Abstract: A color changing expiration indicator includes a reactive layer and a first barrier layer that covers at least a portion of the reactive layer. The color changing expiration indicator also includes a transmission layer that covers at least a portion of the first barrier layer, and a second barrier layer that covers at least a portion of the transmission layer. The color changing expiration indicator further includes a reactant layer that covers at least a portion of the second barrier layer. The reactant layer changes color responsive to a reaction that occurs between the reactant layer and the reactive layer.

Abstract: A method includes printing, by one or more printer heads of the printing system, a reactive layer onto print media. The method also includes printing, by the one or more printer heads, a determined number of transmission layers and a determined number of barrier layers in alternation with one another. At least a portion of the reactive layer is configured to migrate through the transmission layers. The method further includes printing, by the one or more printer heads, a reactant layer that is configured to change color responsive to a reaction that occurs between the reactant layer and the reactive layer upon migration of the reactive layer through the determined number of transmission layers. The reaction is configured to occur on a received expiration date.

Abstract: A tandem system of metering and donor rolls is used to apply two different adhesives to a fully adhesive backed multilayer sheet to produce variably distributed adhesives and properties. Each of the two adhesives is unique and is cured differently to create a layer of adhesive that has differing adhesive properties on the sheet. A clear adhesive is applied to a top portion of cards before they are cut from the sheet and has a higher tackiness than the adhesive applied to the rest of the cards on the sheet in order to reduce glue buildup on blades cutting the cards from the sheet.

Abstract: A universal object holding mechanism for holding three-dimensional objects for printing thereon uses multiple conformable balls mounted within a pattern of holes in a two part back plate. The multiple conformable balls are pressed into an object, which in turn, is pressed against a datum surface that represents desired spacing away from print heads. Vacuum is applied to the multiple conformable balls which grip the object. The multiple conformable balls are filled with particulates that cause the multiple conformable balls to become rigid when the vacuum is applied. This contributes to keeping the object from moving when it is being moved past a print head.

Abstract: A printed sheet fiber entanglement apparatus entangles fibers from neighboring printed fibrous layers (e.g., sheets) with one another. As a stack of printed fibrous sheets is built up, periodically a holey plate is loaded against the top sheet of the stack. The guide plate may move the sheet down over the registration pins, and then an array of felting needles are thrust into the stack. An array of needles with upward and/or downward facing barbs is thrust thought holes in the guide plate into the stack through printed sheets closest to the guide plate. As the needles pushed into or are withdrawn from the stack, barbs on the felting needles intertwine fibers from the fibrous sheets through printed marking material and with neighboring sheets. The needle array may translate slightly between multiple thrusts so that a subsequent needling thrust may occur in a slightly new location.

Abstract: A printer is configured to apply marking material to print media to create a printed item, and a transport belt is positioned to receive the printed item from the printer and is configured to dry the marking material on the printed item. The transport belt has a middle layer attached between outer and inner layers, and the printed item contacts the outer layer. The outer and inner layers are non-perforated entangled fiber materials that are porous and that are more flexible than the middle layer.

Abstract: A web sheet processing system for cutting and/or stacking AM composite printed sheets from the web combines web edge waste with the cut sheets, stacking the waste with the 3D object. The waste may be removed during the cleaning of the 3d object (e.g., by abrasive blasting, chemical removal, dissolution) to result in a 3D printed object. This approach eliminates the separate need for waste removal of a rewound web of substrate material waste. In examples, a tractor drive transport assembly ensures consistent web/sheet motion via tractor feeding along the edges of the web/sheet to a stacker subsystem. The tractor drive transport assembly, in combination with a drive guide, positions the cut sheets over the stacker subsystem for release onto the top of a stack, with the substrate waste that would normally be processed downstream stacked with the 3D object for removal during a normal cleaning of the object.

Abstract: A generic holder includes a generic holder plate and a 3-D insert plate. The 3-D insert plate contains locating features mirrored to the backside of the part to be printed and vacuum grippers to secure the part in the insert plate. The insert plate is secured in the generic holder plate that includes vacuum couplings. The part is located on the insert plate and vacuum is applied to the generic holder plate and insert plate to hold the part for printing.

Abstract: A method operates a three-dimensional object printer for production of cylindrical-shaped objects. The method uses a controller to operate an actuator operatively connected to a cylindrical member to rotate the cylindrical member within at least two supports, operate a plurality of ejectors in each of at least two printheads supplied with different materials to form portions of layers on the rotating cylindrical member with the different materials supplied to the at least two printheads, operate a linear actuator operatively connected to the cylindrical member to translate the cylindrical member bidirectionally in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the rotating cylindrical member between the two supports, and operate a curing device to modify the layers formed on the rotating cylindrical member while the cylindrical member is rotating within the at least two supports and translated in the direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the rotating cylindrical member.

Abstract: An additive manufacturing system for fabricating multi-sided printed composite sheet structures includes a roll fed duplex architecture that prints polymer images on both sides of a substrate sheet to form two-sided 3D composite layers. A substrate web is fed into the machine, and a top side is printed with a wetting agent, powdered, and the excess powder is removed. The image may be pinned to the substrate in a fusing step so that the web can be inverted to print a second image on the other side. The inversion architecture could include inverting rollers, tubes or a Mobius strip that may flip the substrate for backside printing using a single imaging station. The resulting two-side powdered and pinned substrate would then be cut, stacked, heated and compressed to create a 3-D object with more polymer in the stack, resulting in better adhesive binding characteristics at a much higher production speed.

Abstract: A single nip de-skew, lateral registration, and process direction registration device removes skew, laterally registers, and registers in the process direction substrates moving along a media transport path. The single nip de-skew, lateral registration, and process direction registration device includes a fixed roller that is longer than a rotating wheel that forms a nip with the fixed roller. The wheel has a coefficient of friction that is higher than a coefficient of friction of the roller so an actuator translating the wheel along the fixed roller laterally registers and de-skews substrates.

Abstract: A color changing expiration indicator includes a reactive layer and a first barrier layer that covers at least a portion of the reactive layer. The color changing expiration indicator also includes a transmission layer that covers at least a portion of the first barrier layer, and a second barrier layer that covers at least a portion of the transmission layer. The color changing expiration indicator further includes a reactant layer that covers at least a portion of the second barrier layer. The reactant layer changes color responsive to a reaction that occurs between the reactant layer and the reactive layer.

Abstract: A method includes printing, by one or more printer heads of the printing system, a reactive layer onto print media. The method also includes printing, by the one or more printer heads, a determined number of transmission layers and a determined number of barrier layers in alternation with one another. At least a portion of the reactive layer is configured to migrate through the transmission layers. The method further includes printing, by the one or more printer heads, a reactant layer that is configured to change color responsive to a reaction that occurs between the reactant layer and the reactive layer upon migration of the reactive layer through the determined number of transmission layers. The reaction is configured to occur on a received expiration date.

Abstract: A printer system includes a memory, a processor, and one or more printer heads. The processor determines a number of transmission layers and a number of barrier layers to use in a color changing expiration indicator based at least in part on a time period between a print date of the indicator and a received expiration date. The printer heads print a reactive layer onto print media, where at least a portion of the reactive layer is configured to migrate through the transmission layers. The printer heads also print the determined number of transmission layers and the determined number of barrier layers in alternation. The printer heads print a reactant layer that is configured to change color responsive to a reaction between the reactant layer and the reactive layer upon migration of the reactive layer through the transmission layers. The reaction is configured to occur on the received expiration date.

Abstract: Devices include an inkjet printhead having nozzles and a transport item adjacent the nozzles. The transport item includes vacuum openings adapted to maintain print media on the transport item. The transport item moves the print media in a processing direction. The transport item also includes a jetting area lacking the vacuum openings. The jetting area is elongated and is oriented perpendicular to the processing direction. The nozzles are controlled to eject ink to the jetting area when the nozzles are aligned with the jetting area.

Abstract: A cleaning pad can be attached onto an inner surface of a transport belt so the cleaning pad can move with the transport belt along hardware of a marking system, including support rollers and a marking platen to remove ink from the marking platen and support rollers of the rendering device as the transport belt cycles through its typical path within the rendering system.

Abstract: A lamp array for drying liquid ink on a media in a printing apparatus. The printing apparatus includes a transport system arranged to move the media through the printing apparatus in a process direction. The lamp array includes a plurality of lamps, each lamp of the plurality of lamps having a longitudinal axis arranged in a direction parallel to the process direction and adjacent to the transport system, wherein the plurality of lamps are equidistantly positioned substantially across a cross process width of the transport system.

Abstract: A web sheet processing system for cutting and/or stacking AM composite printed sheets from the web combines web edge waste with the cut sheets, stacking the waste with the 3D object. The waste may be removed during the cleaning of the 3d object (e.g., by abrasive blasting, chemical removal, dissolution) to result in a 3D printed object. This approach eliminates the separate need for waste removal of a rewound web of substrate material waste. In examples, a tractor drive transport assembly ensures consistent web/sheet motion via tractor feeding along the edges of the web/sheet to a stacker subsystem. The tractor drive transport assembly, in combination with a drive guide, positions the cut sheets over the stacker subsystem for release onto the top of a stack, with the substrate waste that would normally be processed downstream stacked with the 3D object for removal during a normal cleaning of the object.

Abstract: A movable cleaning web can be positioned and allowed to move from a supply spool, between a platen (e.g., vacuum, marking) and the inside of a belt (e.g., marking, transport), into a take-up spool. The cleaning web can move opposite the process direction of the belt. The web can reduce contamination on the platen, inside of belt and along belt rollers.

Abstract: An additive manufacturing system for fabricating multi-sided printed composite sheet structures includes a roll fed duplex architecture that prints polymer images on both sides of a substrate sheet to form two-sided 3D composite layers. A substrate web is fed into the machine, and a top side is printed with a wetting agent, powdered, and the excess powder is removed. The image may be pinned to the substrate in a fusing step so that the web can be inverted to print a second image on the other side. The inversion architecture could include inverting rollers, tubes or a Mobius strip that may flip the substrate for backside printing using a single imaging station. The resulting two-side powdered and pinned substrate would then be cut, stacked, heated and compressed to create a 3-D object with more polymer in the stack, resulting in better adhesive binding characteristics at a much higher production speed.