Technologia silników liniowych Omron w drukarstwie.

Its most recent commercial domain of Digital Printing Systems, which we take a closer look at today, is also benefiting from these skills. Spühl AG employs more than 200 people, has its Head Office in Switzerland, and has been an independent subsidiary of the American company Leggett & Platt Inc. – which employs 33,000 people worldwide – since 1997.

Since 2003, Spühl AG has been active in the commercial domain of Digital Printing Systems, developing and producing large-format ink jet printers. Printing systems like these are suitable for a wide range of applications. Base materials like paper, film, textiles, glass and wood in widths of up to 3.5m and heights of 75mm can be printed without any problem.

Examples of end products include the various types of large placards we see stretching right across the facades of high-rise buildings. Looking back to the summer Olympic Games in Athens, almost everybody will remember the brightly decorated sunshades where athletes sheltered from the blazing heat between competitive events. The materials for these sunshades were printed exclusively by Spühl AG for this event.

Foundation of the company’s success – innovative products coupled with excellent customer service. In its recent development of the ‘Spühl Virtu MT 25’ printing system, Spühl AG decided to use a drive system designed by the Omron Group.

The reason for the decision was the company’s innovative and technically superior product range and the excellent partnership co-operation between Spühl AG, Omron and Regatron AG, which is a Swiss partner company of the Omron Group. Regatron itself is specialized in engineering and design-in of Omron’s motion & drive technology components to industrial applications. According to Spühl AG’s Design Management, “technical support and properly defined products are essential to any successful new design”. The print line of this latest generation of ‘roll-to-roll’ printing machines is equipped with a magnetic direct linear drive unit from the SGLFW Series with 4 metres of magnetic line. Several Omron servo-drives are used for the material feed. The powerful combination of high-performance drive components provides a printing capacity of up to 150m2 every hour.

Fast, precise dot-to-dot in a compact unit

The most important criterion for this size of print system is the micrometer-precise positioning on the base material of each dot of ink. Only 100% positioning and axis synchronization will produce a brilliant piece of printing.

Another aspect was the high acceleration rate of the almost 100kg print head at its printing speed of about 3m/sec. Every centimetre used to generate acceleration is lost as far as productive motion is concerned. In other words: the better the acceleration of the drive system, the more efficient and compact the installation.

When the design engineers considered these process-related major requirements for precision, speed and dynamic acceleration, they very quickly decided on a direct linear drive system supplied by Omron. This was considered to be the only way of reliably achieving these extremely high standards on a line of 4 metres and more. The general performance of the drive system with its 5m/sec. Output and acceleration reaching 20g will allow the design engineers at Spühl AG to view the future with confidence.

Competitive advantage due to lower costs and versatility

Other positive aspects were revealed to the designers during the development phase. Cost-intensive and resource-blocking construction work was reduced in comparison to conventional spindle drives. This created a definite competitive advantage. The response to customers’ special requirements is quick and flexible. According to Spühl AG Mechanical Development Department, “no drive system other than the direct linear drive is flexible enough to be integrated as quickly and easily into a newly designed machine. The system is not just a time-saver, it has also prevented a few headaches during the planning phase”.

Maintenance-free process stability

It is not just the manufacturer who benefits from this technology; the customer also gains great production advantages with the direct drive used with this type of system. The maintenance- free, no-adjustment drive system means that costly downtimes for servicing work are a thing of the past. Drive unit wear can have serious consequences in printing applications. The print area lies beneath the drive axis and falls of dirt particles can permanently damage and spoil the quality of the end product as the colours dry.

Direct drive systems offer the ability to operate above the product, without any kind of risk. Process optimisations necessitated by mechanical play in converter shafts are dispensed with completely. Once a process has been initiated, it will continue consistently in 24-hour production at maximum output.