EP0095649B1 - Ink feed control device for a printing press - Google Patents

Abstract

1. Device for correcting, during the printing, the inking in printing machines having an ink density measuring means (1 or 2), a device for comparing the actual ink density values, supplied by the ink density measuring means, with predetermined ink density setpoint values, at least one electronic computer for representing an ink density deviation resulting from the setpoint/actual values comparison, devices for metering the ink supply to the printing plate, said devices consisting of ink metering elements with associated ink zone actuators (12, 15) and feedback means as well as displays for the actual position values of the ink zone actuators and an operator-selectable positioning device (28) for the follow-up of the ink zone actuators, wherein control displays (19, 37) are additionally assigned to the ink metering elements for displaying the absolute actuation distances of all ink zone actuators (12, 15) of a selected printing unit as regards the degree and the direction for adjusting said ink zone actuators by means of the ink density deviations from predetermined position setpoint values, and wherein the operator-selectable positioning device (28) for the follow-up of individual ink zone actuators (12, 15) or of all ink zone actuators of at least one printing unit is coupled with the control displays (19, 37).

Description

The invention relates to a device for correcting the coloring of printing presses during the printing process with a color density measuring device, a device for comparing the actual color density values supplied by the color density measuring device with predetermined color density target values, at least one computer for displaying a color density deviation from the target / actual comparison, devices for metering the ink supply to the printing plate, consisting of ink metering elements with associated ink actuators and feedback devices as well as displays for the actual position values of the ink actuators and a positioning device that can be selected by the operator for tracking the ink actuators.

DE-AS 2 728 738 describes a device for checking and regulating the coloring of printing presses, in which the color control is carried out fully automatically by means of a composite system of microcomputers and the person is deliberately excluded as delaying and - since in his judgment subjective - as faulty part of the control loop becomes. As a result, the valuable specialist knowledge and the appropriated experience of the printer are completely lost to the printing process, since there is no longer any possibility for the printer to intervene in the color control cycle to correct the quality. Even if an incorrect color density measurement due to failure or contamination of the densitometer z. B. by clogging with paper dust or by local errors in the coloring, such as water noses, slugs etc., which cannot be determined and controlled by a spatially limited, automatic color density measurement with subsequent automatic control, a corrective action would not be necessary, this is not immediate possible. Only when the control command has not been properly executed, a further comparison of the target positions of the ink metering elements with their actual actual positions subsequently detects deviations, which - only if they exceed a certain level - trigger a warning signal that the printer experiences an error, e.g. B. should get caught in a partial ink knife section, the jamming of an adjusting screw or the burning of an actuator. A control during the adjustment of the ink zone actuators is not available to the operator of the printing press, so that the subsequent signaling of sources of error causes a completely unnecessary time delay in color optimization with waste incurred despite automatic control and adversely affects the color quality of the printed product. Nevertheless, the presence of the operator can still not be dispensed with, since he has to monitor the supposedly automatic regulation of the coloring and react to error or alarm signals.

It is also known from EP-A 70 09 to display manipulated variables in a coarse and fine display in a rotary printing press or on a control panel of such a machine. Here, the rough display serves to display the color profile, while the fine representation of the same color profile is achieved by lighting up further light-emitting diodes and displays the position of the respective actuators with high resolution. Since this display only serves to display manipulated variables, a direct target / actual comparison, i.e. a comparison between the manipulated variables and the specified target variables cannot be carried out.

In contrast, DE-OS 2 727 426 describes a device for controlling the color guidance on rotary printing presses, in which the color density of a printed sheet is measured on a measuring table and a color density deviation is displayed on a so-called tendency display based on target values. However, the trend indicator is only able to make a qualitative statement about a deviation in the color density, i.e. As the name tendency indicator suggests, only too much or too little color density can be displayed. Furthermore, it can be seen from this document that the positions of the individual zonal actuators for the amount of color to be applied are displayed by means of rows of LEDs. This means that only measured values and position values are displayed optically in this document. From the displayed measured values for the color density on the basis of the tendency display, a printer must carry out corrective interventions in the zonal coloring and change the amount of color individually or as a whole by means of the input keyboard. It is up to the experience or knowledge of the printer how large he must choose the required correction in order to achieve the target color density as quickly as possible. Since the deviations in the color density are displayed in the color density values by means of the trend display, a check as to whether the adjustment or adjustment of the ink zone actuators to the desired extent has been carried out in accordance with the given control command can only be determined again after the next color density measurement of a printing sheet removed from the printing press, which means that minor waste can not be completely ruled out.

Based on this prior art, the invention has for its object to provide a device that intentionally involves the printer in the process of coloring and give him concrete reference values on the absolute travel of the Displays ink zone actuators without having to forego the advantages of automatic coloring, and which on the one hand monitors the color density measured values as a supplement to the automatic density measured value acquisition and on the other hand also immediately checks the specified color position actuators during the adjustment of the color zone actuators, i.e. the entire monitoring of the execution of the control commands not only in a quantitative but also in a qualitative manner.

According to the invention, this object is achieved in that the color metering elements are additionally assigned guide indicators for displaying the absolute travel of all ink actuators of a selected printing unit, both in size and in the direction for adjusting these ink actuators on the basis of the color density deviations to predetermined position setpoints, and that with the guide indicators , The positioning device, which can be selected by the operator, is coupled individually or at least one printing unit for tracking the ink actuators.

Such a device guarantees the fastest possible color optimization of the printed product with a minimum of waste, since the manipulated variables have already been converted into absolute travel of the ink actuators and are displayed precisely before they are updated. Although the printer does not have to do without the advantages of automatic color control, he always has the opportunity to bring his experience into the printing process.

In order to enable direct control of the color quality of the printed product without any additional design effort, the displays of the actual position values of the ink zone metering elements and / or the guide displays of the manipulated variables of all ink zone actuators can optionally be switched to color density trend displays, the same display means being provided for all three displays are.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the guide displays are additionally designed to reproduce the actuating movements of the color actuators. Only through the direct visual representation of the actuating movements is there direct monitoring and absolute control already during the tracking of the color actuators regarding uncompleted or incomplete execution of actuating commands.

In a further development of the inventive concept, the values of the target positions of the ink zone actuators are transformed to a common reference line in the guide displays and the actual positions of the ink zone actuators can be represented in the form of a tracking profile by means of the leading lighting elements as position deviations from the values of the target positions of the reference line. As a result, both the position deviations of the ink zone actuators from their specified target positions and any remaining position deviations due to improper execution of the actuation commands are signaled exactly according to size and direction, which in turn enables immediate correction interventions in the color scheme - completely independently of further color density measurements.

In a further development of the inventive idea, it is preferably proposed that the color density measuring device be equipped with a device for releasing measured values, for releasing and forwarding both the color density measurement data after their checking and acceptance by the operator and predetermined color density target values to the positioning device. Among other things, this enables the printer a precise control of the results of the previous color density measurement and the elimination of unlikely, extreme measurement values as well as the performance of repeat measurements.

In order to consciously exclude individual or several ink zone actuators in individual or several printing groups from a tracking and to carry them out separately - if necessary, taking into account locally occurring errors in the color quality that are not always detectable due to a color density measurement that is spatially limited to a print control strip - a device is optional Locking and releasing of ink zones is provided, by means of which any ink zone actuators, one or more printing units in each case, can be deliberately excluded from the tracking control or the automatic tracking system and released again for this, the manual tracking by means of the remote control being retained.

According to the characterizing features of subclaims 8 to 10, the printer has the freedom of choice between a tracking control for one-time tracking of the ink zone actuators, an automatic tracking device for continuous, automatic tracking of the inking zone actuators or a remote control for manual tracking of individual inking zone actuators, so that he thereby has the advantages of can combine fully automatic control with a manual control enriched by human experience.

Further advantageous refinements of the inventive concept are contained in the following description and in subclaims 2, 4, 6, 9 and 14 to 16.

The invention is explained in more detail below on the basis of a basic embodiment of a device for influencing the coloring on printing machines shown in the drawings.

• Fig. 1 eine stark schematisierte Darstellung einer Grundausführung der erfindungsgemäßen Einrichtung und
• Fig. 2 einen Ausschnitt aus einer Einrichtung gemäß Fig. 1, dargestellt als schematisiertes Blockschaltbild.

It shows:

• Fig. 1 is a highly schematic representation of a basic embodiment of the device according to the invention and
• Fig. 2 shows a section of a device according to FIG. 1, shown as a schematic block diagram.

According to FIG. 1, a color density measuring device 1 or 2 of known design is connected to a first microcomputer 3. This can be an ink density measuring device 1 arranged outside the printing press or a color density measuring device 2 arranged directly in the printing press on a cylinder 4 carrying the printed product. The color density measuring device 1 or 2 can operate in the off-line or on-line mode and can be equipped with either one or more densitometers 5. In a sheetfed offset press, for. B. the use of a color density measuring device according to the one described in DE-OS 2 632 017 is conceivable, during which a web offset printing press could be equipped with one or more machine densitometers according to DE-OS 2 401 750.

The microcomputer 3 is controlled by the color density measuring device 1 or 2 and is provided with a screen terminal 6 and with its own operating unit 7 for entering measuring programs and for specifying and storing color density setpoints. The measurement programs to be entered are based in particular on the type and structure of a known pressure control strip on the print medium to be measured, which is not shown and described in detail, however, and in the case of machine measurement on the speed of the print medium etc. In addition, the microcomputer 3 is equipped with a device for Measured value release 8 equipped, which can be activated by means of a release switch 17 arranged on the control unit 7. The operator of the color density measuring device 1 or of the printing press with the color density measuring device 2 has the possibility of having the determined color density measured values displayed on the screen terminal 6 and only releasing them for further processing after checking and acceptance by actuating the switch 17.

The microcomputer 3 is followed by a multiplexing device 45, which is connected to one or more second microcomputers 10 via one or more serial interfaces 9, the number of interfaces 9 and microcomputers 10 being based on the number of printing machines to be controlled or regulated. Both microcomputers 3 and 10 are used in a decentralized manner and are equally important in terms of their task and mode of operation. Of course, the use of a central microcomputer system with at least one hierarchically superordinate central microcomputer is of course also possible. The microcomputer 10 is coupled to a control desk 11 for the purpose of data exchange and to actuators 12 and feedback potentiometers 13 of color zone metering elements 14 indicated purely schematically and per printing unit with a drive 15 of a color metering element 16 which is superior to the individual color zones, for adjusting the total amount of color, as shown in FIG. 1 a color sensor, and a feedback potentiometer 44 associated therewith.

As shown in FIG. 2, the microcomputer 10 is subdivided into subunits 21 to 28, an electronic evaluation unit 22 with a data memory 23 being connected downstream of a test electronics unit 21, which in turn are coupled to control electronics unit 24 for the purpose of common data exchange. The evaluation electronics 22 and the control electronics 24 are followed by a common display electronics 25, which is connected to the control panel 11. The control electronics 24 is also coupled to the control panel 11 and a downstream multiplexing device 26, which leads both to the servomotors 12 and feedback potentiometers 13 of the ink zone actuators 14 and to the drive 15 of the ink duct 16 and its feedback potentiometer 44. The control electronics 24 are preceded by a link electronics 27, which is controlled via a positioning device 28 and a device 29 for optionally blocking and releasing color zones.

The positioning device 28 contains a selection keyboard with a command input key 30 for triggering a tracking control for one-time tracking as well as a command input key 31 for triggering an automatic tracking system for continuous, automatic tracking of the ink zone actuators 12 and / or ink actuators 15 for the total amount of color. A command input key 33 of the device 29 serves to lock and release the ink zone actuators 12 of individual ink zones from their tracking.

The selection keyboard 30, 31 and 33 of both the positioning device 28 and the device 29 for optionally locking and releasing color zones is preferably arranged directly on the control panel 11. The control panel 11 also contains a number of optical guide displays 37 corresponding to the number of color zones for the optical display of the manipulated variables of all color zone actuators 12, each of which is assigned a lock indicator 38 and a remote control keyboard 39 for the color zone actuators 12, as well as a numerical guide display 19 for numerical representation of the manipulated variables the color actuators 15 for the color ductors 16 with associated control keypad 20.

When checking one Multi-color printing machine, the control desk 11 is equipped according to the schematic illustration in FIG. 1 with a printing unit selection keyboard 18, with which the individual printing units can be selectively selected for displaying the previously mentioned measured and control values and for tracking their color control elements (12 and 15). By pressing one of the printing unit buttons - the number of which corresponds to the printing units to be checked - the guide displays 19 and 37, color density trend displays and displays of the actual position values of the ink metering elements 14 and 16 can be switched over to the selected printing unit, i.e. their values related to the printing unit represent.

The guide displays 37 consist of vertical rows of light-emitting diodes 40, each row of light-emitting diodes 40 being equipped with sixteen light-emitting diodes 35 in the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. The values of the target positions of the ink zone actuators 12 reported by the evaluation electronics 22 are transformed in a standardized representation to a common reference line 41, which functions as a zero line in the guide displays 37. So that the values of the actual positions of the ink zone actuators 12 are as equally large as possible as deviations from the reference line 41 both in the plus and in the minus range, the LEDs 35 arranged in the middle in the rows 40 of LEDs are used as far as possible , in the embodiment of Figure 2, the eighth light emitting diode. The values of the actual positions of the ink zone setting elements 12, which are analogous to those of the ink zone metering elements 14, are shown in a coherent tracking profile 42 as position deviations from this reference line 41.

The blocking displays 38 are equipped with larger light-emitting diodes or those with a different coloration for better differentiation from the guide displays 37. So you will see the leadership ads 37 z. B. red and the lock indicators 38 light up green.

The guide display 19 for representing the manipulated variable of the color duct 16 is designed as a numerical display 36 with seven-segment displays and is identified by a color duct symbol 43.

• Beim Einrichten bzw. Voreinstellen der Druckmaschine werden dem Mikrocomputer 3 Farbdichte-Soltwerte nebst zugehörigen Toleranzen des zu fertigenden Druckproduktes entweder manuelt über die Bedieneinheit 7 oder automatisch über einen nicht dargesteltten und näher beschriebenen Datenspeicher, wie z. B. Kassette, Magnetkarte oder Speicherptatte usw., eingegeben. Während des taufenden Druckprozesses wird nun der Druckmaschine vom Bedienungspersonal in beliebig wählbaren Zeitabständen ein Bogen entnommen und auf dem Meßtableau unterhalb der Farbdichtemeßvorrichtung 1 plaziert. Gemäß dem über die Bedieneinheit 7 in den Mikrocomputer 3 zuvor eingegebenen Meßprogramm wird nun der auf dem Bogen mitaufgedruckte Druckkontrollstreifen in abhängigkeit von der Art, Anzahl und Struktur dessen Meßfelder sowie der Anzahl der aufgedruckten Farben usw. ausgemessen.

The operation and mode of operation of the device according to the invention is explained in more detail below:

• When setting up or presetting the printing machine the color computer 3 color density values plus associated tolerances of the print product to be produced are either manually operated via the control unit 7 or automatically via a data memory, not shown and described in more detail, such as, for. B. cassette, magnetic card or storage etc., entered. During the baptizing printing process, the operator now removes a sheet from the printing machine at arbitrary time intervals and places it on the measuring table below the ink density measuring device 1. According to the measurement program previously entered into the microcomputer 3 via the control unit 7, the print control strip which is also printed on the sheet is now measured in dependence on the type, number and structure of its measurement fields and the number of printed colors etc.

As an alternative to this, as indicated in FIG. 1, the color density measurement can also be carried out by the color density measuring device 2 arranged directly in the printing press on the sheet-guiding cylinder, in the exemplary embodiment shown the printing cylinder 4.

The actual color density values of the sheet determined by the color density measuring device 1 or 2 are now transmitted to the microcomputer 3 and collected therein. Both the preset and stored color density setpoints and tolerances as well as the measured and collected actual color density values of the sheet can be displayed on demand in the screen terminal 6 and / or additionally printed out in a log printer (not shown and described in more detail). The operator now has the possibility, as a supplement to the automatic density measurement value acquisition, to compare and critically evaluate the actual measured color density values of the sheet with the specified color density setpoints on the one hand and in particular with the color quality of the sheet on the basis of his specialist knowledge and experience. By selecting the color density values, he can, in cases of doubt, eliminate extreme or seemingly untrustworthy measurement values and repeat the color density measurement.

Only after the printer considers and accepts the displayed color density values as good should he actuate the release switch 17, whereby the device for measuring value release 8 is activated and the stored color density values via the multiplexing device 45 and the serial interface (s) 9 to the or the microcomputers 10 are transferred. The test electronics 21 of the microcomputer 10 checks the data transmission for possible errors and faults. The downstream evaluation electronics 22 performs a target / actual value comparison between the color density data transmitted to it and calculates the color density deviations. At the same time, the feedback potentiometers 13 and 44 report the actual values of the positions of the color actuators 12 and 15 via the multiplexing device 26. The evaluation electronics 22 links the measured values with the control values and now calculates from the values of the color density deviations taking into account the permissible tolerances and the values of the Actual positions of the ink actuators 12 and 15 their desired target positions, stores these values in the data memory 23 and displays them on the one hand together and coherently in the tracking profile 42 of the guide displays 37 and on the other hand in the guide display 19.

When the measured values are linked to the manipulated values, the values of the actual positions of the ink metering elements 14 reported back as analog voltages represent a measure of their travel A s or, analogously, a measure of the revolutions of their actuators 12. In relation to the measured actual The distance A s is converted into a corresponding number of light-emitting diodes 35 as a display signal for values of the color density. In the same ratio, the color density difference A D determined in the previous setpoint / actual value comparison is also converted into A s and into a corresponding number of light-emitting diodes 35. The target positions of the color control elements 12 now result from the addition of the light-emitting diode values determined from the actual positions of the color control elements 12 with the light-emitting diode values determined from the color density difference AD. A digital representation of the values in the numerical display 19 takes place for the ink duct 16.

By the measure that the reference line 41 is evenly placed on the middle, in the present exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 2, on the eighth light-emitting diode 35 of each row of light-emitting diodes 40, there is approximately the same size of the display area both in the negative and in the positive direction.

The guide displays 19 and 37 thus provide the operator of the printing machine with a guide element for the adjustment of the ink actuators 12 and 15, which precisely signals the direction and the size of their required travel paths, so that he can accurately measure the ink metering elements 14 and 16 position, and also a control body, by means of which he can also directly monitor the correct execution of the tracking process. Of course, there is the possibility for the printer to specify arbitrarily selectable tolerance limits within which the position deviations of the color actuators 12 and 15 can move without their additional tracking being necessary. The width of the tolerance band is variable according to the respective circumstances.

The guide displays 19 and 37 can also be switched such that the operator can also have the current actual positions of the color actuators 12 and 15 and, in addition, the color density trends in the guide displays 37 as decision aids for influencing the coloring, in order to draw conclusions directly therefrom to draw the color density curve of the printed product. Thus, he can infer unusual color density measurement values or incorrect density measurement value recording due to unusual deviations in the density gradient.

• 1. Er akzeptiert nach einer genauen Kontrolle die ihm in den Führungsanzeigen 19 und 37 signalisierte Nachführempfehlung und übernimmt deren Werte kompromißlos für alle oder einzelne Druckwerke.
  • a) Er betätigt die Befehlseingabetaste 30 der Positioniereinrichtung 28, wodurch die Nachführsteuerung zum einmaligen Nachführen der Farbstellglieder 12 und/oder 15 aktiviert wird. Dadurch werden die Farbstellglieder 12 und/oder 15 über die Steuerelektronik 24 einmalig nachgeführt, und der Drucker muß nach der nächsten Bogenentnahme, Farbdichtemessung mit anschließender Meßwertfreigabe und wiederholten Führungsanzeigen 19 und 37 eine neue Entscheidung mit Befehlseingabe treffen.
  • b) Er betätigt die Befehlseingabetaste 31 der Positioniereinrichtung 28, wodurch die Nachführautomatik zum kontinuierlichen, automatischen Nachführen der Farbstellglieder 12 und/oder 15 aktiviert wird. Dadurch werden die Farbstellglieder 12 und/oder 15 entsprechend den in der Auswerteelektronik 22 nach jeder Farbdichtemessung immer wieder neu gebildeten Stellwerten über die Steuerelektronik 24 solange nachgeführt, bis dieser Befehl wieder aufgehoben und ein neuer über die Befehlseingabelaste 31 eingeleitet wird. Vollkommen unabhängig davon muß jedoch stets eine neue Entscheidung bei der als Kontrollorgan fungierenden Einrichtung zur Meßwertfreigabe 8 gefällt werden.
• 2. Er akzeptiert nach Überprüfung die in den Führungsanzeigen 19 und 37 angezeigten Positions-Abweichungswerte der Farbstellglieder 12 und/oder 15 nur teilweise und möchte einzelne Farbzonen, gegebenenfalls einzelne Druckwerke mit z. B. ihm zweifelhaft erscheinenden extrem hohen oder niedrigen Anzeigewerten, bewußt von der Nachführung ausnehmen. In diesem Fall drückt er die Befehlseingabelaste 33, wodurch die Vorrichtung 29 zum Sperren oder Freigeben einzelner Farbzonen aktiviert wird. Über die Verknüpfungselektronik 27 wird dieser Befehl in die Steuerelektronik 24 und von dort in das Kontrollpult 11 eingeleitet. Durch Drücken der Minustasten der Fernbedienungstastatur 39 kann der Drucker nun beliebige Farbzonen bzw. Druckwerke sperren, durch Betätigung der Plustasten Sperrungen aufheben. Die Sperrung bzw. die Freigabe der Farbzonen wird ihm durch die jeweils aufleuchtenden Sperranzeigen 38 signalisiert. Der Drucker hat nun die Möglichkeit, die Farbzonendosierelemente 14 der nicht gesperrten Farbzonen, wie unter Punkt 1.a) beschrieben, durch einmalige Nachführsteuerung oder gemäß Punkt 1.b) durch kontinuierliche Nachführautomatik deren Farbzonenstellglieder 12 zu positionieren.
• 3. Darüber hinaus hat er die Möglichkeit, die Farbzonenstellglieder 12 der Farbzonendosierelemente 14 gesperrter und nicht gesperrter Farbzonen mittels Betätigung der Fernbedienungstastatur 39 manuell nachzuführen. Unabhängig davon, welche Wahl der unter den Punkten 1.-3. zuvor beschriebenen Möglichkeiten der Drucker für das Positionieren der Farbdosierelemente 14 und 16 trifft, kann er nach der Befehlseinleitung über die Befehlseingabetasten 30 und 31 der Positioniereinrichtung 28 die korrekte Ausführung seiner Stellbefehte mittels der Führungsanzeigen 19 und 37 genau überwachen. Da die Leuchtdioden 35 der Führungsanzeigen 37 als führende Leuchtelemente ausgebildet sind und die Stellbewegung der Farbzonenstellglieder 12 - analog der Farbzonendosierelemente 14 - für den Drucker sichtbar reproduzieren läßt sich dadurch beispielsweise direkt das Öffnen und Schließen der Farbzonendosierelemente 14 beobachten. Im gleichen Maße, wie sich die Farbzonenstellglieder 12 ihren Soll-Positionen nähern, nähern sich auch die Werte der Führungsanzeigen 37, d.h. die die Ist-Positionen signalisierenden, führenden Leuchtelemente 35 der Bezugslinie 41. Dadurch hat der Drucker nicht nur eine genaue Kontrollmöglichkeit darüber, daß sich die Farbzonendosierelemente 14 in den betreffenden Farbzonen verstelten, sondern insbesondere auch, ob die Größe der Stettbewegung entsprechend den gegebenen Stellbefehlen ordnungsgemäß ausgeführt worden ist. Durch die qualitative Anzeige des absoluten Größenwertes der erforderlichen Verstellung kann er somit nicht nur den totalen ausfall eines Stellmotores, sondern auch schon das geringe Klemmen einer Stellschraube oder eines Farbmessers, d.h. bereits kleinste Abweichungen in der Ausführung des Stellbefehles feststellen und unmittelbar eine manuelle Korrekturverstellung in dieser Farbzone einleiten.
• 4. Soll die Gesamtfarbmenge gleichmäßig beeinflußt werden, so besteht in Analogie zu Punkt 3 die manuell ausführbare Möglichkeit, den Drehwinkel des Farbduktors 16 entsprechend seiner in der Führungsanzeige 19 gegebenen Nachführempfehlung - oder abweichend davon - über die Stelltastatur 20 zu variieren, d.h. durch Drücken der Plus-Taste zu erhöhen und vice versa, um dadurch die Farbstreifenlänge zu verändern.

On the basis of the guide displays 19 and 37, the operator of the printing press can now decide among several options for tracking the ink actuators 12 and 15 to their desired positions.

• 1. After a precise check, he accepts the follow-up recommendation signaled to him in guidance displays 19 and 37 and uncompromisingly accepts their values for all or individual printing units.
  • a) He actuates the command input button 30 of the positioning device 28, whereby the tracking control for the one-time tracking of the color actuators 12 and / or 15 is activated. As a result, the ink actuators 12 and / or 15 are adjusted once via the control electronics 24, and the printer has to make a new decision by entering the command after the next sheet removal, ink density measurement with subsequent measurement value release and repeated guidance displays 19 and 37.
  • b) He actuates the command input key 31 of the positioning device 28, whereby the automatic tracking is activated for the continuous, automatic tracking of the color control elements 12 and / or 15. As a result, the color control elements 12 and / or 15 are tracked via the control electronics 24 in accordance with the control values which are always newly formed in the evaluation electronics 22 after each color density measurement until this command is canceled again and a new one is initiated via the command input keys 31. Completely independently of this, however, a new decision must always be made at the device for measuring value release 8 which acts as a control organ.
• 2. After checking, he only partially accepts the position deviation values of the ink actuators 12 and / or 15 shown in the guide displays 19 and 37 and would like to have individual ink zones, possibly individual printing units with e.g. B. deliberately exempt him from appearing extremely high or low display values from the tracking. In this case, he presses the command input button 33, whereby the device 29 for locking or unlocking individual color zones is activated. Via the link electronics 27, this command is introduced into the control electronics 24 and from there into the control panel 11. By pressing the minus buttons on the remote control keyboard 39, the printer can now lock any color zones or printing units, and unlocks by pressing the plus buttons. The blocking or the release of the color zones is signaled to him by the respectively illuminating blocking displays 38. The printer now has the option of changing the ink zone metering elements 14 of the unlocked ink zones, as described under item 1.a), by a single tracking control or, according to item 1.b), by continuous Automatic tracking to position their ink zone actuators 12.
• 3. In addition, he has the option of manually tracking the ink zone actuators 12 of the ink zone metering elements 14 of locked and unlocked ink zones by actuating the remote control keyboard 39. Regardless of which choice of the under 1.-3. previously described possibilities of the printer for positioning the color metering elements 14 and 16, he can monitor the correct execution of his command by means of the guide displays 19 and 37 after the command has been initiated via the command input keys 30 and 31 of the positioning device 28. Since the light-emitting diodes 35 of the guide displays 37 are designed as leading light-emitting elements and the positioning movement of the ink-zone actuators 12 - analogously to the ink-zone metering elements 14 - can be reproduced by the printer so that, for example, the opening and closing of the ink-zone metering elements 14 can be observed directly. To the same extent as the ink zone actuators 12 approach their target positions, the values of the guide displays 37, ie the leading light elements 35 of the reference line 41 signaling the actual positions, also approach. that the ink zone metering elements 14 are in the respective ink zones, but in particular also whether the size of the steady movement has been carried out correctly in accordance with the given setting commands. Thanks to the qualitative display of the absolute size of the required adjustment, he can not only detect the total failure of a servomotor, but also the slight jamming of an adjusting screw or a colorimeter, i.e. even the smallest deviations in the execution of the actuating command and immediately identify a manual correction adjustment in it Initiate the color zone.
• 4. If the total amount of color is to be influenced uniformly, there is, in analogy to point 3, the manually executable possibility of varying the angle of rotation of the color duct 16 according to its tracking recommendation given in the guide display 19 - or differently therefrom - via the setting keyboard 20, ie by pressing the Increase the plus button and vice versa to change the color stripe length.

Claims (16)

1. Device for correcting, during the printing, the inking in printing machines having an ink density measuring means (1 or 2), a device for comparing the actual ink density values, supplied by the ink density measuring means, with predetermined ink density setpoint values, at least one electronic computer for representing an ink density deviation resulting from the setpoint/actual values comparison, devices for metering the ink supply to the printing plate, said devices consisting of ink metering elements with associated ink zone actuators (12, 15) and feedback means as well as displays for the actual position values of the ink zone actuators and an operator-selectable positioning device (28) for the follow-up of the ink zone actuators, wherein control displays (19, 37) are additionally assigned to the ink metering elements for displaying the absolute actuation distances of all ink zone actuators (12, 15) of a selected printing unit as regards the degree and the direction for adjusting said ink zone actuators by means of the ink density deviations from predetermined position setpoint values, and wherein the operator-selectable positioning device (28) for the follow-up of individual ink zone actuators (12, 15) or of all ink zone actuators of at least one printing unit is coupled with the control displays (19,37).

2. Device according to Claim 1, wherein the displays of the actual position values of the ink metering elements (14,16) can be selectively switched over to the control displays (19, 37) of the actuation variables of all ink zone actuators (12,15), whereby the same display means (36 or 40) are provided for both displays of one and the same ink zone actuators (12 or 15).

3. Device according to Claim(s) 1 and/or 2, wherein the displays of the actual position values of the ink zone metering elements (14) and/or of the control displays (37) of the actuation variables of all ink zone actuators (12) can be selectively switched over to ink density trend displays, whereby the same display means (40) are provided for all three displays.

4. Device according to one or several of the preceding claims, wherein a separate numerical display (36) with its own actuation keyboard (20) is provided for the actuation display (19) for representing the actuation variable of the ink zone actuator (15) for adjusting the total ink quantity.

5. Device according to one or several of the preceding claims, wherein the control displays (19, 37) are designed in addition to representing the actuating movements of the ink zone actuators (12, 15).

6. Device according to one or several of the preceding claims, wherein leading light-emitting elements (35) are provided for representing the actuating movements of the ink zone actuators (12).

7. Device according to one or several of the preceding claims, wherein in the control displays (37) the values of the setpoint positions of the ink zone actuators (12) are transformed to a common reference line (41), and wherein the actual positions of the ink zone actuators (12) can be represented in the form of a follow-up profile (42) by means of the leading light-emitting elements (35) as positional deviations with respect to the values of the setpoint positions of the reference line (41).

8. Device according to one or several of the preceding claims, wherein the ink density measuring means (1 or 2) is equipped with a measured-value release device (8) for releasing and transmitting to the positioning device (28) both the measured ink density data, after having been examined and accepted by the operator, as well as predetermined ink density setpoint values.

9. Device according to one or several of the preceding claims, wherein the measured-value release device (8) is coupled to a release switch (17), whereby, after each ink density measurement and before influencing the inking, a first command input by the operator is necessary in such a manner that at least the release switch (17) has to be acknowledged, and wherein the positioning device (28) is equipped with a follow-up control which can be selectively actuated via a selection keyboard (30, 31) and with an automatic follow-up control, and wherein there is also provided a manual remote control (20, 39), which can be enabled at all times, of the ink zone actuators (12, 15) of at least one printing unit, whereby the single selection of the automatic follow-up control or the repeated selection of the follow-up control each require, in addition, a second command input by the operator.

10. Device according to one or several of the preceding claims, wherein the positioning device (28) is designed as a follow-up control for the single follow-up of the ink zone actuators (12, 15).

11. Device according to one or several of the preceding claims, wherein the positioning device (28) is designed as an automatic follow-up control for the continuous and automatic follow-up of the ink zone actuators (12, 15).

12. Device according to one or several of the preceding claims, wherein a constantly enabled remote control (20, 39) function ally superordinated to the follow-up control and the automatic follow-up control is provided for manual follow-up of the ink zone actuators (12,15) at all times.

13. Device according to one or several of the preceding claims, wherein a means (29) is provided for the selective disabling or enabling of ink zones by means of which any desired ink zone actuators (12) of one or of several printing units at the same time can be deliberately excluded from the follow-up control or the automatic follow-up control and be enabled again for said ink zone actuators, whereby the manual follow-up is maintained by means of the remote control.

14. Device according to one or several of the preceding claims, wherein a decentralized microcomputer system with exclusively equal- priority microcomputers (3,10) is provided for implementing all process steps necessary for influencing the ink control.

15. Device according to one or several of the preceding claims, wherein a central microcomputer system with at least one hierarchically superordinated central microcomputer is provided for implementing all process steps necessary for influencing the inking.

16. Device according to one or several of the preceding claims, wherein the ink density measuring means (1) is provided as a central unit and is simultaneously coupled to the follow-up displays (19, 37) and positioning devices (28) of several printing machines for the purpose of value transmission for multi-machine operation, whereby separate follow-up displays (19, 37) with associated positionig devices (28) are assigned to each printing machine.

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