A device for printing on hollow bodies includes a segmented wheel. A system is used for sequentially supplying the hollow bodes to the periphery of the segmented wheel. That system includes at least one conveyor wheel and one mandrel wheel. The conveyor wheel, the mandrel wheel, and the segmented wheel are arranged in a transport direction of the hollow bodies. A plurality of driving elements are arranged on the periphery of the conveyor wheel, and a plurality of holding elements are arranged on the periphery of the mandrel wheel. Each holding element receives a respective hollow body to be printed in cooperation with the segmented wheel. The mandrel wheel and the conveying wheel each have their own drive, each of which drive is separate from a drive of the segmented wheel.

A platen having a first dimension and a second dimension. The first dimension is perpendicular to the second dimension. The platen has two opposing long edges along the first dimension and two opposing short edges along the second dimension. The platen has a higher stiffness in the direction of the second dimension than in the direction of the first dimension. Each of the two opposing long edges has at least three biased attaching members spaced therealong to bias the platen towards a structural support.

A method and device change printing plates on a cylinder. The method includes opening a first clamping device and releasing a leading edge of a first printing plate and opening a second clamping device and releasing a trailing edge of the first printing plate. The first and second clamping devices are both opened before a first rotation process of a cylinder. The cylinder is rotated during the first rotation process in a first direction to dismount the first printing plate from a circumferential surface of the cylinder. The cylinder is rotated in a second rotation process in an opposite second direction to mount a second printing plate replacing the first printing plate to the circumferential surface of the cylinder. Because the first clamping device and the second clamping device are both opened before the first rotation of the cylinder, the set-up period required for a printing plate change is reduced.

The multiple printing plate mounting system of the present disclosure may be used to mount multiple flexible printing plates simultaneously onto a printing sleeve. The system has a back rotary vacuum plate with a plurality of distinct vacuum zones and may be controlled via valve by a computer control system. A filler plate may also be controlled with the same vacuum patterns. The filler plate will move minutely side-to-side. A front plate with match-controlled vacuum patterns may also have a servo to control front-to-back-movement. The distinct vacuum zones are used together with the movable front, back, and filler vacuum plates to selectively, individually, and independently align the flexible printing plates prior to mounting.

The multiple printing plate mounting system of the present disclosure may be used to mount multiple flexible printing plates simultaneously onto a printing sleeve. The system has a back rotary vacuum plate with a plurality of distinct vacuum zones and may be controlled via valve by a computer control system. A filler plate may also be controlled with the same vacuum patterns. The filler plate will move minutely side-to-side. A front plate with match-controlled vacuum patterns may also have a servo to control front-to-back-movement. The distinct vacuum zones are used together with the movable front, back, and filler vacuum plates to selectively, individually, and independently align the flexible printing plates prior to mounting.

A method is provided for automatically exchanging a sleeve (18a) of a printing tool (14, 16, 18, 22, 24) mounted in a printing machine (12), in particular a flexographic printing machine, by means of a printing tool handling unit (28) comprising a coupling interface (36). In one step of the method the printing tool handling unit (28) is temporarily coupled to a coupling interface (46) located at the end of a shaft (54, 56, 58, 60) of the printing tool (14, 16, 18, 22, 24) with its coupling interface (36). In a further step, the printing tool handling unit (28) transports the printing tool (14, 16, 18, 22, 24) to a separation unit (78) comprising at least one clamping device (80, 82, 84) and places the printing tool (14, 16, 18, 22, 24) in the clamping device (80) of the separation unit (78). The printing tool (14, 16, 18, 22, 24), in particular a sleeve (18a) of the printing tool (14, 16, 18, 22, 24), is clamped by the clamping device (80), and the printing tool handling unit (28) separates the shaft (54, 56, 58, 60) from the sleeve (18a) by pulling the shaft (54, 56, 58, 60) out of the sleeve (18a) while the sleeve (18a) is clamped in the clamping device (80).

The present invention relates to a device for printing on hollow bodies and comprising a segmented wheel and a system for sequentially supplying the hollow bodes to the periphery of the segmented wheel. That system includes at least one conveyor wheel and one mandrel wheel, First, the conveyor wheel, then the mandrel wheel, and then the segmented wheel are arranged in the transport direction of the hollow bodies. A plurality of driving elements are arranged on the periphery of the conveyor wheel, and a plurality of holding elements are arranged on the periphery of the mandrel wheel. Each holding element receives a respective hollow body to be printed in cooperation with the segmented wheel. The mandrel wheel and the conveying wheel each have their own drive, each of which drive is separate from a drive of the segmented wheel.

An apparatus (1) for preparing a flexographic printing sleeve (3) comprises a support structure (21), comprising first support mechanism (2) which defines a workstation for rotatably supporting a first flexographic printing sleeve (3) such that it can rotate about a preset axis (K-K), a roll (11) of double-sided adhesive tape rotatably supported by a second support mechanism (10), and a first feeding and guiding mechanism (13) for unwinding the double-sided adhesive tape (12) from the roll (11) and directing the double-sided adhesive tape (12) to the surface of the first sleeve (3).

A system for moving a flexible plate, in particular a printing plate or a printing plate precursor, over a support surface in the direction of a treatment station, such as a washer station. The system includes a support configured for supporting the plate on a support surface thereof, and intended to be located upstream of the treatment station. A movement means includes a plate engagement means configured to contact the plate in such a way that the plate is engaged by adhesion or by friction or a combination thereof, in a movement mode, and that the plate can be slid over the support surface by controlling the movement means in the movement mode. A control means is configured to control the movement means such that the plate is slid over the support in the direction of the treatment station.

A method for fixing and treating a flexible plate on a drum includes: providing a flexible plate comprising a support layer made of a first material and at least one additional layer made of a second material which is different from the first material, wherein one or more thin film side wings are connected to one or more sides of the flexible plate. The one or more thin film side wings have a thickness which is at least 5 times smaller than the thickness of the flexible plate. The method further includes positioning the flexible plate on the drum such that the lower face of each thin film side wing of the flexible plate covers at least one vacuum suction opening, and performing a treatment on at least one layer of the flexible plate while rotating the drum.