A doctor blade (5, 7) for contact with an anilox roller (15) comprises a flat, elongate base element having a thickness of less than about 0.3 mm, which, along a longitudinal region of the doctor blade adapted for contact with said anilox roller, is provided with a coating (43). The coating comprises a metal matrix and at least about 65% by weight of one or more ceramic(s). The coating comprises 0 to 65% by weight of chromium carbide. An inking arrangement comprises an anilox roller and a doctor blade. A doctor blade is used in flexographic printing.

A doctor blade (5, 7) for contact with an anilox roller (15) comprises a flat, elongate base element having a thickness of less than about 0.3 mm, which, along a longitudinal region of the doctor blade adapted for contact with said anilox roller, is provided with a coating (43). The coating comprises a metal matrix and at least about 65% by weight of one or more ceramic(s). The coating comprises 0 to 65% by weight of chromium carbide. An inking arrangement comprises an anilox roller and a doctor blade. A doctor blade is used in flexographic printing.

Doctor blades (5, 7) for contact with an anilox roller (15) comprise a flat, elongate base element, which, along a longitudinal region of the doctor blade adapted for contact with said anilox roller, is provided with a coating (43). The coating comprises a metal matrix and at least about 65% by weight of a ceramic or at least about 65% by weight of chromium carbide. An inking arrangement comprises an anilox roller and a doctor blade. A doctor blade is used in flexographic printing.

Doctor blades (5, 7) for contact with an anilox roller (15) comprise a flat, elongate base element, which, along a longitudinal region of the doctor blade adapted for contact with said anilox roller, is provided with a coating (43). The coating comprises a metal matrix and at least about 65% by weight of a ceramic or at least about 65% by weight of chromium carbide. An inking arrangement comprises an anilox roller and a doctor blade. A doctor blade is used in flexographic printing.

A printing press includes a plurality of inkers. Each inker prints a different color ink. The press includes a first module, a second module, a roller and a support member. The first module has motors to drive output shafts. The second module has ink displacement units, an ink inlet to provide ink to the ink displacement units, ink channels to transfer ink from the ink displacement units to ink outlets of the second module and input shafts to removably couple to the output shafts of the first module. The roller receives ink from the ink displacement units and transfers the ink toward a substrate. The support member supports the first and second modules in at least one position relative to the roller. The support member facilitates removal of the second module.

A printing press includes a plurality of inkers. Each inker prints a different color ink. The press includes a first module, a second module, a roller and a support member. The first module has motors to drive output shafts. The second module has ink displacement units, an ink inlet to provide ink to the ink displacement units, ink channels to transfer ink from the ink displacement units to ink outlets of the second module and input shafts to removably couple to the output shafts of the first module. The roller receives ink from the ink displacement units and transfers the ink toward a substrate. The support member supports the first and second modules in at least one position relative to the roller. The support member facilitates removal of the second module.

A flexographic printing unit (17) for a converting machine (10). The flexographic printing unit comprises a flexographic printing assembly (28) including a printing cylinder (30), an anilox cylinder, a counter cylinder (32) and a doctor blade chamber (36). The printing cylinder being arranged vertically above the counter cylinder and configured to print on a top side (S1) of a sheet (1). The flexographic printing unit comprises a fixed frame portion (102) and a movable frame portion (104), and the printing cylinder, anilox cylinder and the doctor blade chamber are attached to the movable frame portion and the counter cylinder is attached to the fixed frame portion. The movable frame portion being vertically movable between an operating position where the printing cylinder is positioned against the counter cylinder and a service position where the printing cylinder is further distanced from the counter cylinder.

A flexographic printing unit (17) for a converting machine (10). The flexographic printing unit comprises a flexographic printing assembly (28) including a printing cylinder (30), an anilox cylinder, a counter cylinder (32) and a doctor blade chamber (36). The printing cylinder being arranged vertically above the counter cylinder and configured to print on a top side (S1) of a sheet (1). The flexographic printing unit comprises a fixed frame portion (102) and a movable frame portion (104), and the printing cylinder, anilox cylinder and the doctor blade chamber are attached to the movable frame portion and the counter cylinder is attached to the fixed frame portion. The movable frame portion being vertically movable between an operating position where the printing cylinder is positioned against the counter cylinder and a service position where the printing cylinder is further distanced from the counter cylinder.

The invention provides a combination of an ink reservoir and doctor blade assembly (2) and a rotatable cylinder (3) for a printing press, which form a chamber for containing ink, wherein the ink reservoir and doctor blade assembly (2) comprises a scaling assembly (203) for scaling an axial end of the chamber, or sealing a sub-chamber of the chamber from another sub-chamber of the chamber, wherein the sealing assembly (203) comprises a seal (2031) presenting a seal contour (SC) to sealingly engage a circumferential surface of the cylinder (3), and a flexible biasing device (2032) forming one or more cavities (2041-2043), and being arranged to receive a pressurized fluid in the one or more cavities (2041-2043), for biasing the seal (2031) into sealing engagement with the cylinder (3), wherein the combination is arranged according to one or both of the following alternatives (a) and (b): (a): in an axis perpendicular plane, which is perpendicular to the rotational axis of the cylinder (3) and coincides with a cross-section of the biasing device, the biasing device (2032) has a peak (2032P) or a summit (2032S) which is located within an extension (EXTSC) of the seal contour (SC) along a reference plane (RP) which coincides with the rotational axis of the cylinder (3) and which is perpendicular to a seal location plane (SLP) which coincides with the rotational axis of the cylinder (3) and a circumferential mid-point of the seal contour (SC), (b): the biasing device presents one or more surfaces which extend, in the axis perpendicular plane, in parallel with the seal location plane (SLP), and which face at least partly away from the seal location plane (SLP), and/or one or more surfaces which face partly away from the reference plane (RP), and the seal (2031) covers any such surface.

The invention provides a combination of an ink reservoir and doctor blade assembly (2) and a rotatable cylinder (3) for a printing press, which form a chamber for containing ink, wherein the ink reservoir and doctor blade assembly (2) comprises a scaling assembly (203) for scaling an axial end of the chamber, or sealing a sub-chamber of the chamber from another sub-chamber of the chamber, wherein the sealing assembly (203) comprises a seal (2031) presenting a seal contour (SC) to sealingly engage a circumferential surface of the cylinder (3), and a flexible biasing device (2032) forming one or more cavities (2041-2043), and being arranged to receive a pressurized fluid in the one or more cavities (2041-2043), for biasing the seal (2031) into sealing engagement with the cylinder (3), wherein the combination is arranged according to one or both of the following alternatives (a) and (b): (a): in an axis perpendicular plane, which is perpendicular to the rotational axis of the cylinder (3) and coincides with a cross-section of the biasing device, the biasing device (2032) has a peak (2032P) or a summit (2032S) which is located within an extension (EXTSC) of the seal contour (SC) along a reference plane (RP) which coincides with the rotational axis of the cylinder (3) and which is perpendicular to a seal location plane (SLP) which coincides with the rotational axis of the cylinder (3) and a circumferential mid-point of the seal contour (SC), (b): the biasing device presents one or more surfaces which extend, in the axis perpendicular plane, in parallel with the seal location plane (SLP), and which face at least partly away from the seal location plane (SLP), and/or one or more surfaces which face partly away from the reference plane (RP), and the seal (2031) covers any such surface.