Vipro Mirage MkII

Vipro Mirage MkII

Vipro Mirage MkII

The Vipro Mirage Mk-II is an advanced, horizontal lifting ¾ automatic screen printing machine with a sliding table and an integrated take-off system. Recently the Vipro Mirage Mk-II has been redesigned and is now equipped with a newly designed print head and a wide range of functions that make the machine unique in terms of reduced set-up times, user friendliness, accuracy and durability. The Mirage is completely controlled by a computer (PLC) and leaves virtually nothing extra to wish for, because most of the options come as standard. The machine is controlled over a modern touch screen on which all functions are clearly recognizable and orderly categorized. All necessary adjustments can be made without any special tools.

Characteristics

  • 3/4 automatic screen printing machine
  • sliding printing table and horizontal lifting print head

Special properties

  • compact and user friendly design
  • direct sheet to dryer belt delivery
  • exact squeegee carriage stoke with ink recovery sequence
  • set laystops directly from the touch screen
  • short set-up and change-over times
  • modern intuitive touch screen control

 

Vipro Mirage MkII also available as Semi-matic

The Vipro Mirage is also available as a semimatic machine. Printing a wide variety of materials on a sophisticated, horizontal lifting screen printing machine. Click here to request a quote.

Machine details


 

 

Machine properties


 

Operation

  • The machine is operated from a modern industrial touch screen that is mounted on a swivel arm and can be positioned so that the printer has a fast and easy access to the functions when he is at the left side or at the front of the machine. By pulling the touch screen to the front, the machine can also be easily operated when standing in front on the table. A transparent removable protection foil prevents the touch screen from becoming scratched or polluted.
  • The various functions are represented mainly by icons (small schematic pictures) making the function keys speak for themselves even when the printer does not operate that particular machine every day.
  • The most common functions can be selected directly from the main menu of the touch screen. A couple of sub-menus contain the remaining functions and settings.
  • In case of an error or warning, the built-in diagnose-system shows in both graphic and textual way the cause, location and solution on the touch screen. This diagnose-system checks the correct operation of over 15 vital machine parts and functions as well as the condition of the electric and pneumatic supplies. It also continuously checks the operation of the machine. For example: before printing a warning is issued when the screen is not secured yet or the printing table vacuum will automatically be switched on by the PLC when it has been forgotten.
  • The machine can operate in automatic mode with adjustable feed time interval or manually by pressing the foot pedal to start the machine cycle.

Print head

  • Very robust, all steel print head supported by 4 solid 40mm thick hard chrome plated lifting columns.
  • The lifting of the screen during substrate transport is high enough to prevent static charged substrates to jump up against the screen mesh.
  • The print head lifts up about 40 cm in washing position. This makes the screen very well accessible underneath and makes cleaning and making adjustments to the screen much more comfortable.

Printing functions

  • Heavy duty squeegee carriage that has been chrome plated for easy cleaning.
  • Independent step less adjustable squeegee and floodcoater speed with digital read out (0.10 – 1.0 m/sec) directly from the touch screen. The controlled starting and stopping of the squeegee carriage reduces the splashing of ink. A closed-loop frequency controller automatically compensates for variations in speed during the print stroke.
  • Setting the squeegee stroke is no longer carried out by positioning conventional limit switches but rather by “teaching” exact start and stopping positions using modern encoder technology. One of the major advantages is that the actual squeegee stroke will no longer depend on the current squeegee or floodcoater speed. In other words: the exact start and stop positions will be reached with a tolerance of a few millimeters irrespective of the travel speed.
  • Multiple printing on the same material (1-10x).
  • Pneumatic change-over of the squeegee and floodcoater.
  • Pneumatic peel-off that lifts one end of the screen more with the advance of the squeegee stroke. The rate and maximum peel-off height is adjustable and independent from the printing size. The screen is always brought into horizontal position during flooding to secure an even overall ink layer. The construction of the peel-off system is made in such a way that the inevitable print distortion is kept to an absolute minimum.
  • An adjustable peel-off timer allows a delay to be set between reaching the end of the squeegee stroke and lifting the print head (e.g. when printing a negative image).
  • The off-contact can be accurately set in 0,1 mm. increments, set and read directly from the touch screen to a maximum of 20 mm. (semi automatic mode) and is adjusted by a motor in seconds.
  • Besides a well functioning pneumatic squeegee pressure equalizer system, the operator can choose to deploy the conventional mechanical squeegee pressure system. Both systems are available to the printer. Using the pneumatic system, the operator does not have to re-adjust the squeegee after intermediate sharpening or small changes in squeegee angle. The pneumatic equalizer system continuously adjusts the squeegee pressure across the printing width during printing.
  • The ink that slowly gathers outside the programmed squeegee stroke can be brought back into the printing area by using the ink-recovery interval feature. This convenient function temporarily enlarges the printing stroke to recover the ink massed outside.
  • A unique, so called “sample function”, returns the printed substrate on the printing table to the operator for inspection. If the print is approved the machine will deposit the substrate on the belt of the adjacent dryer. If the print is rejected, then the operator can remove the substrate and continue. This feature makes it significantly easier for the operator to keep a close look on the quality of the production.
  • Choice of flooding directly after the print stroke (print-flood) or just before the next squeegee stroke (flood-print).
  • The squeegee carriage drive has a flexible, stretch and maintenance free tooth belt. This belt together with the hardened guiding rails guarantees a silent, very equal and vibration free movement of the squeegee carriage resulting in an erratic free movement.

Screen locking and Register adjustment

  • The screen can be slid into the screen holder bars from the left or the right side with little effort. An important advantage is that at removing the remaining ink, the screen may extend the machine largely and thus is accessible on three sides, top and underside.
  • The screen micro registration adjustment with integrated mechanical play compensation has been built into the front screen holder bar where it is easy accessible. A parallel guide system always keeps the front screen holder bar parallel when it being moved to accommodate a different screen size. Besides the ease of use, it also prevents the whole unit from falling from its support and damage the printing table.
  • The screen is secured in position by strong pneumatic cylinders. These cylinders keep on securing the screen, even when air pressure and electricity are down, e.g. overnight. The machine will warn the operator if the screen is not completely locked before printing.
  • The mechanical repeatability is better than 0.1 mm.

Printing table

  • The Vipro Mirage Mk-II has a durable hard anodized, thick skin aluminum printing table. The extra dense internal honeycomb structure gives the table its exceptional flatness and rigidity. The honeycomb is drilled twice (crosswise) for a quick acting vacuum and blow back action.
  • The vacuum connection underneath the printing table is mounted in such a way that the vacuum comes up is the rear left corner of the printing table and quickly progresses diagonally in squeegee direction like a wave. Possible wrinkles in the substrate are effectively eliminated.
  • Especially for printing more porous materials a pre vacuum time can be set. There is also a possibility to lift heavier of light static materials after printing by blow air to assist the take-off. In addition to that, for set up purposes the operator can select continuous table vacuum. Unique is also the standard foot activated vacuum feature. This allows the operator to activate the table vacuum by pressing the foot pedal once. After the substrate (e.g. cardboard, coroplast etc.) is correctly secured to the table, pressing the foot pedal a second time will start the machine cycle.
  • The substrate is brought into register by placing it against the 7 to 11 stainless steel lay stops (their number depends on the maximum printing size). The desired lay stops can quickly and without any effort be selected directly from the touch screen (!).

Release grippers

  • One of the other unique features of the Vipro Mirage Mk-II is the way the release gripper removes the printed substrate from the printing table and releases it over the inlet and onto the conveyor belt of an adjacent dryer while, at the same time the printing table returns to the operator. The advantage here is that there is no belt-to-belt transition, a common source of material flow problems.
  • The powerful, independent functioning gripper jaws of the release gripper are hardened and open wide to assure perfect removal of the printed substrates from the printing table. The gripper can handle substrates up to 4 mm. thick and requires only about 5 mm. gripper margin.
  • The release gripper and printing table are mechanically connected to one another. The speed can be adjusted independently (feed and release stroke) and step less with digital read out on the touch screen.
  • The location where the gripper releases the material (opens) is adjustable directly from the touch screen to handle thin and light as well as thicker and heavier materials. A take-off security bar will push the substrate out of the release gripper in case it unexpectedly remains in the gripper.
  • An additional optic safety sensor detects when a substrate is not correctly been delivered onto the external dryer belt and poses a mechanical hazard. The operator will in that case receive a warning on the touch screen when starting the machine cycle.
  • The Vipro Mirage can be used as a semi automatic machine by switching off the gripper system. Then it is also possible to print substrates thicker than the grippers could handle. The maximum off-contact is, as mentioned before, 20mm.
  • Like the squeegee carriage, the gripper system is driven by a flexible stretch and maintenance free timing belt. This belt together with the hardened guiding rails guarantee a silent and vibration free gripper movement at higher speeds.

Production counter

  • Production counter function: pre-set print run counter, number of finished prints, number of remaining prints and current printing speed in prints/hour. The machine will warn the operator once the pre-set number of prints is finished.
  • Machine total cycle counter and display of the number of prints after the last maintenance.

Health and Safety

  • The Vipro Mirage is equipped with a number of emergency stop push buttons around the machine perimeter, emergency stop bars at two sides of the print head, a safety cover over the release section and the necessary mechanical safety screens that restrict access to potential dangerous locations. All safety components are self-testing and made redundant to meet the highest CE safety standard class 4.
  • The machine bears the European mandatory CE-mark; a “CE declaration of accordance II-A” and an instruction manual in the English language are supplied, as well as a double set of electrical and pneumatic diagrams and part lists.

Service and Maintenance

  • Upon switching the machine on, a service counter warns the operator when it is time to conduct scheduled maintenance. With the help of a maintenance plan, the little maintenance the Vipro Mirage needs to keep the machine in good condition can quite easily be conducted by a local service engineer.
  • The control cabinet, containing the electronics and PLC (industrial control computer) can be pulled outside the machine for service and maintenance, so that the engineer can work safely and unhindered.

Furthermore...

  • Heat coming from the vacuum motor and other electrical machine parts is led outside the machine. This measure prevents the heat from accumulating inside the machine and rising up to the screen area where it could potentially contribute to drying of ink on solvent base in the mesh openings.
  • Optionally the squeegee carriage can be equipped with a ‘pulse DC’ ionization to effectively eliminate the building of static electricity generated during printing.
  • The solid way of construction, application of maintenance-free tooth belts for printing table and squeegee movement plus linear bearing system of squeegee carriage and gripper system, contribute to a reduction of the sound level. The Vipro Mirage Mk-II runs exceptionally smooth and silent.
  • Constructed while using high-quality components of leading suppliers, which are available world wide.

Technical specifications and dimensions


 

Maximum print size700 x 1000900 x 12501000 x 14001200 x 1600
Maximum sheet size735 x 1050930 x 12451035 x 14401230 x 1650
Maximum screen size1150 x 15001350 x 17001450 x 19001650 x 2100
Machine width [W]1700190021002300
Machine total length [L]3460406043604960
Machine feed overhang [L1]850105011501350
Machine discharge overhang [L2]1070127013701570
Working height1055 mm
Max. material thickness (using gripper)4 mm
Gripper margin5 mm
Off-contact3 - 20 mm
Maximum cycle speed [cycl./hr.]800750700600
Register fine adjustment-10 to +10 mm
Squeegee speed0.1 to 1.0 m/sec.
Squeegee angle75 - 90 degree
Machine weight450 kg500 kg600 kg750 kg
Electric connection400V, 50Hz, 3 phase + N + Pe, 4kW
Pneumatic connection8 bar (800 kPa), 180 nl/min
Our products receive continual updates and improvements to enhance quality and productivity, effectively changing its original specifications. All of the above information is to be considered as indicative. All units are expressed in the metric system. Dimensions are in millimeter [mm] unless stated otherwise.