An inking system of a printing press includes an impression cylinder for guiding a printing substrate, and at least one ink-transfer roller. The ink-transfer roller includes a cylinder mandrel, on which at least one cylinder sleeve is concentrically displaceable, and bearing blocks, in which ends of the ink-transfer roller are mounted and which are independently displaceable in the radial direction of the impression cylinder. The ink-transfer roller can be set against the impression cylinder or any other ink-transfer roller, with a bearing block being detachable from one end of the ink-transfer roller and displaceable relative to the ink-transfer roller so that the cylinder sleeve can be removed via this one end. A stop device, with which the cylinder sleeve can be brought into contact, has components that are movable in the axial direction of the print roller. The movable stop device components can be decelerated via a force-providing element.

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 mandrel for use in a printing apparatus includes a substantially cylindrical mandrel shaft and plastic expansion rings that are slidably and coaxially mounted on the mandrel shaft. The mandrel also includes a locking assembly including a fixed stop ring and a single locking ring that is axially movably mounted on the mandrel shaft. The expansion rings are positioned between the stop ring and the locking ring. In the unlocked position of the locking ring the expansion rings are in a released state in which the axial compression and the radial expansion of the expansion rings are smaller than in a locked position of the locking ring. A printing cylinder sleeve can be fixedly connected to the mandrel by bringing the expansion rings in the radially expanded state. When the printing cylinder sleeve has to be exchanged, this is feasible when the expansion rings are in the released state.

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 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 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 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.

The present invention relates to a device for replacing the printing roller in a printing unit, in particular for in line rotary flexographic machines.

An automatic handling and transport device for printing sleeves that includes a holding support (10) for printing sleeves (60) and a clamping carriage (20) connected to a motorized carriage (30) for a guided movement of the clamping carriage (20) between a gripping position for gripping sleeves (60) and a transport position, and a mobile handling unit (90) carrying the holding support (10). The holding support (10) has an inner core (12) attached to the mobile handling unit (90), and the holding support (10) is coupled to the core (12) or to the mobile handling unit (90) through adaptable support means (40), which provide a relative movement with respect to the core (12) to at least one of the two ends of the holding support (10). The connection of the clamping carriage (20) to the motorized carriage (30) comprises adaptable means (49) that allow a relative movement between the clamping carriage (20) and the motorized carriage (30).

A printing cylinder assembly for a printing machine includes a rotating shaft pivotally supported at one axial end shaft section thereof in a cantilever structure, and a sleeve cylinder removably mounted on the rotating shaft so that the cylinder can be fitted on and extracted from the rotating shaft from the other axial end side of the rotating shaft. The rotating shaft is formed at one axial end side thereof with a sleeve cylinder supporting tapered surface, and the sleeve cylinder is formed at one axial end side of an inner diameter portion thereof with a tapered surface, whereby the tapered surface of the sleeve cylinder can be fitted on and in close contact with the sleeve cylinder supporting tapered surface of the rotating shaft and thereby detachably coupling one axial end portion of the sleeve cylinder with one axial end portion of the rotating shaft.