Method of manufacturing a printing substrate

Abstract

An optical scanning system and method for laser engraving a plurality of data subrasters into a substrate to form a raster of engraved data defining an image on the substrate. Each subraster has a length dimension and a width dimension. The system includes a transport assembly having an objective lens and a mirror, the mirror capable of reflecting a substantially collimated scanning beam incident thereon in a direction transverse to an axis of the incident beam such that it is directed to the objective lens. The objective lens is capable of focusing the scanning beam on the substrate to engrave a set of data in the width dimension of the subraster and the objective lens and mirror combination is capable of moving along the axis of the incident beam to allow subsequent engraving of other sets of data in the width dimension until a complete subraster is formed along its length dimension. The objective lens and mirror combination is also capable of returning to its starting position to begin engraving of a subsequent subraster of the plurality of subrasters forming the raster of engraved data. A thermoset plastic substrate and a substrate having a an inorganic ceramic material are also identified as being suitable for use in a printing process, and particularly suitable for use with the aforementioned system and method.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A substrate for use with a direct laser engraving process to create a printing substrate, the substrate comprising: 
 a base material; and    an inorganic ceramic material disposed on the base material.    
     
     
         2 . The substrate of  claim 1 , wherein the base material comprises a metal.  
     
     
         3 . The substrate of  claim 1 , wherein the inorganic ceramic material is vitreous.  
     
     
         4 . The substrate of  claim 1 , wherein the inorganic material is bonded to the base material.  
     
     
         5 . The substrate of  claim 1 , wherein the base material is selected from the group consisting of steel, aluminum, copper and iron.  
     
     
         6 . The substrate of  claim 1 , wherein the inorganic ceramic material comprises a porcelain enamel.  
     
     
         7 . The substrate of  claim 6 , wherein the porcelain enamel has a glass content less than 50 percent by weight.  
     
     
         8 . The substrate of  claim 6 , wherein the porcelain enamel has a glass content generally between 35 to 40 percent by weight.  
     
     
         9 . The substrate of  claim 6 , wherein the porcelain enamel comprises an oxide selected from the group consisting of SiO 2 , B 2 O 3 , Na 2 O, K 2 O, Li 2 O, CaO, ZnO, Al 2 O 3 , ZrO 2 , TiO 2 , CuO, MnO 2 , NiO, Co 3 O 4 , P 2 O 5 , MgO, PbO, Sb 2 O 3 , Sb 2 O 5 , ZrO 2 , BaO and F 2 .  
     
     
         10 . The substrate of  claim 6 , wherein the porcelain enamel includes a mineral filler.  
     
     
         11 . The substrate of  claim 10 , wherein the mineral filler comprises calcium carbonate.  
     
     
         12 . A printing substrate comprising: 
 a base material; and    an inorganic ceramic material disposed on the base material and having a formation defining an image to be printed on a medium during a printing process.    
     
     
         13 . The substrate of  claim 12 , wherein the base material comprises a metal.  
     
     
         14 . The substrate of  claim 12 , wherein the inorganic ceramic material is vitreous.  
     
     
         15 . The substrate of  claim 12 , wherein the inorganic material is fused to the base material.  
     
     
         16 . The substrate of  claim 12 , wherein the formation defining the image is a laser-engraved formation.  
     
     
         17 . The substrate of  claim 12 , wherein the base material is selected from the group consisting of steel, aluminum, copper and iron.  
     
     
         18 . The substrate of  claim 12 , wherein the inorganic ceramic material comprises a porcelain enamel.  
     
     
         19 . The substrate of  claim 18 , wherein the porcelain enamel has a glass content less than 50 percent by weight.  
     
     
         20 . The substrate of  claim 18 , wherein the porcelain enamel has a glass content generally between 35 to 40 percent by weight.  
     
     
         21 . The substrate of  claim 18 , wherein the porcelain enamel comprises an oxide selected from the group consisting of SiO 2 , B 2 O 3 , Na 2 O, K 2 O, Li 2 O, CaO, ZnO, Al 2 O 3 , ZrO 2 , TiO 2 , CuO, MnO 2 , NiO, Co 3 O 4 , P 2 O 5 , MgO, PbO, Sb 2 O 3 , Sb 2 O 5 , ZrO 2 , BaO and F 2 .  
     
     
         22 . The substrate of  claim 18 , wherein the porcelain enamel includes a mineral filler.  
     
     
         23 . The substrate of  claim 22 , wherein the mineral filler comprises calcium carbonate.  
     
     
         24 . A substrate for use with a direct laser engraving process to create a printing substrate, the substrate comprising: 
 a metal layer; and    a porcelain enamel layer bonded to the metal layer.    
     
     
         25 . The substrate of  claim 24 , wherein the porcelain enamel has a glass content less than 50 percent by weight.  
     
     
         26 . The substrate of  claim 24 , wherein the porcelain enamel has a glass content generally between 35 to 40 percent by weight.  
     
     
         27 . The substrate of  claim 24 , wherein the porcelain enamel includes an oxide selected from the group consisting of SiO 2 , B 2 O 3 , Na 2 O, K 2 O, Li 2 O, CaO, ZnO, Al 2 O 3 , ZrO 2 , TiO 2 , CuO, MnO 2 , NiO, Co 3 O 4 , P 2 O 5 , MgO, PbO, Sb 2 O 3 , Sb 2 O 5 , ZrO 2 , BaO and F 2 .  
     
     
         28 . The substrate of  claim 24 , wherein the porcelain enamel includes a mineral filler.  
     
     
         29 . The substrate of  claim 28 , wherein the mineral filler comprises calcium carbonate.  
     
     
         30 . A printing substrate comprising: 
 a metal layer; and    a porcelain enamel layer bonded to the metal layer and having a laser-engraved image to be printed on a medium during a printing process.    
     
     
         31 . The substrate of  claim 30 , wherein the metal layer is selected from the group consisting of steel, aluminum, copper and iron.  
     
     
         32 . The substrate of  claim 30 , wherein the porcelain enamel layer has a glass content less than 50 percent by weight.  
     
     
         33 . The substrate of  claim 30 , wherein the porcelain enamel layer has a glass content generally between 35 to 40 percent by weight.  
     
     
         34 . The substrate of  claim 30 , wherein the porcelain enamel layer includes an oxide selected from the group consisting of SiO 2 , B 2 O 3 , Na 2 O, K 2 O, Li 2 O, CaO, ZnO, Al 2 O 3 , ZrO 2 , TiO 2 , CuO, MnO 2 , NiO, Co 3 O 4 , P 2 O 5 , MgO, PbO, Sb 2 O 3 , Sb 2 O 5 , ZrO 2 , BaO and F 2 .  
     
     
         35 . The substrate of  claim 30 , wherein the porcelain enamel layer includes a mineral filler.  
     
     
         36 . The substrate of  claim 35 , wherein the mineral filler is calcium carbonate.  
     
     
         37 . The substrate of  claim 30 , wherein the porcelain enamel layer has been electrostatically applied to the base layer.  
     
     
         38 . The substrate of  claim 30 , wherein the porcelain enamel is formulated to be abrasive resistant.  
     
     
         39 . The substrate of  claim 38 , wherein the porcelain enamel is formulated to be abrasive resistant by a reduction of formation of gas bubbles within the enamel during application to the metal layer.  
     
     
         40 . A substrate for use in an intaglio printing process, the substrate comprising: 
 a metallic base layer; and    a porcelain enamel layer bonded to the base layer and having an engraved image created by laser engraving a plurality of subrasters each having a width and a length, each subraster defined by a plurality of data point sets each scanned across the width of the subraster by a scanning beam incident to the substrate, each of the data point sets having data points that create one of either an engraved point or an unengraved point defined by a state of the scanning beam, the plurality of subrasters combining to form a raster defining the engraved image.    
     
     
         41 . A method of manufacturing a substrate for use with a direct laser engraving process to create a printing substrate, the method comprising the steps of: 
 providing a metallic layer; and    disposing an inorganic ceramic layer on the metallic layer.    
     
     
         42 . A method of making a printing substrate for use in a printing process, the method comprising the steps of: 
 providing a substrate comprising a metallic layer and an inorganic ceramic layer disposed on the metallic layer; and    forming an image on the inorganic ceramic layer to be printed on a medium during a printing process.    
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the step of forming the image on the inorganic ceramic layer comprises the step of engraving the image in the inorganic ceramic layer.  
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the step of forming the image on the inorganic ceramic layer comprises the step of laser engraving the image in the inorganic ceramic layer.  
     
     
         45 . A method of making a printing substrate for use in a printing process, the method comprising the steps of: 
 providing a substrate comprising a metallic layer and an inorganic ceramic layer disposed on the metallic layer; and    engraving the inorganic ceramic layer with a plurality of subrasters each having a width and a length, each subraster defined by a plurality of data point sets each scanned across the width of the subraster by a scanning beam incident to the substrate, each of the data point sets having data points that create one of either an engraved point or an unengraved point defined by a state of the scanning beam, the plurality of subrasters combining to form a raster defining the engraved image.