A device for printing on hollow bodies comprises a mandrel wheel and a segment wheel. The mandrel wheel has its own motor separate from a motor of the segment wheel. In association with the segment wheel, along a circumferential line thereof, a plurality of plate cylinders are positioned or at least are positionable radially against this segment wheel. An inking unit is associated with each plate cylinder. Each plate cylinder, and a roller arranged in the associated inking unit, are each driven in rotation independently by a motor. The motor of the mandrel wheel and the motor of the segment wheel and the motor of the relevant plate cylinder and the motor of the roller arranged in the associated inking unit are connected to one another for data exchange by a common data bus. The relevant motors each have their own drive controller and their own power part connected to the data bus. Control data for the relevant motors, transported via the data bus, form a virtual guide axis.

A turret styled container decorator machine is disclosed having a rotatable turret and a number of circumferentially spaced container holding assemblies for holding a variety of pieces of media, such as a drink container, the surface of which is to be printed upon with an image. A plurality of workstations are positioned around the perimeter of the turret through which each media holder passes as the turret rotates. Each workstation includes an ink printing assembly and a curing assembly so that ink may be applied and cured as each piece of media is indexed into each workstation location. Each printing workstation may be removed and replaced with a different arrangement or configuration of ink heads to suit different types of media sizes and shapes, and the turret holds a plurality of media holding means assigned to a pie-shaped section of the turret adjustable to accommodate various types of media geometries.

A method for operating a device for printing hollow cylinder is provided. The device comprises a rotating segmented wheel with a plurality of printing cylinders arranged successively along the periphery of the device. A plurality of plate cylinders are provided in association with the segmented wheel. According to a printing process to be performed, a selected quantity of plate cylinders is thrown onto the segment wheel or is thrown off the segment wheel. In a first printing process, a first partial quantity of thrown-on plate cylinders transfers printing ink to a plurality of the printing blankets arranged on the segment wheel. At the end of the printing process, at least some of the plate cylinders, that were thrown on the segment wheel in the first printing process, are thrown off the rotating segment wheel. During constant uninterrupted rotation of the segment wheel, for the implementation of a second printing process, a second partial quantity of plate cylinders is thrown onto the segment wheel and respectively transfer printing ink to a plurality of the printing blankets arranged on the segment wheel. The respective printing forme of at least one plate cylinder involved in the first printing process, and uninvolved in the ongoing second printing process, is changed during the ongoing printing process.

A system and method for the overprint on flexible supports are described. In particular, the overprint system 1 comprises a printing unit 2 comprising a rotatable printing cylinder 3, having printing zones at the surface thereof, and first actuating means 14, configured to drive in a controllable manner the printing cylinder 3 rotation. The system further comprises a first reel 5 for unwinding a flexible support 4 to be printed, which has preset zones to be overprinted, and a second reel 8 for rewinding the flexible support 4, once it has been printed. A plurality of winding rolls 7 arranges an unwinding path, for the flexible support 4, comprised between the first 5 and the second 8 reels, and passing through the printing unit 2. The system then comprises second actuation means 20, configured to drive in a controllable manner the flexible support 4 advancement along the unwinding path (upstream of the printing unit 2 in the unwinding direction), and control means 10, configured to control in a coordinated manner both the first actuating means 14 and the second actuation means 20, so as to determine at every moment a correspondence of the preset zones to be overprinted of the flexible support 4 with respective printing zones of the printing cylinder 3.

A system prints solid ink images on fibrous objects. The controller of the system is configured to operate a first motor to move an object rotating subsystem to and from a position opposite a plurality of printheads, to operate a second motor to rotate an object on a spindle of the object rotating subsystem at the position opposite the plurality of printheads, to operate a forced air heater to direct heated air onto a surface of the object as the object rotates at the position opposite the plurality of printheads, and to operate the plurality of printheads to eject a solid ink marking material onto the heated surface of the object as the object rotates in the first and/or second rotational direction. The solid ink image is affixed to the object by the heating of the object surface alone.

A rotary screen transfer printing machine and a control system thereof. The rotary screen transfer printing machine having a feeding unit, a printing unit, a drying unit, and a receiving unit; the printing unit has at least one rotary screen transfer printing assembly and a guide belt assembly; each rotary screen transfer printing assembly has a rotary screen plate roller and a transfer roller; the rotary screen plate roller is close to the transfer roller; the transfer roller is seamlessly coated with rubber or a resin having good affinity for a water-based ink. A control system includes: a motion controller; a conveying synchronization module, used for controlling the feeding unit, the printing unit, the drying unit, and the receiving unit to synchronize the conveying speeds of the four units; and a rotary screen transfer printing synchronization module.

A method is provided for printing on hollow bodies in which the hollow bodies are printed on in a decorator having a rotating segment wheel. Printing ink provided by multiple different plate cylinders and inking units are each collected on printing blankets arranged one after another on the circumference of the segment wheel. The plate cylinders and inking units involved in the printing are arranged and set in such a way that, when printing on the hollow body, an iris print is, or at least can be implemented.

A method is provided for printing on hollow bodies in which the hollow bodies are printed on in a decorator having a rotating segment wheel. Printing ink provided by multiple different plate cylinders and inking units are each collected on printing blankets arranged one after another on the circumference of the segment wheel. The plate cylinders and inking units involved in the printing are arranged and set in such a way that, when printing on the hollow body, an iris print is, or at least can be implemented.

A can decorator comprising a spindle disc, a blanket drum, a transfer wheel, a pin chain drive, and a controller. The spindle disc is adapted for (i) receiving beverage cans from an infeed and (ii) carrying and rotating each can body on a corresponding spindle. The blanket drum is adapted for (i) applying ink to printing cylinders and (ii) rotating the print cylinders in registration with beverage cans on the spindle disc to decorate the cans. The transfer wheel is adapted for receiving beverage cans from the spindle disc after decoration by the blanket drum. The pin chain drive is adapted for receiving cans from the transfer wheel and transporting the cans on a chain through an oven. The controller adapted for receiving encoder information and matching or adjusting speeds of a spindle disc motor, a blanket drum motor, a transfer wheel motor, and a pin chain drive motor.

A method for operating a device for printing hollow cylinder is provided. The device comprises a rotating segmented wheel with a plurality of printing cylinders arranged successively along the periphery of the device. A plurality of plate cylinders are provided in association with the segmented wheel. According to a printing process to be performed, a selected quantity of plate cylinders is thrown onto the segment wheel or is thrown off the segment wheel. In a first printing process, a first partial quantity of thrown-on plate cylinders transfers printing ink to a plurality of the printing blankets arranged on the segment wheel. At the end of the printing process, at least some of the plate cylinders, that were thrown on the segment wheel in the first printing process, are thrown off the rotating segment wheel. During constant uninterrupted rotation of the segment wheel, for the implementation of a second printing process, a second partial quantity of plate cylinders is thrown onto the segment wheel and respectively transfer printing ink to a plurality of the printing blankets arranged on the segment wheel. The respective printing forme of at least one plate cylinder involved in the first printing process, and uninvolved in the ongoing second printing process, is changed during the ongoing printing process.