Printing unit with interchangeable printing sleeve

A printing unit for a flexographic printing machine having an operator side and a gear side at an opposite side of the operator side, the printing unit comprising:

• a frame comprising a wall comprising a first slot and a second slot, the wall defining the operator side and the gear side;
• a pressure roller provided on the operator side of the printing unit and having a rotation axis extending transverse to the wall;
• an ink supplying module comprising an inking roller, the inking roller provided on the operator side of the printing unit and having a rotation axis extending transverse to the wall;
• an inking translation device for translating the ink supplying module along a longitudinal line from a running position to a parking position and vice-versa;
• a first printing roller system including a first printing shaft passing through one or more of the first slot or the second slot in the wall and having a rotation axis extending transverse to the wall, the first printing shaft configured to hold a printing sleeve on the operator side of the printing unit and defining a first printing roller when the printing sleeve is mounted on the first printing shaft, and a first printing shaft support configured to hold the first printing shaft as a cantilever from the gear side of the printing unit;
• a first longitudinal translation device provided on the gear side of the printing unit and configured to translate the first printing roller system through the first slot in the wall along the longitudinal line from a running position to an intermediate position and vice-versa;
• and
• a first elevation device provided on the gear side of the printing unit and configured to translate the first printing roller system through the second slot in the wall along an elevation path, oriented differently than the longitudinal line, for translating the first printing roller system from the intermediate position to a first idle position and vice-versa,
• wherein the first printing roller system is configured to allow the printing sleeve to be removed from the first printing shaft from the operator side of the printing unit and replaced by another printing sleeve when the first printing roller system is in the first idle position.

A printing unit for a flexographic printing machine having an operator side and a gear side at an opposite side of the operator side, the printing unit comprising:

• a frame comprising a wall comprising a first slot and a second slot, the wall defining the operator side and the gear side;
• a pressure roller provided on the operator side of the printing unit and having a rotation axis extending transverse to the wall;
• an ink supplying module comprising an inking roller, the inking roller provided on the operator side of the printing unit and having a rotation axis extending transverse to the wall;
• an inking translation device for translating the ink supplying module along a longitudinal line;
• a first printing roller system including:
• a first printing shaft passing through one or more of the first slot or the second slot in the wall and having a rotation axis extending transverse to the wall, the first printing shaft configured to hold a printing sleeve on the operator side of the printing unit and defining a first printing roller when the printing sleeve is mounted on the first printing shaft;
• and
• a first printing shaft support configured to hold the first printing shaft as a cantilever from the gear side of the printing unit;
• wherein the first printing roller system is configured to allow the printing sleeve to be replaced from the operator side;
• a first longitudinal translation device provided on the gear side of the printing unit and configured to translate the first printing roller system through the first slot in the wall along the longitudinal line;
• and
• a first elevation device provided on the gear side of the printing unit and configured to translate the first printing roller system through the second slot in the wall along an elevation path oriented differently than the longitudinal line;
• and
• wherein
• a rotation axis of the first printing roller is perpendicular to the longitudinal line,
• when the printing unit is printing with the printing sleeve mounted on the first printing shaft, the first printing roller is positioned against the pressure roller and against the inking roller, respective rotation axes of the printing, pressure, and inking rollers are parallel and distributed along the longitudinal line,
• the first longitudinal translation device is suitable for translating the first printing roller from a running position to an intermediate position and vice-versa,
• the inking translation device is suitable for translating the ink supplying module from a running position to a parking position and vice-versa
• the running positions of the first printing roller and the inking roller are defined as respective positions of the first printing roller and the inking roller when the printing unit is printing;
• wherein the
• first elevation device is suitable for translating the first printing roller system from the intermediate position to a first idle position and vice-versa;
• wherein
• when the first printing roller system is in the first idle position, the first printing roller system is configured to allow the printing sleeve to be removed from the first printing shaft from the operator side of the printing unit and replaced by another printing sleeve.