Offset Process Research Articles

INTERDIGITATED CAPACITORS BY OFFSET LITHOGRAPHY

This paper reports on an initial investigation into interdigitated capacitors manufactured via the offset lithographic printing process. Results taken from print-trials reveal the relationship between electrode geometry and capacitance. The paper also identifies a relationship between the substrate characteristics and the behaviour of the capacitive structures. This work is in support of a low cost and low environmental impact approach to circuit board manufacture.

The future for solvent in the offset printing process

Legislation has been and will continue to be a major factor in product and market development in the printing industry. This article reflects on past and present developments in the legislation governing oils and solvents used in the offset printing process. It will also comment on market trends and developments driven by other forces.

The development of a connectionist expert system for compensation of color deviation in offset lithographic printing

The offset lithographic printing process requires the operator to make appropriate and timely on-line adjustments to compensate for color deviations from the desired print. An operator acquires proficiency by working on the same machine over a period of several years; thus he is able to apply adjustments according to its specific characteristics. It was found that this machine-specific knowledge consists of articulated and unarticulated knowledge. A connectionist representation was designed to map the observable variables to the operator's adjustments; while a forward chaining expert system was developed to represent the operator's articulated knowledge. A weight-based conflict resolution technique was constructed to dynamically update the knowledge base. This paper begins by presenting the press characterization problem. Then the development of the system is described. Finally, an analysis of results that cover all possible categories is documented.

Printed analogue filter structures

The authors report progress in conductive lithographic film (CLF) technology, which uses the offset lithographic printing process to form electrically conductive patterns on flexible substrates. Networks of planar passive components and interconnects fabricated simultaneously via the CLF process form notch filter networks at 85 kHz.

Rheological, Thermomechanical, and Viscoelastic Requirements of an Ink-Jet Phase-Change Ink for an Offset Printing Process

This paper details the development of an ink-jet phase-change ink for a drum-based offset printing process. The offset printing process is based on a page-wide printhead delivering molten ink droplets on demand to a heated intermediate drum surface. The ink is then fused and transferred (transfixed) to the final print medium. The transfixed ink must exhibit sufficient flexibility and durability such that it does not crack or flake off when the print is folded or creased. The ink was formulated to have specific fluidic properties for ink-jet printing. Compression testing was performed on an MTS SINTECH 2/D to tailor the ink formulation for desired compressive and yield stress properties. In addition, dynamic mechanical analyses were carried out to determine the dynamic moduli, glass transition temperature, and tan δ of the ink. The optimized ink represents a formulation customized for high-temperature jetting and an offset printing process.

Special Reviews: The Control of Offset Printing Processes and the Integration of Informations

Special Reviews: The Control of Offset Printing Processes and the Integration of Informations

Special Reviews: The Control of Offset Printing Processes and the Integration of Informations

Special Reviews: The Control of Offset Printing Processes and the Integration of Informations

Special Reviews: The Control of Offset Printing Processes and the Integration of Informations

Special Reviews: The Control of Offset Printing Processes and the Integration of Informations

Water-soluble photoresins based on polymeric azo compounds

Polymeric azosulfonates lose their water solubility when exposed to UV light due to decomposition of the azo function. This effect can be used in water-based photoprinting processes. Water-soluble copolymers of azosulfonate containing repeat units and methyl methacrylate have been alternatively synthesized by a polymer-analogous reaction [1,2] and by direct copolymerization [3]. Both polymer types have been evaluated for application as photoresins in offset printing processes. The polymer made by copolymerization is superior and shows excellent results for photosensitivity, resolution, film-forming properties, and development in water, as well as for thermal and moisture storage stability.

Erratum to : Special Reviews: The Control of Offset Printing Processes and the Integration of Informations

Erratum to : Special Reviews: The Control of Offset Printing Processes and the Integration of Informations

A knowledge-based image-inspection system for automatic defect recognition, classification, and process diagnosis

Combining knowledge-based processing with image processing is a key issue in the future of the visual inspection of complex patterns such as offset prints. Often the class of the defect determines the state of the process, which must known for eliminating the cause of the defect. We describe the architecture of such a complex knowledge-based inspection system. The system has been used for defect recognition and misprint diagnosis in offset printing, but it is flexible enough for other applications. The system is based on a set of general and powerful tools for the knowledge interpretation of sensor signals. An object-oriented concept and task-dependent algorithms for efficient image processing are implemented. The paper concentrates on four points: integration of the system in the offset printing process, a description of the system architecture, knowledge acquisition, and implementation results.

Modeling and Control of the Lithographic Offset Color Printing Process Using Artificial Neural Networks

This paper investigates the use of artificial neural networks (ANNs) for modeling and control of the lithographic offset color printing process. The color controller consists of two ANNs; the controller network, which learns an inverse model of the process, takes a set of desired colors as input and generates a set of ink key settings, while the model network learns a forward model of the process through which the controller network can be adapted by using the error backpropagation method. We use three-layer networks with “local” connections between neurons of adjacent layers for the process model as well as for the controller; the architectures address the spatial relationship of multiple inking zones and consider the crosswise ink flow effects existing in the printing process.

東レ水なし平版の現状

Ten and a few years have passed since the very unique “Toray Waterless Plate” with an ink repellent silicone rubber layer was in use in the market. In the initial stage, Toray Waterless Plate was very much expected to eliminate the dampening system from offset printing process entirely. But it was only accepted in some certain specific applications because there were some problems in its plate itself and systems. Nowadays, however, these problems have been solved by the improvement of plate itself and the development of optimal waterless printing system. And it is widely used mainly in general commercial printing field on from small offset presses to large sheet-fed, web offset presses.Now printing industry has faced a lot of problems to be solved-quick delivery of prints, small print lots, serious shortage of young operators, appearance of new electronics technology in entire printing process, competition with other information medias and etc. As a solution of these problems and an effective measure to improve the productivity and reduce the total cost, the use of Toray Waterless Plate printing system continues to have been enlarged not only in Japan but also in overseas market.

Pigmentation of security inks: Part 2

The term “custom formulated printing inks” applies most aptly to electro‐conductive inks. They have been formulated to print on paper, cardboard, plastic, glass and ceramic surfaces: using silk screen, letterpress, flexo, gravure, dry offset, and lithographic printing processes; to give ink films with low or high electrical resistance that withstand soldering and plating and that give high abrasion resistance.

Screenless Offset Printing Process Using Presensitized Printing Plates

The report starts with the definitions and the advantages and disadvantages of offset printing with un-screened (= continuous tone) and with screened photographic originals. This is followed by the description of the historical development of screenless offset printing from the phototype or collotype process to the present art, which is characterized in that the presensitized offset printing plates known nowadays have too steep a gradation for this field of application.First results obtained with a novel presensitized offset printing plate for screenless printing are graphically represented in the Goldberg-Jones diagram.