ABSTRACT
While there is a large body of literature [1] written on the application of controls to continous feed offset printing, in this chapter we focus on cut-sheet digital production printers. For color digital production printers, the control challenges are several orders of magnitude larger than those of black and white, because they have to compete in the traditional continuous feed offset market, which demands high quality at low cost. This chapter is written to give a glimpse of control systems used in these color systems. We cover the design of complex algorithms by focusing our attention on system-level color control loops and state-of-the-art algorithms, such as multi-input multi-output (MIMO) state feedback (SF) with pole placement design, optimal controls, model predictive controls, and cooperative controls. These algorithms operate on both digital and process actuators to produce high-quality prints, help to reduce service cost, and provide a quick turn-around time. At the end of this chapter, we introduce some opportunities for controls to further advance the system-level design.
