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Paper Handling Technologies of the Toshiba Group Continuous Innovation of Paper Handling Technologies of the Toshiba Group ICHIHARA Issei Toshiba Paper Handling Technologies at Forefront of the Era FUKASAWA Kazuo / KAWAGOE Hiroshi / HATTORI Shunsuke Equipment for handling paper and other flexible media, such as copiers, printers, letter processing systems, and automatic ticket gates, is generically referred to as paper handling machines. As a leading company in the field of paper handling machines, Toshiba has been supplying a wide variety of products to the world market by consistently developing state-of-the-art technologies, thereby contributing to the progress of society. These technical innovations are based on our corporate heritage, comprising both our accumulated mechatronics technologies and our spirit of challenging the creation of new products, nurtured since our companys establishment. We are continuing our efforts to develop new-concept products for the future. High-Performance Feeding Technology for Mail Processing Machines HIRAMITSU Naruaki / MITSUYA Yusuke / WATANABE Tetsuo A letter sorting machine separates pieces of mail one by one from a stack of various types of mail, reads information such as their postcodes and addresses, then stacks and sorts them according to the reading results. Recently, the performance requirements for such machines have become increasingly stringent in overseas markets. In order to meet these requirements, Toshiba has developed a world top-class technology that can process more than 43,000 pieces of mail per hour, employing an air-absorption technique. This technology will facilitate our further expansion into overseas markets. Indirect Thermal Transfer Printing Technology UKAI Makoto / JOJIMA Yosuke / MORI Hiroyuki / AOYAGI Toshiaki High-level forgery prevention functions are required as security measures against alteration, forgery, and falsification of official means of identification such as passports and licenses. Toshiba has developed an indirect thermal transfer printing technology employing thin-film transfer that offers advanced forgery prevention functions, based on our accumulated technologies in such areas as printing, paper handling, and mechanism design. We have also launched an integrated circuit (IC) passport (e-passport) printer incorporating this technology targeted at overseas markets. High-Speed Positioning Control Technology for Paper Media NARUOKA Yoshihiko / ASARI Yukio / TODORIKI Toru Mail sorting machines are required to provide faster processing of diverse types of mail, while banknote processing machines must be capable of batch processing a wide variety of banknotes. To meet these requirements, a high-speed positioning control technology is necessary that can effectively handle thin objects conveyed at high speed after being picked up separately from a bulk lot. Toshiba has developed a high-speed positioning control technology for paper being conveyed at high speed, using nonholonomic control. The effectiveness of this method was confirmed by an evaluation test. Paper Transport Technologies for Multifunctional Peripherals MURAKAMI Reiji Multifunctional peripherals (MFPs) utilize a variety of paper transport technologies, from paper pickup to alignment, image transfer, fusing, finishing, and paper output. All of these technologies are of fundamental importance, supporting the functions required of an MFP. Recently, continuing progress has been made in these technologies, especially in response to the growth of color MFPs and diversification of media. Toshiba TEC Corporation is actively introducing the simulation technology. Paper Transport Technologies for RADFs and Finishers in Multifunctional Peripherals IWAMOTO Masakazu / KAWAGUCHI Takahiro Toshiba has developed new technologies for reverse automatic document feeders (RADFs) and paper finishing devices (finishers), which work together with multifunctional peripherals (MFPs) to achieve high productivity and reliability. For RADFs, the reliability of scanned images has been significantly improved when different types of original paper with varying thicknesses are fed at a constant speed. For finishers, a unique paper stacking technology has been adopted that simultaneously realizes high stapling productivity and high paper sorting performance. Furthermore, a new function has been incorporated for the first time to detect and adjust paper skew during transport, and a highly accurate hole punching technology that surpasses the technologies of competitors has also been established. Paper Feed Mechanism of Printer for Point of Sale Terminals KOYAMA Hiroyuki / YAMADA Koichi Toshiba TEC Corporation offers high-performance receipt printers mounted in point of sale (POS) terminals for retail outlets. These thermal printers are required by the market to be not only compact in design but also to provide high-speed printing with high printing quality. It is therefore necessary for these printers to feed thermosensitive papers with high stability. We have developed a new printer for POS terminals that realizes stable receipt paper feed by optimizing the shape of the receipt paper holding mechanism. Simulation of Paper Feed for Point of Sale Terminal Receipt Printers SATO Katsutoshi / MIZUTANI Kikuo The receipt printers of point of sale (POS) terminals are required to provide high-speed printing and fine printing quality. In order to meet these requirements, it is necessary to realize accurate and stable paper feed for paper being conveyed at high speed. Toshiba TEC Corporation has improved on the conventional development process by utilizing simulation technologies. We have developed a new mechanism for the paper feed of receipt printers and optimized the design parameters by means of this simulation. Paper Feeding, Stacking, and Storage Technologies for OCR Scanners NAKANO Michihiro / KASHIMA Hideyuki / OMATA Toshiyasu Optical character reader (OCR) scanners have recently become capable of handling paper of various sizes, thicknesses, and qualities, and are required to input these various types of paper in large volumes and at high speed. In order to satisfy these requirements, Toshiba Solutions Corporation has been developing basic technologies such as those for paper feeding, stacking, and storage, which are key technologies for paper transport. We have also been enhancing the reliability of OCR scanners in such areas as reading papers with tags, continuously reading 1-meter-long paper sheets, and storing large volumes of nationwide gift coupons, which were difficult to achieve using the conventional technologies. Rubber for High-Performance Transport Rollers of OCR Scanners OBARA Tadashi / NAGAI Tomio / YOKOYAMA Kenichi Optical character reader (OCR) scanners are required to scan documents with accurate image size (minimal expansion or contraction) in the transport direction in order to improve the performance of character recognition. Moreover, with the increasing usage of OCR scanners, they must also be able to handle a wide variety of paper types including thick, thin, recycled, impact, and thermal papers. Toshiba Solutions Corporation has developed rubber for the transport rollers of OCR scanners to enable them to fulfill these requirements and maintain stable performance over the long term. Web Handling Technology for Rotogravure Printing Machines and Coating Machines ARAI Hideyuki / YOSHIDA Yuta Toshiba Machine Co., Ltd. has been supplying rotogravure printing machines and coating machines (coaters) to the converting market utilizing its own technologies and organization to manufacture high-precision products. For rotogravure printing machines, we have developed a sectional drive type servomotor control system for the main drive instead of the conventional drive shaft control mechanism. In addition, we have developed a web tension control system with a servomotor to enhance the precision printing process. For coating machines, we have developed a precision coating technology using not only the same web tension control system but also highly advanced techniques for manufacturing precision rollers and coating dies. Fundamental Study of Belt Mistracking Affected by Rotation Speed and Other Factors KOBAYASHI Yuko / TOYA Kiminori Demand for higher-speed rotating products may cause belts to come off their rollers. In order to understand the effect of belt transport speed and other factors that may cause belt mistracking, Toshiba has begun by examining belt mistracking for a basic belt conveyor system, consisting of one flat belt and two crown-face rollers, by experimentation and simulation. Simulations were conducted using a commercial motion system analysis software. Another purpose of our study was to obtain simulation technology for flexible sheet-type media. It was found that the qualitative tendencies of the simulation results were in good agreement with the experimental results. We also formulated an experimental expression of the amount of belt mistracking using roller misalignment parameters. With regard to transport speed, higher speed did not increase belt mistracking. This phenomenon was explained by automotive engineering. Quantitatively, when the axial load on rollers and other parameters were made equal, belt mistracking according to the simulation was generally in agreement with the experimental value, confirming the applicability of the analysis model. |