An apparatus and methods of decorating a metallic container are provided. More specifically, the present invention relates to apparatus and methods used to provide a decoration on a predetermined portion of a metallic container body. The decorator includes a sensor that senses decorations on metallic containers. A control system receives information related to the sensed decorations from the sensor and then determines if the decorations at least meet predetermined color, density, thickness, orientation, and consistency targets. The control system can automatically adjust elements of the decorator to correct a deficient decoration. In one embodiment, the control system can automatically adjust ink blades associated with a plurality of inking assemblies of the decorator to adjust the color, density, orientation, positioning, and consistency of decorations transferred to the metallic containers. In another embodiment, the control system can adjust a position of an inking assembly, an ink roller, a plate cylinder, a printing plate, a blanket cylinder, and a transfer blanket of the decorator.

A sheet-fed printing machine comprises at least two sheet-fed printing units. A first sheet-fed printing unit has a first impression cylinder and a second impression cylinder, which cylinders are arranged such that they directly interact with one another and each have an axis of rotation. An axial plane contains these two axes of rotation. A reference plane contains an axis of rotation of this type and has a horizontal surface normal. These two cylinders are arranged such that an intersection angle between the axial plane and the reference plane has a maximum angle of 30°. The first sheet-fed printing unit has at least one plate cylinder, which is in direct contact with or which directly interacts with one of the impression cylinders and which is configured as a numbering plate cylinder or as a flexo cylinder or as a screen printing plate cylinder. A second sheet-fed printing unit has at least one cylinder which is configured as an impression cylinder. The impression cylinder of the first printing unit and the impression cylinder of the second printing unit each have the same circumference.

A baler implement includes a print system selectively configurable to print a plurality of available alpha-numeric characters on the bale. A marker controller is operable to receive data from a sensor related to a characteristic of the bale and then select a desired alpha-numeric character from the available alpha-numeric characters based on the data from the sensor. The marker controller may then configure the print system to select the desired alpha-numeric character, and actuate the print system to imprint the desired alpha-numeric character onto the bale, thereby marking the bale with the desired alpha-numeric character to communicate the characteristic of the bale.

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.

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.

A sheet-fed printing unit has a first impression cylinder and a second impression cylinder, which are arranged directly and interactingly in contact and which each have an axis of rotation. An axial plane contains the axes of rotation. A reference plane is a plane which contains an axis of rotation of a cylinder of this type and has a horizontal surface normal. These two cylinders are arranged such that an intersection angle between the axial plane and the reference plane is a maximum of 15. A transport path is provided for a transportation of sheets, which transport path has a region for the respective impression cylinder in which there is contact between sheets and a casing surface. This region of the transport path for the respective impression cylinder extends over an angular range of at least 270. A sheet-fed printing machine has a sheet-fed printing unit of this type.

A sheet-fed printing machine comprises two sheet-fed printing units; of which a first is configured as a sheet-fed simultaneous printing unit and has two collector cylinders, which interact with one another and each have an axis of rotation. An axial plane contains the axes of rotation of the collector cylinders. A reference plane contains an axis of rotation of this type and has a horizontal surface normal. An intersection angle between the axial plane and the reference plane is, at a maximum, 45 degrees. A first one of the sheet-fed simultaneous printing units has exactly four plate cylinders, of which exactly two are arranged such that they directly interact with the first collector cylinder and has exactly two others which are arranged such that they directly interact with the second collector cylinder. A second sheet-fed printing unit has at least one impression cylinder and at least one plate cylinder, which is arranged such that it directly interacts with the impression cylinder and which is configured a screen printing plate cylinder, or as a flexo plate cylinder or as a numbering plate cylinder. The two collector cylinders of the first printing unit and the impression cylinder of the second printing unit have the same circumference.

An apparatus with two anchors including a housing, a movable element, and a rotary element is provided. The housing includes a first expansion unit, a second expansion unit, and a linkage. First alignment structures are disposed in the movable element and anti-rotation structures are disposed in the linkage. When the movable element and the rotary element enter the housing from two ends and are coupled along an axis, the movable element and the rotary element can approach each other to expand the first expansion unit and the second expansion unit to form two anchors. The apparatus with two anchors secures a sensor in a variety of environments such as walls or machines. When the apparatus with two anchors fixes a sensor in a hole of a stamping machine, the impact force does not cause stress concentration on the sensor so as to improve the reliability of the sensor.

An apparatus with two anchors including a housing, a movable element, and a rotary element is provided. The housing includes a first expansion unit, a second expansion unit, and a linkage. First alignment structures are disposed in the movable element and anti-rotation structures are disposed in the linkage. When the movable element and the rotary element enter the housing from two ends and are coupled along an axis, the movable element and the rotary element can approach each other to expand the first expansion unit and the second expansion unit to form two anchors. The apparatus with two anchors secures a sensor in a variety of environments such as walls or machines. When the apparatus with two anchors fixes a sensor in a hole of a stamping machine, the impact force does not cause stress concentration on the sensor so as to improve the reliability of the sensor.

A system and method of receiving and processing granular printing and curing data, and graphically displaying data to improve quality and production. The outputted data can include graphical information illustrating relationships between important multivariate data in a typical industrial printing or converting process. One or more chemical sensors can measure curing data and communicate the data for processing and control of the subject machines of the system.