A printing machine for printing on a printing substrate web includes a plurality of inline flexographic printing units which are disposed in a plane accessible to an operator of the machine. Each one of the two flexographic printing units of a respective duplex printing station includes a respective impression cylinder and a dryer disposed between the two impression cylinders along a path of web travel of the web of printing substrate. A method of operating the printing machine is also provided.

A flexographic printing press for printing a substrate web comprises at least one printing unit and at least one central cylinder. A plurality of printing couples are arranged around the periphery of the at least one central cylinder. A horizontally aligned dryer unit, having at least one guide element, is arranged above the printing unit in a vertical direction. The at least one horizontally aligned dryer unit has at least two dryer sections with one dryer section being arranged separated from the next dryer section by at least one diverting assembly. The at least one flexographic printing press has at least one roll unwinder and at least one roll winder. The at least one roll unwinder and the at least one roll winder are arranged on opposite sides of the at least one central cylinder.

A flexographic printing press for printing a substrate web comprises at least one printing unit and at least one central cylinder. A plurality of printing couples are arranged around the periphery of the at least one central cylinder. A horizontally aligned dryer unit, having at least one guide element, is arranged above the printing unit in a vertical direction. The at least one horizontally aligned dryer unit has at least two dryer sections with one dryer section being arranged separated from the next dryer section by at least one diverting assembly. The at least one flexographic printing press has at least one roll unwinder and at least one roll winder. The at least one roll unwinder and the at least one roll winder are arranged on opposite sides of the at least one central cylinder.

A method is disclosed, which method is or at least can be carried out in a flexographic printing press for the purpose of determining a position of mutual contact between a printing roller and at least one counter roller. An average position of mutual contact between the printing roller and the counter roller is calculated, based on every position of mutual contact between the printing roller and the counter roller that is determined for a specific angular position of the printing roller and is used to execute a printing process carried out by the flexographic printing press.

A printing system comprising a flexographic printing machine comprising at least one impression cylinder, on which the material in sheet form to be printed is wound and around which at least one printing station is arranged. Each printing station comprises a plate cylinder, which is provided with a graphic element, and an anilox roller. Downstream of each printing station there is at least one drying unit for the inks which emits at least one first air flow and aspirates at least one second air flow; there are also elements for acquiring a coverage value of the graphic element present on the plate cylinder of each printing station and elements for automatically adjusting a flow rate of the first air flow and of the second air flow as a function of the coverage value of the graphic element acquired by the acquisition elements.

The invention relates to a printing machine with hybrid printing technology for printing on a continuous material web. In order to create a printing machine with hybrid printing technology which is adaptable and flexible in use in the course of the current trend for digitization, the printing machine with according to the invention, hybrid printing technology for printing a continuous material web, is a printing machine with a rotating central cylinder, on the surface of which the material web is guided from a placement point to a separation point for printing; a plurality of inking units for digital printing of the material web are arranged in the region of an upper half of the central cylinder, and a plurality of inking units for flexographic printing of the material web are arranged in the region of a lower half of the central cylinder; an unwinding station is provided for unwinding the material web to be printed from a roll and a winding station is provided for winding the printed material web onto a roll, the unwinding station and the winding station being arranged on a first side of the central cylinder, with supply guide rollers for feeding the material web unwound from the unwinding station to the central cylinder and with discharge guide rollers for discharging the printed material web from the central cylinder to the winding station; the feed guide rollers and the discharge guide rollers being arranged on a second side of the central cylinder, with a feed guide roller for placing the material web onto the central cylinder at the placement point and a strip guide roller for detaching the material web from the central cylinder, the feed guide roller and the strip guide roller being designed in such a way that the placement point and the separation point are arranged on the lower quadrant of the central cylinder.

The invention relates to a printing machine with hybrid printing technology for printing on a continuous material web. In order to create a printing machine with hybrid printing technology which is adaptable and flexible in use in the course of the current trend for digitization, the printing machine with according to the invention, hybrid printing technology for printing a continuous material web, is a printing machine with a rotating central cylinder, on the surface of which the material web is guided from a placement point to a separation point for printing; a plurality of inking units for digital printing of the material web are arranged in the region of an upper half of the central cylinder, and a plurality of inking units for flexographic printing of the material web are arranged in the region of a lower half of the central cylinder; an unwinding station is provided for unwinding the material web to be printed from a roll and a winding station is provided for winding the printed material web onto a roll, the unwinding station and the winding station being arranged on a first side of the central cylinder, with supply guide rollers for feeding the material web unwound from the unwinding station to the central cylinder and with discharge guide rollers for discharging the printed material web from the central cylinder to the winding station; the feed guide rollers and the discharge guide rollers being arranged on a second side of the central cylinder, with a feed guide roller for placing the material web onto the central cylinder at the placement point and a strip guide roller for detaching the material web from the central cylinder, the feed guide roller and the strip guide roller being designed in such a way that the placement point and the separation point are arranged on the lower quadrant of the central cylinder.

A can decorator having a blanket wheel and a plurality inking stations. Each of one or more of the inking stations comprises a rotatable shaft geared to the blanket wheel, a print cylinder mounted on the shaft for rotation with the shaft during printing operations, and an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the angular position of the print cylinder on the rotatable shaft during set-up and for fixing the angular position for printing operations. There is further provided a rotary encoder for determining the angular position of the print cylinder relative to the rotatable shaft during set-up and for providing an electrical signal indicative of the angular position to an operator interface device.

A can decorator having a blanket wheel and a plurality inking stations. Each of one or more of the inking stations comprises a rotatable shaft geared to the blanket wheel, a print cylinder mounted on the shaft for rotation with the shaft during printing operations, and an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the angular position of the print cylinder on the rotatable shaft during set-up and for fixing the angular position for printing operations. There is further provided a rotary encoder for determining the angular position of the print cylinder relative to the rotatable shaft during set-up and for providing an electrical signal indicative of the angular position to an operator interface device.

A printing machine for printing on a printing substrate web includes a plurality of inline flexographic printing units which are disposed in a plane accessible to an operator of the machine. Each one of the two flexographic printing units of a respective duplex printing station includes a respective impression cylinder and a dryer disposed between the two impression cylinders along a path of web travel of the web of printing substrate. A method of operating the printing machine is also provided.