ITW Trans Tech: PADPRINT: Dispenser Package Pad Printing Automation



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	Technical Data: Dispenser Package Pad Printing System: Pad Printing Application: Printing multi-color image on polypropylene dispenser package. Featured Machine: High-speed Sealcup 90 pad printer: all-mechanical cam-operated bench model with hermetically sealed ink cup, interfaced to fully automated system. Benefit: Finished system enables high-speed, fully automatic product decoration in a production environment with minimal operator involvement. Sequence of Operation: Operator manually feeds blank parts onto infeed track which carries them to auto-load station. Insertion device pushes parts into two-up fixture pallet, mounted on linear racetrack, while two anti-static ionizers blow off any dust particles. Fixture advances to print station where three Sealcup 90 pad printers apply three-color image. Printed parts advance to inkjet date coder at position four to image on part base. Pallets of printed parts are advanced on linear racetrack in oval loop to thermodiffucion curing unit. Cured parts loop around to unload station where rake-off device slides parts onto outfeed conveyor. Outfeed conveyor advances parts to automatic blister packaging unit & into bulk. Components: High-speed Sealcup 90 pad printers (3) with; heavy-duty machine base; cast aluminum base plate; variable speed infeed conveyor; auto-load station with part shuttle & de-ionization heads; twenty-pallet, hybrid synchronous precision linear racetrack conveyor; twenty two-up fixtures; part present sensors; complete pad blower system; 8000w thermodiffusion curing unit; part eject station; inkjet batch code unit; control panel; electricals; pneumatics, etc. Production Rate: 4600 / hour Artwork: three colors; image description: trademark logo & graphics; position: centered on part; surface contour: flat. Cliché Plate: steel, 100 x 215mm (3) Substrate: polypropylene, finish: smooth; color: white. Ink Type Used: Type B, w/ BH hardener; colors: green, blue, red. Plus special inkjet batch code applied in black ink. Curing: Thermodiffusion Delivery: 14 weeks *System control panel.* More Pad Printing Applications: • food canister • multicolor golfball • satellite dish • toothbrush • catheter luerlock • various catheters • slidemount • syringe • blender housing • medical device • marker button Contact Us

Overview of right side of system showing, from left, outfeed & infeed conveyors, control panel, printing area with three Sealcup 90 pad printers, inkjet date coder unit; not shown: pallets with printed parts on linear racetrack loop behind printer where curing unit is located.

Fully Automated Pad Printing System:
Dispenser Package Application Uses Linear Racetrack

MOVING parts smoothly and accurately through a high-speed automated
pad printing system requires flexibility in programmaing as well as tight tolerance-- especially when a multicolor image is being applied. A linear racetrack with 0.5 sec. cycle time and 4.4 feet per sec. belt speed with variable control fit the job nicely. Here is a summary of the application.

Two Speeds for Two Functions
The production goal of 4600 decorated three-color parts per hour dictated the choice of three high-speed Sealcup 90 pad printers, each applying a single image onto two-up parts in a single stroke. An auxiliary inkjet date coder finished the imaging on the part base. However, the tricky part of the specification was the need for a different rate of curing rather than the rate of printing. This required the racetrack pallets to reduce their speed as they travelled around the loop and to slowly move under the thermodiffusion curing unit. The linear distance of the loop allowed for the pallet speed differential and enabled programing each of twenty pallets with a slow-down zone.

Overview of left side of system showing infeed & outfeed conveyors and safety guarding-- part plexiglass, part coated wire grid.

pad printing area of system

Operator's view of printing area shows all three Sealcup 90 pad printers, each equipped with two pad blowers.

Part load & unload area

Load & unload section of system shows belt conveyors, and part insertion device with pairs of parts ready to be pushed into two-up fixtures.

detail view of printing area

Print area closeup shows parts inserted into fixtures, anti-static air ionizers, pad blower and first of three Sealcup 90 pad printers.

Detail view of parts in two-up fixtures on pallets. Note the curved guiderail and precision pallet rail wheels.

View of right side of system, showing linear racetrack which advances part pallets counter-clockwise around loop to thermodiffusion curing unit. Pallet speed is programmed to slow down while under curing section.

For more details on our custom-engineered, automated pad printing systems or to discuss your application, feel free to contact your local ITW Trans Tech rep at: www.itwtranstech.com

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