into a code, for example a two-dimensional code such as a QR code, a bar code, or any machine-readable code known in the art, as well a computer programmed with instructions to provide information formatted for embedding in a magnetic stripe or in a chip, such as an RFID chip, that can be read by any reading device known in the art. The means for providing the code may further include a printer for printing a 2D code and an imager for embedding the code into a printing plate so that the code is available after plate processing as well as after the full set of plate processing steps for which that plate is adapted. is readable. The means for providing an RFID code includes machines for writing information to an RFID-readable chip and machines for writing information to a magnetic stripe as are known in the art, together with any processing equipment known in the art for manufacturing of an RFID chip and the associated antenna(s) to a fully functional RFID module or to create a magnetic strip and apply the strip to a surface.

The marking can be arranged in a polymer strip in the plate. In one embodiment, the indicia may be located in a portion of the panel that is later cut off. In some embodiments, the markings may be arranged on the bottom of the plate using areas with and without polymer in the bottom of the plate and/or by clusters of microdots arranged according to the code.

A plurality of readers are configured to read the labels on the flexographic plate, including at least one reader that communicates with each controller of each processing machine. The reading device may include a mobile device, such as a cell phone, tablet computer, or the like, that has a camera and is programmed with instructions to capture an image of the code. The mobile device may have stored therein instructions for converting the image information into information readable by the controller and/or into information displayed on a display and readable by a human operator, or the mobile device may be connected via a network, such as a wireless one Network, communicate with a central processor that converts the image into information readable by the control unit. The information for instructing the control device may be transmitted from the mobile device to the control device directly after converting the image information into such instructions, or from the central processor to the control device after receiving the image from the mobile device, or from the central processor back to the mobile device and then on the control device. In other systems, the reading device may be directly connected to the processing machine and dedicated to that machine. In some embodiments that include mobile devices or dedicated reading devices, the reading device may be connected to or communicate with the machine via a wired connection or via a local wireless connection, such as via Bluetooth technology.

Exemplary controllers are configured to receive instructions from the reading device corresponding to the variable operating parameters stored in or associated with the indices and to control the processing engine in accordance with that at least one instruction. Such a controller may include a computer processor, accompanying media for storing machine-readable instructions, and accompanying connections to the various portions of the processing machine in the workflow to carry out the process, all of which components are well known in the art. The controller is programmed with commands to receive the information from the reading device corresponding to the variable operating parameters and to incorporate these parameters into the control commands delivered by the controller to the various sections controlled thereby. It is understood that the various sections controlled by the control unit may be digital or analog devices and, where necessary, the control unit or converters connected thereto may convert control information from digital to analog and acquired feedback or monitoring from analog to digital formats or the other way around.

In one embodiment, the workflow includes a proofer, and the information read from the indicia may include quality information indicative of printing characteristics associated with the plate.

Preferred embodiments also include a workflow tracking controller that communicates with each of the plurality of reading devices. Tracking control is on to receive from each of the plurality of reading devices a message indicating the time and position of each flexographic plate scanned by the reading device in the process. The tracking control is further configured to provide output indicating the real-time workflow positions of a plurality of flexographic plates in process. This output may be on a screen connected to a central processor running commands to operate the tracking controller, and may also be provided to mobile devices serving as a reading device and/or screens associated with a computer connected to a network connected to the tracking controller. The tracking controller includes a processor and instructions stored on computer-readable media for programming the processor to receive and store information from the multiple reading devices and to process that information into an output of a tracking report.

Exemplary flexographic printing plates made according to the foregoing methods have machine-readable markings on the flexographic printing plate that are designed to remain permanently readable after washing (and cutting, if any) without printing in a printing step of a plate workflow. The machine-readable indicators embody information that includes instructions corresponding to at least one variable operating parameter for each of a plurality of processing machines or embody information that corresponds to an address in a computer memory in which the instructions are located, as described herein.

The evidence can include, for example, a two-dimensional code, such as a QR code or a barcode, an RFID module or a magnetic strip. As described herein, the indices may be located in a polymer strip in the plate and/or on a bottom of the plate using areas with and without polymer in the plate bottom, such as those created by using clusters of microdots arranged in the LAMS layer can be used to create structures that rise slightly above the ground, but not above a pressure plane. And, as described herein, a first representation of the label may be located at a first location on the disk and a second representation of the label may be located at a second location on the disk, particularly wherein the first location is in a portion of the disk that is furnished is to be cut away from the plate, and the second location is in a bottom of the plate in an imaged area of the plate.

Computer-readable media comprising non-transitory instructions readable by a machine, the instructions embodying any of the methods and process steps described above,

The machine-readable instructions may also include tracking control software and machines programmed with such software. Such instructions may include instructions for providing machine-readable characters on the flexographic disk, including embodying information in the characters that corresponds to an address in computer memory. The instructions may also include instructions to store information in the computer memory at a location identified by the address that includes at least one variable operating parameter for each of the processing machines. The program may also include instructions for receiving communication from a reading device of the indices and instructions for transmitting variable operating parameters to a corresponding one of the processing machines. Such a system may further include instructions for implementing a workflow tracking control, the tracking control communicating with each of the reading devices associated with each of the processing machines and arranged to receive communications from a plurality of reading devices so arranged are that they read the identification of a large number of flexographic printing plates in progress in the workflow, the identification also having a plate identifier. The communications received from the reading device indicate the positions of the flexographic printing plates in process. The programmed instructions further include instructions for tracking a workflow location for each of the plurality of flexographic printing plates in process in real time based on the communications and instructions for providing the tracking information as an output.

The Esko Persistent Marking disclosures also describe flexographic plate processing machines capable of performing at least one plate processing step in a plate processing workflow, the machines having a controller configured to communicate one or more variable parameters for controlling the plate processing machine a reading device. The reading device communicates with the controller, which is arranged to read machine-readable characters on a flexographic disk to be processed, the characters containing at least instructions corresponding to the variable operating parameters or information corresponding to an address corresponding to a memory location in the computer , where the instructions are located. The reading device is configured to read the instructions embodied in the embodiment or the address corresponding to the information embodied in the embodiment and send the communication with the at least one variable operating parameter to the control unit after passing through the at least one variable operating parameter Reading the embodiment or by querying the computer memory address corresponding to the information embodied in the embodiment. The controller is also configured to control the processing machine based at least in part on at least one variable operating parameter received from the reading device. Reading devices for use in systems and methods for producing a flexographic plate with permanent markings have at least one detector adapted to read the markings from the flexographic plate, for example a camera for reading a 2D code, an RFID receiver and transmitter or Transceiver for transmitting an RF signal and receiving an RFID response transmission from an RFID or magnetic stripe reader. A communication connection in the reading device communicates with at least one controller of at least one processing machine, which is set up to carry out at least one of the process steps, and with a central processor, which is set up to monitor the workflow. The reading device may also include a processor configured to process the information read by the embodiments, communicate to the controller of the at least one processing machine the at least one variable operating parameter included in the embodiments or stored at the address that corresponds to the information contained in the embodiments, and communicates to the central processor information about the flexographic disk read by the reading device and a location of the reading device within the workflow. The communication with the controller can be a direct communication or a communication that has an intermediate communication between the reading device and a central computer. In particular, when the tag represents an address on a network, the reading device may be able to read the address, connect to the address, download the information from the address, and communicate the information to the processing engine. Communication with the processing machine may be accomplished by any wired or wireless method known in the art, including, but not limited to, the methods specifically described herein.

The methods, systems and computer program products described herein may be adapted to produce plates in which non-printing indicia are placed on the bottom of the plate as the presence or absence of polymer by any of various methods. One method may include imaging the microdots during a LAMS slice imaging step. The microdots on the resulting plate may comprise a repeating pattern of alphanumeric characters, non-text graphics, or a combination thereof that can be read by a human and/or machine. The repeating pattern can contain alphanumeric characters containing information such as order number, separation color, version, date, or a combination thereof. In one embodiment, the non-printing characters include branding information. In another embodiment, at least a portion of the non-printing characters may be derived from at least two different types of microdots, for example a combination that produces visible characters only if, during processing of the plate, a growth difference between one of the types compared to another of the species occurs during curing. The growth difference may result from suboptimal processing conditions with respect to at least one processing parameter, such as optical focusing or purity, soil thickness, actinic irradiation parameters, or type of manufacturing equipment.

The non-printing markings can be used to create a line for plate registration, such as a line positioned on the plate so that it is aligned parallel to the intended direction of travel of the printing plate in the printing press.

The image information for the non-printing labels can be saved in one layer of a PDF file. In some embodiments, the image information for the non-printing characters is combined with the printing image information by merging two 1-bit image files. The combination of image information for the non-printing evidence can be combined with print image information in a raster image processor.

In some embodiments, the described methods, systems, computer-readable instructions, and resulting plates may relate to forming the non-printing indicia in the form of one or more bumps having a plate thickness above a predefined floor level, wherein the microdots corresponding to the non-printing indicia form the one or more bumps define. In other embodiments, the non-printing characters are provided in the form of one or more depressions having a plate thickness below a predefined floor level, with the microdots corresponding to the non-printing characters defining the predefined floor height. An exemplary method for providing such depressions includes the following steps: forming a subfloor having a thickness below the predetermined floor height by performing a back-exposure step with an energy intensity less than that required to produce the predefined floor height, and thereafter Forming the predefined floor height by distributing a plurality of microdots at locations where the predefined floor height is desired and omitting microdots at locations where the depressions forming the characters are desired. Exemplary systems for producing a flexographic plate include a processing device configured to perform one or more process steps in a workflow, the processing device having a controller and at least one variable operating parameter controlled by the controller, including one or more units the processing device arranged to provide non-printing characters on the flexographic plate disposed on a bottom of the plate using microdots. The processing equipment may include one or more of the following: imaging equipment, curing equipment, washing or other equipment for removing uncured polymers, printing equipment, cutting equipment, or a combination thereof, and the non-printing identifiers are arranged to be located downstream of the washing or other equipment Steps for removing uncured polymers and the optional cutting steps are permanently readable without being printed in the printing step. In some embodiments, the non-printing indicia may be in the form of one or more ridges having a plate thickness above a predefined floor height, with the microdots corresponding to the non-printing indicia defining the one or more ridges. In some embodiments, the non-printing characters are in the form of one or more depressions having a plate thickness below a predefined floor height, with the microdots corresponding to the non-printing characters defining the predefined floor height.

Some embodiments include a flexographic plate having non-printing indicia disposed on a bottom of the plate in the form of areas with and without polymer in the plate bottom defined by microdots. The non-printing markings may be designed to be permanently readable, for example after washing or other steps to remove uncured polymer and optional cutting, without being printed in a printing step of a plate workflow. The non-printing indicia may be in the form of one or more ridges, the plate thickness of which is above a predefined floor height, with the microdots corresponding to the non-printing indicia defining the one or more ridges, or the non-printing indicia may be in the form of one or more depressions, the plate thickness of which is less lies at a predefined floor height, with the microdots corresponding to the non-printing license plates defining the predefined floor height. The microdots may represent alphanumeric characters or a repeating pattern of alphanumeric characters, non-text graphics, or a combination thereof. The alphanumeric characters can contain information such as order number, separation color, version, date, or a combination thereof. The characters may include branding information. The non-printing characters may include a line aligned to align with an element of the plate processing equipment and arranged to verify the orientation of the plate relative to the element of the plate processing equipment.

Some embodiments may include non-printing indicia that include a plurality of plate structures derived from processing at least two different types of microdots. At least a portion of the non-printing marking may include the plurality of plate structures derived from the at least two different types of microdots in a combination due to a size difference between plate structures derived from one of the microdot types compared to plate structures derived from another the microdot types are visible. Such a size difference may indicate the presence of suboptimal processing conditions with respect to at least one out-of-spec processing parameter. The suboptimal processing condition may refer to a processing parameter selected from the group consisting of: optical focus or purity, actinic irradiation parameter, type of manufacturing equipment. At least one section of the lot A number of plate structures derived from the at least two different types of microdots may include at least a first structure comprising microdots formed from a first, relatively larger number of pixels and a second structure comprising microdots , which are formed from a second, relatively smaller number of pixels. In such embodiments, the deviation of one or both structures from an expected height above ground signals the presence of a suboptimal processing condition. Multiple structures may be provided comprising microdots formed from different numbers of pixels, including at least one non-printing microdot formed from a number of pixels expected to form non-printing characters under optimal processing conditions, and at least one printing microdot formed from a number of pixels expected to form printing characters under optimal processing conditions, wherein the actual height of one or both of the first structure and the second structure signals the suboptimal processing condition.

A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium in which data is stored may contain instructions for imaging a first plurality of printing dots defining a rasterized image for producing printing patterns on a flexographic printing plate and a second plurality of non-printing microdots defining non-printing Define and exhibit evidence. The non-printing characters define one or more features selected from the group consisting of: alphanumeric characters, non-text graphics, a repeating pattern of alphanumeric characters, a line, and characters that are at least two different types of microdots. The non-printing characters may comprise at least two different types of microdots, including at least one type of microdots that are relatively larger in size and adapted to be visible on a plate processed under optimal conditions, and another type of microdots that have a relatively smaller size and are arranged so that they are not visible on a plate processed under suboptimal conditions. The non-printing characters may include at least two different types of microdots in a combination arranged to be visible on a plate processed under suboptimal conditions because the plate structures derived from one of the microdot types are compared to the plate structures which come from another of the microdot types and are of different sizes. The instructions relating to the non-printing indices may be configured to generate one or more bumps having a plate thickness above a predefined floor height, wherein the microdots corresponding to the non-printing indices define the one or more bumps at locations, that do not provide support for a pressure point. The instructions may instead or may be configured to generate non-printing indicia in the form of one or more depressions having a plate thickness below a predefined floor level, with the non-printing microdots defining the predefined floor level.

A method of making a flexographic plate includes non-printing indicia disposed on a bottom of the plate using areas of polymer presence and absence in the plate bottom, the non-printing indicia being disposed on a bottom of the plate, and the method forming of the non-printing evidence by exposure to actinic radiation from a rear, non-printing side of the plate. The non-printing characters may include alphanumeric characters, non-text graphics, a machine-readable code, a line, and combinations or repeating patterns of any of the foregoing.

The process may include a primary back exposure and an additional back exposure. In embodiments where the non-printing characters include areas where polymer is present on the platen bottom, the method may include forming the platen bottom using the primary backside exposure and forming the non-printing characters located over the platen bottom using the additional Include back exposure. In embodiments where the non-printing indices include areas without polymer in the platen bottom, the method may include forming a sub-base corresponding to a height of the non-printing indices using the primary back exposure and forming the plate bottom using the additional back exposure.

The primary back exposure may be performed before the additional back exposure, and the additional exposure may be performed after the primary back exposure but before the front exposure. The primary back exposure may be performed by a first exposure source and the additional back exposure may be performed by a second exposure source. The first exposure source and the second exposure source may be spaced apart at a fixed ratio, the method comprising causing relative movement between the platen and the first and second exposure sources. Exposure of the front surface may be accomplished by a third exposure source spaced from the front surface of the plate in a fixed relationship to the first and second exposure sources.

The additional backside exposure can be provided by an LED matrix comprising a plurality of individual LED units, by a digital light processing unit (DLP), or by blocking the radiation from one or more sources through a masking component, such as a liquid crystal diode matrix ( LCD) or a film. The additional backside exposure can be carried out by directing the radiation onto an imaging plane arranged above the plate base. The non-printable characters may include structures comprising a plurality of individually definable microdots or may be continuous embossed structures.

The additional back exposure and the main exposure may occur simultaneously, or the additional back exposure may occur in a different step than the main exposure. The additional back exposure can occur over an area of the plate that is smaller than the entire area of the plate. In this case, the method may include selecting an area of the plate for additional back exposure that prevents the non-printing characters from interfering with the printing characteristics.

A system for making a flexographic plate by curing a photopolymer plate with actinic radiation includes a front exposure system configured to direct actinic radiation to a front side of the printing plate to produce printing features defined over a bottom of the plate, and a back exposure system , which is arranged to direct primary actinic radiation and additional actinic radiation onto a back side of the printing plate to produce the floor and non-printing features that are raised or lowered relative to the floor. The back illumination system may include an LED matrix to provide the additional actinic radiation and may further include optics configured to focus the radiation from the LED matrix to a desired plane relative to the plate, which plane is above the The slab floor can be located.

In some embodiments, the backside exposure system includes a primary backside radiation source configured to deliver the primary actinic radiation and an additional backside radiation source configured to deliver the additional actinic radiation. The primary backside radiation source and the additional backside radiation source may be spaced apart a first distance in a fixed relationship, the system further comprising means for effecting relative movement between the panel and the primary and additional backside radiation sources. The front exposure system may include a front side radiation source spaced from a front side of the panel in a fixed relationship at a second distance relative to the primary back side radiation source, and the means for effecting relative movement may be further configured to provide movement between the plate and the front side radiation source. The first distance and the second distance can be adjustable.

The backside exposure system may include a DLP matrix configured to deliver the additional actinic radiation. In other embodiments, the backside exposure system may include a source of actinic radiation and a masking component - such as a liquid crystal matrix (LCD) or film - disposed between the source and the panel. In such configurations, the source is configured to emit actinic radiation toward the masking component and the masking component is configured to transmit the additional actinic radiation to the plate.

An exemplary flexographic plate may therefore include printing structures formed from cured photopolymer with a printing height above a bottom of the plate and configured to be printed in a printing step of a plate workflow; and non-printing marking structures designed to remain permanently readable without printing in the printing step of the plate workflow. The non-printing indicia are arranged on a bottom of the plate in the form of areas with or without cured photopolymer relative to the plate bottom and may include embossed, continuous features that are not defined by discrete microdots.

A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium may have data stored therein, including a first set of instructions for imaging a first plurality of printing dots defining a rasterized image for producing printing structures on a flexographic printing plate by exposure to actinic radiation from a front side of the printing plate, and a second set of instructions for imaging non-printing characters by exposure to actinic radiation from a back side of the printing plate, the non-printing characters defining one or more features selected from the group consisting of: alphanumeric characters, non-text Graphics, a machine-readable code, a line and combinations or repeating patterns of any of the foregoing.

A method of making a flexographic plate includes non-printing characters disposed on a bottom of the plate using areas with and without polymer in the plate bottom, the non-printing characters being disposed on a bottom of the plate. The method includes forming the non-printing indicia, at least in part, by exposure to actinic radiation from a rear, non-printing side of the plate. The non-printing characters can be continuous embossed structures. The method may include a primary back exposure and an additional back exposure. The non-printing indicia may include areas where no polymer is present in the platen bottom, the method comprising forming a sub-base corresponding to a height of the non-printing indicia using the primary back exposure and forming the platen bottom using the additional back exposure . In another embodiment, in which the non-printing indicia includes areas where no polymer is present in the platen bottom, the method includes creating a plurality of openings in an exposure mask the size of non-printing features, with the absence of such features occurring at one location , which corresponds to the non-printing evidence. The plate is then exposed through the exposure mask so that the plate bottom has a first, relatively greater height in the areas aligned with the openings the size of the non-printing features, and the plate bottom in an area aligned with the Lacking such features, it has a second, relatively lower height. The raised floor can be created by a combination of front and back exposure, back exposure only, or front exposure only.

In short, all of the foregoing concepts as previously disclosed in the Esko Persistent Marking disclosures form the background to the invention described, and all aspects of the foregoing concepts can be incorporated into the devices, methods and processes described for the first time herein.

Summary of the invention

One aspect of the system relates to a system for tracking printing system metrics in a printing workflow for producing a printed image on a substrate. The system includes one or more printing system tools, each including a machine-readable unique identifier disposed therein or thereon; a reading device configured to read the machine-readable unique identifier; a database stored in computer memory that includes a data set associated with each of the one or more printing system tools; one or more detectors for measuring information corresponding to one or more usage metrics of the printing system; and a processor connected to the reading device and the one or more detectors. The processor is configured to process the measured information and the machine-readable unique identifier, to generate processed information corresponding to the one or more usage metrics, and to update each record for each of the one or more printing system tools with the processed information that correspond to one or more usage metrics. The one or more printing system tools may include a printing plate, an anilox roller, a doctor blade, a punching tool, or an inkjet module. The processed information corresponding to the one or more usage metrics may include a value corresponding to a substrate length printed with the printing system and a listing of the combined printing system tools that were used to print the substrate length. The system may further include a machine vision system configured to detect an error in the printed image on the substrate. The printing tool may include a printing plate having one or more wear indicator structures, at least a portion of which is at a height designed to produce a printed form only when adjacent printing structures or an adjacent portion at a higher height experience a loss of height suffer, . The system for Computer vision may be configured to detect the printed form corresponding to the at least one section as a defect, and the printed form may not be recognized by the naked eye.

In some embodiments, the printing system tool includes a printing plate defined by a volume of cured polymer, and the machine-readable unique identifier is defined by a portion of the volume of cured polymer. In other embodiments, the printing system tool may include a printing plate defined by a volume of cured polymer, and the machine-readable unique identifier includes a discrete structure not defined by the volume of cured polymer. The machine-readable unique identifier can be adhered to the volume of the cured polymer. The machine-readable unique identifier can be adhered to the printing plate using a radiation-cured adhesive. The machine-readable unique identifier may be a non-printing structure or a conditionally printing structure that is configured to print only when a print contact pressure above a predetermined threshold is applied.

The machine vision system may be arranged to compare a captured image of a print with a design file corresponding to the printed image on the substrate, or with a recorded image that has been previously determined to be acceptable, herein referred to as "known good." “Image” is called. The known good image may be an early image that was printed and stored with the relevant printing device at the required settings (for example, by capturing a high-resolution photographic image) before being worn and carefully checked for acceptability. The system may be configured to track and be configured to track differences between the design file (or a known good image) and a plurality of captured images of printed images on corresponding substrates that have accumulated over time that it issues a notification when the tracked differences have a difference that exceeds a predetermined threshold.

The database may further include stored printing tool information selected from the group consisting of: the type of printing tool, the materials of construction of the printing tool; manufacturing details corresponding to the printing tool; cleaning details corresponding to the printing tool; and interactions of the printing tool with one or more of: identified printing machines, printing inks, substrates and other chemicals in contact with the printing tool. The system may further include machine-readable media accessible to the processor and containing instructions that cause the processor to implement a machine learning algorithm with a pattern recognition function to calculate the usage metrics and the information about the printing tool stored in the database analyze and provide predictive monitoring information.

Another aspect of the invention relates to a method for tracking printing system metrics in a printing workflow for producing a printed image on a substrate, using one or more printing system tools. The method includes the following steps: attaching a machine-readable unique identifier to each of the one or more printing system tools; reading the machine-readable unique identifier at one or more points along the printing workflow with a reading device connected to a processor; storing a record associated with each of the one or more printing system tools in a database in computer memory; measuring information corresponding to one or more usage metrics of the printing system with one or more detectors connected to the processor; processing the information measured by the one or more detectors and the reading device with the processor to generate processed information corresponding to the one or more usage metrics; and updating, with the processor, the record for each of the one or more printing system tools with the processed information corresponding to the one or more usage metrics. The processed information for the one or more usage metrics may include a value corresponding to a length of the substrate printed with the printing system and a listing of combined printing system tools that were used to print the length of the substrate. The method may include detecting a defect in the printed image on the substrate using a machine vision system. The printing tool may include a printing plate that includes one or more wear indicator structures having at least a portion at a height configured to produce a printed form only when adjacent printing structures or an adjacent portion at a higher height experience a loss of height experienced, and recognizing the error includes that Detecting the printed form that corresponds to the at least one section. The printed form may not be visible to the naked eye.

In some embodiments, the printing system tool includes a printing plate defined by a volume of cured polymer, and the step of attaching the machine-readable unique identifier on or in the printing tool includes forming the identifier by exposing at least a portion of the volume of cured polymer. In other embodiments, the printing system tool includes a printing plate defined by a volume of the cured polymer, and the step of attaching the machine-readable unique identifier on or in the printing tool includes providing the machine-readable unique identifier as a discrete structure that is not defined by the volume of the cured polymer and attaching it to the volume of the cured polymer. The method may include bonding the discrete structure of the machine-readable unique identifier to the volume of the cured polymer, such as, for example, bonding the discrete structure of the machine-readable unique identifier to the printing plate with a radiation-cured adhesive. The machine-readable unique identifier may be a conditional printing structure configured to print only when a print contact pressure is applied above a predetermined threshold, and the step of reading the machine-readable unique identifier includes applying a print contact pressure above the predetermined threshold and capturing an image of a print formed thereby that includes an image of the machine-readable unique identifier.

The method may include the machine vision system comparing a captured image of the printed image on the substrate with a corresponding design file or a “known good image.” Such a method may further include the step of tracking differences between the design file (or known good image) and a plurality of captured images of images printed on corresponding substrates accumulated over time, and optionally providing notification, if the tracked differences have a difference that exceeds a predetermined threshold.

Embodiments may include the step of storing in the database information about the printing tool selected from the group consisting of: the type of printing tool; the materials of the construction of the printing tool; the manufacturing details corresponding to the printing tool; the cleaning details corresponding to the printing tool; and the interactions of the printing tool with one or more of: identified printing machines, inks, substrates and other chemicals in contact with the printing tool. The method may include implementing a machine learning algorithm with a pattern recognition function with the processor to analyze the usage metrics and the information about the printing tool stored in the database and to provide predictive monitoring information generated by the machine learning algorithm.

Brief description of the drawings

• 1 is a schematic embodiment of a workflow process with a tracking control.
• 2A is a schematic diagram showing a disk having labels that are read by a reader in communication with a controller in an exemplary workflow system. 2 B is a schematic cross-sectional diagram of an exemplary flexo plate having first and second indicia.
• 3 shows a polymer plate in process that has a LAM and cones made of cured polymer.
• 4 shows a microscopic image of a plate 2000, which, among other things, shows tilted cones that are still standing.
• 5 shows a section of a plate with cones not attached to the ground.
• 6 shows a plate with overlapping cones forming structures connected to the ground but at a height below the top of the plate.
• 7A shows a height profile of a printing plate with a stack, which shows the corresponding printing results at different contact pressures above the plate.
• 7B shows an enlarged section of 7A .
• 8th shows a UV light source with a plurality of segments arranged relative to the polymer plate base, with the pressure contact markings rising from the base cured by the light source, for example for a wear indicator.
• 9 shows a profile of the cured polymer for a plate having printing structures at a first height for areas of relatively high ink coverage, printing structures at a second height for areas of relatively low ink coverage, and non-printing structures at a third height, for example for forming non-printing Sign.
• 10 is a diagram illustrating the parameters of exemplary pixel cluster sizes and spacing for producing a feature elevation at a predetermined height above the ground on a particular plate using a square pattern of mask openings spaced at a constant distance in the horizontal and vertical directions.
• 11 is an example of a square pattern of mask openings arranged at a constant distance in horizontal and vertical directions.
• 12 is a flowchart of an exemplary method according to an embodiment of the invention.
• 13 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary embodiment of an aspect of the invention.

Detailed description of the invention

1 12 shows schematically a prior art workflow 100 that includes a plurality of process machines 110, 120, etc., each configured to perform one or more process steps in the workflow of creating a printing plate.

Like in the 2A and 2 B shown, the applicant has previously disclosed a method and a structure for marking flexographic printing plates 200 and their precursor states, which makes it possible to associate process-relevant information by attaching markings 212, 214 to the plate itself and thereby control process steps based on this information to enable. Preferably, the processing machines used for the disks are also equipped with or communicate with a reading device 220 which is arranged to read the markings and is arranged to receive the process parameters required for the disk to be processed and the status of the disks in progress to a central control computer 170 based on the information derived from reading the marks. Embodiments of the system thus enable monitoring and control of the entire plate manufacturing process for all plates in the workflow chain from order receipt to plate storage after printing.

While the parameters for raster image processing and imaging are provided directly from a computer via a file, the parameters for the remaining steps are ideally placed on the disk according to aspects of the invention. Example steps in the workflow may include a UV exposure step performed by a UV exposure system 110, a thermal or chemical processing step performed by a thermal or chemical processing device 120, a finishing step performed by a finishing device 130, etc Cutting step performed by a cutter 140, attaching one or more cut portions of a plate to a substrate with an attaching device 150, and printing in a flexographic process with a printer 160 using the substrate with the plate portions mounted therein. The workflow may also have additional steps at the beginning or end that are inserted between the specifically presented steps. For example, the UV exposure step is typically preceded by an imaging step, the imaging step is preceded by an ordering step and the printing step is preceded by a storage step. The blocks associated with each processing step are exemplary only, and a single machine may execute steps related to multiple blocks, or multiple machines may collectively execute the steps represented in a single block. Some of the steps presented may be optional.

Attachment to a sign 200 can be done, for example, by machine-readable characters 212, which can be a 2D code such as a QR code or a barcode, an RFID module or a magnetic strip. One form of machine-readable license plate may include a 2D code in the form of alphanumeric characters that can be read by a human and that is arranged to be captured by a camera and with known text recognition software can be processed. Such embodiments have the advantage of having a code on the tag that can be read and interpreted by both a human and a machine. The RFID module can be inserted into the polymer before or after curing at a location in the solid image area on the plate where the polymer is to be cured (and thus remain on the fully exposed plate). In exemplary embodiments with a magnetic strip, it is preferably attached to the back of the disk to the dimensionally stable PE layer of the disk, where the strip is positioned to contact a read head mounted on the processing machine when the disk is processed. The magnetic stripe may be applied as a finished stripe formed by any method known in the art, or may include a magnetic ink applied directly to the back of the disk. Although the license plate 212 is shown as a QR code in the figures, the QR code in the figures is to be understood as a schematic representation that applies to each of the types of license plates described herein or their equivalents.

Even if certain symbols have been expressly described, the term "character" is intended to have the broadest meaning of "indication" or "distinctive feature", without regard to how that indication or symbol may be read, and therefore the "equivalents" are intended to of the symbols expressly described can be interpreted broadly. While certain machine-readable characters or codes may utilize formats that are exclusively machine-readable to enable the storage of a large amount of information in a small space, the term "machine-readable" as used herein in reference to characters and codes is not to be applied to characters limited to an exclusively machine-readable format. Those skilled in the art know that human-readable alphanumeric information is also machine-readable if the reading device is equipped with appropriate optical character recognition (OCR) functionality, and that the hardware and software to provide such functionality is well known in the art and is becoming increasingly ubiquitous . For example, many highway toll authorities now use license plate character recognition as an equivalent, replacement or supplement to RFID pass technology. In addition, machine vision systems and human operators can also be taught to read non-alphanumeric graphic symbols to convey generally understandable information (for example, graphic symbols for recyclable materials or laundry care recommendations). The terms "characters" and "machine-readable" are therefore intended to be interpreted broadly to include, without limitation, printed or otherwise visible alphanumeric or graphical information, in addition to the other types of characters discussed in detail herein, that are designed to be read by both humans and can be read and understood by machines, as well as combinations of characters that are only machine-readable with characters that can be read by both humans and machines. An advantage of using machine-readable characters that can also be at least partially read by humans is that an experienced human operator may be able to process and set up at least some codes more quickly than if they enlisted the help of a machine would take.

In some embodiments, the code for a printed code, such as a barcode or a QR code, or printed indicia that includes text and/or graphics that can be read by a human or machine, may be added during rasterization of the image file and is therefore included in the content of the image information, such as the LEN file or the encrypted LENx file associated with an Esko PlatePrep workflow. Adding a code to an image file can be done, for example, using the Esko DeskPack™ barX software, which includes machine-readable instructions embodied in storage media such as a hard drive, a flash drive or any type of media as commonly used in technology is known. As described herein, the imaged information may be provided in the form of non-printing structures on the platen bottom formed using microdots, including in the form of a non-printing watermark derived from the use of non-printing microdots in a printing portion of the platen. Such structures formed from microdots can be created on a flexo plate using an Esko® XPS exposure system. The following embodiments refer to QR codes as an exemplary information storage technology, but the invention is not limited to any particular information storage technology and is applicable to any information storage technology known in the art capable of providing the information storage technology required to carry out embodiments of the invention amount of information, and in particular to each of the storage technologies expressly described here.

In preferred embodiments, all processing devices 110 - 160 in workflow 100 are equipped with a scanner or other information capture device, hereinafter referred to as a “reading device.” designated, equipped or connected thereto, which allows the reading of the markings to obtain the associated plate process parameters. In preferred embodiments, the process information is scanned from the disk before the start of the process or the processing step and the corresponding process parameters are set accordingly. For example, if the identifier 212 includes a visible code, such as a QR code or a barcode, the reading device 220 may include a mobile device, such as a cell phone, a handheld computer, a tablet, or the like. Although the reading device 220 is shown as a “telephone,” it should be understood that the figure is intended to be a schematic representation of any applicable reading device and may include any type of reading device known in the art that is capable of reading the characters provided . For example, if code 212 includes an RFID tag, then the reading device includes an RFID reading device, and if code 212 includes a magnetic stripe, then the reading device includes a magnetic stripe reading device. The technologies and devices associated with reading two-dimensional printed codes, magnetic stripes and RFID tags are well known in the art. The reading device 220 is connected to the control unit 230 of the device for carrying out the identified method step. The connection between the reading device and the control device can be wired or wireless. An example wireless connection may include a local wireless network running on computers on-site at a facility where the processing step is located, or may be a network connected to a global information network or a wireless communications network. The control unit 230 may be programmed with instructions for translating the information derived from the indicators into the information required to set the appropriate parameters of the processing plant, or the translation instructions may be included in the reading device. The information derived from the reading device may be embedded directly in the display device, or the display device may include information corresponding to an address in computer memory on a network in which the information is in communication with the reading device and the controller. The information corresponding to the address can be a URL, a process identifier, or a unique identifier. In an embodiment where the information is a unique identifier, the system may be configured to use the unique identifier to find the corresponding instructions, for example, by using the identifier to query a lookup table located at a known address. In embodiments where tracking specific disks is not of interest and where the processing instructions corresponding to the universe of disks to be processed have only a limited number of permutations, the information corresponding to the address may be a process identifier rather than a unique disk identifier . In such embodiments, the process identifier may be used to query a corresponding lookup table of process instructions for each process identifier. In embodiments in which the instructions are embedded in the identifier, the identifier may also further include a unique identifier of the identifier, where the identifier of the identifier can be used to track the identifier or to identify the identifier, for example with a mobile device, as here described later.

The process information may include, for example and without limitation: the job name, the customer name, the printer name, the plate type, the plate thickness, the back exposure energy, the preferred back exposure time, the main exposure energy, the preferred main exposure time, the number of main exposure cycles, the plate processing speed, the plate processing temperature, the plate cutting path, the plate cutting speed and the like.

The process information can be stored in the identifiers 212, such as a QR code. Reading a QR code from a disk can be accomplished with a known QR code reading device (ie, a code scanner) known in the art. For example, a Wenglor model C5PC003 code scanner is suitable for omnidirectional scanning of 1D and 2D codes, which include, but are not limited to, 1D codes (commonly referred to as “barcodes”) such as Code39, Code93, Codel28, UPC/EAN, BC412, Interleaved 2 of 5, Codabar, Postcodes, Pharmacode and 2D codes such as DataMatrix ECC 0...200, PDF417, Micro PDF417, QR Code, Micro QR Code, Aztec Code, GS1 Data bar and Dot Code. The characters used to provide the information are not limited to a specific type of code. To increase the contrast and readability of the code on the plate, light from a light source (not shown), such as a light typically associated with a camera flash for a mobile device, can be illuminated from the bottom or top of the plate be applied. In preferred embodiments, the process parameters are for different stages contained directly in the code, so that each individual processing unit can derive instructions directly from the code on disk without having to be connected to a network. In other embodiments, the code may include a computer memory address in which the process information is stored, and the reading step includes reading the information, connecting to the memory address embedded in the information, for example via a hyperlink, reading the information from the memory address and communicating the relevant stored information to the processing machine.

Like in the 2A and 2 B shown, the information can be stored at least initially in a first identification point 212, for example in the form of a QR code, which is arranged on a test strip 210 next to the image area 205 of a flexo-polymer plate 200. This test strip can also contain registration marks and color proof marks for press setup. While the fiducial marks and other markings on the test strip (and thus the QR code if affixed to such a test strip) preferably remain on the polymer plate along with the image throughout the life of the plate, in some embodiments it may be necessary , cut the test strip from the plate to avoid printing the information on the test strip, such as a QR code, onto the substrate. Embodiments for solving this situation will be discussed later.

Providing code information that is consistently readable during all process steps (e.g., imaging, curing, washing, printing, and optional cutting and storage steps) is a challenge associated with washing processes associated with flexographic printing plates, as most washing processes are solvent-based. The solvent not only removes uncured portions of the flexographic plate polymer, but also ink typically used on printed labels and marker pens. One aspect of the invention therefore relates to the provision of a code adapted to survive a washing step by making the code part of the image or by inserting information into cured portions of the polymer. For example, an RFID device can be mechanically inserted into the cured section of the polymer, or a magnetic strip can be placed on the surface of the dimensionally stable layer on the back of the polymer plate, where it is positioned so that it can be read by a magnetic card reader. as is known in the art. However, such an RFID device or magnetic strip must survive the subsequent processing steps. While adding coded information to the image allows for survivability after the washing step, in some embodiments it is undesirable for the codes to be printed. Therefore, preferred embodiments may have codes anchored to the platen such that they persist after a washing step but are not printed in a printing step. In one embodiment, the code is placed only in the platen base so that the details do not reach the printing surface, as described below. In another embodiment, the code is placed at a location beyond the desired portion of the printed image (e.g., in a test strip), and in some cases, the code is transferred to another location for cutting before or during an operation, as described below.

The term “washing” as used herein may refer to any step in which uncured polymer is removed from the panel. Such a “washing process” may include a conventional solvent (or water) washing step or a thermal process such as is commonly associated with DuPont™ Cyrel® FAST Thermal Workflow or MacDermid® LAVA® plates, as is known to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the term “washing step,” as used herein generally, should be understood to refer to any step of removing the uncured polymer unless specific washing procedures are specifically referred to.

Characters formed from non-printing structures

In some embodiments, the 2D code, such as a QR code 214, may be housed in the bottom of the plate 204 so that the information in the code remains on the plate 200 rather than on the top surface of the plate 202. The plate base is made of a polymer that has been cured from the back of the plate, but is not intended for printing, so the thickness of the base remains below the level of the printing surface of the polymer.

Even if one is not limited to a specific method for applying the characters, there are several preferred ways to introduce character structures into the polymer. A preferred one The method consists of applying the markings by UV exposure via an imaged mask, for example by direct imaging in the mask. This process can include recessed structures on the print surface or microdots that create raised structures on the ground or depressions relative to the ground. Another method is laser engraving, which can create recessed structures either below the print surface or the ground. Another method is to mill sunken structures either below the pressure surface or the ground. In some embodiments, a code 212 that is located below the top (printing) surface 202 of a test strip 210 of the platen 200 during some process steps may be transferred from the top surface to the bottom surface 204. For example, the code 212 may be scanned by the reading device and the code or code image stored in a data file, and that data file may then be used to instruct the cutting of a reproduction of the code image 214 into a bottom portion 204 of the image area 205 of the disk while the plate is on the cutting table. As in 2A 1, code 214, shown in a lighter tone, is intended to represent its location on the bottom of the platen, where it will not cause an image corresponding to the code to be printed when the top surface is used for printing. As in 2 B As shown, code 214 (solid lines) can be cut into the bottom 204, for example by laser engraving or cutting with a milling head.

Microdots and non-printing watermarks

The embodiments mentioned herein can be created using microdots in the LAMS layer during the exposure step, so that structures are formed in the plate at a level above the plate bottom but below the top printing plane. A particular method of storing a code on the disk base involves the use of microdots as described in EP 1 557 279 B1 disclosed, which is incorporated herein by reference. The use of non-printing microdots to raise the printing base to provide support for marginally printable image features is also known, as in US 7,126,724 .

However, the microdots generally described herein are not intended to provide support and are typically located in locations far enough from the pressure points that they do not provide such support. Rather, the microdots are used to create non-printing characters that have functionality as described below. However, some embodiments described herein may include a combination of supporting and non-supporting microdots.

The term "microdots" as used herein primarily refers to small mask openings in the LAMs layer of a flexographic plate, each opening not being wide enough to produce a printable halftone dot in isolation (at normal performance), but groups of them (or individual pixels with sufficient gain) can be set up to raise the plate bottom. The term “microdot” may also refer to any dot used in any imaging step by a process capable of producing a non-printing dot structure on a plate, including, but not limited to, direct curing processes and non-LAMS mask-based processes. As used herein, the term “microdot” may refer to a feature in the image information used by the imagesetter to create the plate or mask structure, as well as the plate structures formed thereby. In some embodiments, a collection of microdots may be used to form portions of elevated floor relative to other portions of the floor that are not elevated and arranged in a formation similar to the dark and light portions in a QR code or bar code resembles. In other embodiments, described in more detail below, microdots may be used to form the soil and the absence of such microdots may be used to create depressions in the soil. In yet other embodiments, microdots may also be used to create a combination of raised and recessed features relative to a given ground level. The microdots in the mask lead to microstructures (ridges or depressions) in the exposed plate.

As set forth in the Esko Persistent Marking Disclosures, non-printing marks may include text and graphics in a repeating pattern that forms a “non-printing watermark.” The non-printing watermark may include graphics and text that repeat in a pattern (such as a grid, but not limited to a particular arrangement). The text can contain information about an order (e.g. "Order number 1234"), the separation associated with the plate (e.g. "Cyan Plate"), the version of the plate (e.g. "Version 1") and have a date associated with the record (e.g., “April 18, 2019”). However, the invention is not limited to a specific type of text or graphic and may also include brand information such as logos or trademarks identifying the owner of the mark, the designer of the mark, the manufacturer of the workflow system used to create the mark, or Identify something similar.

In some embodiments, the non-printing watermark may include only non-text graphics or only textual information. Graphical characters may include any type of characters disclosed herein, including but not limited to machine-readable codes, including but not limited to barcodes and QR codes.

The term "non-printing watermark" is used here analogously to the original definition of the term for identifying images or patterns on paper that appear as various shades of light/dark when viewed with transmitted or reflected light (at certain angles or against a dark background). caused by thickness or density variations of the paper. Such watermarks are often visible on the paper of an original document, but not on reproductions (such as photocopies) made from that paper. By analogy, the non-printing watermark formed according to embodiments of the invention may be more visible under certain conditions (e.g. reflected light at a certain angle) and may involve a change in the thickness of the plate, the marks appearing in printed products made with the plate in question. cannot be reproduced.

The non-printing watermarks may be visible relative to the bottom of the plate and may be more visible with light passing through the plate or reflected at certain angles. The non-printing watermark, which has a relatively lower height above the ground, is distinguishable from printable text, which has a relatively greater height above the ground. Non-printing microdot watermark structures provide the ability to add non-printing information to the polymer plate, such as trademarks and logos, identifying the source of the plate, the processing facility, or other parties involved in the workflow to create the print-ready plate. Since the use of microdots presents a challenge in RIP creation of the image file, exposure of the mask and curing of the plates, the presence of microdots organized into visible structures can also serve as evidence for the production of the printing plate high quality equipment was used and can provide quality information about the manufacturing process. For example, microdot-based evidence can provide not only evidence of the origin of the plate or evidence that the plate was manufactured using a particular type of equipment, but also evidence that the manufacturing process was successfully completed, including evidence that the base thickness is correct and proof that the plate is/was correctly mounted/aligned (e.g. on the printing cylinder).

• - eine UV-LED-Matrix, die so gesteuert wird, dass sie Bilder, Buchstaben oder Logos ausbildet;
• - eine Maskierungskomponente, wie beispielsweise eine Film- oder Flüssigkristallmatrix (LCD), die Bildinformationen trägt und zwischen einer UV-Strahlungsquelle (beispielsweise Matrix aus UV-LEDs, einer oder mehreren Leuchtstoffröhren) und der Rückseite der Platte angeordnet ist, wobei die Maskierungskomponente UV-Strahlung nur an den Stellen durchlässt, an denen Logos oder Buchstaben auf dem Plattenboden erzeugt werden müssen, und die UV-Strahlungsübertragung an allen anderen Stellen blockiert; und
• - einen Digitalen Lichtprozessor (DLP), der eine Ebene von digitalen Spiegeln umfasst, die von einer UV-Strahlungsquelle beleuchtet wird, die in die Rückseite der Polymerplatte abgebildet wird, wobei die Bildebene vorzugsweise zwischen dem Boden und der Druckoberfläche der Platte und noch bevorzugter etwas oberhalb des Bodens liegt.

In some embodiments, the curing radiation may be initiated from the rear, non-printing side of the plate where the back exposure occurs. Before or preferably after the primary back exposure, an additional exposure is performed with an exposure system comprising an actinic radiation source and any method for producing a spatial variation in radiation intensity suitable for producing an image with the desired resolution. Exemplary systems may include:

• - a UV LED matrix controlled to form images, letters or logos;
• - a masking component, such as a film or liquid crystal matrix (LCD), which carries image information and is arranged between a UV radiation source (e.g. matrix of UV LEDs, one or more fluorescent tubes) and the back of the panel, the masking component UV Allows radiation to pass through only in those places where logos or letters need to be created on the panel base, and blocks UV radiation transmission in all other places; and
• - a Digital Light Processor (DLP) comprising a plane of digital mirrors illuminated by a UV radiation source imaged into the back of the polymer plate, the image plane preferably being between the bottom and the printing surface of the plate, and more preferably slightly lies above the ground.

In the embodiments of back exposure, it is advantageous to focus the UV radiation on a level that is slightly above the floor (for example at a height at which the top side of the non-printing structures is desired). For example, the back irradiation can be controlled with a controller to form graphic patterns such as alphanumeric characters, logos, QR codes, bar codes or any other type of characters known in the art by using individual LEDs in the LED matrix during the relative movement between the LED matrix and the plate can be switched on or off. The controller may be the same controller used for front exposure, or a different controller or control module. In embodiments in which the non-printing image information is applied using a masking component, the masking component may be a film or an LCD matrix that has transparent and non-transparent areas.

The Esko Persistent Marking disclosures disclose a number of different ways to produce structures on a plate, all of which may be relevant to the invention disclosed herein. The Esko Persistent Marking disclosures also discuss the use of various indices, including, among other things, structures formed in the polymer of the plate to provide information about the plate. The tags can be used to monitor the status of the workflow through software in a central computer, such as the one in 1 computer 170 shown can be used. Each process stage 110, 120, etc., after scanning the code from the disk, sends information to the central computer, such as reporting the time and place of arrival of the disk and the current processing status. This means that the current status of an order in the workflow can be determined immediately and accurately from the central computer. Specific printing plates can be immediately identified and localized in the company's workflow. The central computer 170 is programmed with software capable of processing all this information from different disks from different production stages, such as the ESKO Device Manager. The code or indicia can also be read between process steps or after process steps have been completed, such as in a storage area or in a queue waiting to be processed.

Mobile readers

The information stored in the indicia can be scanned and read by application software running on a mobile device, such as a cell phone or tablet computer. As is known in the art, systems including such mobile devices typically include a first portion of software running on the mobile device, the mobile device communicating with a server over a communications network, such as a wireless network, and a second portion of software resides on the server and interfaces with the portion on the mobile device. Such a system allows for the immediate identification of plates at any point in the workflow, for example identifying the location of plates in a storage room dedicated to reprint orders. In an exemplary procedure as described in 2A As shown, the reading device 220, such as a cell phone, may scan the code on the plate and then provide process parameter information to an operator, such as on the phone's display 222 or on the display associated with a user interface associated with the process equipment (110, 120 etc.) and refers to the current processing step. The operator can then enter the relevant process parameters into the process equipment for the next process step if that equipment does not communicate with the scanner to automatically read process parameters.

Device manager

One aspect of the Esko Persistent Marking disclosures involves controlling and coordinating the various process steps in such a way that the overall process is optimized in terms of time and efficiency. Aspects of the claimed invention include not only the provision of process parameters to the processing machines (110, 120, etc.) for the various prepress process stages in the workflow of producing a flexographic printing plate, but also the real-time monitoring of the entire plate making process using reading devices 220 which Communicate positions of a variety of plates during the process in accordance with scans. Thus, a central tracking processor or "device manager" 170 may receive continuous updates throughout all process steps of the workflow and thus be able to provide a real-time representation of the current position of each disk throughout the disk workflow. As used herein, the term “real time” is intended to mean that current information is provided simultaneously, subject to routine delays inherent in the communication protocols, processor speeds and display capabilities of the various components of the system. In some implementations In addition to the location information, feedback on process quality can also be communicated to the device 170. The device manager 170 can be integrated, for example, into the automation engine software of Esko, the assignee of the present invention. Even if certain specific work processes have been mentioned, it can be assumed that, in addition to the information explicitly described here, the notes may also contain information about other processing machines or process steps and, for example, can include all process steps from receipt of the order at least to storage after printing or reprinting, which can apply to printing companies that produce their own plates. However, the process is not limited to any number of steps and therefore may include fewer or more steps in some embodiments.

Printing structures at multiple elevations

However, in some embodiments, it may be advantageous to create (e.g., by any of the methods known in the art or described herein) or introduce (e.g., by attaching a structure including, but not limited to a structure composed of the same or similar polymer as the panel and manufactured externally by a method known in the art). By “conditional pressure” it is meant that the structure or parts of the structure are printed only under certain conditions (for example, after a certain period of wear or when printing with a certain contact pressure (which may be higher than normal pressure).

An exemplary structure has a shape, such as a stepped wall with steps at different heights, or a slanted wall, or a registration mark or print mark. In some embodiments, this structure may be attached to the panel base (e.g., with an adhesive that is polymerized in a post-processing step). In other embodiments, this structure can be created in or on the slab floor. The positioning of the structure does not necessarily require a high level of accuracy. Externally manufactured (i.e., prefabricated) polymer structures, which are attached to the panel after the panel is formed, can be used to retrofit pre-existing panels to add the structures for any purpose. In one embodiment, a ground level mounting pad may be formed in the panel that indicates where the external structure is to be mounted and provides an anchor point. The cushion may include indicia (e.g., graphics, text, or a combination thereof) containing information about the external structure to be attached, such as an identifier of a particular external structure (e.g., a serial number or similar code) or a type of external structure (e.g., a model number or similar code), orientation information about how the external structure should be oriented on the cushion, or a combination thereof. The anchor point-plate interface may have complex structural features (e.g. corresponding protrusions or depressions or peripheral protrusions or indentations that interlock) to create a strong connection and enable a permanent connection that may be stronger than a connection that is achieved without such complex structural features. The corresponding mating features at the interface between the prefabricated structure and the mounting base may, in some embodiments, be configured to align the prefabricated structure in only one or more preferred orientations on the panel, for example in embodiments in which the features are asymmetrical (around a single to promote orientation), or have a symmetry with respect to one direction but not with respect to another (to promote orientations that are rotated 180 degrees from each other), or have a symmetry that promotes orientations in any of multiple rotated orientations (e.g. 0, 90, 180 and 270 degree rotations), but not in intermediate orientations. A curing step, such as backlighting with UV light, can be used to fix the externally formed structure by polymerizing the adhesive.

An application of such printing structures of different heights has print control marks that indicate the printing contact pressure of the printing machine during printing. Print control marks for displaying the printing contact pressure lead to different printing results depending on the printing contact pressure, which is adjustable between the printing material cylinder and the cylinder that carries the photopolymer printing plate. This adjustment can be done automatically using image recognition and software, or by a press operator who requires experience to judge the correct setting by viewing the running substrate in the press with a strobe light. Typically, the contact pressure must be adjusted on both sides of the printing cylinder. The pressure must be neither too high nor too low and must be identical on both sides of the printing cylinder. The adjustment is made by moving the axis of the printing cylinder closer or further from the axis of the substrate cylinder is removed, specifically at the two extreme ends of the axis, and by moving the anilox roller closer or further away from the axis of the printing cylinder. In embodiments of the invention, markings are provided throughout the area of the plate and at least on both sides of the plate, making it easier for the operator to adjust the cylinder and providing the opportunity to improve automated and online adjustments. Examples of automated procedures are those in US Pat. No. 9,393,772 and 9,440,425 are described, which are incorporated herein by reference. They describe printing a sequence of images and then analyzing those images using computer vision and software to determine the optimal anilox and plate printing settings, both for print and register.

Another application of printing structures with different heights is the optimization of different areas on the printing plate for different printing applications, for example for printing solid colors compared to artwork. While ink transfer for solid colors works best with a higher contact pressure, details in the print template such as thin lines or grids depend on a lower contact pressure for optimal printing results.

• - die Emissionseigenschaften der Lichtquelle wie Emissionswinkelbereich, Intensität und Wellenlänge;
• - die Eigenschaften des Photopolymers; und
• - das Vorhandensein von Sauerstoff im Polymer.

One method of controlling the height level of the polymer structures on the plate is to control the transmission of UV light through the openings of the LAMs located on the top of the polymer printing plate. Typically, a flexographic photopolymer plate is exposed from the back to form the bottom and from the front through a mask to form the structures that will stand out from the bottom and form the plate's print relief. A mask opening is an area in the mask where an appropriate amount of UV energy or other actinic radiation energy can penetrate the photopolymer and cure sections of the polymer from the plate top to the bottom. The plate 1900 in 3 shows this situation. The gray textured areas represent the polymerized portions of the plate, including the plate bottom 1902. Typically, curing of the polymer begins at the top of the polymer layer directly below the openings in the mask 1904 and spreads from there to the deeper areas that form a Form a truncated cone in 1906. The shape of this cone (i.e. the steepness of the edges) is mainly determined by:

• - the emission properties of the light source such as emission angle range, intensity and wavelength;
• - the properties of the photopolymer; and
• - the presence of oxygen in the polymer.

If the UV energy is not high enough, the polymerization of the cones may not reach the ground area, so that the cones are not sufficiently or not bonded to the ground. In this case, the pegs are removed in the following thermal or solvent development step or remain on the plate but tip over and lie flat on the bottom of the fully processed plate. 4 shows a microscopic photograph of a plate in 2000, which, among other things, has such tilted cones in 2002 that are still standing in 2004. 5 shows a section of a plate 2100 with cones 2102 that are not on the ground.

While actinic radiation may not be sufficient to cause polymerization of cones connected to the bottom, the combination of many mask openings may be sufficient to accumulate enough energy in the plate bottom area to cause polymerization near the plate bottom . This is the basic principle for creating structures of different heights on a photopolymer printing plate in this application. This can be achieved by screens with a relatively high number of lines and a relatively low percentage of mask openings, but embodiments that use screens with a lower number of lines are also set up as described below. The invention is not limited to a specific combination of line number and percentage mask opening. The number of lines and percentage depend on the polymer type and thickness. In the 6 Plate 2200 shown shows the polymerization principle for this case, in which a plurality of openings 2202 in the mask 2204 form overlapping cones that create structures 2206 that are connected to the ground but have a height below the top of the plate. For a standard polymer (e.g., DuPont DPR), line counts of 170 LPI or more and a mask opening percentage between 0.5% and 5% are suitable to create polymerized structures in the plate that do not have individual raster pixels on the top, but still have an elevated one Create a plateau on the ground.

As previously mentioned, different numbers of rows can be set up for the same plate so that the concepts described here and in the mentioned applications can be implemented to create features below the top edge of the plate, including some relatively low rows pay (between 211 and 61 LPI). Without being tied to any particular theory of operation, the data suggests a possible soil growth principle based on constant light transmittance for a target elevation level. 10 shows a diagram of parameters for producing a feature height of 0.21 mm above ground on a TOP 045 panel using a square pattern of mask openings spaced at a constant distance in the horizontal and vertical directions, as shown in 11 Illustrated pattern, which is an example of a pattern that includes 9 pixel mask openings spaced 19 pixels apart.

The circled points where the labeled lines cross the horizontal line show the combination of mask aperture pixel clusters and their cluster spacing, which results in an increase of 0.21 mm. The label of the lines (for example, “4 pixels”) indicates the number of mask opening pixels in the cluster, and the horizontal axis indicates the cluster spacing in pixels.

The circled line intersections correspond to the following relationships shown in TABLE 1. Table 1 Number of mask opening pixels Distance from mask openings in pixels N[(pixel pitch) ² / mask opening pixels] 9 42 196 12 50 208 15 55 202 18 60 200 20 65 211

A fixed ratio of approximately 200 (e.g. +/- 10%) for the non-mask-opening pixels per mask-opening pixel thus leads, in a first approximation, to the same elevation level, regardless of the number of mask-opening pixels that comprise the clusters. This ratio varies from plate to plate and also depends on how the plate is exposed to UV light. Of course, only a limited range of meshes of pixel clusters can be set up in this way, because at a certain point the cluster size is large enough to allow the printing structures to grow up to the printing surface of the plate, and thus the ratio is in the area in which the elevation level of the Pressure surface approaches, not constant.

Contact pressure indicator plate structures

Structures of different height levels can be arranged in a staircase at locations on the platen at positions coinciding with the left and right sides of the platen when the platen is mounted in the printing press. The number of steps that are printed reflects the amount of pressure applied and whether that pressure is identical on the left and right sides of the print roller and anilox roller.

The print result can be observed in the printing machine during printing with high speed line scanning cameras. This online monitoring provides the operator of the printing press or automatic pressure setting software with a convenient way to adjust the contact pressure. 7 A and 7B show a height profile of such a printing plate 2302 with a stack 2304, which represents the corresponding printing results at different contact pressures above the plate. The print marks on the left 2310 and right 2312 sides of the print image 2314 show how the contact pressure on the right (fixed) side 2322 of the printing roller 2320 remains constant, but changes on the left (adjustable) side 2324 depending on the setting.

Preferably, the individual marks stand alone and are not connected to one another in order to avoid bending or tilting by neighboring marks which may already be in contact with the printing material.

The control of the contact pressure can be automated using digital image evaluation, as mentioned above US Patents 9,393,772 and 9,440,425 described. Such an arrangement can be a have a closed loop, so that during setup of the printing press or whenever the image evaluation system detects a change in the number of print marks during printing, a signal is sent to a subsystem of the printing press that controls the contact pressure, thereby causing the actuators to Change the contact pressure until the original number of print marks is established again.

The same or similar structures as described above can also be used for registering one printing station to another (e.g. for different separations for a multicolor image). Each print separation can have register/print marks in different positions, which are monitored by the camera system. The position of the mark in the print area allows the decks to be moved into the register, such as in US 9,393,772 described, which is incorporated herein by reference.

Additionally, both registration marks and print marks can be obscured by having a height just below the normal print area. To see them in the image, a slight pressure must be applied between the plate and substrate for a brief moment during setup, enough for the camera system to see where each deck is printing. Once this is the case, the pressure is reduced to the corresponding optimal pressure.

While differences in height can be implemented in any manner described herein or known in the art, modifying the back exposure intensity or exposure duration to create bumps using back exposure processes and systems may be particularly well suited to creating continuous raised bottom areas from the back rather than raised floor areas that include microdots created from the front.

Structures of the wear indicator plates

Print marks located at a height below the top surface may also serve to indicate wear of the printing plate and typically may be located in an area where no print pattern would be expected in the design. As the plate surface wears in the area in question, the wear indicator structures transfer color to the substrate in the area where no color is expected. A structure that does not print until higher level structures wear is commonly referred to herein as a "second level printing structure" because such structures do not print until a higher level printing structure is sufficiently worn. Structures used to indicate contact pressure or wear may be referred to herein generally as "indicator structures" because they are intended to be printed only to indicate something, and not as part of the artwork or the area of solid reproduction printed from the printing plate shall be. Such indicator structures, which are intended to print only to indicate something, can be distinguished from non-printing indicators, which have a much lower altitude at which they are not intended to print, and which are used to identify the plate or the workflow associated with the plate serve.

Example structures for wear indicators may have a tiered structure, as shown in 7A and 7B is shown, and the same structures can serve multiple purposes, namely as contact pressure indicators (and/or register indicators) and wear indicators. If the printing plate shows too much wear, more than the first step of the staircase can become visible already at the pressure corresponding to the pressure that appears at the lightest contact between the printing cylinder and the substrate cylinder at the point at which any reduction in contact pressure results in this would result in an area of the pattern not being printed. Such a print that has more marks than were present at the beginning of the plate's life indicates that the plate is worn, which typically means that the plate needs to be replaced. In another embodiment, the wear indicator may include any geometric shape, such as an oblique line without discrete steps.

A machine vision system set up to detect the changes and programmed with the position and structure of the wear indicator can be set up to convert the length of the printed line or step into the depth of wear.

Both slanted line and step structures are capable of providing quantified wear data that provides an early indication of when a plate needs to be replaced. The step structures can be arranged arbitrarily and do not have to be arranged next to each other like a staircase, even if a traditional staircase-shaped arrangement is easiest to recognize as a line in the picture,

Providing wear indicator structures in the printing plate can also be used to generate a machine-readable pattern or code when the structures appear on the printed substrate. In this embodiment, the structures can be integrated into the printed pattern. The code can be designed to cause such a small change in the appearance of the printed image that it is undetectable by the human eye, but can be detected and interpreted by an inline inspection system to provide an early warning of plate wear admit.

Methods of providing second level printing structures can also be used as a method of extending the life of the printing plate by "replacing" worn first level pixels with replacement second level pixels in the print as wear occurs. For example, the use of different elevation structures may serve to extend the readability of embedded printed watermarks (where the term "printed watermark" herein refers to lightly printed material on a substrate and not to "non-printing watermarks" as described elsewhere herein). Such printed watermarks rely on very small changes in the pattern and are therefore sensitive to small deteriorations in the printing plate. The bottom-level pixels may form a second-level printed watermark that replaces the original printed watermark formed by the first-level pixels when the first-level pixels degenerate. Such changes can result in the printed image still having an overall acceptable quality for the end customer, despite minor changes in the properties of the printed watermark over time. Such changes can provide an early warning of plate deterioration before that deterioration reaches a point where quality is no longer acceptable.

Creating the staircase print or slanted lines in the plate is not limited to the UV exposure of the front side through different degrees of opening of the mask, but can also be achieved by the exposure from the back side of the photopolymer plate. In this case, the UV exposure is carried out in addition to the normal UV back exposure that forms the plate bottom, such as with a UV LED matrix as described in US published application no. US20200016916 described. For use in the present embodiment, the LED matrix is set up to produce different intensity levels in different sections of the matrix. For example, for a light source divided into ten sections, the intensity of the first section may be at a maximum intensity, the second section may be at 90% of the maximum intensity, and each of the following sections may have an intensity reduced by a further 10%. Using an intensity gradient rather than step changes results in a slanted line rather than discrete steps.

In another embodiment, the light from a constant intensity LED-UV light source can be directed through a film that has different sections of neutral density for the UV light to the locations of the plate where print marks are desired. For example, the UV transmittance of the different sections can range from 100% to 10% in 10% increments, resulting in ten marks between the top of the panel and the bottom. The intensity and/or exposure time can be adjusted so that the 100% mark reaches exactly the plate surface. Again, using a gradient in the neutral density of the film results in the creation of a slanted line rather than discrete steps.

8th shows a UV light source 2400 with ten segments 2401 to 2410 arranged relative to a portion of a polymer plate base 2420, with the pressure contact marks rising from the base cured by the light source. Each of the segments of the light source delivers different curing energy. For example, section 2401 gives 100% of the maximum (which has a raised area 2421 on the disk), the section 2402 gives 90% of the maximum, and so on, so that the section 2410 (which gives a raised area 2430 on the disk) only 10 % of the total curing energy that complies with Section 2401. To obtain the different curing exposures, a single light source 2440 may have a homogeneous intensity distribution across all fields, with a film 2450 arranged between the source and the plate, which has different transmittances (and thus different decreases in intensity) for each section. Achieving a homogeneous intensity over a certain area can be achieved by various known methods, for example by using kaleidoscope optics as described in US8578854 is described, or by using an array of LEDs that have been compensated for homogeneity using a controller. In another embodiment, an array of otherwise identical LEDs may be controlled via exposure time or intensity to produce the differences in exposure.

In one embodiment, the UV light source 2400, the electronics 2460 for controlling exposure time and intensity, and (in embodiments using such a method, the optional film 2450 for intensity reduction) may be combined in a handheld device with a trigger switch 2470 that controls it allows an operator to apply the markings after the conventional front and back exposure has been applied to the plate. Using a single device to place all print marks ensures that all marks have identical properties. Instead of manually placing the marks with a handheld device, the marks can also be placed using an XY gantry unit, which is integrated into the UV exposure unit for main and back exposure, for example. Because these marks can be created outside of the normal exposure process, the marks are not pixelated but continuous. The use of a hand-held device to apply the indicator structures may be best suited for use from the back of a panel, although the invention is not so limited. Some embodiments may be suitable for both the back and the front, while others may only be suitable for one side or the other.

The range of UV exposure time and intensity is selected depending on the type and thickness of the polymer plate. For relatively thick plates, the exposure time and/or intensity is relatively higher so that the 100% mark grows to the top surface. Although it is preferred that exactly one segment - the 100% segment - produces the mark that reaches the top surface of the plate, the intensity can be chosen so that the second mark also receives enough exposure energy to reach the top surface to reach. In this way, tolerances in the UV absorption of the dimensionally stable layer under the bottom of the polymer plate are compensated for, which can vary from one batch of plates to another. Having two or more samples have the calculated exposure energy to reach the top ensures that at least one sample grows to the top.

The creation of the stair imprint or oblique lines in the slab as well as other second level structures is not limited to techniques for exposing the slab, but can be done by gluing/mounting/bonding prefabricated features on the bottom of the slab after its complete processing or during the processing can be achieved. Such prefabricated parts can be made from the same polymers that make up the plate or from a different plastic or other material that interacts with the ink and substrate in a similar way to the polymer of the plate. This allows such structures to have very precise dimensions and thus offer a high degree of precision for the associated operations, such as adjusting pressure or determining wear.

Printing structures with different height levels for different printing applications

Another aspect of the invention is the creation of printing structures that have different height levels on the same plate to improve the printing of different print details on the plate. There are typically two different use cases in packaging printing: (1) completely covering large areas with color (e.g. for backgrounds with spot colors) and (2) printing images with text or images using a raster or line process (e.g. using process colors). As is common practice, “process colors” typically refer to cyan, magenta, yellow, and black, while “spot colors” refer to other colors (such as Pantone®) used on the printing press. The distinction between plates or sections thereof relevant to this aspect of the invention relates to plates or sections thereof which print primarily solid areas (with relatively higher overall ink coverage) and plates or sections thereof which have grids/linework/smaller solid blocks thereon (with relatively lower overall color coverage). In practice, both types of features are printed in all colors (spot and process colors), so the invention is not limited to the use of a particular type of color in relation to a plate type or a portion thereof. When we refer to these different plates or sections thereof, we speak of "plates or plate areas with relatively high ink coverage" and "plates or sections with relatively low ink coverage" to make it clear that the plates or plate areas with relatively high ink coverage in general absorb and print more ink per unit area than the plates or plate areas with relatively low ink coverage.

For plates with relatively high ink coverage, the printer often applies as much pressure as possible to wipe the ink onto the substrate in a continuous film without gaps or pinholes. This is necessary, for example, for background or brand colors that can later be overprinted with other images or text. On plates with relatively low ink coverage, mainly fine details are printed. Too much pressure causes fine lines or grid dots to widen or even bend. The contact pressure is therefore not set as high for plates with relatively low ink coverage as for plates with relatively high ink coverage. To reduce the number of print drums for a multi-color print job and save costs, solid areas and fine print details of the same color are often combined on the same print plate, allowing only a compromise in contact pressure between the two applications.

To overcome this problem, printing plates can be created with different heights for the two applications, with solid areas (with relatively high ink laydown) exposed up to the top of the plate, while fine lines and halftone details (with relatively low ink laydown) exposed slightly below the top edge. shows the profile of the cured polymer 2510 for such a plate. Line 2501 indicates the top level to which the solid area print structures are raised. Line 2502 indicates the level to which the print structures are raised for printing details such as grids or lines. Line 2503 denotes non-printing characters as described above and in the applications incorporated herein by reference.

Creating different height levels in the polymer printing plate by changing the number and size of mask openings per unit area may typically be limited to relatively larger details, as relatively small details may not cover enough area on the LAMs to allow structures to grow from the ground. Additionally, it is generally more difficult to create small height differences near the top of the plate for fine detail; therefore, growth of structures by changing the number and size of mask openings is generally limited to coarse printed structures. Accordingly, a different approach is preferred for producing plates with height differences between the printing structures used for printing relatively high ink coverage areas and those with relatively high ink coverage.

One method of creating minor differences is to vary the level of coloration of the ablated areas. The degree of coloration is the measure of the effectiveness of mask removal by laser beam ablation. For a well laser-ablated surface on a LAM (mask aperture), the density value of the coloring level is 0.02 - 0.03 compared to a plate without a mask, which means that 93-95% of the incident UV light reaches the polymer and 5 -7% can be blocked by the residual dust from the removed mask. The density value D is calculated by D = - log(T/100), where T is the light transmittance in%.

It is usually desirable to remove the mask as perfectly as possible so that as many UV photons as possible can penetrate into the polymer through the mask openings. If the laser power is too low, the resulting spot density may be relatively higher than normal. For example, a density of 0.07 may still be acceptable, but may block 15% of incoming UV light.

When producing photopolymer printing plates, it is known that oxygen in the plate and the air surrounding the plate acts as an inhibitor for the polymerization process. As in US Pat. No. 8,227,769 , referred to here, flat spots form because high UV intensities cause polymerization all the way to the top of the plate by accelerating the polymerization process relative to oxygen inhibition. In contrast, lower UV intensities result in round tip structures that do not grow to the original top of the unpolymerized plate because oxygen blocks polymerization in the upper regions of the plate.

A difference in height on a photopolymer printing plate between areas that contain structures for printing with relatively high ink coverage and areas that are intended for printing with relatively low ink coverage can arise because the image sections for process colors with a higher degree of coloring are removed than those Image sections for areas with relatively high color coverage. Areas with relatively high ink coverage are often printed with microstructured surfaces. Microstructures improve ink splitting and create a homogeneous ink film on the printing material. To create these microstructures, single-pixel grids can be imaged, as described in published U.S. patent application No. US20190315141 are described, which is incorporated herein by reference.

Individual pixels are difficult to image because they are separated from other image pixels, and there is no synergistic effect for the mask opening as there is with a collection of many contiguous pixels imaged into the LAM. Therefore, ESKO CDI imagers increase the laser power for individual pixels by a factor of 2 to 5 compared to the power for normal image pixels. To decide whether or not to increase performance, the imager has a detector that scans the image data as it is captured and identifies individual pixels in the image file. As soon as a single pixel is detected, the laser power is increased to a value that is higher than that for normal contiguous image pixels. Therefore, ESKO GDI imagers have the ability to produce two different intensity levels. The UV exposure intensity is set to an amount that produces flat topside structures for mask openings consisting of boosted individual pixels - this means that the individual pixel structures and thus the areas of relatively high color coverage are raised to the top surface of the plate.

Mask openings that are not boosted during exposure block more UV light due to their higher degree of coloration. Due to the reduced UV intensity, the growth of polymer printed structures is hampered by oxygen inhibition, which prevents these structures from growing all the way to the top of the plate. The degree of coloring can be used to control how much the light intensity is reduced; thus, controlling the degree of coloration also offers the possibility of controlling the height of the polymer structures.

The UV intensity can be carefully selected to avoid too high an intensity that would harden unwanted flat peaks from a mask opening that has a higher tint level. However, the invention is not limited to a specific range of UV intensities or resulting combinations of flat and round spots at a specific height.

The above method of generating different intensity levels is not limited to the principle described above, nor to two intensity levels, nor to the generation of relatively high color coverage and relatively low color coverage levels (for example, the intensities may approximate a gradient in intensity levels to produce oblique features such as an oblique line wear indicator to create). The image file may also contain three-dimensional information (e.g., each pixel in the image file may have depth information that is translated into laser ablation energy for that pixel), in addition to the location information for each pixel.

1. 1. Identifizierung von Abschnitten in einer Bilddatei, die von Bereichen mit relativ hoher Farbdeckung (einschließlich, aber nicht beschränkt auf Bereiche mit Schmuckfarben) und Abschnitten mit relativ geringer Farbdeckung (einschließlich, aber nicht beschränkt auf Bereiche mit Prozessfarben) bevölkert sind.
2. 2. Markieren Sie die Abschnitte der Bilddatei, die zu Bereichen mit relativ hoher Farbdeckung gehören, anders als die Abschnitte, die zu Bereichen mit relativ geringer Farbdeckung gehören.
3. 3. Senden Sie die Bilddatei an einen Imager, der die unterschiedlichen Markierungen in der Datei erkennen und den unterschiedlich markierten Abschnitten der Bilddatei unterschiedliche Laserleistungen zuweisen kann.
4. 4. Belichten Sie die unterschiedlich markierten Abschnitte der Bilddatei mit unterschiedlichen Intensitäten, so dass die verschiedenen Abschnitte des Bildes unterschiedlich stark verfärbt sind.
5. 5. Belichten Sie die Photopolymerplatte mit UV-Licht mit einer Intensität, die hoch genug ist, um flache obere Punktstrukturen für die Bereiche der Platte auszuhärten, die den niedrigsten Färbungsgrad aufweisen, und niedrig genug, um runde obere Punktstrukturen für die Bereiche der Platte auszuhärten, die einen höheren Färbungsgrad aufweisen.

The following procedure can be used to create a flexographic photopolymer printing plate with different heights for areas of relatively high and relatively low ink coverage:

1. 1. Identify sections in an image file that are populated by areas of relatively high color coverage (including, but not limited to, areas of spot colors) and sections of relatively low color coverage (including, but not limited to, areas of process colors).
2. 2. Mark the sections of the image file that belong to areas of relatively high color coverage as distinct from the sections that belong to areas of relatively low color coverage.
3. 3. Send the image file to an imager that can recognize the different marks in the file and assign different laser powers to the differently marked sections of the image file.
4. 4. Expose the differently marked sections of the image file with different intensities so that the different sections of the image are colored to different degrees.
5. 5. Expose the photopolymer plate to UV light at an intensity high enough to cure flat top dot structures for the areas of the plate that have the lowest level of coloration and low enough to cure round top dot structures for the areas of the plate , which have a higher degree of coloring.

Modification of the stain level can also be used to create print marks, wear indicators or other second level print structures as described above, as well as for all types of different printing features, regardless of their intended use.

The plates may have any number of features with different elevations, including, but not limited to: non-printing characters on a non-printing layer, printing structures on an upper layer corresponding to areas of relatively high ink coverage, printing structures at a level below the top level that correspond to areas of relatively low color coverage, one or more second level print structures that are intended to print only if adjacent higher level print structures are damaged, and contact print structures with a variety of different bumps, each can print or not depending on the amount of pressure applied.

Tracking and predicting the lifespan of printing tools

As noted in the Background section of the application, there is a need for better and preferably automated systems and methods for predicting when a printing tool or tooling should be replaced. As used herein, the terms “tool” or “tool” may be used interchangeably without the use of one term in place of the other having any specific meaning. One aspect of the invention includes methods and systems that enable printers to automatically monitor the actual use of these tools, detect and measure deterioration of the tools, plan the use of the tools to extend their life, and also predict the expected end of a tool's service life. All of this together can reduce the cost of consumables in the printing process.

One method of measuring and recording life is to track the actual counters printed by the tool, but this does not provide quality information. Such meter counting can be achieved by connecting a processing unit to a printing press rotary encoder, by attaching a rotary encoder to the printed web or by non-contact speed measurement, for example based on a laser and optics. A more advanced method may have an image quality metric to quantify print image quality, and an inline inspection system may periodically calculate the metric and any trend in the metric over time. Such an inline inspection system can detect defects in the printed image and perform root cause analysis to identify the tool responsible for the defect, such as a printing plate or screen film. Automatic or manual investigation can reveal exactly which tool from which print deck contributed to the error or metric degradation, and action can be taken to save the information in the tool database or replace the tool. In some cases, such as Anilox, the tool can be reused by mapping it to a color deck where the print design has no print detail near the defective area. With such a feature available, it is possible to optimize the use of anilox rollers by best allocating the existing rollers to upcoming print jobs in the production schedule to maximize the reuse of damaged anilox rollers. This is not possible in current workflows as there are no records of defects and anilox rolls are typically not clearly identifiable and have not been identified in practice in the past. However, at least some of the methods described herein and in connection with the cited applications and patents in connection with providing ID information on a printing plate may also be applied to providing an ID on an anilox roll in a manner that Color transfer not affected.

An immediate consequence of the ability to perform and record such measurements is the ability to analyze the recorded data and find patterns that can help improve tool life, as well as establish a performance baseline for a particular tool on a particular press calculate with which a specific tool or printing machine can be compared. Such analysis can help printing companies improve their processes and the utilization of their machines, which represents an additional benefit. Another advantage is the allocation of tools to print jobs in a way that maximizes tool utilization.

Predicting the life of a specific tool makes it possible to print high-volume jobs without having to prepare new tools prophylactically and waiting for notifications from the inline inspection system as to when a new tool needs to be prepared. Such a solution can tell the operator that, for example, the plate on deck #3 needs to be replaced in one hour or 15,000 meters and deck #6 in two hours, enabling just-in-time plate manufacturing.

In a preferred embodiment, each tool has a unique ID code attached to it that can be read by systems along the workflow, as described above with a view to providing unique non-printing identifiers on the printing plate. The non-printing markings described above are not printed as they are subsurface, but may be machine readable and this information, as well as the printing system (deck) number, is passed to the in-line inspection system. This system can load the plate's already recorded history and continue to update it during the printing process.

An alternative to machine reading the non-printing characters on the plate is for the printing machine to generate some overpressure for a short period of time (e.g. one or two rotations of the printing plate), sufficient to obtain a temporary image of the code on the substrate , but not enough to damage the disk. An inspection system can be set up to instruct the press to perform such an action and thus be ready to pick up and read the code. Such an operation can be integrated into the setup phase of the print job, where pressure is applied in a specific print area, so that no special or additional waste is required. Therefore, in this embodiment, the non-printing indicia may be at a height substantially above the ground so that they will not be printed under normal printing but can be forced to print under non-routine contact pressure.

One aspect of the invention therefore includes the use of unique identifiers, such as the printing plate identifiers described herein, to (a) usage metrics (e.g., meters of substrate printed) and (b) working combinations (e.g., use of printing plate A with anilox B, the color C to print D meters on substrate E using print line F). Therefore, in addition to providing machine-readable unique identifiers on a printing plate, aspects of the invention may also include the use of machine-readable unique identifiers on other printing tools, such as anilox rollers. Identifiers can be placed on all types of devices, allowing the operator to quickly compile information, such as using a handheld scanner, to enter it into a tracking system. The scanner may use pre-existing information for part of the data entry (for example, a code such as a QR code, a barcode, a serial number, a model number, or similar may already exist on a paint container; a nameplate may already exist on a particular device ).

Detection of deterioration in the quality of printing plates

There are various approaches to quantify the deterioration of a printing plate.

AVT offers a software feature called JobRef that performs a comparison between the actual print and the PDF design file. This feature is activated when a print job is started so that the software detects when a plate has noticeable damage. One method for continually monitoring image quality is to periodically enable JobRef during print production and track the gradual increase in differences between draft and print.

Another method is to define an image quality metric as is known in the art and in the published US patent application US20190240971A1 about color control in flexographic printing. A set can have a threshold that indicates that the metric has moved from acceptable to borderline and from borderline to unacceptable to take appropriate action at each milestone.

Another method is to use wear indicator structures in the print plate that cause visible print marks only when the plate surface is sufficiently worn, as described in detail above. A computer vision system set up to track changes over time can provide information that is stored in the system to track the disk over its lifespan, as well as information that triggers an alarm when a change occurs that has deteriorated the quality of the print job to such an extent that replacement is recommended. Plates, screen films and other tools are damaged throughout the entire workflow - during transportation from the tool manufacturing area to the production facility, during all transportation to and from storage, to, from and during cleaning, assembly and disassembly, and during transportation to and from printing presses. Damage caused during printing can be detected as mentioned above. Damage in other work phases can be reported by JobRef at Druckbe ginn can be detected and analyzed along with the tracked information about the tool's history to find the root cause. Accordingly, the processor associated with the tracking system can be programmed with instructions for the operation of an expert system capable of determining, through machine learning, not only which plate and which grid was damaged upon arrival at the printing press, but also possible reasons for the damage and/or to suggest additional tools to be inspected based on the damage identified.

Application to other tools

It is known that the wear of tools depends on the type of tool, the material from which it is made, tool manufacturing, cleaning and other manipulations, both on the process and the equipment involved in it, and on the interaction of the tool with the printing machine, the printing inks, substrates and other chemicals that are applied to the tools. By collecting information about the use of the tools, preferably together with information about ink, substrate and the like, during printing and during other steps in the production process, patterns can be recognized that provide useful insights into the interactions described. Such insights can lead to improved training of printers, better maintenance of presses, better coordination of which jobs should be printed on which press with which tools, and the like. Such information is typically not collected and therefore is not routinely accessible or available today, leaving printers to rely on their own experience, gut feeling and the information provided by the suppliers of the tools.

Although the provision of a unique ID on a printing plate (through any number of methods) is initially described here, it should be understood that the provision of machine-readable unique ID information on other printing tools, such as in particular the anilox roller, the doctor blade, a punching tool or an inkjet module that can enable the capture of useful data. Such machine-readable ID information may be in the form of graphic codes (e.g., barcodes or QR codes), RFID tags, machine-readable alphanumeric codes, or other means known in the art for uniquely identifying a tool. ID information or tags may be printed directly on the tools or otherwise affixed to the tools or to substrates (e.g., labels or stickers) attached to the tools, or may be embossed, engraved, or in any way known in the art be attached to the tool. Reader devices for recognizing such characters, including, but not limited to, computer vision systems comprising cameras and processors configured with appropriate software, RFID readers, and the like, are well known in the art and will not be further described herein. Aspects of the invention are not limited to a particular method of marking and reading ID information on the printing tools.

Wear control data collection coupled to machine vision can enable predictive monitoring based on numerous variables in the tool's usage history, leading to earlier and/or more efficient detection of problems and replacement of worn tools. For example, collected data on actual failures can be used to provide predictive maintenance recommendations before future failures occur. The machine learning tool can be implemented on a computer processor accessible via a global communications network so that usage information can be collected from multiple locations. For example, machine learning can be used not only to apply historical data collected from a specific print shop with a specific print workflow at a specific location, but also to data collected from a variety of print shops with a variety of workflows were collected from a variety of locations. This information may also reveal differences in workflow wear at different locations, which can be analyzed to recommend better workflow practices with faster wear or used to commission further studies and data collection to facilitate future such recommendations . The workflows at different locations may be established by the same facility or by different facilities with other commonalities, such as common process equipment provided by a single vendor. Equipment providers can demonstrate the value of their equipment over that of competitors and/or improve their products based on the actual data collected, or they can provide the value-added service of tracking and predictive monitoring for their equipment as a competitive advantage over Anbie terns who are unable to perform similar tracking and predictive monitoring. The various systems and procedures described in each section herein may be implemented independently or together as part of a comprehensive system. For example, any of the types of tags described herein can be used to identify printing plates or other tools, including tags that have embedded information that includes an address or other information that can be used to generate a unique address that can be used via a Network (e.g. an address in the cloud) where information is stored is accessible. The information may include operational information (such as control settings), identification information, tracking information, or other information described herein. In particular, the plates may include the wear indicators described herein, and the information obtained by reading these wear indicators may also be stored in the information about the plate. The plate and workflow ID information can be read at any point in the plate workflow, including when the plate is in the press or when it is in a station outside the press. The stored information may include information useful for selecting print and register settings on the printing press, and the information regarding print and register settings may be dynamically adjusted based on information obtained by reading indicators such as , but not exclusively, wear indicators can be determined. The printing station may be arranged to periodically scan the plates and check for deterioration even when the plate is actively being used for printing, including, but not limited to, reading embedded wear marks as described herein.

It is to be understood that each part of the present invention can stand alone without being embodied in connection with other parts. For example, plates without any indicators (or the prints produced therewith) can be scanned for signs of plate wear or errors in settings using machine vision systems known in the art. The information obtained from such scans can be associated with the plate (or other tool) by updating it in the database identified by the unique identifiers associated with the plate or tool. Processors, which include machine learning algorithms or expert systems, can then evaluate the collected information and issue a reaction based on this evaluation. The response may include adjusting a setting or a recommended setting associated with the plate or other tool, predicting a future action (such as when a part needs to be replaced), or issuing a request to a human operator for a section of the printing workflow. Such a request may include, among other things, a warning that a part must be replaced immediately, a setting changed, or an anomaly must be further investigated or at least acknowledged by the operator before printing continues with a plate or tool that is may produce unusable quality prints. The alerts can relate to the section of the workflow in which the information is detected or to another section of the workflow. For example, an expert system, as described herein, may diagnose that one or more observations in a first portion of the workflow have a cause in a second portion of the workflow that may require a change or at least an inspection of the second portion of the workflow to address the Improve the overall quality of the workflow. Although certain aspects of the invention are particularly useful and advantageous in a flexographic environment, the present disclosure is not limited to any particular type of printing tools, printing plates, or processing techniques.

So an exemplary system is in 13 shown. One or more printing system tools 1310 (e.g., a printing plate) have a machine-readable unique identifier 1312 disposed in or on them. Even if the code is shown schematically as a QR code, it can be any type of code described here. The reading device 1320 is configured to read the machine-readable unique identifier. A database 1330 stored in computer memory includes a data set 1332 associated with each of the one or more printing system tools. One or more detectors 1350 are configured to measure information corresponding to one or more usage metrics of the printing system, such as a computer vision system configured to measure the quality of a print 1360 created with the tool 1310. The one or more detectors may be any type of detector or sensor for measuring information as described herein, and is not of any particular type limited by device. The processor 1340 is connected to the reading device 1320 and the one or more detectors 1350 and is configured to process the measured information and the machine-readable unique identifier to generate processed information corresponding to the one or more usage metrics and each data set 1332 in the database 1330 for each of the one or more printing system tools with the processed information corresponding to the one or more usage metrics.

An exemplary procedure is in 12 shown and includes, in step 1210, attaching a machine-readable unique identifier to each of the one or more printing system tools. Step 1220 includes reading the machine-readable unique identifier with a reading device connected to a processor at one or more points along the printing workflow. In step 1230, the method includes storing a record in a database in computer memory associated with each of the one or more printing system tools. Step 1240 includes measuring information corresponding to one or more usage metrics of the printing system with one or more detectors connected to the processor. Step 1250 includes processing by the processor the information measured by the one or more detectors and the reading device to generate processed information corresponding to the one or more usage metrics. Step 1260 includes updating, with the processor, the record for each of the one or more printing system tools with the processed information corresponding to the one or more usage metrics. Although the invention is shown and described herein with reference to specific embodiments, the invention is not intended to be limited to the details shown. Rather, various changes may be made in the details within the scope and ranges of equivalence of the claims and without departing from the invention.

QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of documents listed by the applicant was 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 patent literature

• US 63/117651 [0001]
• EP 2020/078112 PCT [0011]
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• US 16/559702 [0011]
• US 16/433873 [0011]
• EP 19/052536 PCT [0011]
• US 62/653972 [0011]
• EP 1557279 B1 [0065]
• US 7126724 [0065]
• US 9393772 [0079, 0091, 0092]
• US 9440425 [0079, 0091]
• US 20200016916 [0101]
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• US 20190315141 [0114]
• US 20190240971 A1 [0131]

Claims (32)

A system for tracking printing system metrics in a printing workflow for producing a printed image on a substrate, the system comprising: one or more printing system tools, each of the one or more printing system tools including a machine-readable unique identifier disposed therein or thereon; a reading device configured to read the machine-readable unique identifier; a database stored in computer memory that includes a data set associated with each of the one or more printing system tools; one or more detectors for measuring information corresponding to one or more usage metrics of the printing system; and a processor connected to the reading device and to the one or more detectors and configured to process the measured information and the machine-readable unique identifier to generate processed information corresponding to the one or more usage metrics and each data set for each of the one or more printing system tools with the processed information corresponding to the one or more usage metrics. System after Claim 1 , wherein: the one or more printing system tools are selected from the group comprising: printing plates, anilox rollers, doctor blades, punching tools and inkjet modules; and the processed information corresponding to the one or more usage metrics includes a value corresponding to a length of the substrate printed with the printing system and a listing of the combined printing system tools used to print the length of the substrate. System according to one of the Claims 1 until 2 , wherein the system further comprises a machine vision system configured to detect a defect in the printed image on the substrate. System after Claim 3 , wherein the printing tool comprises a printing plate comprising one or more wear indicator structures having at least a portion at a height intended to produce a printed form only when adjacent printing structures or an adjacent portion at a higher height experience a loss of height experienced, wherein the computer vision system is arranged to recognize the printed form corresponding to the at least one section as the error. System after Claim 4 , whereby the printed form is not visible to the naked eye. System according to one of the Claims 1 until 3 , wherein the printing system tool includes a printing plate defined by a volume of cured polymer, and the machine-readable unique identifier is defined by a portion of the cured polymer volume. System according to one of the Claims 1 until 3 , wherein the printing system tool includes a printing plate defined by a volume of cured polymer, and the machine-readable unique identifier includes a discrete structure not defined by the volume of cured polymer. System after Claim 7 , wherein the machine-readable unique identifier is adhered to the volume of the cured polymer. System after Claim 8 , in which the machine-readable unique identifier is adhered to the printing plate with a radiation-cured adhesive. System according to one of the Claims 1 until 9 , where the machine-readable unique identifier is a non-printing structure. System according to one of the Claims 1 until 9 , wherein the machine-readable unique identifier is a conditional printing structure configured to print only when a print contact pressure above a predetermined threshold is applied. System according to one of the Claims 3 until 11 , wherein the machine vision system is configured to compare a captured image of a print with a design file or an image of known quality that corresponds to the printed image on the substrate. System after Claim 12 , wherein the system is adapted to track differences between the design file or image of known quality and a plurality of captured images of printed images on corresponding substrates accumulated over time. System after Claim 13 , wherein the system is configured to provide notification when the tracked differences have a difference that exceeds a predetermined threshold. System according to one of the Claims 1 until 14 , wherein the database further comprises stored printing tool information selected from the group consisting of: type of printing tool, materials of construction of the printing tool; Manufacturing details corresponding to the printing tool; Cleaning details corresponding to the printing tool; Interactions of the printing tool with one or more of: identified printing machines, printing inks, substrates and other chemicals in contact with the printing tool. System after Claim 15 , further comprising machine-readable media accessible to the processor and containing instructions that cause the processor to implement a machine learning algorithm with a pattern recognition function to analyze the usage metrics and the information about the printing tool stored in the database and provide predictive monitoring information. A method for tracking printing system metrics in a printing workflow for producing a printed image on a substrate using one or more printing system tools, the method comprising: placing a machine-readable unique identifier on each of the one or more printing system tools; reading the machine-readable unique identifier at one or more points along the printing workflow with a reading device connected to a processor; storing a record associated with each of the one or more printing system tools in a database in computer memory; measuring information corresponding to one or more usage metrics of the printing system with one or more detectors connected to the processor; processing the information measured by the one or more detectors and the reading device with the processor to generate processed information corresponding to the one or more usage metrics; and Updating, with the processor, the record for each of the one or more printing system tools with the processed information corresponding to the one or more usage metrics. Procedure according to Claim 17 , wherein the processed information for the one or more usage metrics includes a value corresponding to a length of the substrate printed with the printing system and a listing of the combined printing system tools that were used to print the length of the substrate. Procedure according to one of the Claims 17 until 18 , which includes detecting a defect in the printed image on the substrate with a machine vision system. Procedure according to Claim 19 , wherein the printing tool includes a printing plate that includes one or more wear indicator structures having at least a portion at a height configured to produce a printed form only when adjacent printing structures or an adjacent portion at a higher height Loss of height is experienced, and detecting the error includes detecting the printed form corresponding to the at least one section. Procedure according to Claim 20 , whereby the printed form is not visible to the naked eye. Procedure according to one of the Claims 17 until 19 , wherein the printing system tool comprises a printing plate defined by a volume of cured polymer, and the step of attaching the machine-readable unique identifier on or in the printing tool comprises forming the identifier by exposing at least a portion of the volume of cured polymer. Procedure according to one of the Claims 17 until 19 , wherein the printing system tool includes a printing plate defined by a volume of cured polymer, and the step of placing the machine-readable unique identifier on or in the printing tool includes providing the machine-readable unique identifier as a discrete structure that is not defined by the volume of cured Polymer is defined and includes attaching it to the volume of cured polymer. Procedure according to Claim 23 , comprising bonding the discrete structure of the machine-readable unique identifier to the volume of the cured polymer. Procedure according to Claim 24 , comprising bonding the discrete structure of the machine-readable unique identifier to the printing plate with a radiation-cured adhesive. Procedure according to one of the Claims 17 until 25 , wherein the machine-readable unique identifier is a conditional printing structure configured to print only when a print contact pressure is applied above a predetermined threshold, and the step of reading the machine-readable unique identifier includes applying a print contact pressure above the predetermined threshold and capturing an image of a print formed thereby that includes an image of the machine-readable unique identifier. Procedure according to one of the Claims 19 until 26 , comprising that the machine vision system compares a captured image of the printed image on the substrate with a corresponding design file or an image of known quality. Procedure according to Claim 27 , comprising tracking differences between the design file or image of known quality and a plurality of captured images of images printed on corresponding substrates that have accumulated over time. Procedure according to Claim 28 , comprising providing a notification when the tracked differences have a difference that exceeds a predetermined threshold. Procedure according to one of the Claims 17 until 29 , comprising storing, in the database, printing tool information selected from the group including: type of printing tool; construction materials of the printing tool; Manufacturing details corresponding to the printing tool; Cleaning details corresponding to the printing tool; Interactions of the printing tool with one or more of: identified printing machines, printing inks, substrates and other chemicals in contact with the printing tool. Procedure according to Claim 30 , further comprehensively implementing, with the processor, a machine learning algorithm with a pattern recognition function to analyze the usage metric and the information about the printing tool stored in the database, and providing predictive monitoring information generated by the machine learning algorithm. A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium having stored therein instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to execute the method according to one of the Claims 17 until 31 to carry out.

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