Abstract: A printing apparatus including a printhead for transferring ink from a ribbon to a substrate to be printed, a print roller for guiding the substrate to be printed, a peel-off roller for separating the ribbon from the substrate, downstream of the printhead, wherein a peel-off angle is subtended between a portion of ribbon which, when the printing apparatus is in use, extends between the printhead and the peel-off roller and a tangent to the print roller at a contact point on the circumference of the print roller, and a printhead angle is subtended between a part of the printhead which transfers ink from the ribbon to the substrate and a radius of the print roller at the contact point, and wherein the printhead angle is adjustable in accordance with the speed of the ribbon relative to the printing apparatus.

Abstract: A tape drive (10) and a method of operation of the tape drive (10), including obtaining the circumferences of a pair of spools of tape (30, 32), the pair of spools (30, 32) including a supply spool (30) upon which tape is initially wound, and a take-up spool (32) for receiving tape unwound from the supply spool (30), each spool (30, 32) being mounted upon a respective rotatable spool support (12, 14) which is mounted in a housing (11), such that tape extends along a tape path between the spools (30, 32), there being provided a sensor assembly (16), the method including rotating the take-up spool support (14)and the supply spool support (12) simultaneously, so as to feed tape from the supply spool (30) into the tape path, and to wind tape on to the take-up spool (32) from the tape path, determining a length of tape fed into the tape path by the supply spool (30) during a measurement period using the sensor assembly (16), monitoring the angle through which each of the spool supports (12, 14) has rotated during

Abstract: A motor control system includes a motor having an associated rotary position encoder, and a controller for controlling the operation of the motor, wherein the motor is switchable between a position control mode and a torque control mode.

Abstract: A method for configuring a marking device includes, at a control system, establishing communication with the marking device; receiving, from the marking device, information about capabilities of the marking device; presenting the received information about capabilities of the marking device to a user; receiving, from the user, instructions to set machine settings for the marking device; and causing the marking device to be configured according to the instructions received from the user.

Abstract: A method of printing utilizing a printing apparatus having a base, a printing station where a print head is mounted, the print head including a plurality of printing elements which are selectively energisable to generate an image on a substrate upon there being relative movement between the substrate and the print head, the print head being moveable relative to the base, and the apparatus including a sensor device to sense the speed of the substrate as the substrate moves relative to the base adjacent to the printing station, and a controller to receive input signals from the sensor device and to control print head movement relative to the base to achieve a desired relative speed between the print head and the substrate, and wherein the method includes predicting when the speed of the substrate relative to the base, as the substrate advances, will be less than a predetermined speed, and in response, moving the print head at the printing station to a downstream extreme position of print head travel, and during

Abstract: A method for configuring a marking device includes, at a control system, establishing communication with the marking device; receiving, from the marking device, information about capabilities of the marking device; presenting the received information about capabilities of the marking device to a user; receiving, from the user, instructions to set machine settings for the marking device; and causing the marking device to be configured according to the instructions received from the user.

Abstract: A method and associated software and a system for automatic package marking makes use of specification of an image for a package. The specification includes specifications of data fields for marking on a package. Data values for the data fields are received from multiple data sources. Images are formed based on the received data values and the specification of the image.

Abstract: A method of printing utilising a printing apparatus having a base, a printing station where a print head is mounted, the print head including a plurality of printing elements which are selectively energisable to generate an image on a substrate upon there being relative movement between the substrate and the print head, the print head being moveable relative to the base, and the apparatus including a sensor device to sense the speed of the substrate as the substrate moves relative to the base adjacent to the printing station, and a controller to receive input signals from the sensor device and to control print head movement relative to the base to achieve a desired relative speed between the print head and the substrate, and wherein the method includes predicting when the speed of the substrate relative to the base, as the substrate advances, will be less than a predetermined speed, and in response, moving the print head at the printing station to a downstream extreme position of print head travel, and during

Abstract: A method and associated software and a system for automatic package marking makes use of specification of an image for a package. The specification includes specifications of data fields for marking on a package. Data values for the data fields are received from multiple data sources. Images are formed based on the received data values and the specification of the image.