Canon, Bsc/Msc: Internship Mechanical Engineering - High speed embellishment process for print systems

In this assignment you will work on embellishment processes that are being  used for large format printing. The current setup demonstrates the principle, but the next step is to bring the process towards full platform speeds while making the hardware concept more compact, robust and controllable. The challenge is strongly mechatronic; examples are thin film handling, web transport, cartridge design, tension control, actuator behavior, sensor feedback and process timing all interact. You will investigate how the present hardware and control strategy can be improved, and you will validate your ideas through experiments on a dedicated test setup.

The specifics of your assignment may include

• Characterizing the current embellishment setup and identifying speed-limiting mechanisms in web handling, thin film handling, tension control and process synchronization.
• Tuning and improving control loops, web/thin film tension or actuator timing, using experimental data and system-identification thinking.
• Improving the hardware concept to support higher process speeds and a more compact machine layout, including sensor selection, mounting/cartridge concepts, mechanical adaptations and cable/signal routing.
• Programming and adapting control or data-acquisition software for experimentation, logging, visualization and repeatable test execution.
• Designing and executing experiments to quantify process stability, repeatability, operating window and failure modes at increasing speed.
• Translating the findings into practical design recommendations for the next iteration of the embellishment process.

Research areas

• High-speed web and media handling: determine which mechanical or dynamic effects become dominant when moving towards full print speeds.
• Control-loop performance: improve speed, stability and disturbance rejection without making the system overly sensitive or difficult to tune.
• Compact hardware design: explore how the present setup can be simplified, integrated or redesigned while maintaining accessibility for tests and maintenance.
• Process robustness: study what causes wrinkles, slip, tension peaks, misalignment or unstable transfer, and determine how to detect or prevent these issues.
• Experimental validation: create a practical test approach with clear KPIs, logging, comparison methods and recommendations for follow-up development.

Deliverables

• A structured report describing the analysis, experiments, control-loop tuning, hardware recommendations, and validation of results.
• A working experimental improvement or prototype change, where feasible, including documented settings and software/scripts used during testing.
• A concise design recommendation for bringing the process closer to full print speeds and towards a more compact module concept.
• An end presentation for CPP colleagues and participation in the bi-annual poster presentation event.

• Currently studying HBO or WO mechatronics, mechanical engineering, systems & control, applied physics or a related engineering discipline.
• Interested in the combination of mechanics, electronics, sensors, control engineering and practical experimentation.
• Hands-on: comfortable working around experimental hardware and eager to build, test, debug and improve.
• Able to program or willing to learn, for example in Python, MATLAB, LabVIEW, PLC-style environments or similar tools used for data acquisition and control.
• Critical toward experimental results, both in terms of measurement quality and engineering interpretation.