Method of operating a flexographic printing press, flexographic printing press, system and sleeve

A method of operating a flexographic printing press and a measuring device, the method comprising:

• providing a flexographic printing press including at least one printing unit having a printing cylinder, a sleeve associated with the printing cylinder, a flexographic printing forme carried by the sleeve, and at least one sensor;
• marking the sleeve with a machine-readable ID and providing the machine-readable ID as an unambiguous identifier of the respective sleeve;
• providing a measuring device with a camera, the measuring device being different from the flexographic printing press;
• providing a computer;
• defining an x-direction as a circumferential direction of the sleeve, and defining a y-direction as a direction perpendicular to the x-direction being an axial direction of the sleeve;
• recording respective images of surfaces of the sleeve in the measuring device by using the camera before a printing operation;
• subjecting the respective image to pattern detection using the computer including searching for a defined pattern of a register mark to locate a total of at least two register marks in terms of x-positions and y-positions of the register marks before a printing operation and saving the x-positions and y-positions in association with the machine-readable ID;
• making the machine-readable ID available to the flexographic printing press when the sleeve is mounted on one of the printing cylinders;
• accessing the saved x-positions and y-positions in association with the machine-readable ID and automatically moving the sensors to the y-position of the respective register marks using respective actuating motors to record the register marks in the flexographic printing machine before a register adjustment;
• using x-y position data of the respective register marks to record the register marks in the flexographic printing machine using the sensors;
• adjusting the print register by controlling print register of the sleeve carrying the flexographic printing forme using the recorded register marks;
• and
• performing the printing operation using the adjusted print register.