A print registration system for a beverage can decorator includes an axial registration system and a circumferential registration system. Each registration system is independent and includes a slider that is translated by a motorized lead screw. Axial movement of the axial registration slider is transmitted to axial adjustment of the plate cylinder by a mechanical connection between the axial registration slider and the plate cylinder shaft. Translation of the circumferential registration slider is transmitted to a helical gear mounted to the plate cylinder shaft such that the plate cylinder shaft is rotated by the movement of the circumferential registration slider upon engagement of the helical driven gear with a stationary drive gear.

The invention is about a convenient way of fixing a sleeve over a mandrel in a press. The sleeve is attached by applying a hydraulic pressure into the mandrel which deforms itself and grips on the sleeve. The pressure is brought by a piston mounted on a screw inside the mandrel, which when tightened increases the pressure and grips the sleeve.

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.

The invention is about a valve system to grip a sleeve over a mandrel in a press, in particular on how the gripper is brought toward and away from the mandrel and sleeve assembly. The gripper is disengaged from the sleeve, following first a straight path and then a helicoidal path, thanks to an ad-hoc slot machined on an axle. This allows to disengage the gripper and set it out of the way for handling the sleeve, with a single motor and a single instruction.

An apparatus (1) for preparing a flexographic printing sleeve (3) comprises a support structure (21), comprising first support mechanism (2) which defines a workstation for rotatably supporting a first flexographic printing sleeve (3) such that it can rotate about a preset axis (K-K), a roll (11) of double-sided adhesive tape rotatably supported by a second support mechanism (10), and a first feeding and guiding mechanism (13) for unwinding the double-sided adhesive tape (12) from the roll (11) and directing the double-sided adhesive tape (12) to the surface of the first sleeve (3).

A system for the replacement of sleeves that can be slipped on arbors of ink transfer rollers of at least printing machine has a storage device, in which the sleeves not being, used in current ink transfer can be stored, and a transport device, with which several sleeves can be transported to the printing machine. The system has a transfer device the facilitates the transfer of the sleeves between the storage device and/or the transport device and the arbors of the ink transfer rollers, and/or between the storage device and the transport device.

A sleeve station dedicated to the assembly of a sleeve and a mandrel for a flexographic press. The sleeve station can be loaded manually, and assembles the sleeve with the mandrel in a vertical orientation when both are in a vertical orientation with aligned axes, avoiding problems caused by the bending of the sleeves during assembly. After loading of the sleeve, it is returned to a horizontal axis orientation.

A system for replacement of sleeves that can be slipped on arbors of Wei y transfer rollers of a printing machine has a storage device, in which the sleeves, which are not used in cl current ink transfer, can be stored, and transport devices, with which several sleeves can be transported to the printing machine, Devices for the transfer of the sleeves with which the sleeves can be transported between the storage device, the transport devices, an, the arbors of the ink transfer rollers include devices for receiving the sleeves, which are associated with a robotic arm such that the devices for receiving the sleeves have three degrees of freedom for translation and are rotatable about at least two axes of rotation.

A plate cylinder enables a printing plate to be attached thereto and is improved in strength. A plate cylinder is attached to a rotationally driven plate driving shaft, and is configured to mount a cylindrical printing plate attached thereon from a tip end side thereof. The plate cylinder is provided with a plate cylinder main body having a plate mounting surface to which the printing plate is attached. A flat portion is formed on a flat surface positioned further toward a radially inner side than the plate mounting surface. A plurality of hole portions is formed side by side in an axially separated state in the flat portion. A plurality of plate fixing members tightly fixes the printing plate to the plate mounting surface. The plate fixing members are fitted into the hole portions, and are provided to be movable in radially inward and outward directions of the plate cylinder.

A print registration system for a beverage can decorator includes an axial registration system and a circumferential registration system. Each registration system is independent and includes a slider that is translated by a motorized lead screw. Axial movement of the axial registration slider is transmitted to axial adjustment of the plate cylinder by a mechanical connection between the axial registration slider and the plate cylinder shaft. Translation of the circumferential registration slider is transmitted to a helical gear mounted to the plate cylinder shaft such that the plate cylinder shaft is rotated by the movement of the circumferential registration slider upon engagement of the helical driven gear with a stationary drive gear.