EP1386873A1 - Procédé de generation automatique de données de configuration pour un machine de pliage - Google Patents

Procédé de generation automatique de données de configuration pour un machine de pliage Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1386873A1
EP1386873A1 EP02102093A EP02102093A EP1386873A1 EP 1386873 A1 EP1386873 A1 EP 1386873A1 EP 02102093 A EP02102093 A EP 02102093A EP 02102093 A EP02102093 A EP 02102093A EP 1386873 A1 EP1386873 A1 EP 1386873A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
folding
data
machine
sheet
imposition
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP02102093A
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German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Jozef Dechamps
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Agfa Gevaert NV
Agfa Gevaert AG
Original Assignee
Agfa Gevaert NV
Agfa Gevaert AG
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Agfa Gevaert NV, Agfa Gevaert AG filed Critical Agfa Gevaert NV
Priority to EP02102093A priority Critical patent/EP1386873A1/fr
Priority to JP2003281175A priority patent/JP2004067391A/ja
Publication of EP1386873A1 publication Critical patent/EP1386873A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H45/00—Folding thin material
    • B65H45/12—Folding articles or webs with application of pressure to define or form crease lines
    • B65H45/14—Buckling folders
    • B65H45/142—Pocket-type folders
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H2511/00—Dimensions; Position; Numbers; Identification; Occurrences
    • B65H2511/10—Size; Dimensions
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H2511/00—Dimensions; Position; Numbers; Identification; Occurrences
    • B65H2511/40—Identification
    • B65H2511/414—Identification of mode of operation

Definitions

  • the invention relates to the field of the post-press process of folding, by means of a folding machine, and in particular to setting up a folding machine.
  • a product such as a book or a leaflet
  • steps are performed: printing, folding, and possibly cutting and binding.
  • pages are printed on the same sheet. After folding, these pages of course have to follow one another in the correct order in the final product; this is a job of the imposition process.
  • the imposition process is part of a pre-press workflow system.
  • imposition is the pre-press process of arranging the pages, that will be printed on the same sheet, in such a way that a proper sequence or position of each page relative to the other pages on the sheet is achieved.
  • An imposition plan represents the layout according to which the individual pages are arranged on a sheet, possibly including the relevant dimensions, i.e. the dimensions of the sheet, the dimensions of the individual pages and the dimensions of the spaces at the borders and between the individual pages on the sheet.
  • folding is a post-press process. Folding is customarily done by means of a folding machine, as disclosed e.g. in US-A-6 251 055.
  • the instructions that the operator of such a folding machine gets, are often very poor. In the worst case, the operator gets no instructions at all, only the imposition plan, and has to deduce from the imposition plan how the sheet has to be folded.
  • the operator then observes the imposition plan and uses his professional knowledge of how such an imposition plan, or a similar one, is commonly folded. He then verifies his assumptions by folding one sheet manually and verifying the obtained order of the pages. If the folded result is correct, he sets up the folding machine accordingly.
  • the sheets to be folded are accompanied by instructions for setting up the folding machine.
  • the setup operation is not always obvious, since the same folding result may sometimes be obtained by completely different settings of the folding machine. In such a case, the operator usually prefers the settings that are easiest for him, but these are not necessarily the optimal settings.
  • the present invention is a method for automatically generating data for setting up a folding machine as claimed in independent claim 1.
  • Preferred embodiments of the invention are set out in the dependent claims.
  • a method in accordance with the invention is implemented by a computer program as claimed in claim 10.
  • data are generated automatically for setting up a folding machine.
  • the data include first data indicating a folding order and second data indicating a dimension of the product that is to be folded.
  • a “product” means a book, a leaflet, or any other object that requires a printing step and a folding step in order to be manufactured.
  • a section (also called signature) of a book is also a product.
  • the product is printed on one or more "sheets".
  • a “sheet” is also referred to as a "printing substrate”.
  • the printing substrate may be made of paper, cardboard, plastic, sticker material, etc.
  • sheet encompasses a cut sheet as used for sheet-fed printing presses and a continuous printing substrate on roll as used for web printing presses.
  • a sheet is also a product.
  • first data that indicate the folding order
  • first data may be represented as what is called a "folding formula” in this document.
  • a “folding formula” is a description that simply indicates the result that is to be achieved, e.g. "fold one third of the sheet upwards”; it does not indicate how a particular folding machine will attain this result.
  • a folding formula is thus machine-independent.
  • a folding formula uniquely describes how a sheet has to be folded. From a folding formula, the corresponding imposition plan can be deduced by means of a simple algorithm, as will be discussed further below.
  • a folding formula can be used for the automatic setup of a folding machine (provided the folding machine offers the possibility of automatic setup, i.e. its settings can be adjusted automatically, e.g. by a computer program running on a computer coupled to the folding machine).
  • At least the first data, that indicate the folding order, and that are used to set up the folding machine are based on the optimal imposition plan for the product that is to be manufactured.
  • An advantage of a method in accordance with the invention is that all possibilities of the folding machine may be used.
  • Another advantage is that the data for setting up the folding machine are generated automatically; this saves time and increases reliability.
  • setup of the folding machine may correspond to the optimal imposition plan of the product that is to be manufactured.
  • the invention may be applied to folding machines for cut sheets and to folders for a web printing substrate, on roll.
  • FIG. 1 shows a diagram of a folding machine 20 with three subsequent stages 21, 22 and 23.
  • Sheet 14 is first folded in the first folding stage 21 along folding lines 26 (in Fig. 1, stage 21, only one of the five folding lines 26, drawn in dashed lines, is indicated by a reference sign); corner 13 of sheet 14 acts as a reference corner 13, i.e. the sheet 14 is fed with one or both of its edges that are adjacent to corner 13 against stops of folding stage 21.
  • the already folded sheet 14 is further folded along folding lines 27, perpendicular to folding lines 26 (in Fig. 1, stage 22, only one of the two folding lines 27, drawn in dashed lines, is indicated by a reference sign).
  • the sheet 14 is folded in the third folding stage 23, along a folding line 26 perpendicular to folding lines 27.
  • the obtained folded sheet 14 is called a section.
  • a knife folder or a buckle folder (also called plate folder) may be used.
  • a blunt-edged knife is set parallel with and above a slot formed by two rollers.
  • the rollers revolve continuously so that when a sheet is placed over them and the knife descends, the sheet is caught between the rollers and carried away, a fold being made where the knife made contact.
  • the sheets are fed one at a time to stops, either by hand or by mechanical feeders, and are carried by moving tapes beneath the knife where they are precisely positioned mechanically for folding.
  • the knife having descended, the sheet, now folded once, is carried by rollers and tapes to a second unit of knife and rollers where a second fold is made, then a third fold, etc., the folded sheets (now sections) being delivered to a stacker.
  • Figs. 2A and 2B show a buckle folder 30, also called buckle-plate folder 30.
  • a folder 30 works on a different principle.
  • sheet 14 is fed with its leading edge 16 between a pair of continuously revolving rollers 34, 35.
  • the leading edge 16 is guided between a pair of two closely spaced plates 31 (also called buckle plates 31), the plane of the plates 31 being at an angle of 45° to the plane of feeding.
  • the plates 31 are fitted with internal adjustable stops, that are in Fig. 2A set to one third of the length of sheet 14. When the leading edge 16 of sheet 14 hits these stops, further forward motion is prevented.
  • the buckle folder 30 of Figs. 2A - 2B has two upper pairs of buckle plates 31, 33 and one lower pair of buckle plates 32.
  • Current folding machines often have a first folding stage made up of four upper and four lower pairs of buckle plates. The available pairs of buckle plates may be set in use or may be bypassed, leading to different folds. Each pair of buckle plates in use produces an additional fold parallel to the first one.
  • the order of the folds and their location are represented in a way that is independent of the folding machine on which the folds will be performed, by means of so-called “folding formulae".
  • a “folding formula” is a description that simply indicates the result that is to be achieved, e.g. "fold one third of the sheet upwards”; it does not indicate how a particular folding machine will attain this result.
  • a folding formula is thus machine-independent.
  • a preferred notation of a folding formula is as follows: L3U1 for the fold shown in Fig. 2C and performed by the first pair of buckle plates 31 in Fig. 2A, wherein one third of sheet 14 is folded upwards.
  • L3 means that the length of sheet 14 is divided into three equal parts
  • U1 means that one of these parts, i.e. one third of sheet 14, is folded upwards (as shown in Fig. 2C). Which part of sheet 14 is folded upwards is defined by choosing a reference corner 13 with respect to which the folding operation is performed.
  • reference sign 17 indicates the original reference corner of sheet 14, which may differ from the actual reference corner 13. As shown in Fig. 2C, after the L3U1 fold, the original reference corner 17 is located in the middle of the folded sheet 14, while the new, actual lower left corner 13 of the folded sheet 14 is taken as the new, actual reference corner 13.
  • Fig. 2D The result of the two subsequent folds is shown in Fig. 2D and may be indicated by: L3U1D1 meaning that first one third of the sheet is folded upwards, "U1", and then one third of the sheet (i.e. one third of the original sheet length) is folded downwards, i.e. "D1" in formula (2).
  • the buckle-plate folder 30 shown in Figs. 2A - 2B has upper and lower pairs of buckle plates; as can be verified by means of Figs. 2A - 2D, an upper pair of buckle plates 31, 33 generates an upward fold, "U”, while a lower pair of buckle plates 32 generates a downward fold, "D".
  • a folding formula simply indicates the result that is to be achieved, any fold or succession of folds, performed by a buckle folder, a knife folder or any kind of folder can be described by means of folding formulae.
  • a folding stage wherein a sheet or a section is halved by means of a knife folder can be indicated by: L2U1
  • Folding formulae unambiguously describe how a sheet has to be folded, thus filling a gap in the prior art. Moreover, folding formulae are machine independent and can directly be used to set up a folding machine.
  • the corresponding imposition plan can be deduced from the folding formula by means of a simple algorithm, as is discussed below. For every folding formula, there is a corresponding imposition plan; a folding formula is thus also a representation of an imposition plan.
  • Fig. 4 shows so-called "imposition pages" 15; these are different from the final pages in the final product. In fact, extra space has to be added around the final pages in order to fold, collect/gather, bind and cut the product to the correct size in the final step.
  • Fig. 3 illustrates the relation between a final page 18 and an imposition page 15: around a final page 18, a head trim 4, a foot trim 5 and spaces 6, 7 are added in order to obtain an imposition page 15. For products such as books, newspapers etc.
  • the shown imposition plan 10 contains 3 x 4 imposition pages 15: three imposition pages 15 are arranged next to each other in the length direction L of sheet 14, indicated by axis 11, while four imposition pages 15 are next to each other in the width direction W of sheet 14, indicated by axis 12. Axes 11 and 12 intersect in the reference corner 13 of sheet 14. Only four of the twelve imposition pages 15 are indicated by a reference sign, in order to keep the drawing readable. Typically, all folds in the imposition plan are located at a well defined fraction of the size of sheet 14: in Fig. 4, the fold lines are located at 1/3 and 2/3 in the length direction L and at 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4 in the width direction W.
  • the location of the folds can thus indicated by giving the nominator of the fraction and the length and width of the sheet.
  • the folding operation corresponding to the imposition plan 10 of Fig. 4, which includes the location of the folds, the folding direction and the folding order, can be indicated by: L3U1U1 W4U2U1 which means the following:
  • the pages are numbered by means of a simple computer program simulating the folding process, the successive steps of which are given above.
  • Unfolding the package either by hand or by means of a computer simulation, returns the imposition plan 10 shown in Fig. 4 wherein the page numbers are indicated by "P21", “P20”, etc. (remark: the page numbers on the back side of sheet 14 are not shown in Fig. 4).
  • FIGS. 5A and 5B Other imposition plans are shown in Figs. 5A and 5B.
  • the folding operation corresponding to the imposition plan of Fig. 5A can be indicated by: L4U2U1 while the folding operation corresponding to the imposition plan of Fig. 5B can be indicated by: L6U2D2 W4U1D1U1 LD1
  • "LD1" is indicated.
  • L2D1 could also have been indicated; however, the size in the L-direction can be deduced from "L6U2D2" and thus does not have to be given again.
  • first data that indicate the folding order
  • second data are also generated that indicate a dimension of the product that is to be folded.
  • these second data are: (a) the length (e.g. 1299 mm) and the width (e.g. 459 mm) of sheet 14; or (b) the length and the width of an imposition page 15 together with dimension information on the position of the folding lines 26, 27 relative to the position of the imposition pages 15; or (c) the position of one or more folding lines 26, 27.
  • the positions of the folding lines 26, 27 may be determined from the folding formula and the second data; in example (c), the position of one or more folding lines 26, 27 is given directly.
  • the first data are preferably machine-independent. It is preferred that the second data are also machine-independent.
  • the machine-independent first and second data are then converted into machine-dependent third data, that may be sent to the folding machine, for its setup. Alternatively, the machine-independent data are sent to the folding machine and the conversion to machine-dependent data is done in the folding machine itself.
  • An advantage of a method in accordance with the invention is that all possibilities of the folding machine may be used. This results from the way in which the first data (e.g. the folding formulae) are generated; for more details, we refer to our patent application EP 02 102 092.0 entitled “Method for automatically determining an imposition plan", filed on the same day as the present application, and mentioned already above. From our patent application EP 02 102 092.0, it is also clear that a method for automatically generating data for setting up a folding machine in accordance with the invention is not based on predefined templates, or predefined data, but uses specification data of the product and folding machine data of the folding machine to calculate the data for setting up the folding machine. Thus, also for non-standard printing jobs, an easy and optimal set up of the folding machine becomes possible.
  • folding machine may either be a real, existing machine or a “virtual” machine that does not exist but that has characteristics that are e.g. typical for a number of existing folding machines.
  • the invention may be applied to folding machines for cut sheets and to folders for a web printing substrate, on roll.
  • folding machines for cut sheets and to folders for a web printing substrate, on roll we refer to our patent application EP 02 102 092.0 mentioned above.

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  • Folding Of Thin Sheet-Like Materials, Special Discharging Devices, And Others (AREA)
EP02102093A 2002-08-02 2002-08-02 Procédé de generation automatique de données de configuration pour un machine de pliage Withdrawn EP1386873A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP02102093A EP1386873A1 (fr) 2002-08-02 2002-08-02 Procédé de generation automatique de données de configuration pour un machine de pliage
JP2003281175A JP2004067391A (ja) 2002-08-02 2003-07-28 折りたたみ機械セットアップ用データを自動的に発生する方法

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP02102093A EP1386873A1 (fr) 2002-08-02 2002-08-02 Procédé de generation automatique de données de configuration pour un machine de pliage

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EP1386873A1 true EP1386873A1 (fr) 2004-02-04

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Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN101786559B (zh) * 2010-01-15 2012-05-30 北京工业大学 一种能实现85种常用折页模式的折页单元组配

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5242364A (en) * 1991-03-26 1993-09-07 Mathias Bauerle Gmbh Paper-folding machine with adjustable folding rollers
US6024682A (en) * 1998-11-23 2000-02-15 Xerox Corporation Automatically continuously variable fold position sheet folding system with automatic length and skew correction

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5242364A (en) * 1991-03-26 1993-09-07 Mathias Bauerle Gmbh Paper-folding machine with adjustable folding rollers
US6024682A (en) * 1998-11-23 2000-02-15 Xerox Corporation Automatically continuously variable fold position sheet folding system with automatic length and skew correction

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
FURLER: "Von der Bürofalzmaschine zum modernen Falzautomaten mit computergesteuerter Einstellautomatik", DEUTSCHER DRUCKER, vol. 29, no. 28, 22 July 1993 (1993-07-22), Ostfildern, DE, pages W13 - W16, XP000382292 *

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