Systems and methods for making a flexo plate, and plates, machines, readers, and computer readable media for use therewith. In the system, a plurality of processing machines, each configured to perform one or more process steps in a workflow, includes a controller, a variable operating parameter controlled by the controller, and a reader configured to read machine-readable indicia on the flexo plate. The machine-readable indicia (e.g. bar code, RFID tag, text) is configured for persistent readability downstream of washing (and cutting) steps, without printing in the printing step. The indicia may embody information including at least a plate identifier and instructions corresponding to the at least one variable operating parameter for each of the processing machines or information corresponding to an address in computer storage where the information resides.

A plate sleeve-holder cylinder provided with a carbon-fibre central tube (T), of the type having compressed air channels (6, 7, 8) arranged between one of the end flanges (Fb, Fm) of said plate sleeve-holder cylinder and a plurality of holes (H) formed in the outer surface of said central tube (T) made of carbon-fibre composite material. Said air channels (6, 7, 8) are partly embedded within said end flanges (Fb, Fm), partly within a thickness of a side wall (P) of said central tube (T) made of carbon-fibre composite material.

A process of manufacturing said central tube (T) by inserting air pipes (6) into grooves (1) which are formed by mechanical milling of a surface of the supporting structure (P) of said central tube (T) obtained through a first lamination and polymerization, said grooves being coated with a surface finishing structure (S) obtained through a second lamination and polymerization.

The present invention discloses a printing unit with an automated sleeve change process. A sleeve can be prepared for the next printing job while the current job is running, thereby reducing the changeover time. Also, the printing unit can handle printing sleeves of very different sizes without any special additional adjustments to be made. The printing unit translates the printing roller and the inking roller on a horizontal line to engage and dis-engage the printing roller. The invention is convenient for large printing sleeves because the sleeve can be slipped over a shaft that remains in the unit. The setup results in a very rigid system, which guarantees an excellent printing quality.

A method is provided of digitally imaging a secure portion and a non-secure portion of scratch-off-coating protected documents of at least one game using middleware. The method includes: (a) generating the secure variable indicia in non-vector raster format; (b) generating vector graphics to be imaged on physical document locations; (c) assigning the secure variable indicia in a non-vector raster format to documents in and shuffling the documents throughout a print run; and (d) linking via middleware the secure variable indicia in the non-vector raster format to associated vector graphics variable indicia to be digitally imaged on the documents and to generate vector graphics-formatted data for each document in the print run. The secure variable indicia assignment and shuffling are executed by non-vector raster game generation software output that is reinterpreted by the middleware to produce related vector graphic output for the secure variable indicia.

A viscosity measurement device includes a measurement tool having a pump for feeding a printing liquid by pressure. The viscosity measurement device includes a passage part having a first passage part in which a flow path cross-sectional area for the printing liquid is set at a first area, and a second passage part in which a flow path cross-sectional area for the printing liquid is set at a second area smaller than the first area and which is arranged on an upstream side in a supply direction of the printing liquid with respect to the first passage part, the passage part being interposed in the supply path and arranged upward toward a downstream side in the supply direction of the printing liquid; and a sensor attached to the second passage part and measuring the fall time of the measurement tool in a prescribed vertical region in the second passage part.

An apparatus comprises a plate cleaner assembly. The plate cleaner assembly further comprises a frame, a roller coupled to the frame, a dry cleaning material coupled to the roller, and a spray assembly coupled to the plate cleaner assembly. The plate cleaner assembly further includes a controller coupled thereto. Moreover, the apparatus further comprises a printing plate cylinder and a printing plate coupled to the printing plate cylinder.

A method and a device for producing a document and a document produced in a corresponding manner are presented, said document being produced from a paper reel (1), being printed in a continuous rotary method, being divided into partial webs (4.1 to 4.4) and being assembled to form a document which is ready for use and has a plurality of sheets or pages. The thickness of individual pages or sheets of said document can be increased by the fact that a gluing machine (26) is integrated into the production process of said document, the gluing machine gluing individual page sections, individual pages or entire sheets of said document to one another. A second paper reel or second type of paper or second paper quality having a higher paper thickness or paper quality is therefore unnecessary.

A composite panel for use in the manufacture of a letterpress plate has a carrier layer, with at least one photo layer which can be structured via electromagnetic radiation in a wavelength range. The photo layer is arranged on the carrier layer. The task of proposing a composite panel use in the manufacture of a letterpress plate is achieved by the fact that a barrier layer is provided. The barrier layer is arranged on the side of the photo layer opposite to the carrier layer. The barrier layer is essentially transparent in the wavelength range in which the photo layer can be structured. The present disclosure concerns a process for manufacturing a letterpress plate using at least one composite panel and a process for manufacturing a composite plate in accordance with the invention. The invention concerns the use of a composite material in a composite panel for a letterpress plate.

Apparatus for manufacturing a two-sided product with an integrated device on a web of material, including: a first rotary micro scale structure formation unit for having a first structure for forming a first microscale structure on one side of a portion of web; a second rotary microscale structure formation unit having a second structure for forming a second micro scale structure on second side of the portion of the web; the first and second micro scale structures and the portion of the web between the first and second microscale structures together forming the integrated device; and a web feed system for feeding the web of material between the first and second rotary microscale structure formation units.

The present invention concerns an inking for a flexographic or a rotogravure press. The inking system uses a very small amount of ink coupled with an ink source made of two tanks with two different inks. Thanks to feedback given by measuring the output directly on the printed support, the system mixes the ink in the optimal proportions to ensure an optimal printing quality at any time. It can compensate any effect due to environmental changes like the humidity or the temperature. This system, coupled with a seven colours press allows for the replacement of spot colours in most cases thereby saving times and costs.