Patent ID: 7318377

Claim:
A method of treating portions of material comprising: providing a screen print machine having multiple stations and a turntable with pallets to carry the material portions from station to station, said machine providing control signals to control the operation of printing heads at one or more of the stations, and said machine adapted for receiving status indications from the printing heads to control the operation of the turntable; providing a printing head for screen printing ink on the material portions at a first station; providing a laser device at a second station for producing graphics on the material portions on the turntable, the laser device providing status signals indicative of the operational status of the laser device, and said laser device adapted for receiving control indications to control the operation of the laser device; connecting a PLC between the laser device and the second station of the screen print machine, the PLC programmed to receive control signals from the screen printing machine for a printing head at the second station, and to receive status signals from the laser device indicative of the operational status of the laser device, to send indications based upon the operational status of the laser device to the screen print machine, which indications mimic status indications of a printing head located at the second station, and to send control signals to control the operation of the laser device in synchronization with the printing head at the first station based upon the received control signals for a printing head at the second station; and processing the material portions on the pallets of the screen print machine.