Card processing system with adaptable card transport delay
Systems and methods where a delay time between a first card processing mechanism, such as a drop-on-demand printer that prints with UV curable ink, and a second card processing mechanism, such as a UV curing station, can be altered to adjust the travel time of the card from the first card processing mechanism to the second card processing mechanism. First and second card buffers can be provided between the first card processing mechanism and the second card processing mechanism. Each of the first and second card buffers is independently logically controlled to permit independent control of the transport time of a card through each card buffer. Alternatively, a single card buffer or more than two card buffers can be provided between the first card processing mechanism and the second card processing mechanism.
1. A card processing system, comprising:
a first card processing mechanism that is configured to perform a processing operation on a plastic card, the first card processing mechanism includes a first mechanical card transport mechanism that is configured to transport plastic cards along a first card travel path through the first card processing mechanism;
a second card processing mechanism that is configured to perform a processing operation on a plastic card, the second card processing mechanism is located downstream of the first card processing mechanism and includes a second mechanical card transport mechanism that is configured to transport plastic cards along a second card travel path through the second card processing mechanism; and
first and second card buffers disposed between the first card processing mechanism and the second card processing mechanism, each of the first and second card buffers includes a mechanical card transport mechanism that is configured to transport a plastic card along a card travel path, the mechanical card transport mechanism of the first card buffer is independently logically controlled from the mechanical card transport mechanism of the second card buffer.
2. The card processing system of claim 1 , wherein the first card processing mechanism is a drop-on-demand printer that prints with ultra-violet (UV) curable ink, and the second card processing mechanism is a UV curing station that contains a UV lamp.
3. The card processing system of claim 2 , wherein the drop-on-demand printer includes at least one printhead and a transport section located between the at least one printhead and a card exit of the first card processing mechanism, and the transport section is controlled to act as a card buffer.
4. The card processing system of claim 2 , wherein the first card buffer is part of the first card processing mechanism.
5. The card processing system of claim 1 , wherein the card travel paths of the first and second card buffers are colinear with each other and are colinear with the first card travel path and the second card travel path.
6. The card processing system of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second card buffers are configured to contain a single plastic card at any moment in time during operation.
7. The card processing system of claim 1 , wherein each of the first card processing mechanism and the second card processing mechanism has a card processing rate, and a time that a plastic card spends in each of the first and second card buffers is adjustable.
8. The card processing system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second card buffers are independent and separately logically controlled from one another, whereby a first plastic card traveling through the first and second card buffers has a first buffer time, and a second plastic card that follows the first plastic card in sequence and that travels through the first and second card buffers has a second buffer time, and the second buffer time is greater than or less than the first buffer time.
9. A card processing system, comprising:
a drop-on-demand printer that prints with ultra-violet (UV) curable ink, the drop-on-demand printer includes a mechanical card transport mechanism that transports plastic cards along a card travel path through the drop-on-demand printer;
a UV curing station that contains a UV lamp, the UV curing station is located downstream of the drop-on-demand printer and includes a mechanical card transport mechanism that transports plastic cards along a card travel path through the UV curing station;
at least one card buffer disposed between the drop-on-demand printer and the UV curing station, the at least one card buffer includes a mechanical card transport mechanism that transports a plastic card along a card travel path, the card travel path of the at least one card buffer is colinear with the card travel path through the drop-on-demand printer and colinear with the card travel path through the UV curing station, the at least one card buffer is configured to contain a single plastic card at any moment in time during operation.
10. The card processing system of claim 9 , comprising at least two of the card buffers disposed between the drop-on-demand printer and the UV curing station.
11. The card processing system of claim 9 , wherein the at least one card buffer is part of the drop-on-demand printer.
12. The card processing system of claim 9 , wherein the drop-on-demand printer and the UV curing station each has a card processing rate, and a time that the card spends in the at least one card buffer is adjustable.