Sleeve exchange system

A system that exchanges a sleeve with an arbor of an ink transfer roller of a printing machine, said system comprising:

• a storage device, in which the sleeve, if not used in a current ink transfer, is stored;
• a transport device, with which the sleeve is transported from the storage device to the printing machine;
• a device that exchanges the sleeve with the arbor, the device that exchanges the sleeve including
• an arbor-shaped support element that receives thereon the sleeve to a length that is less than a full length of the sleeve, the support element having an external diameter that is variable so as to provide for secured frictional engagement with a corresponding internal diameter of the sleeve during positioning to an initial position of the sleeve on the arbor, and for subsequent disengagement therefrom once the sleeve is positioned at the initial position on the arbor, and
• a robotic arm having three degrees of freedom for translation, the robotic arm being rotatable about at least two axes of rotation, and having a first joint that provides for coaxial alignment of an axis of the sleeve with an axis of the arbor, and a second joint that provides for circumferential alignment of the sleeve with the arbor before or during the receipt of the sleeve by the arbor;
• and
• a sensor, with which a relative angular position of the sleeve to the support element, with respect to a line of alignment with an axis of the ink transfer roller, is determined and communicated so as to provide for the coaxial alignment of the sleeve axis with the axis of the arbor.

A system that exchanges sleeves on arbors of ink transfer rollers of a printing machine, said system comprising:

• a storage device, in which the sleeves not being used in an ink transfer are stored;
• transport devices, with which a plurality of the sleeves are individually transported to the printing machine;
• devices that transfer the sleeves, with which the sleeves are at least one of transferred to the arbors and transferred from the arbors,
• the devices that transfer the sleeves including
• an arbor-shaped support element that receives thereon the sleeve to a length that is less than a full length of the sleeve, the support element having an external diameter that is variable so as to provide for secured frictional engagement with a corresponding internal diameter of the sleeve during positioning to an initial position of the sleeve on the arbor, and for subsequent disengagement therefrom once the sleeve is positioned at the initial position on the arbor, and
• a slider that is displaceable relative to the device for transfer of the sleeves, so that the sleeves are displaced along a sleeve axis;
• a sensor, with which a relative angular position of the sleeve to the support element, with respect to a line of alignment with an axis of the ink transfer roller, is continuously determined and communicated, so as to provide for the coaxial alignment of the sleeve axis with the axis of the arbor;
• and
• a computing and control unit that controls driving devices to drive the devices for the transfer of the sleeves such that the support element is placed in positions in which the transfer of the sleeves therefrom onto the arbor of the ink transfer rollers, into the storage device, or the inverse, is effected,
• with positions of the arbors of the ink transfer rollers, in which a replacement of a sleeve is to be effected, and respective target positions and current positions of the sleeves in the printing machine, in the transport device, and in the storage device being processed by the computing and control unit so as to effect the transfer.