Apparatus and method for mounting a printing plate on a printing carrier
AssigneeBobst Firenze S.R.L.
InventorsLudovico Frati, Matteo Cardinotti
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
For a flexographic printing apparatus, an apparatus (1) and method for mounting a printing plate (2) on a printing cylinder (4) or a printing sleeve including a system for pre-alignment (5, 8) of a printing plate (2) and real-time alignment (5, 8) of the printing plate (2) during mounting.
Claims13
An apparatus for mounting a printing plate on a printing carrier that is a printing cylinder or a printing sleeve, the apparatus comprising:
- a working surface configured for supporting the printing plate for advancing in a feeding direction of the printing plate, the working surface comprising an outlet side for outlet of the printing plate from the working surface;
- a supporting and driving device for the printing carrier and arranged downstream of the outlet side in the feeding direction of the printing plate and below the working surface, the supporting and driving device for the printing carrier being configured and operative to cause rotation of the printing carrier about an axis so as to mount the printing plate in a winding and application step of the printing plate onto the printing carrier;
- a pre-alignment device configured for pre-alignment of the printing plate on the working surface;
- an imaging device configured to detect a position of at least one of the printing plate and the printing carrier;
- a control device configured to control the pre-alignment device and the supporting and driving device as a function of information received from the imaging device;
- and
- the supporting and driving device is configured and operative to move the printing carrier in a first direction, the first direction being along the axis of the printing carrier;
- wherein the control device is configured to control the position of the supporting and driving device, and consequently of the printing carrier, in the first direction, at least during the winding and application step of the printing plate onto the printing carrier.
A method for mounting a printing plate on a printing carrier that rotates about an axis, wherein the printing plate is arranged on a working surface and the printing plate advances along a feeding direction of the printing plate towards an outlet side of the working surface, the method comprising:
- supporting the printing carrier and driving the printing carrier downstream of the outlet side of the working surface and below the working surface;
- detecting the position of at least one of the printing plate and the printing carrier using an imaging device;
- and
- automatically displacing the printing carrier based on pre-set instructions, based on information received from the imaging device,
- wherein the displacing is in a first direction, the first direction being along the axis, so as to align the printing carrier with the printing plate when the printing plate is wound onto the printing carrier.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.