Described herein are an apparatus and a method for direct engraving an elastomeric printing plate or sleeve by multiple laser beams simultaneously. In one embodiment, an elastomeric printing plate or sleeve is positioned on an imaging drum for direct engraving. The imaging drum is rotatable around its longitudinal axis. Such rotation defines a circumferential direction, also called the transverse direction. The axis of rotation defines an axial direction, also called the longitudinal direction. The printing plate or sleeve has an body and a surface made of an elastomer (made of polymer or rubber). A drive mechanism provides relative motion between a plurality of laser beams and the plate or sleeve in both the transverse and longitudinal directions.

Provided is a method for manufacturing a sleeve printing plate capable of forming an image pattern which applies printing on an object to be printed by laser engraving without generating cracks and chippings in a printing plate made of a photosensitive resin. The method for manufacturing a sleeve printing plate by making a printing plate made of a photosensitive resin surround an outer peripheral surface of a circular cylindrical sleeve body and forming an image pattern on the printing plate by laser engraving includes the steps of: washing and cooling the printing plate with water; applying heating treatment to the printing plate at a predetermined temperature; and applying heat radiation treatment to the printing plate after the heating treatment.

A laminated sleeve includes: a basic sleeve, an elastic layer, an inner reinforcement layer, a support layer, an outer reinforcement layer and a surface layer which are sequentially arranged in that order from inside to outside. A manufacturing method includes: cutting a plate material into support strips of the same size, arranging the support strips around a central axis of the sleeve to cover the inner reinforcement layer annularly to obtain the support layer, wrapping the outer reinforcement layer around the support layer, and obtaining the laminated sleeve after surface processing. The manufacturing method greatly expands the wide range of material choices for the support layer and allows for flexible adjustment of the outer diameter size of the product. The support layer of the laminated sleeve made by the disclosure can be made of general rigid solid materials with low density, high strength, and minimal deformation.