A method for attaching a printing plate (12), especially a flexographic printing plate, to a printing cylinder (14) is described. In a first step, the printing plate (12) is provided in a substantially flat condition. Thereafter, an outer circumference of the printing cylinder (14) is arranged adjacent to an edge of the printing plate (12). Subsequently, the printing cylinder (14) is translatorily moved over the printing plate (12) while rotating such that the printing plate (12) is rolled-up on the printing cylinder (14). Additionally, an apparatus (10) for attaching a printing plate (12) to a printing cylinder (14) is presented. The apparatus (10) comprises a printing plate support unit (16) having a substantially flat support surface (18) for supporting the printing plate (12) to be mounted on the printing cylinder (14), and a printing cylinder support unit (36) for supporting and moving the printing cylinder (14). The printing cylinder support unit (36) comprises a translatory drive means (42) for translatorily moving the printing cylinder (14) in a direction parallel to the support surface (18).

A method for fixing and treating a flexible plate on a drum includes: providing a flexible plate comprising a support layer made of a first material and at least one additional layer made of a second material which is different from the first material, wherein one or more thin film side wings are connected to one or more sides of the flexible plate. The one or more thin film side wings have a thickness which is at least 5 times smaller than the thickness of the flexible plate. The method further includes positioning the flexible plate on the drum such that the lower face of each thin film side wing of the flexible plate covers at least one vacuum suction opening, and performing a treatment on at least one layer of the flexible plate while rotating the drum.

A drum member includes: a substantially cylindrical drum body having a hollow part extending in an axial direction; a sheet member wound on the drum body; an adjusting mechanism configured to adjust tension in the sheet member, the adjusting mechanism including a moving member that holds an end of the sheet member in a circumferential direction and moves in a depth direction of the hollow part, and a fixing member that fixes the moving member to the drum body; and one or more positioning members that position the moving member such that the moving member does not move in the circumferential direction of the drum body when the moving member is fixed with the fixing member.

A web processing system which includes two rollers configured to rotate at the same phase while being in contact with a web which continuously exists along a movement passage and a suppressing mechanism for suppressing a tension variation of the web between the two rollers.

A method and device change printing plates on a cylinder. The method includes opening a first clamping device and releasing a leading edge of a first printing plate and opening a second clamping device and releasing a trailing edge of the first printing plate. The first and second clamping devices are both opened before a first rotation process of a cylinder. The cylinder is rotated during the first rotation process in a first direction to dismount the first printing plate from a circumferential surface of the cylinder. The cylinder is rotated in a second rotation process in an opposite second direction to mount a second printing plate replacing the first printing plate to the circumferential surface of the cylinder. Because the first clamping device and the second clamping device are both opened before the first rotation of the cylinder, the set-up period required for a printing plate change is reduced.

A plate cylinder for multiple mounting of flexographic printing plates is provided. The plate cylinder has an outer circumferential surface and a longitudinal axis. It comprises an adhesion layer attached to the plate cylinder, the adhesion layer comprising a carrier sheet with a mounting surface side facing the plate cylinder and an adhesion surface side facing radially outwards in relation to the longitudinal axis; and a plurality of adhesion elements. Each of these adhesion elements includes an elongated body extending radially outwards in relation to the longitudinal axis and an end face for attaching the printing plate by an adhesive bond, wherein the end faces of the adhesion elements form the adhesion surface side.

Printing blankets having non-extensible backing plies such as, for example, metalback blankets, are provided which have a construction that is adapted to be mountable onto blanket cylinders having a gap containing a conventional single reel rod lock-up mechanism. The blankets include first and second relief areas positioned such that when the blankets are mounted onto a blanket cylinder, the relief areas substantially align with the point at which the lead and trail ends of the blankets are inserted into a gap in the blanket cylinder to secure the ends in the lock-up mechanism.

Techniques are disclosed for connecting a printing plate to a print cylinder or surface. The techniques may be implemented, for instance, with respect to a printing plate, a print cylinder, a print sleeve, or some combination thereof. In an embodiment, a field of mechanical fasteners is provisioned on a printing plate, and a complementary field of mechanical fasteners is provisioned on a print sleeve or cylinder. The mechanical fasteners collectively operate to provide a mechanical bond or interface that inhibits lateral and rotational movement of the plate during printing operations, and can also be configured to manage backlash between engaging surfaces of the interface. In some cases, backlash management includes use of cushion effect integral with the mechanical bond itself and/or unidirectional and possibly angled fastener elements to provide a snugging effect. The mechanical bond may be implemented with hook-and-loop, hook-and-hook, hook-to-channel, male/female-type fittings, vacuum, suction, and/or magnetics.

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 method for attaching a printing plate (12), especially a flexographic printing plate, to a printing cylinder (14) is described. In a first step, the printing plate (12) is provided in a substantially flat condition. Thereafter, an outer circumference of the printing cylinder (14) is arranged adjacent to an edge of the printing plate (12). Subsequently, the printing cylinder (14) is translatorily moved over the printing plate (12) while rotating such that the printing plate (12) is rolled-up on the printing cylinder (14). Additionally, an apparatus (10) for attaching a printing plate (12) to a printing cylinder (14) is presented. The apparatus (10) comprises a printing plate support unit (16) having a substantially flat support surface (18) for supporting the printing plate (12) to be mounted on the printing cylinder (14), and a printing cylinder support unit (36) for supporting and moving the printing cylinder (14). The printing cylinder support unit (36) comprises a translatory drive means (42) for translatorily moving the printing cylinder (14) in a direction parallel to the support surface (18).