A finished flexo plate with printing dots and non-printing indicia. The printing dots have an elevation above the plate floor sufficient to transfer ink to a substrate in a printing step, whereas the non-printing indicia are configured for persistent readability relative to the plate floor but have a height relative to the plate floor insufficient to transfer ink to the substrate in the printing step. The non-printing indicia define a pattern of alphanumeric characters, non-text graphics, or a combination thereof, and are disposed on the plate floor in the form of areas of presence and absence of polymer defined by structures formed of microdots, each microdot having an elevation relative to the plate floor lower than a printing height.

A finished flexo plate with printing dots and non-printing indicia. The printing dots have an elevation above the plate floor sufficient to transfer ink to a substrate in a printing step, whereas the non-printing indicia are configured for persistent readability relative to the plate floor but have a height relative to the plate floor insufficient to transfer ink to the substrate in the printing step. The non-printing indicia define a pattern of alphanumeric characters, non-text graphics, or a combination thereof, and are disposed on the plate floor in the form of areas of presence and absence of polymer defined by structures formed of microdots, each microdot having an elevation relative to the plate floor lower than a printing height.

A plate sleeve-holder cylinder provided with a carbon-fibre central tube (T) comprising 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. Additionally, a process of manufacturing said central tube (t) is disclosed 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.

A plate sleeve-holder cylinder provided with a carbon-fibre central tube (T) comprising 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. Additionally, a process of manufacturing said central tube (t) is disclosed 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.

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.

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 method of operating flexographic printing presses having an impression cylinder, printing cylinder carrying a sleeve with a flexographic printing forme or cylinder, uses a sensor adjusting print register of the printing forme or cylinder relative to a further printing forme or cylinder and/or adjusts color density and/or implements color inspection. An image of the sleeve surface with printing forme is recorded by a camera and processed before printing, locating a register mark and/or a color measurement field in terms of x-y positions. A sensor automatically moves for recording the register mark to the y-position of the register mark before adjusting to record the register mark and/or a sensor moves for recording the color measurement field to the y-position of the color measurement field before adjusting to record the color measurement field. Cost-efficient, high-quality industrial printing and further automation is provided.

A printing machine includes a printing roll and an anilox roll or an anilox sleeve for inking a printing forme of the printing roll. The anilox roll or the anilox sleeve is assigned a machine-readable ID. A sensor or a camera detects the ID. A computer retrieves data which is stored in a digital memory in relation to the ID detected from the memory. The computer performs adjustments on the printing machine on the basis of the ID which is read or the retrieved data. A method for adjusting a printing machine is also provided.

Systems and processes for making a flexo plate, and plates made thereby. Non-printing indicia defined by areas of presence and absence of polymer in the plate floor created using microdots imaged during a LAMS layer imaging step are readable downstream of the washing or other non-cured-polymer-removal step but not to print in the printing step. The non-printing indicia may define a repeating pattern of alphanumeric characters, non-text graphics, or a combination thereof. A difference in growth of plate structures corresponding to different types of microdots may be used for characterizing processing conditions.

Systems and processes for making a flexo plate, and plates made thereby. Non-printing indicia defined by areas of presence and absence of polymer in the plate floor created using microdots imaged during a LAMS layer imaging step are readable downstream of the washing or other non-cured-polymer-removal step but not to print in the printing step. The non-printing indicia may define a repeating pattern of alphanumeric characters, non-text graphics, or a combination thereof. A difference in growth of plate structures corresponding to different types of microdots may be used for characterizing processing conditions.