Abstract: A doctor assembly for a pad printing system includes a body and a doctor blade. The body has an outer surface and an opposite inner surface that defines a passageway through the body. The inner surface engages a removable pre-filled ink cup to secure the ink cup to the body. The inner surface directs ink from the ink cup through the passageway toward an ink-receiving surface of a cliché device. The doctor blade is coupled with the body and engages the cliché device. The doctor blade wipes the ink along the cliché device as the body laterally moves relative to the cliché device. The doctor blade is coupled with the body such that the doctor blade is laterally spaced apart from the inner surface of the body.

Abstract: A doctor assembly for a pad printing system includes a body and a doctor blade. The body has an outer surface and an opposite inner surface that defines a passageway through the body. The inner surface engages a removable pre-filled ink cup to secure the ink cup to the body. The inner surface directs ink from the ink cup through the passageway toward an ink-receiving surface of a cliché device. The doctor blade is coupled with the body and engages the cliché device. The doctor blade wipes the ink along the cliché device as the body laterally moves relative to the cliché device. The doctor blade is coupled with the body such that the doctor blade is laterally spaced apart from the inner surface of the body.

Abstract: A method for operating a pad printing system includes receiving a removable pre-filled ink cup on a doctor assembly, orienting the removable pre-filled ink filled cup on the doctor assembly, and dispensing ink from the oriented removable pre-filled ink cup. A removable pre-filled ink cup is provided for a pad printing system including an ink retention portion pre-filled with ink, and a doctor assembly orientation portion formed on an outer portion of the retention portion, wherein the removable pre-filled ink cup is configured to deposit ink on a cliché device via a doctor assembly mated with the doctor assembly orientation portion.