A system and method for aligning a generally flat, planar object and for facilitating the mounting of the generally flat planar object, such as a printing plate, in near perfect alignment in a cylindrical manner. A printing plate cylinder is covered with stickyback having a release liner. A narrow axial strip of release liner is removed and replaced with a piece of release liner that may be pulled or tugged from beyond the end of the printing cylinder. The printing plate is next rolled into a cylindrical form and held in place on a device which allows registration marks on the printing plate to align the two ends of the printing plate prior to the printing plate ends being temporarily adhered to one another using a piece of tape or similar product. The aligned printing plate is next slid over the printing cylinder which is covered with sticky back. The piece of release liner covering the section of previously removed stickyback is removed and a portion of the aligned printing plate is adhered to the stickyback at that point. The piece of tape holding the two ends of the printing plate in alignment is now removed along with the remainder of the release liner on the stickyback of the printing cylinder and the remainder of the printing plate is attached to the printing cylinder, providing an aligned printing plate on a printing plate cylinder. A machine vision system is used to record and certify the alignment and can also be used to aid in the alignment process based on prior aligned plates or a reference target alignment position.

An apparatus is comprised of a plurality of printing units for printing hollow elements. A conveying device conveys the hollow elements to be printed into a printing zone of at least one of the printing units. At least one of the printing units includes a plate cylinder to which a plate replacing mechanism is assigned.

A printing unit has a printing form cylinder. A plate changer is arranged in a manner which is allocated to the printing form cylinder. The plate changer has a bearing surface on which a printing form, which is arranged or is to be arranged on the printing form cylinder, can be laid. That bearing surface is arranged such that it can be moved to and fro between at least two defined positions longitudinally with respect to the rotational axis of the printing form cylinder. The printing form is arranged and registered on the bearing surface of the plate changer. At least two edges of a carrier for the relevant printing form, which are arranged at a right angle with respect to each other, are brought into physical contact with register pins which are arranged on the bearing surface of the plate changer. A first edge of the carrier of the relevant printing form is arranged to bear against a first register pin and a second edge, orthogonal with respect to the first edge, of the carrier of the relevant printing form, is arranged to bear against a second register pin. The printing unit is preferably arranged as a device for printing hollow bodies.

An automatic applicator of a sticky back material to a printing sleeve is disclosed. The applicator includes a controller that is programmable with data relating to the size and desired positioning of the sticky back material to the sleeve. The sticky back material is secured to a transport system and cut to the desired size by a cutter, creating a sheet. The sheet is then transported between a pressure roller and the sleeve. The pressure roller applies pressure to the sticky back sheet, applying the sheet to the sleeve. A mandrel grips and rotates the sleeve to apply the sticky back sheet around an exterior surface of the sleeve.

A printing screen, comprising a sheet, at least sections of at least one pair of opposite edges of which are folded such as to define attachment elements, and a printing screen unit including at least one pair of interface members attachable to the attachment elements at the at least one pair of opposite edges of the sheet.

A printing unit has a printing forme cylinder. A plate changer is arranged in a manner which is allocated to the printing forme cylinder. The plate changer has a bearing surface on which a printing forme, which is arranged or is to be arranged on the printing forme cylinder, can be laid. That bearing surface is arranged such that it can be moved to and fro between at least two defined positions longitudinally with respect to the rotational axis of the printing forme cylinder. The printing forme is arranged and registered on the bearing surface of the plate changer. At least two edges of a carrier for the relevant printing forme, which are arranged at a right angle with respect to each other, are brought into physical contact with register pins which are arranged on the bearing surface of the plate changer. A first edge of the carrier of the relevant printing forme is arranged to bear against a first register pin and a second edge, orthogonal with respect to the first edge, of the carrier of the relevant printing forme, is arranged to bear against a second register pin. The printing unit is preferably arranged as a device for printing hollow bodies.

A printing plate holding apparatus is provided which during a high speed printing operation reduces vibrations and noises caused in a groove for having a grip leading end and a grip trailing end of a printing plate inserted therein, which can fasten the printing plate with greater certainty, and which is suitable for the printing plate to be held securely on such as a sleeve cylinder whose weight reduction is demanded. It is a printing plate holding apparatus in which a printing plate 5 wound on a plate cylinder 2 is to be held securely thereon in a rotary press, the apparatus having a plate insertion groove 4 formed on an outer peripheral surface of the plate cylinder 2 and extending axially of the plate cylinder 2 for receiving a grip leading end 5a and a grip trailing end 5b of the printing plate 2, and comprising a printing plate retainer plate 6 and a tap bolt 7 for bringing both widthwise lateral end portions of the grip leading and trailing ends 5a and 5b of the printing plate into overlapping each other in the plate insertion groove 2 and for pressing and fastening them against a constraint surface 4b with which the grip trailing end 5b is in contact, in the plate insertion groove 4.

A printing plate holding apparatus is provided which during a high speed printing operation reduces vibrations and noises caused in a groove for having a grip leading end and a grip trailing end of a printing plate inserted therein, which can fasten the printing plate with greater certainty, and which is suitable for the printing plate to be held securely on such as a sleeve cylinder whose weight reduction is demanded. It is a printing plate holding apparatus in which a printing plate 5 wound on a plate cylinder 2 is to be held securely thereon in a rotary press, the apparatus having a plate insertion groove 4 formed on an outer peripheral surface of the plate cylinder 2 and extending axially of the plate cylinder 2 for receiving a grip leading end 5a and a grip trailing end 5b of the printing plate 2, and comprising a printing plate retainer plate 6 and a tap bolt 7 for bringing both widthwise lateral end portions of the grip leading and trailing ends 5a and 5b of the printing plate into overlapping each other in the plate insertion groove 2 and for pressing and fastening them against a constraint surface 4b with which the grip trailing end 5b is in contact, in the plate insertion groove 4.

A printing machine has a printing tower with a plurality of printing units arranged one above the other and a printing form changeover system having at least one vertically movable storage device for printing forms. A first machine plane, which is associated with one or a plurality of first printing units, is provided. A conveying system, which can move the vertically movable storage device from a loading position located in the region of the first machine plane to an advanced position which is vertically spaced apart, is provided. In addition to the vertically movable storage device, an additional storage device which is associated with the first printing unit of the printing tower is provided.

A printing machine has a printing tower with a plurality of printing units arranged one above the other and a printing form changeover system having at least one vertically movable storage device for printing forms. A first machine plane, which is associated with one or a plurality of first printing units, is provided. A storage is associated with the printing tower. The storage can be moved between a removal position located in the region of the first machine plane and a loading position which is vertically spaced apart therefrom by a conveyor system. The loading position is associated with the second printing unit of the printing tower with a view to feeding printing forms. During the changeover of the printing forms, received printing forms are transported by the vertically movable storage.