Abstract:
There is described an intaglio printing plate coating apparatus (1) comprising a vacuum chamber (3) having an inner space (30) adapted to receive at least one intaglio printing plate (10) to be coated, a vacuum system (4) coupled to the vacuum chamber (3) for creating vacuum in the inner space (30) of the vacuum chamber (3), and a physical vapour deposition (PVD) system (5) for the deposition of wear-resistant coating material under vacuum onto an engraved surface (10a) of the intaglio printing plate (10), which physical vapour deposition system (5) includes at least one coating material target (51, 52) comprising a source of the wear-resistant coating material to be deposited onto the engraved surface (10a) of the intaglio printing plate (10). The vacuum chamber (3) is arranged so that the intaglio printing plate (10) to be coated sits substantially vertically in the inner space (30) of the vacuum chamber (3) with its engraved surface (10a) facing the at least one coating material target (51, 52). The intaglio printing plate coating apparatus (1) further comprises a movable carrier (6) located within the inner space (30) of the vacuum chamber (3) and adapted to support and cyclically move the intaglio printing plate (10) in front of and past the at least one coating material target (51, 52).
Abstract:
There is described a device (1) for offline inspection and color measurement of printed sheets for the production of banknotes and like printed securities, comprising (i) a console (10) having a supporting surface (10a) for supporting a sample printed sheet (S), (ii) a multipurpose measuring apparatus (20), which multipurpose measuring apparatus (20) comprises multiple sensors (22, 23) including at least one camera (22) for taking images of selected portions of the sample printed sheet (S) and a color measurement sensor (23) for performing spectrophotometric, colorimetric, and/or densitometric measurements at selected locations on the sample printed sheet (S), (iii) a display (30) for displaying the images taken by the camera (22) and the measurements performed by the color measurement sensor (23), and (iv) a control and processing unit (40) coupled to the multipurpose measuring apparatus (20) and the display (30). The device (1) comprises a moveable sensor beam (200) housing the multipurpose measuring apparatus (20), which moveable sensor beam (200) is displaceable along an x-axis over the supporting surface (10a) of the console (10) and over the entire surface of the sample printed sheet (S) located on the supporting surface (10a), the multiple sensors (22, 23) being mounted on a common sensor head (21) which is displaceable within the moveable sensor beam (200) along a y-axis so that the multipurpose measuring apparatus (20) can selectively take images of selected portions of the sample printed sheet (S) by means of the camera (22) or perform measurements at selected locations on the sample printed sheet (S) by means of the color measurement sensor (23). The control and processing unit (40) is configured to control displacement of the moveable sensor beam (200) along the x-axis and of the sensor head (21) along the y-axis.
Abstract:
There is described a sheet-fed printing press for varnishing of security documents, including banknotes, comprising : - a sheet-feeder (01) for feeding individual sheets in succession, which sheets carry multiple security imprints ; - a varnishing group (03; 03*) for applying varnish onto recto and verso sides of the sheets, the varnishing group (03; 03*) comprising at least a first varnishing unit (31) to apply varnish on the recto side of the sheets and at least a second varnishing unit (32) to apply varnish on the verso side of the sheets ; and - a sheet-delivery system (04) for collecting varnished sheets coming from the varnishing group (03; 03*). The varnishing group (03; 03*) comprises at least one transfer cylinder or drum (35; 35, 36, 37) located between the varnishing group (03; 03*) and the sheet-delivery system (04), which at least one transfer cylinder or drum (35; 35, 36, 37) is designed as chill roller to cool down the varnished sheets or as an inspection cylinder or drum for carrying out inspection of the recto or verso side of the sheets.
Abstract:
There is described a sheet-fed or web-fed printing press for numbering and varnishing of security documents, including banknotes, comprising : - a numbering group (02) comprising at least one numbering unit (21, 22) for numbering printed material in the form of individual sheets or successive portions of a continuous web carrying multiple security imprints ; and - a varnishing group (03; 03*) located downstream of the numbering group (02) for applying varnish onto recto and verso sides of the printed material, the varnishing group (03; 03*) comprising at least a first varnishing unit (31) disposed above a path of the printed material to apply varnish on the recto side of the printed material and at least a second varnishing unit (32) disposed below the path of the printed material to apply varnish on the verso side of the printed material.
Abstract:
There is described a new coding approach for printed document authentication, one objective of which is to increase the difficulty of copying. In addition, this new coding approach provides better performance compared to other 2D coding technologies under certain constraints. The new coding technique requires less print space in comparison to other coding techniques. This is achieved by optimizing some of the features which are used in standard 2D-codes for stabilization and which are necessary for e.g. mobile applications. Furthermore, the code can be decomposed in elementary units, or “byte-units” which can be widely spread over a text document. Such “byte-units” can in particular be used for integration in text symbols. If a document protected with such a coding is copied, at least some of these symbols will be extensively degraded by the copying process. Therefore, copy detection is intrinsically achieved thanks to the new coding technique.
Abstract:
There is described a printing press (100) comprising a printing group (2) adapted to apply on a substrate at least one ink or varnish vehicle containing magnetic or magnetisable flakes and at least one magnetic orientation unit (10) located downstream of the printing group (2) along a path of the substrate, which magnetic orientation unit (10) includes at least one magnetic-field-inducing device (12) adapted to orient the magnetic or magnetisable flakes contained in the ink or varnish vehicle applied on the substrate to induce an optically-variable effect in the ink or varnish vehicle. The printing press (100) further comprises a drying/curing unit (15) located along the path of the substrate and cooperating with the magnetic orientation unit (10), which drying/curing unit (15) is adapted to dry or cure the ink or varnish vehicle applied on the substrate following orientation of the magnetic or magnetisable flakes. The drying/curing unit (15) is mounted on a movable supporting structure (16) that is adapted to move the drying/curing unit (15) between a working position (WP), where the drying/curing unit (15) is cooperating with the magnetic orientation unit (10) and which is located proximate to the path of the substrate next to the magnetic orientation unit (10), and a retracted position (RP), where the drying/curing unit (15) is retracted away from the magnetic orientation unit (10) and from the path of the substrate.
Abstract:
There is described a numbering device (1) for carrying out numbering in sheetfed or web-fed numbering presses, the numbering device (1) comprising a casing and a numbering unit (6) with rotatable numbering wheels (7) carrying alpha-numerical symbols thereon, which numbering wheels (7) are disposed next to each other and rotate about a common rotation axis, the numbering device further comprising electro-mechanical actuation means for setting the position of the numbering wheels (7). The electro-mechanical actuation means are disposed in an inner space of the casing of the numbering device (1) and are mechanically autonomous, the electro-mechanical actuation means comprising a plurality of independent driving means (15, 18-23; 23*) for actuating a corresponding plurality of said numbering wheels (7). The numbering device further comprises an electric motor (15) driving the associated numbering wheel through a gear-wheel assembly (16, 19-23; 23*). The gearwheel assembly (16, 19-23; 23*) comprises a driving pinion (23; 23*) meshing with a toothed wheel (16) disposed on a side of the associated numbering wheel (7), an axial position of the driving pinion (23; 23*) along its shaft (22) being adjustable.
Abstract:
There is described an intaglio printing press comprising a plate cylinder (8) carrying one or more intaglio printing plates (8c) and an impression cylinder (7) cooperating with the plate cylinder (8), a printing nip being formed between the plate cylinder (8) and the impression cylinder (7). The plate cylinder (8) and the impression cylinder (7) each comprise one or more cylinder pits (8a, 7a) and a corresponding number of cylinder segments (8b, 7b), the plate cylinder (8) and the impression cylinder (7) being in rolling contact with one another during printing operations along their respective cylinder segments (8a, 7b) when no cylinder pits (8a, 7a) are present at the printing nip. The intaglio printing press further comprises a monitoring system (150) designed to monitor a rolling condition of the impression cylinder (7) with respect to the plate cylinder (8) and to provide an indication as to whether or not the rolling condition corresponds to a desired rolling condition, the desired rolling condition being a rolling condition corresponding to true rolling of the impression cylinder (7) with respect to the plate cylinder (8) where no slippage occurs between a circumferential surface of the impression cylinder (7) and a circumferential surface of the plate cylinder (8). Also described is a method of monitoring operation of an intaglio printing press.