Systems and methods for inline digital printing
An inline printing system comprising: a substrate feeder; an adhesive application station in communication with the substrate feeder and configured to coat a UV adhesive onto the substrate; a pressing station in communication with the adhesive application station and configured to apply laminate to the coated substrate; a UV curing station in communication with the pressing station and configured to cure the laminated substrate coated with the UV adhesive; and a digital print station in communication with the pressing station and configured to print on the laminated substrate.
1. An inline printing system comprising:
a substrate feeder;
an adhesive application station in communication with the substrate feeder and configured to coat an adhesive onto a substrate to form a coated substrate;
a pressing station in communication with the adhesive application station and configured to apply an inkjet receptive laminate onto the coated substrate;
a curing station in communication with the pressing station and configured to cure the laminated substrate coated with the adhesive to form a multilayered substrate, wherein the multilayered substrate is inkjet receptive; and
a digital print station in communication with the pressing station and configured to print on the multilayered substrate.
2. The inline printing system according to claim 1 , wherein the adhesive is a UV adhesive, and the curing station is a UV curing station.
3. The inline printing system according to claim 1 , wherein the print station comprises an inkjet printer or other digital print system.
4. The inline printing system according to claim 1 , wherein the print station comprises an inkjet printer having a processing chip.
5. The inline printing system according to claim 1 further comprising an unwinding station upstream from or in conjunction with the substrate feeder.
6. The inline printing system according to claim 1 further comprising 0 to 1 or more additional printing station, downstream from the digital print station.
7. The inline printing system according to claim 1 , wherein the additional printing station is a flexographic printer, offset, or gravure.
8. The inline printing system according to claim 1 further comprising a laminate unwind station, upstream from the pressing station.
9. The inline printing system according to claim 1 , wherein the pressing station is a nip station.
10. The inline printing system according to claim 1 further comprising 0 to 1 or more additional printing station, upstream from the digital print station.
11. The inline printing system according to claim 1 , wherein the additional printing station is configured to varnish, trim, or otherwise finish the printed laminated substrate.
12. The inline printing system according to claim 1 further comprising a rewinding unit downstream of the digital print station.
13. A method of inline digital printing comprising the steps of:
coating a substrate printing material with a wet UV curable adhesive;
applying inkjet receptive lamination to the substrate material coated with wet UV curable adhesive to produce a multilayered substrate;
curing the multilayered substrate with UV radiation; and
printing on the multilayered substrate to produce a digital print.
14. The method of inline digital printing according to claim 13 , wherein a nip station presses the wet substrate printing material and inkjet receptive lamination to form the multilayered substrate, wherein the multilayered substrate is inkjet receptive.
15. The method of inline digital printing according to claim 13 , wherein substrate printing material comprises paper, plastic, metal, foil, or cloth.
16. The method of inline digital printing according to claim 15 , wherein the plastic is chosen from biaxially-oriented polypropylene (BOPP) or biaxially-oriented polyethylene terephthalate (BOPET).