A gravure printing unit, which is usable for printing on a substrate, according to a gravure printing method, includes a forme cylinder which comprises, on its circumference, an image-forming pattern of recesses, and an inking unit, by the use of which the pattern of recesses provided on the forme cylinder is inked. The forme cylinder can be partially inked from an inking device via a first inking unit cylinder which has recesses in the region of its outer cylindrical surface that correspond to recesses on the forme cylinder, and via a second inking unit cylinder, which cooperates with the first inking unit cylinder and which comprises ink-transferring elements or raised areas on its circumference. For controlling the transfer of ink, the first inking unit cylinder having the recesses, is configured as being temperature controllable or has a temperature control device in the ink unit supply. Alternatively, a printing pressure between inking units cylinders can be varied during operation. The invention also relates to a method for adjusting or modifying a transfer of ink and for operating the gravure printing unit.

A refrigeration unit (26) for a printing machine is presented. It comprises a dryer interface (28) connectable to a dryer unit (18) of the printing machine in a heat conductive manner and a print interface (30) connectable to a printing unit (14) of the printing machine in a heat conductive manner, wherein the refrigeration unit (26) is adapted to transfer heat (32, 34) from the print interface (30) to the dryer interface (28). Furthermore, a printing machine is described. It comprises a printing unit (14) adapted for printing on a web of carrier material, a dryer unit (18) being adapted for drying printed web of carrier material, and a refrigeration unit (26) as mentioned above.

The invention relates to a pad printing instrument comprising an ink supply system capable of control the temperature, viscosity and colorant concentration of an ink in an ink cup. Such controls are achieved by continuously adding and mixing a cold ink having a composition identical to the ink in the ink cup but having a lower temperature. The continuous addition of a small amount of a cold ink into the ink cup could compensate heat generated by the friction between the ink cup and a cliché and could minimize the evaporation of a diluent in the ink and change in the concentration of colorants in the ink and ink viscosity. The invention also relates to use of a pad printing instrument comprising an ink supply system of the invention for producing colored hydrogel or silicone hydrogel contact lenses.

The invention relates to a pad printing instrument comprising an ink supply system capable of control the temperature, viscosity and colorant concentration of an ink in an ink cup. Such controls are achieved by continuously adding and mixing a cold ink having a composition identical to the ink in the ink cup but having a lower temperature. The continuous addition of a small amount of a cold ink into the ink cup could compensate heat generated by the friction between the ink cup and a cliché and could minimize the evaporation of a diluent in the ink and change in the concentration of colorants in the ink and ink viscosity. The invention also relates to use of a pad printing instrument comprising an ink supply system of the invention for producing colored hydrogel or silicone hydrogel contact lenses.

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 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 heating circuit having an array of switching heating elements (e.g., field effect transistors, thin film transistors) provides a transient heat pattern over a surface (e.g., substrate, imaging member surface, transfer roll surface) moving relative to the heating circuit, to produce a pixelated heat image and heat a target pattern on the surface. Heat is generated by current flow in the heating elements, and the power developed by the heating circuit is the product of source-drain voltage and current in the channel. Digital addressing may accomplished by matrix addressing the array. Current may be supplied along data address lines by an external voltage controlled by digital electronics understood by a skilled artisan to provide the desired heat at a respective heating element pixels addressed by a specific gate line. The circuit may include a current return line that may be low resistance, for example, by using a 2-dimensional mesh.

In some examples, an ink feed system for providing and feeding printing ink to an inking unit of an intaglio printing unit includes an inking device in the inking unit for inking a first inking unit cylinder. A provision device includes a storage receptacle with an ink reservoir of printing ink that is fed via an outlet and a line to the inking device. Furthermore, a wall of the storage receptacle encompassing the outlet can be heated and/or a metering device may be provided in the line path to support and/or effectuate delivery of the printing ink from the storage receptacle. On an output side, the metering device may provide a mass flow or volume flow that correlates with a working speed of the metering device via a defined relationship, and the metering device may be connected to a control device to control the working speed of the metering device.

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.

A gravure printing unit, which is usable for printing on a substrate, according to a gravure printing method, includes a forme cylinder which comprises, on its circumference, an image-forming pattern of recesses, and an inking unit, by the use of which the pattern of recesses provided on the forme cylinder is inked. The forme cylinder can be partially inked from an inking device via a first inking unit cylinder which has recesses in the region of its outer cylindrical surface that correspond to recesses on the forme cylinder, and via a second inking unit cylinder, which cooperates with the first inking unit cylinder and which comprises ink-transferring elements or raised areas on its circumference. For controlling the transfer of ink, the first inking unit cylinder having the recesses, is configured as being temperature controllable or has a temperature control device in the ink unit supply. Alternatively, a printing pressure between inking units cylinders can be varied during operation. The invention also relates to a method for adjusting or modifying a transfer of ink and for operating the gravure printing unit.