An apparatus and method of manufacturing a fluorosilicone composite for a variable data lithography imaging member surface layer. Examples of the fluorosilicone composite include a first part and a second part, the first part having fluorosilicone, carbon black, silica and butyl acetate, the second part having a platinum catalyst, a crosslinker, butyl acetate and an inhibitor. The first part may also include a dispersant (e.g., a polyoxyalkylene amine derivative) that removes a need for shaking the dispersion by paint shaker and instead allows a more manufacture friendly roll ball milling process. The dispersant will also help in stabilizing the fluorosilicone composite for scaled up production.

The present teachings include a transfer member, a multilayer imaging blanket and a variable data lithography system. The transfer member includes a fluorosilicone surface layer. The surface layer includes mixing a first part and a second part. The first part includes a vinyl terminated trifluoropropyl methylsiloxane, an IR absorbing filler, silica and a first solvent. The second part includes an organo platinum complex having vinyl groups, a methyl hydrosiloxanetrifluoropropyl methyl siloxane having hydrosilane groups an inhibitor and a second solvent. The molar ratio of vinyl groups to hydrosilane groups is 0.7:1.0 to about 1.3:1.0 in the mixture. The mixture of the first part and second is coated on a substrate to form the fluorosilicone surface layer.

A printing system is disclosed which includes a plurality of rollers configured to support and move a loop-shaped, flexible intermediate transfer member of at least 10 meters in length along a printing system path. The printing system further includes an image forming station configured to form an image on a portion of the intermediate transfer member, and an impression station configured to enable substantial transfer of the deposited image to a substrate. The printing system also includes at least one high-speed motor associated with the plurality of rollers and configured to move the loop-shaped flexible intermediate transfer member at a speed of at least about one meter per second. Moreover, the printing system includes guiding channels configured for exerting a lateral tensioning force on the loop-shaped intermediate transfer member as it is received within the guiding channels and circulates at the speed of at least about one meter per second.

An apparatus and method of manufacturing a fluorosilicone composite for a variable data lithography imaging member surface layer. Examples of the fluorosilicone composite include a first part and a second part, the first part having fluorosilicone, carbon black, silica and butyl acetate, the second part having a platinum catalyst, a crosslinker, butyl acetate and an inhibitor. The first part may also include a dispersant (e.g., a polyoxyalkylene amine derivative) that removes a need for shaking the dispersion by paint shaker and instead allows a more manufacture friendly roll ball milling process. The dispersant will also help in stabilizing the fluorosilicone composite for scaled up production.

An apparatus and method of manufacturing a fluorosilicone composite for a variable data lithography imaging member surface layer. Examples of the fluorosilicone composite include a first part and a second part, the first part having fluorosilicone, carbon black, silica and butyl acetate, the second part having a platinum catalyst, a crosslinker, butyl acetate and an inhibitor. The first part may also include a dispersant (e.g., a polyoxyalkylene amine derivative) that removes a need for shaking the dispersion by paint shaker and instead allows a more manufacture friendly roll ball milling process. The dispersant will also help in stabilizing the fluorosilicone composite for scaled up production.

A printing process is disclosed which comprises directing droplets of an ink onto an intermediate transfer member to form an ink image, the ink including an organic polymeric resin and a coloring agent in an aqueous carrier, and the transfer member having a hydrophobic outer surface so that each ink droplet in the ink image spreads on impinging upon the intermediate transfer member to form an ink film. The ink is dried while the ink image is being transported by the intermediate transfer member by evaporating the aqueous carrier from the ink image to leave a residue film of resin and coloring agent. The residue film is then transferred to a substrate. The chemical compositions of the ink and of the surface of the intermediate transfer member are selected such that attractive intermolecular forces between molecules in the outer skin of each droplet and on the surface of the intermediate transfer member counteract the tendency of the ink film produced by each droplet to bead under the action of the surface tension of the aqueous carrier, without causing each droplet to spread by wetting the surface of the intermediate transfer member.

An apparatus and method for printing directly onto print media including smooth non-absorbent media substrates (e.g., polymer films) inks having a wide range in viscosity, so that flexographic, gravure, and lithographic inks can all be contemplated. The proposed method is able to print with variable data/imaging. Dampening fluid may be patterned onto an imaging roll by coating the imaging roll with a layer of the dampening fluid and selectively evaporating off a patterned portion via a laser imaging device. The imaging roll then contacts the print substrate and transfers the patterned dampening fluid onto the substrate via film splitting. The substrate then passes through an inker station where ink is deposited directly to the substrate for attachment thereto except where rejected by the dampening fluid.

A printing system and method are provided. The printing system includes an image forming station for temporarily deposit an image on an intermediate transfer member when the intermediate transfer member in the image forming station is in a first temperature range. The system further includes a drying station configured to increase a temperature of the intermediate transfer member from a first temperature in the first temperature range to a second temperature in a second temperature range, the second temperature being substantially higher than the first temperature. The system further includes an impression station configured to transfer the temporarily deposited image from the intermediate transfer member onto a substrate when the intermediate transfer member in the impression station is in the second temperature range. The system further includes a cooling station for retaining a coolant configured to revert the intermediate transfer member to a temperature in the first temperature.

A method of manufacturing a printing blanket without wrinkles in a sheet is provided, the printing blanket including an elastic body and a sheet bonded to a surface thereof, the method being configured to press a surface of the sheet against a surface to be printed, to perform printing, and including: fixing the sheet at a periphery of a region of the sheet to be bonded to the elastic body; mounting the elastic body to oppose a bonding surface of the elastic body to a bonding surface of the fixed sheet; applying an adhesive to at least one of the bonding surface of the sheet or the bonding surface of the elastic body; and pressing the bonding surface of the sheet and the bonding surface of the elastic body against each other to bring the sheet into close contact with the elastic body through intermediation of the adhesive while stretching the sheet along the surface of the elastic body.

A method of manufacturing a printing blanket without wrinkles in a sheet is provided, the printing blanket including an elastic body and a sheet bonded to a surface thereof, the method being configured to press a surface of the sheet against a surface to be printed, to perform printing, and including: fixing the sheet at a periphery of a region of the sheet to be bonded to the elastic body; mounting the elastic body to oppose a bonding surface of the elastic body to a bonding surface of the fixed sheet; applying an adhesive to at least one of the bonding surface of the sheet or the bonding surface of the elastic body; and pressing the bonding surface of the sheet and the bonding surface of the elastic body against each other to bring the sheet into close contact with the elastic body through intermediation of the adhesive while stretching the sheet along the surface of the elastic body.