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 lightweight interchangeable magnetic sleeve and method of manufacture thereof are disclosed. The sleeve assembly comprises an annular tube in the exterior surface having recesses filled with comparatively rigid magnetic means which are firmly adhered therein. The sleeve assembly includes a tubular radially compressible liner component, relatively slightly shorter than the tube, and bonded inside and substantially axially centrally within the tube thus leaving interior cylindrical end regions of the tube exposed beyond the annular end surfaces of said liner. The remaining exposed interior cylindrical surfaces of the tube are rebated back from the liner exposing annular shoulders within the tube. The rebates are tapped so that correspondingly sized threaded end rings of a more structurally robust, rigid and resilient material than the tube material, can be fitted into the tube ends and tightened against the annular shoulders created by the rebating, placing the entire sleeve assembly under slight compression.

A method for assembling a hollow cylinder on, or removing a hollow cylinder from, a further cylinder. The hollow cylinder includes a body with openings for creating an air cushion within a first portion of a shell and a second portion of the shell is gas-impervious or has openings for creating an air cushion of a reduced quantity and/or size compared to the first portion. The openings are connected to a gas feed and a gas inlet inside the body. The further cylinder has openings on a shell and gas is fed though the openings via an internal gas supply. An assembly method includes providing the hollow cylinder, applying a seal to the first portion to prevent escape of gas from the first portion, providing the further cylinder, applying gas to the further cylinder so that gas escapes from the openings, and pushing the hollow cylinder onto the further cylinder.

A gravure printing unit is usable for printing onto substrate according to a gravure printing method. The gravure printing unit has a forme cylinder, which comprises, on its circumference, an image-forming pattern of recesses, and has an inking unit for inking the pattern of recesses provided on the forme cylinder. The inking unit comprises a first inking unit cylinder, which comprises recesses in a region of its outer cylindrical surface that correspond to the recesses on the forme cylinder, and which form a nip point downstream with a second inking unit cylinder, which comprises, on its circumference, ink-transferring elevations or raised areas. The recesses are formed on the outer cylindrical surface of an ink transfer forme sheath. The first inking unit comprises a cylinder body which is or which can be mounted rotatably in the inking unit and on which a circumferentially closed ink transfer forme sheath, that carries the recesses of the first inking unit cylinder on its outwardly facing surface, is or can be detachably arranged. A printing press has such a gravure inking unit. A setting up method, an ink transfer forme sheath, and a method for producing the same are also disclosed.

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.

Printing machines are provided which include a plurality of printing units, each including a cliché-carrying cylinder rotatably mounted about a respective axis of rotation (x) and a cliché fixed to the cliché-carrying cylinder in a given angular position with respect to the latter. The cliché-carrying cylinder of each printing unit has at least one reference mark (N) intended to be aligned with a given reference direction (z) to ensure correct angular positioning of this cliché-carrying cylinder with respect to the cliché-carrying cylinders of the other printing units. Each printing unit comprises a laser source adapted to generate a light beam directed along the reference direction (z) of this printing unit and towards the cliché-carrying cylinder of this printing unit, so that it is easier to perform the operation of aligning the reference mark (N) on the cliché-carrying cylinder with the reference direction (z).

Printing facility for the manipulation of a plurality of sleeve assemblies (52) each composed by a printing sleeve (50) having a cylindrical internal surface (61) with a diameter larger than the diameter of a printing shaft (12) and an independent tubular cylindrical intermediate sleeve (51) inserted into the cylindrical printing sleeve (50), said printing sleeve comprising a printing machine (10) comprising cylindrical printing shafts (12), and a robotic unit (20) comprising a sleeves handling device (21), the facility further comprising a first storage (30) for store a plurality of printing sleeves (50), which include retaining elements (31) for the immobilization of the stored printing sleeves (50) in geometrical interference with the printing cylindrical external surface (60) and/or with at least one of the annular faces (62) of the printing sleeves (50).

A gravure printing unit is usable for printing onto substrate according to a gravure printing method. The gravure printing unit has a forme cylinder, which comprises, on its circumference, an image-forming pattern of recesses, and has an inking unit for inking the pattern of recesses provided on the forme cylinder. The inking unit comprises a first inking unit cylinder, which comprises recesses in a region of its outer cylindrical surface that correspond to the recesses on the forme cylinder, and which form a nip point downstream with a second inking unit cylinder, which comprises, on its circumference, ink-transferring elevations or raised areas. The recesses are formed on the outer cylindrical surface of an ink transfer forme sheath. The first inking unit comprises a cylinder body which is or which can be mounted rotatably in the inking unit and on which a circumferentially closed ink transfer forme sheath, that carries the recesses of the first inking unit cylinder on its outwardly facing surface, is or can be detachably arranged. A printing press has such a gravure inking unit. A setting up method, an ink transfer forme sheath, and a method for producing the same are also disclosed.

Described herein is an adapter sleeve for adapting the internal diameter of cylindrical hollow cylinders to the external diameter of a cylindrical roller, comprising a sleeve body with (as viewed from the inside to the outside) a deformable base sleeve, optionally an intermediate layer and a top layer. The adapter sleeve furthermore contains a first gas distribution system and a second gas distribution system, which are connected to a gas inlet. The first gas distribution system is connected to at least one first gas outlet, which opens on an outer lateral surface of the adapter sleeve. The second gas distribution system has a cavity, which is designed, when supplied with a pressurized gas, to transmit pressure from the inside to the deformable base sleeve in such a way that the internal diameter of the sleeve body is reduced, at least in a partial region of the adapter sleeve, by a deformation of the base sleeve.

A mandrel for use in a printing apparatus includes a substantially cylindrical mandrel shaft and a locking assembly including a stop ring, a locking ring, and a plurality of deformable rings which are slidably and coaxially mounted on the mandrel shaft. Each deformable ring has a cross-sectional profile in a cross-sectional plane in which the mandrel shaft axis extends, which profile includes a first arm and a second arm which are integrally connected to each other at a first connection point. The first arm and the second arms include an angle which is sharper in the unlocked position than in the locked position of the locking assembly. The first arm has a first-arm-end remote from the first connection point, which defines the outer diameter of the deformable ring. The second arm has a second-arm-end remote from the first connection point, which second-arm-end defines the inner diameter of the deformable ring.