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.

The aim of the invention is to improve an impairment to the adherence of an adhesive tape to a substrate caused by the inclusion of air bubbles between the adhesive tape and the substrate. According to the invention, said aim is achieved by means of an adhesive tape which comprises at least one adhesive layer, wherein the adhesive layer has at least one groove and none of the grooves extends as far as one of the lateral edges of the adhesive layer. The invention further relates to a release liner having a surface which has at least one ridge, wherein none of the ridges extends as far as one of the lateral edges of the release liner.

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.

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 blanket is provided which may include a printable surface ply, a compressible ply, one or more reinforcing fabric plies, and a non-extensible backing layer comprising a polymeric material. The printing blanket has first and seconds ends which are adapted to be inserted into the gap of a printing blanket cylinder, where each of the first and second ends may include a relief area formed by removing or molding a portion of the blanket or by removing or molding a portion of the non-extensible backing layer such that the blanket may be mounted in a wide variety of printing presses using a number of different lock-up mechanisms.

A printing blanket is provided which may include a printable surface ply, a compressible ply, one or more reinforcing fabric plies, and a non-extensible backing layer comprising a polymeric material. The printing blanket has first and seconds ends which are adapted to be inserted into the gap of a printing blanket cylinder, where each of the first and second ends may include a relief area formed by removing or molding a portion of the blanket or by removing or molding a portion of the non-extensible backing layer such that the blanket may be mounted in a wide variety of printing presses using a number of different lock-up mechanisms.

A printing cylinder assembly for a printing machine includes a rotating shaft pivotally supported at one axial end shaft section thereof in a cantilever structure, and a sleeve cylinder removably mounted on the rotating shaft so that the cylinder can be fitted on and extracted from the rotating shaft from the other axial end side of the rotating shaft. The rotating shaft is formed at one axial end side thereof with a sleeve cylinder supporting tapered surface, and the sleeve cylinder is formed at one axial end side of an inner diameter portion thereof with a tapered surface, whereby the tapered surface of the sleeve cylinder can be fitted on and in close contact with the sleeve cylinder supporting tapered surface of the rotating shaft and thereby detachably coupling one axial end portion of the sleeve cylinder with one axial end portion of the rotating shaft.

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.

An anilox roller for flexographic printing machines, which comprises a sleeve cylinder rotatably supported about its own axis by the fixed structure of a flexographic printing machine, and an anilox sleeve, which has a tubular body provided, on its outer side wall, with an anilox surface which can be axially fitted on and removed from the sleeve cylinder. Forced circulation of a temperature control fluid within the tubular body is further provided.

In a gravure plate for wiring printing on which a recessed portion defining a wiring pattern is formed on a plate surface, a projecting portion for reducing a volume of the recessed portion is formed on a bottom surface of the recessed portion. A contour of the projecting portion in cross section parallel to the plate surface has a semicircular arc shape, which protrudes toward one side in one direction that is parallel to the plate surface, on the one side. The recessed portion has a side wall that is composed of a plane orthogonal to the plate surface and faces the projecting portion at a distance of 15 m or less without coming into contact with the projecting portion. The contour of the projecting portion has a semicircular arc shape, which protrudes toward the side wall, also on a side closer to the side wall.