The invention relates to a cylinder (10) which is set up for application of at least one hollow cylinder, the cylinder (10) having a layer structure which comprises in this order, from inside to outside, a base layer (12) or a cylinder core, a first compressible layer (14), a filling layer (16), an interlayer (18), a second compressible layer (20) and an outer layer (22), the outer layer forming a lateral surface of the cylinder. The invention further relates to arrangements comprising at least one such cylinder (10) and further cylinders.

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 lightweight interchangeable magnetic sleeve and method of manufacture thereof are disclosed. The sleeve assembly comprises an annular tube in the exterior surface having recesses filled with comparatively rigid magnetic means which are firmly adhered therein. The sleeve assembly includes a tubular radially compressible liner component, relatively slightly shorter than the tube, and bonded inside and substantially axially centrally within the tube thus leaving interior cylindrical end regions of the tube exposed beyond the annular end surfaces of said liner. The remaining exposed interior cylindrical surfaces of the tube are rebated back from the liner exposing annular shoulders within the tube. The rebates are tapped so that correspondingly sized threaded end rings of a more structurally robust, rigid and resilient material than the tube material, can be fitted into the tube ends and tightened against the annular shoulders created by the rebating, placing the entire sleeve assembly under slight compression.

A lightweight interchangeable magnetic sleeve and method of manufacture thereof are disclosed. The sleeve assembly comprises an annular tube in the exterior surface having recesses filled with comparatively rigid magnetic means which are firmly adhered therein. The sleeve assembly includes a tubular radially compressible liner component, relatively slightly shorter than the tube, and bonded inside and substantially axially centrally within the tube thus leaving interior cylindrical end regions of the tube exposed beyond the annular end surfaces of said liner. The remaining exposed interior cylindrical surfaces of the tube are rebated back from the liner exposing annular shoulders within the tube. The rebates are tapped so that correspondingly sized threaded end rings of a more structurally robust, rigid and resilient material than the tube material, can be fitted into the tube ends and tightened against the annular shoulders created by the rebating, placing the entire sleeve assembly under slight compression.

An adapting sleeve for flexographic printing machines defines an exterior surface appropriate for the mounting of a printing sleeve. The adapting sleeve has an outer cylindrical member made of a rigid material and surrounding an inner cylindrical member that defines a cylindrical passage for mounting of the adapting sleeve on a rotary core of a flexographic printing machine. The adapting sleeve has some ring separators that are mounted between the outer cylindrical member and the inner cylindrical member and spaced longitudinally from each other. The adapting sleeve has a hydraulic device that includes hydraulic pads arranged between the inner surface of the inner cylindrical member and the ring separators and connected by a hydraulic circuit to a pressurization element that is actionable manually from the exterior of the adapting sleeve.

The invention relates to a cylinder (10) comprising a cylindrical body (11). In the case of this cylinder a first proportion of the circumferential face (48) of the cylindrical body (11) is of porous and gas-permeable configuration and a second proportion of the circumferential face (48) of the cylindrical body (11) is of gas-impermeable configuration, where the porous, gas-permeable first proportion of the circumferential face (48) is in communication with at least one gas supply line and where the first proportion of the circumferential face (48) amounts to at least 0.1% and at most 50%.

Further aspects of the invention relate to a corresponding adapter sleeve (10) and to a corresponding printing forme cylinder.

The invention relates to a cylinder (10) comprising a cylindrical body (11). In the case of this cylinder a first proportion of the circumferential face (48) of the cylindrical body (11) is of porous and gas-permeable configuration and a second proportion of the circumferential face (48) of the cylindrical body (11) is of gas-impermeable configuration, where the porous, gas-permeable first proportion of the circumferential face (48) is in communication with at least one gas supply line and where the first proportion of the circumferential face (48) amounts to at least 0.1% and at most 50%.

Further aspects of the invention relate to a corresponding adapter sleeve (10) and to a corresponding printing forme cylinder.

A method for mounting one or more printing plate segments on a carrier sheet. The method comprises importing a file into a computer associated with a mounting unit. For each printing plate segment, the file includes a printing plate segment identifier, information regarding alignment of registration marks relative to the carrier sheet; and image data corresponding to a characteristic pattern associated with each printing plate segment. A composite image depicting the image data corresponding to the characteristic patterns is then displayed on a display in the predetermined arrangement of one or more printing plate segment locations and orientations. A mounting unit and a printing system and computer readable media programmed with instructions for performing the method are also described.

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).

The present invention relates to a feeding assembly (1) for automatically loading a flexographic plate (5) in a treatment station (7). The assembly according to the invention comprises a punching unit of said plate (5), handling means (5) for moving the flexographic plate from a loading surface to said punching unit and from said punching unit to a housing site in which a pin bar (14) which can be connected to said plate (5) is arranged. According to the invention, the handling means are configured to connect the plate (5) to said bar automatically and to move the bar, at the end of such a connection, to a predetermined position in which it can be coupled to a treatment system (77) of said treatment station.