PRODUCTION SYSTEM FOR MAKING IMPRINTED PRODUCTS AND METHOD FOR TRANSPORT OF THE PRODUCTS

Abstract

A production system for manufacturing imprinted products from sheets of paper, cardboard, and the like, includes several printing machines, several punching machines and a common control unit. The printing machines are linked to the punching machines via a transport system with linear-driven transport mechanism such that the products from one particular printing machine can be taken to any given punching machine, and the transport path of the products is controlled by a control unit. The control unit optimizes the workload of all the machines by dictating the product transport pathways.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a production system linked via pallet carts to printing and punching machines.

FIG. 2 illustrates a production system linked via gripper carts to printing and punching machines and processing stations.

FIG. 3 illustrates a production system linked via gripper carts to printing and punching machines.

FIG. 4 illustrates a production system linked via gripper carts to printing, punching and folded box gluing machines.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 shows a production system P preferably including several printing machines D1, D2 to DN and several punching machines S1, S2 to SM. The printing machines D1, D2, DN are linked by a transport system T to the punching machines S1, S2, SM. At the delivery unit (not shown) of a particular printing machine D1, D2, DN, the products (not shown) are stacked on pallets. The pallets are picked up by a transport unit and can be taken via the transport system T to any given punching machine S1, S2, SM. There, the pallets with the product stacks drive into the sheet feeder area of a particular punching machine S1, S2, SM. The choice of the transport paths by the transport system T and the activating of the track switches of the transport system T is done by a control unit (not shown).

FIG. 2 shows a production system P including printing machines D1, D2, DN and processing stations B1, B2, BN. Each printing machine is coordinated with a processing station. Moreover, the production system P has punching machines S1, S2 to SM. The transport system T links a particular printing machine to its coordinated processing station, i.e., D1 to B1, D2 to B2, etc., and DN to BN. Each processing station B1, B2, BN is linked via the transport system T to each punching machine S1, S2, SM. The transport system T has transport units (not shown) which preferably are configured as linear-driven gripper carts. A particular gripper cart picks up a sheet from a printing machine, transports it through the processing station coordinated with the printing machine and on to any given punch, then through the latter, and deposits the punched product onto a stack. The empty gripper cart can be transported back to the printing machines via the transport system T on a separate transport pathway. The choice of the transport paths by the transport system T and the activating of the track switches of the transport system T is done by a control unit (not shown).

FIG. 3 shows a production system P with printing machines D1, D2 to DN and punching machines S1, S2 to SM. The printing machines are linked by a transport system T to the punching machines. The transport system has linear-driven transport units (not shown), which are preferably configured as gripper carts. The gripper carts can grab a sheet, transport it through the printing machine, then to any given punching machine and through it. After the punched product has been deposited on a stack, the empty gripper cart can be transported back from any given punching machine to any given printing machine on a separate transport pathway. The choice of the transport paths by the transport system T and the activating of the track switches of the transport system T is preferably made by a control unit (not shown).

FIG. 4 shows a production system P similar to the system of FIG. 3. In addition, however, the production system P preferably includes folded box gluing machines F1, F2 to FI, which are linked by the transport system T to the punching machines S1, S2 to SM. A punched product can thus be taken from any given punching machine S1, S2, SM by the transport units (not shown) of the transport system T to any given folded box gluing machine F1, F2, FI. The choice of the transport paths by the transport system T and the activating of the track switches of the transport system T is made by a control unit (not shown).

While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it is to be understood that variations and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing the scope and spirit of the present invention. The scope of the present invention, therefore, is to be determined solely by the following claims.

Claims

1. A production system for making imprinted products comprising: a plurality of printing machines;a plurality of punching machines;at least one control unit; anda transport system arranged to link the printing machines to the punching machines such that the product at one of the printing machines is capable of being moved to any of the punching machines, and a transport path of the products is determined by the at least one control unit.

2. The production system according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of folded box gluing machines, wherein the punching machines are linked to the folded box gluing machines via the transport system such that the product from one of the punching machines is capable of being moved to any of the folded box gluing machines.

3. The production system according to claim 1, wherein each of the printing machines is coordinated with a separate processing station downstream thereof, and the transport system links a respective one of the printing machines to the coordinated processing station and the processing stations are linked to the punching machines via the transport system.

4. The production system according to claim 1, further comprising transport units adapted to transport the products from one of the punching machines to any of the printing machines along the transport path.

5. The production system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one control unit determines the transport pathway so as to optimize the workload of the system.

6. The production system according to claim 1, wherein the transport system includes a linear-driven transport mechanism.

7. The production system according to claim 4, wherein the transport units include carts adapted to pick up pallets, and a stack of sheets can be transported on each of the pallets.

8. The production system according to claim 4, wherein the transport units include gripper carts, and a single sheet can be transported by one of the gripper carts.

9. The production system according to claim 8, the gripper carts are adapted to move through at least one of the plurality of printing machines, the plurality of punching machines, and a plurality of processing machines.

10. A method of controlling transport of imprinted products manufactured by a production system including printing machines, punching machines, a transport system, and a control unit, the method comprising the steps of: a) retrieving via the control unit job data for the products being manufactured;b) determining via the control unit a job status of each of the printing machines and each of the punching machines;c) calculating via the control unit a medium-term workload of each of the printing machines and each of the punching machines;d) determining via the control unit transport paths for the products from one of the printing machines to one of the punching machines;e) repeating steps c) and d) until a maximum for the overall workload of all of the printing machines and punching machines is determined by the control unit;f) activating track switches of the transport system based on the maximum determined in step e);g) transporting the products along the calculated transport paths.

11. A production system for making processed imprinted products, the production system comprising: a printing machine;a punching machine; anda transport system including a linear-driven transport mechanism and arranged to link the printing machine to the punching machine.