Inking system with minimal ink storage
AssigneeBobst Firenze S.R.L.
InventorFederico D'Annunzio
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention discloses an inking system for a rotary printing machine, like a flexographic or rotogravure press. The inking system uses the nip area between two cylinders of the machine as the sole source for inking the printing cylinder. This results in an inking system with very little ink, thereby gaining in reaction time and ink waste.
Claims20
An inking system, for a rotary printing unit, comprising:
- an inking cylinder and an etched cylinder arranged to retain ink between them in a nip area, wherein the etched cylinder includes a surface having cells configured to be filled with ink for printing;
- an ink outlet configured to provide the nip area with ink;
- a sensor configured to measure an ink level in the nip area;
- and
- a doctor blade configured to remove the ink from a top surface of the etched cylinder and including a bottom end positioned above the measured ink level in the nip area,
- wherein the inking cylinder and the etched cylinder are configured to turn in a same rotational direction.
A method for inking an etched cylinder, including a surface having cells configured to be filled with ink for printing, using a minimal amount of ink, for a printing unit comprising an inking cylinder kept in contact with the etched cylinder along a contact line and an ink outlet, the method comprising:
- providing ink through the ink outlet to a nip area located between the ink outlet and the contact line;
- spinning the inking cylinder in a same rotational direction as the etched cylinder to retain the ink in the nip area;
- measuring an ink level in the nip area with a sensor;
- controlling the ink level in the nip area by adding ink when necessary, based on the measured ink level;
- and
- removing the ink from a top surface of the etched cylinder with a doctor blade including a bottom end positioned above the measured ink level in the nip area.
An inking apparatus for a rotary printing unit, the inking apparatus comprising:
- an inking cylinder configured to rotate in a rotational direction;
- an etched cylinder including a surface having cells configured to be filled with ink for printing, configured to rotate in the rotational direction, and arranged with the inking cylinder to form a nip area configured to retain ink between the inking cylinder and the etched cylinder;
- and
- a sensor configured to measure a level of the ink in the nip area,
- wherein the nip area is provided below a contact line between the inking cylinder and the etched cylinder.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.