In the exhibition hall of Beijing Banknote Printing Co., Ltd., there is a photo of a model of the equipment "145A machine", which is a secret weapon to realize the anti-counterfeiting printing on the renminbi - "multi-color wiring". Do you know what "multi-color wiring" is? How was this secret weapon invented and used?
The first government-run "banknote printing factory" in the mainland to print banknotes using the engraved steel plate gravure printing process was the Du Branch Printing Bureau, which was established at the end of the Qing Dynasty and was the predecessor of Beijing Banknote Printing Co., Ltd. The first banknote produced by the Printing Bureau of the Du Branch, the "Great Qing Bank Exchange Coupon", was not issued in time, and the Qing government perished. This banknote is commonly known as the "Great Qing Dragon Banknote", which is extremely exquisite and beautiful, but the color is relatively single.
In 1912, the Printing Bureau of the Du Branch was renamed the Printing Bureau of the Ministry of Finance. In 1920, a technician from the Printing Bureau of the Ministry of Finance saw that some of the patterns of Western banknotes were composed of a variety of different color lines, and the docking between different colors was complete, hoping that he could also print a variety of color banknotes "connected" together. This technician is Shen Yongbin.
Western countries have extremely strict patent protection for this printing technology. Shen Yongbin could only concentrate on research alone in various technical blockades and white-eyed cold words. Finally, he developed a "polychromatic (wired) printing machine". So, what is "polychromatic wiring"?
The used multi-color printing on the third set of RMB two-yen coupons
When two colors appear on the same line of the banknote pattern, the wiring of the color change is not separated, not overlapping, and not in a good position, so that the different colors on the line can "naturally transition", which is "polychromatic wiring".
This color printing technology, exquisite craftsmanship, the technical and equipment requirements are very high. At that time, the mainland was poor and weak, and suffered from war, and this world-class technology could only be temporarily shelved. And this shelf is 30 years.
In the 1950s, a young boy, Li Genxu, found Shen Yongbin, who was already an old man with flower armor, and took the initiative to ask for a battle, hoping to continue to study the multicolor printing machine. Shen Yongbin was very happy, and took out the principle of the polychromatic printing process and the "polychromatic (wired) printing machine" scheme that he had treasured for more than 30 years for Li Genxu to continue to follow up, and he also participated in the research and development work that had been interrupted for thirty years, working together with everyone to carry out experiments.
Based on Shen Yongbin's correct design principle, Li Genxu and the North Banknote Project Team and the elite of the banknote technology jointly developed, taking the strengths of foreign technology, making up for the shortcomings of Shen Yongbin's technology, in the absence of experience, no data, overcome countless technical difficulties, and finally at the end of 1960, successfully developed the first generation of domestic printing machines in the mainland - a four-color wiring printing machine of the topograph version, code-named "145A machine".
Model 145A
The Model 145A was soon used in the production of a third set of renminbi. It breaks through the limitations of shen yongbin's two color wiring in the complex color wiring, realizes a version of the four-color wiring process technology, and the product quality is stable, the ink color is uniform and bright, the drying is fast, the cycle is short, and the anti-counterfeiting function and artistic appreciation of printing are greatly improved.
Today, China's banknote printing technology and equipment have been updated many times, and the 145A model has long since withdrawn from the historical stage. However, the eight-color and double-sided 145 B developed on the basis of it, the 145 ding of the rotary one-plate four-color gravure printing, and the SD gravure printing technology that won the first prize of the National Science and Technology Invention Award have made indelible contributions in the production of the third, fourth and fifth sets of RMB, and have always demonstrated the spirit of self-reliance, perseverance, unity and innovation of the workers in China's banknote printing industry.
From scratch, from single color to multi-color wiring to multi-color wiring, from entrusted printing to independent research and development, this is a colorful leap forward in the development of the RENMINBI, a colorful movement of several generations of "Banknote people" constantly striving, and a brilliant epitome of the Chinese nation's pursuit of rejuvenation dreams!
Source: Xinhua News Agency
Written by: Beijing Banknote Printing Co., Ltd. Exhibition Hall Wang Li