PROCESSING UNIT AND LABEL PRINTING MACHINE HAVING THE PROCESSING UNIT

Abstract

A processing unit, for example a printing unit, for the rotational processing of a web-shaped or sheet-shaped substrate, includes a machine frame, at least a first processing cylinder movably mounted in the machine frame, a second processing cylinder stationarily mounted in the machine frame, and a pair of support members associated with each respective processing cylinder. Each support member of the second processing cylinder has an annular segment, a linear guide, a guide body fixed to the machine frame and a manipulator. Each annular segment contacts a respective support member of the first processing cylinder, and each annular segment is linearly displaceable along the linear guide by a respective manipulator. The processing unit permits a gap dimension between the processing cylinders of the processing unit to be adjustable in a simple, exact manner with precise repeatability. A label printing machine having the processing unit is also provided.

Claims

1. A processing unit for the rotational processing of a web-shaped or sheet-shaped substrate, the processing unit comprising: a machine frame; at least two processing cylinders including a first processing cylinder movably mounted in said machine frame, a second processing cylinder stationarily mounted in said machine frame, and pairs of support members each pair being associated with a respective one of said processing cylinders; each respective support member of said second processing cylinder having an annular segment, a linear guide, a guide body fixed to said machine frame and a manipulator; said annular segments each contacting a respective support member of said first processing cylinder; and each of said annular segments being linearly displaceable along a respective one of said linear guides by a respective one of said manipulators.

2. The processing unit according to claim 1, wherein each of said manipulators is a respective rotatable eccentric roller or helical roller fixedly attached to said machine frame.

3. The processing unit according to claim 2, which further comprises electric motors each being associated with a respective one of said manipulators for rotating said respective manipulators in a motorized manner.

4. The processing unit according to claim 1, wherein said support members of said first processing cylinder are raceways.

5. The processing unit according to claim 1, wherein said first processing cylinder has a tensioning mechanism for setting a relative position of said processing cylinders.

6. The processing unit according to claim 5, wherein said tensioning mechanism is a pneumatic cylinder.

7. A label printing machine, comprising at least one processing unit according to claim 1.

8. A label printing machine, comprising: at least one processing unit according to claim 1; said first processing cylinder being a printing cylinder; said second processing cylinder being an impression cylinder; and a further stationary processing cylinder being an inking roller.

9. The label printing machine according to claim 8, wherein said inking roller is an anilox roller.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

[0020] FIGS. 1 and 2 are diagrammatic, side-elevational views of a processing unit according to the invention;

[0021] FIG. 3 is a detailed, side-elevational view of the processing unit of FIG. 1;

[0022] FIG. 4 is a detailed, side-elevational view of an alternative embodiment of a processing unit; and

[0023] FIG. 5 is a longitudinal-sectional view of a label printing machine having a plurality of processing units.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0024] Referring now in detail to the figures of the drawings, which are not true-to-scale and in which mutually equivalent elements and components are provided with the same reference signs, and first, particularly, to FIG. 1 thereof, there is seen a processing unit 10 having a first cylinder 11, a second cylinder 12, and a third cylinder 13, in which the three cylinders are mounted in a machine frame 9. The processing unit 10 in the illustrated exemplary embodiment is a flexographic printing unit, in which the first cylinder 11 is embodied as a plate cylinder, the second cylinder 12 is embodied as an impression cylinder and the third cylinder 13 is embodied as an anilox roller. The second cylinder 12 and the third cylinder 13 are mounted so as to be stationary in the machine frame 9. By contrast, the first cylinder 11 is mounted in a bearing 15 on a swing arm 19 so as to be movable in the machine frame 9. Rotation axes of the cylinders 11, 12, 13 are identified by a position marked with reference sign 16.

[0025] A pneumatic cylinder 14, which forms a tensioning mechanism, is attached to the swing arm 19. The pneumatic cylinder 14 uses a force F, which is a bias force, and serves for setting and pressing the first cylinder 11 onto the two stationary cylinders 12, 13. Support members 30, which are embodied as raceways, are disposed on the rotation axis of the first cylinder 11, so as to be axial to the first cylinder 11 and on either side thereof. The raceways contact support members 20 of the first and third cylinders 12, 13. These support members 20 each are embodied so as to be displaceable (see the arrow v in FIG. 3) in a linear manner along a linear axis 25 defining a degree of freedom as shown in FIG. 2.

[0026] While the processing unit 10 according to FIG. 1 has a first cylinder 11 having a larger diameter, a first cylinder 11 having a smaller diameter has been fitted to the processing unit according to FIG. 2. In order for the use of cylinders 11, 11 having dissimilar diameters to be enabled, and also in order for a correction of the spacing between the cylinders 11, 12, 13 to be enabled, the bearing 15 of the first cylinder 11 is provided with an axial and lateral compensation for a correcting movement k (see also FIG. 3). The compensation may be seen from a comparison of FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0027] A tension force S can be applied and cancelled again by using the pneumatic cylinders 14 which are assigned to the cylinders 12, 13. The tension force S is applied during operation. If the cylinders 12, 13 are to be switched off, for example for cleaning purposes, the tension force S can be switched off individually by actuating the pneumatic cylinders 14 accordingly.

[0028] The pneumatic cylinder 14 that is assigned to the cylinder 11 applies the bias force F to the cylinder 11, due to which it is ensured that the raceways 30 of the latter during operation always bear on the support members 20 of the second and the third cylinders 12, 13.

[0029] The construction of a respective support member 20 is shown in detail in the illustration of FIG. 3.

[0030] The support members 20 of the second cylinder 12 and of the third cylinder 13 have identical constructions. A respective support member 20 has an annular element 23 which is connected to a linear guide 21. The linear guide 21 is guided in a guide body 22 that is fixed to the frame. When activated, a rotatable manipulator 24 acts (see the double arrow d) on the linear guide 21, causes a displacing movement v of the linear guide 21 and thus a displacing movement v of the annular element 23. As has been already stated above, a pneumatic cylinder 14 which acts on the linear guide 21 is provided in order for a tension force S to be applied.

[0031] The annular element 23, which is fastened to the linear guide 21, can also be referred to as a bearer-ring segment. The guide body 22 can be embodied as a guide block that is fastened to the printing unit frame or wall 9. The manipulator 24 can be embodied as a helix having an involute into a circle, with a constant gradient.

[0032] A correction of the respective spacing between the first cylinder 11 and the second cylinder 12, or between the first cylinder 11 and the third cylinder 13, that is to say an adaptation of the so-called gap dimension between the cylinders 11, 12, 13, is performed by a targeted displacing movement v of the annular element 23 of a respective support member 20.

[0033] An alternative embodiment of the processing unit 10 of FIG. 3 is illustrated in FIG. 4. Each manipulator 24 in FIG. 4 has a controllable electric motor 17. The respective electric motor 17 in this instance causes a rotating movement d of the helical or eccentric body. The motors 17 and the pneumatic cylinder 14 are connected to a control installation 18 in terms of data transmission technology in such a way that at least an actuation of the motors 17 and of the pneumatic cylinders 14 is enabled by a central operator interface of the control installation 18.

[0034] An illustration of a preferred embodiment of a printing machine 100, more specifically a narrow-web label printing machine with a sequential construction, having printing units 110 that follow in the horizontal direction, is shown in FIG. 5. The label printing machine 100 serves for processing a substrate 1000 in the shape of a web. The substrate is unwound from a substrate roll 146 in a feed part 148 of the printing machine 100 and is guided along a path in a machine running direction M through the printing machine 100. The printing machine 100 can have a plurality of frame modules 126. Three frame modules 126 are provided in an exemplary manner in the figure. The frame modules 126 conjointly form the machine frame 9. In this embodiment, in each case two printing units 110, or one printing unit 110 and one processing unit 150, which is illustrated as a punching unit for punching the labels from the web-shaped substrate 1000, are received in each case on one frame module 126. The individual processing stations are followed by an output part 152 in which the finished products are wound onto a label roll 154. The feed part 148, the frame modules 126, and the output part 152 are respectively interconnected in a releasable or separable manner, resulting in a modular construction of the printing machine 100.

[0035] In the illustration of the individual printing units 110, which are illustrated as flexographic printing units, chamber doctor blades are also shown apart from the printing cylinders 11, the impression cylinders 12 and the inking rollers 13. The printing units 110 in the printing machine 100 furthermore have various drying installations. The printing units 110 also have web guide rollers 160 for guiding the web-shaped substrate 1000. The fifth printing unit 110 in the embodiment shown has a hot air drying installation 162. Alternatively, a UV or an IR drying installation could also be employed in this case. A punching unit 150, which has a punching cylinder 11 and a mating die cylinder 12 as rotating tools, is disposed subsequent to the drying installation. A respective embossing unit, for example a hot-film embossing unit, can also be used additionally or alternatively to the punching unit.

[0036] Gravure printing, offset printing and rotary screen printing units can also be employed as an alternative to the illustrated flexographic printing units.

[0037] In this case, at least one of the printing units 110 and/or the punching unit 150 have the construction of the processing units 10 described above.