InvInk is a system based on a fluid that is invisible to unaided human eye but automatically readable / detectable with the dedicated laser sensor; can also be seen with a dedicated viewer.
The system is made up by two basic elements: the infrared ink, that is absolutely invisible, and its detecting device ( automatic reader ); this systems allows the creation of machine detectable marks, and has a lot of possible applications, as shown below.
The product to be marked is typically “web material”, products that have the shape of “ribbons” of any width and that are winded / unwinded during the production process, like textile products, non woven fabrics, paper, corrugated, plastic films…
In this example, the system is used for creation of reference tags on a material that is winded; the tags will be automatically readable in further steps of the production process when the material will be unwinded.
In this way it will be possible to:
1) – To mark points of interest, that can be found later on during the production process ( for example: defects, joints/seams, sampling points, change of production settings or materials, change of operators/shift…)
2) – To put on the material reference points at fixed length ( for example, every 30 metres ) or anyway in known positions ( for example. at metres 56, 97, 146, 230……)
3) – To detect deformations ( stretching or shrinking ) that may happen between winding to unwinding operations
This one is a “in-line” implementation: tags are created in a certain point of the production line and detected in further positions.
In this way it will be possible to:
1) – Control the distance between marking and detection points
2) – To put a tag on the product where some action must be taken in detection position(s)
3) – To add information related to the process ( for example, start / end of production batches…) directly on the product
Another “in-line” implementation: in this case two tags are created at a known distance ( D), reading how this distance changes along the process line (D1, D2, …. Dn) gives a direct measurement of the deformation of the material ( tipically it is used for precise control of fabric stretching /shrinking).
In this way it will be possible to:
1) – Control the material deformation in different positions of the process
In this case the IR fluid is mixed in small quantities to other substances that need to be dispensed in the process, so that the substance itself can be detected by the laser sensor; the same concept can be applied to solid objects, that can be marked with the invisible fluid so to be able to determine their presence or absence automatically.
An example of this implementation is the control of glue presence in paper bags production process… How to be sure that glue is correcty dispensed during the automated, high speed production process?
It is possible to mix very small amounts of infrared invisible ink to the glue or of the substance to control, and the laser sensor will do the rest.
In order to better understand our system for creating invisible tags and detecting them automatically, we can consider a similar system made with “traditional” means, for example using adhesive reflective labels as a tag, instead of infrared ink spots, and common photocells for the detection instead of the laser sensors.
The possibilities offered by the two systems seems the same…. But adhesive labels are difficult to stick on moving materials ( while the ink can be sprayed succesfully at any speed), they could easily detach after sticking and even cause problems or malfunctions on the machinery.
Adhesive labels could be incompatibile with the various working processes, could damage the material surface with their glue, could be unwanted from the buyers of the material; surely they require a frequency of roll change tenth of times higher than invisible ink refill… And those are only some of the possible “plus” of the system for invisible marking and automatic detection.
The main strength points of our InvInk system are the following:
- High reliability: our InvInk system works perfectly both on the side of creation of the invisible references, that is made by a spray systems controlled by a microprocessor, and for what concern the spots automatic detection, always reliable and possible at any speed ( we have installed mark and detect systems up to 350 mt/min, and we tested them in our laboratory at more than 500 mt/ min speed ).
– The entire system is made up with high quality components and in maintenance free.
- Immunity to electrical noise and false readings: the InvInk system can be used almost in any environment, tank to its mechanical resistance and the high noise immunity of the optoelectronic detecting system.
- No side effects the production process: the infrared ink with which the reference spots are created is completely invisible, so it don’t change at all the appearance of the material on which it is sprayed. The invisible ink is water based ( also available in alcohol based version for particolar applications ), it is not toxic at all, it is stable and it doesnt’t react with other substances.
- Flexible and configurable: The system for invisible tagging and automatic detect, in its standard configuration, allows many simple regulations to modify the spot size and shape and the amount of ink used for each spot .
- InvInk is a customized system: in most cases we supply our invisible marking system to OEMs, that integrates it into their own solutions / systems / plants : the system is customised according to customer requirements, and all aspects of the solution ( pressurised tank, invisible ink type, spraying heads, control software in the MiniPLC, type and duration of digital signal from the sensor…). This is not only a possibility that we offer to our customers, but really our standard way of working, in an attempt to supply not only products but solutions.
