Abstract: There is described a method for touchless counting of substantially planar substrates, especially banknotes, which are stacked in the form of stacks of substrates, said method comprising the following steps: taking at least one sample image of a portion of a side of a stack of substrates, which sample image contains contrast information representing substrate edges that extend along substantially a first direction in the sample image; processing the contrast information representing the substrate edges within the sample image (10), which processing includes subjecting at least one area of interest (20) within the sample image (10) to anisotropic diffusion to produce a processed image containing a substantially coherent set of continuous lines representing the substrate edges; and counting the number of substrate edges in said processed image.

Abstract: There is described a method for applying foil material onto successive sheets, especially sheets of securities. In a first step, individual sheets are transported in succession along a sheet transport path. In a second step, at least one continuous band of foil material is applied onto the individual sheets along a direction substantially parallel to a direction of displacement of the individual sheets, thereby forming a continuous flow of sheets linked to one another by the said at least one continuous band of foil material. In a third step, the said at least one continuous band of foil material is cut such that the continuous flow of sheets is again separated into individual sheets with portions of foil material remaining on the sheet. The cutting is performed at positions located on the sheets such that said portions of foil material remaining on the sheets do not extend beyond leading and trailing edges of the sheets. There is also described an installation for carrying out the above method.

Abstract: There is described a method for varnishing security documents, especially intaglio-printed security documents such as banknotes, wherein both sides of the security documents are covered by a protective varnish. The method comprises the step of applying a thicker layer of protective varnish on a side of the security documents which exhibits a greater surface roughness, especially the side which is opposite to the side of the security documents which was last printed by intaglio printing. Also described in a varnishing machine for carrying out the above method.

Abstract: There is described a numbering device (1) for carrying out numbering in sheet-fed or web-fed numbering presses, the numbering device (1) comprising 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 (1) further comprising electro-mechanical actuation means for setting the position of the numbering wheels (7). The electro-mechanical actuation means are entirely located within 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 the numbering wheels.

Abstract: There is described an apparatus (1) for coating a cylinder (C), in particular a wiping cylinder of an intaglio printing press, with a plastic composition comprising inter alia a blade mechanism (4) comprising a single substantially planar blade (40) with a straight edge (40a) extending along the full length of the cylinder to be coated and which is mounted rotatably about an axis parallel to the axis of rotation of the cylinder to be coated. The blade comprises, at its terminal end proximate to the cylinder, an inclined end portion (4a) having an inverted-V shape rising from the upper side of the blade, the top edge of the inclined end portion forming the straight edge of the blade. The blade is adapted to be rotated so that the straight edge of the blade undergoes an upward movement substantially tangential to the periphery of the cylinder in order to discontinue the application of the plastic composition onto the surface of the cylinder.

Abstract: There is described a method for applying foil material (200) onto successive sheets (S), especially sheets of securities. In a first step, individual sheets (S) are transported in succession along a sheet transport path. In a second step, at least one continuous band of foil material (200) is applied onto the individual sheets (S) along a direction substantially parallel to a direction of displacement of the individual sheets, thereby forming a continuous flow of sheets linked to one another by the said at least one continuous band of foil material (200). In a third step, the said at least one continuous band of foil material (200) is cut by means of a laser beam such that the continuous flow of sheets is again separated into individual sheets (S) with portions of foil material (200*) remaining on the sheet. The cutting is performed at positions located on the sheets (S) such that said portions of foil material (200*) remaining on the sheets do not extend beyond leading and trailing edges of the sheets (S).

Abstract: The printing machine comprises at least one transfer system (5) for conveying a substrate (1) onto an impression cylinder (6) and at least one screen (7, 8) of cylindrical or flat shape, with a doctor blade, said screen collaborating with the impression cylinder (6) and intended to print the substrate with an ink containing pigments that can be orientated by a magnetic field and an unloading system (9) for carrying the substrate (1) away. The impression cylinder comprises at least one magnetic element on its impression surface, said magnetic element being positioned at a point corresponding to said impression performed by said screen (7, 8) on said substrate.

Abstract: A method is described for generating patterns representing a halftone image, said method comprising the generation of a first set of patterns consisting of lines and curves dimensionally modulated so as to produce variations in tones reproducing the halftones of the image using an intaglio rendering technique. The method comprises the generation of a second set of patterns consisting of microstructures separate from the lines and curves of the first set of patterns, said microstructures being dimensionally modulated so as to produce variations in tones reproducing the halftones of the image. According to a first aspect of the invention, the microstructures consist of stochastic microstructures that can be likened to a grain. According to a second aspect of the invention, the microstructures consist of repetitive microstructures reproducing information that can be recognized by an observer, which repetitive microstructures comprise microletters and/or microsymbols.

Abstract: There is described a method for detection of occurrence of printing errors on printed substrates during processing thereof on a printing press comprising the steps of providing multiple sensors on functional components of the printing press to monitor the behavior of the printing press during processing of the printed substrates and performing an in-line analysis of the behavior of the printing press to determine occurrence of a characteristic behavior of the printing press which leads or is likely to lead to occurrence of printing errors on the printed substrates or which leads or is likely to lead to good printing quality of the printed substrates. In-line analysis of the behavior of the printing press preferably includes performing fuzzy pattern classification of the behavior of the printing press. According to one embodiment of the proposed method in-line analysis of the behavior of the printing press is coupled with an in-line optical inspection of the printed substrates.

Abstract: There is described a color control pattern (CP) for the optical measurement of colors printed on a sheet or web substrate (S) by means of a multicolor printing press, especially by means of a multicolor security printing press, which substrate (S) a exhibits an effective printed region (EF) having a multicolor printed image comprising a plurality of juxtaposed colored areas (A-H) printed with a corresponding plurality of printing inks of different colors, wherein the color control pattern (CP) is located in a margin portion (Im) of the substrate (S) next to the effective printed region (EF). The color control pattern (CP) comprises one or more color control strips (a-d) extending transversely to a direction of transport (T) of the substrate (S), each color control strip (a-d) comprising a plurality of distinct color control fields (CF, CFA to CFH) consisting of printed fields of each relevant printing ink that is printed in the effective printed region (EF).

Abstract: A device for irradiating substrate material (S) in the form of a sheet or web in a sheet-fed or web-fed processing system, especially in a sheet-fed or web-fed processing or printing press. The device comprises at least one flexible light-emitting sheet (10) for producing radiation of a desired wavelength or wavelength band, which light-emitting sheet (10) is disposed along a path of the substrate material (S) to subject the substrate material (S) to said radiation. The flexible light-emitting sheet (10) is preferably an organic light-emitting device (OLED) sheet.

Abstract: A method for controlling the quality of printed documents, such as banknotes, in which only part of the surface of the printed documents is available for inspection, comprising the steps of (i) storing a reference image; (ii) acquiring a sample image of a sample printed document to be controlled, which sample image covers only a limited portion of the sample printed document; (iii) selecting a search pattern within the acquired sample image; (iv) searching the reference image for a match with the selected search pattern, (v) determining control parameters linked to the position of the search pattern within said sample image and within said reference image, (vi) comparing the control parameters linked to the position of the search pattern within the sample image with the control parameters linked to the position of the search pattern within the reference image; and (vii) based on the results of the comparison of the control parameters, accepting or rejecting the sample printed document.

Abstract: There is described a sheet inspection system for a sheet-fed recto-verso printing press of the type comprising two printing cylinders (10, 20) for carrying out simultaneous recto-verso printing of the sheets, said sheet inspection system comprising at least a first inspection device (100) for taking an image of a first side of the printed sheets. The first inspection device (100) comprises a first line image sensor (110) for performing line-scanning image acquisition of the first side of the printed sheets, and the first inspection device (100) is disposed in such a way that the first line image sensor visually acquires an image of a printed sheet while the said printed sheet is still adhering onto the surface of a first one (10) of the two printing cylinders (10, 20) of the printing press and immediately before the said printed sheet is transferred to a chain gripper system (5) of the printing press. Also described is a printing press equipped with the inspection system.

Abstract: The system comprises a wiping tank (1), a wiping roller (2) rotatably supported in the wiping tank and having a circumferential surface and cleaning means for cleaning the surface of the wiping roller, said cleaning means comprising at least a first spray unit (4) for spraying clean wiping solution against the surface of the wiping roller and a drying blade (12) placed downstream of said first spray unit with respect to a direction of rotation of said wiping roller for removing wiping solution residues from the surface of the wiping roller. The cleaning means further comprise a cleaning assembly including at least one supporting plate (5; 25) with a series of holes (5?, 30, 31, 32, 33) and holding means (7, 8, 10, 11) for holding the supporting plate, said supporting plate being conformed to extend parallel to a part of the circumferential surface of the wiping roller without touching said wiping roller.

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 cylinder body (10) for orienting magnetic flakes contained in an ink or varnish vehicle applied on a sheet-like or web-like substrate, which cylinder body (10) has a plurality of magnetic-field-generating devices (50, 60) disposed on an outer circumference of the cylinder body (10). The cylinder body (10) comprises a plurality of distinct annular supporting rings (40) distributed axially along a common shaft member (20), each annular supporting ring (40) carrying a set of magnetic-field-generating devices (50, 60) which are distributed circumferentially on an outer circumference of the annular supporting rings (40).

Abstract: There is described a method and an inking apparatus (50) for forming an ink pattern (80) on the surface of a form cylinder (15b) of a printing press, which ink pattern (80) exhibits, at least in part, a two-dimensional ink gradient extending in an axial direction and a circumferential direction on the surface of the form cylinder (15b). At least first and second chablon cylinders (20, 25) are placed one after the other along an inking path of the ink train (20, 25, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35a, 35b, 36, 37) inking the form cylinder (15b) for distributing ink in the axial and circumferential directions and means (200, 201, 210, 211, 212, 250, 251, 260, 261, 262) are provided for subjecting the first and second chablon cylinders (20, 25) to cyclical oscillation movements in the axial direction and the circumferential direction.

Abstract: A sheet-processing machine comprises a plurality of modules which are passed through one after the other by the sheets to be processed. The modules each have a sheet input interface and/or a sheet output interface, wherein, in at least one of the modules, the sheet input interface and/or the sheet output interface can optionally be coupled to sheet output interfaces and sheet input interfaces, respectively, of at least two other modules.

Abstract: A method and system for controlled production of security documents, especially banknotes, wherein the security documents are subjected to a plurality of successive printing and processing operations on a plurality of processing stations. At least one production order is defined that may be subdivided into a plurality of production loads each being assigned a machine-readable load identifier. Selected processing stations are assigned to process the production order according to the production workflow. Each production load is selectively processed through the processing stations depending on the determined production workflow of the corresponding production order defined for each production load, whereby each production load is first subjected to a load acceptance procedure based on its machine-readable load identifier before being authorized to be processed on a selected processing station among the available processing stations.

Abstract: There is described a method and system for producing notes of securities, in particular banknotes, wherein individual printed sheets or successive printed portions of a continuous web are cut into individual notes on a sheet-fed or web-fed processing system, and wherein these individual notes are subsequently processed by a single-note processing system comprising a plurality of single-note processing stations. Individual notes corresponding to independent production cycles or dependent production cycles are produced on the sheet-fed or web-fed processing system, each production cycle being processed on a separate one of the single-note processing stations.