Plate-mounting member, and method and apparatus for mounting flexible printing plate

A flexible printing plate-mounting method for mounting a flexible printing plate having three or more notches formed in a plate front end thereof onto a plate cylinder, comprising the steps of:

• providing a flexible printing plate-mounting apparatus comprising:
• a plate front end positioning and fixing mechanism comprising:
• a plate front end clamp mechanism having upper teeth and lower teeth for fixing the plate front end of said printing plate to said plate cylinder;
• and at least three positioning pins respectively disposed in said plate front end clamp mechanism in such a manner that they are respectively opposed to said notches of said printing plate;
• a printing plate pressure mechanism for pressing said printing plate against said plate cylinder;
• a plate rear end fixing mechanism for fixing the plate rear end of said printing plate to said plate cylinder;
• and
• a packing sheet which is wound and fixed to said plate cylinder and has a function of preventing positional deviation of said printing plate;
• positioning and fixing said plate front end to said plate cylinder by inserting the plate front end of said printing plate into between said upper and lower teeth of said plate front end clamp mechanism to contact the inner peripheral surfaces of said notches of said plate front end with said at least three positioning pins;
• winding said printing plate onto said plate cylinder by rotating said plate cylinder with said plate rear end set free, while said printing plate pressure mechanism presses said printing plate against the entire outer peripheral surface of said plate cylinder including top portions thereof using a pressure member;
• and
• pressing and fixing said plate rear end of said printing plate in a radial direction of said plate cylinder using said plate rear end fixing mechanism after completion of said winding;
• whereby stretching of said flexible printing plate in its maximum printing length in the rotational direction of said plate cylinder during said printing plate-mounting operation is suppressed to 100 μm or less.

A flexible printing plate-mounting method for mounting a flexible printing plate having at least three fixing holes formed in a plate front end thereof onto a plate cylinder, comprising the steps of:

• providing a flexible printing plate-mounting apparatus comprising:
• a plate front end positioning and fixing mechanism comprising:
• a plate front end clamp mechanism having upper teeth and lower teeth for fixing the plate front end of said printing plate to said plate cylinder;
• positioning pins disposed in said plate front end clamp mechanism;
• and a pin contact member which has higher rigidity than said printing plate, is to be attached to said positioning pin and has at least three fixing pins for fixing said printing plate;
• a printing plate pressure mechanism for pressing said printing plate against said plate cylinder;
• a plate rear end fixing mechanism for fixing the plate rear end of said printing plate to said plate cylinder;
• and
• a packing sheet which is wound and fixed to said plate cylinder and has a function of preventing positional deviation of said printing plate;
• positioning and fixing said plate front end to said plate cylinder by allowing said fixing holes of said printing plate to be inserted with said fixing pins of said pin contact member between said upper and lower teeth of said plate front end clamp mechanism;
• winding said printing plate onto said plate cylinder by rotating said plate cylinder with said plate rear end set free, while said printing plate pressure mechanism presses said printing plate against the entire outer peripheral surface of said plate cylinder including top portions thereof using a pressure member;
• and
• pressing and fixing said plate rear end of said printing plate in a radial direction of said plate cylinder using said plate rear end fixing mechanism after completion of said winding;
• whereby stretching of said flexible printing plate in its maximum printing length in the rotational direction of said plate cylinder during said printing plate-mounting operation is suppressed to 100 μm or less.

A flexible printing plate-mounting method for mounting a flexible printing plate having at least three fixing holes formed in a plate front end thereof onto a plate cylinder, comprising the steps of:

• providing a flexible printing plate-mounting apparatus comprising:
• a plate front end positioning and fixing mechanism comprising:
• a plate front end clamp mechanism having upper teeth and lower teeth for fixing the plate front end of said printing plate to said plate cylinder;
• and a positioning pin disposed in said plate front end clamp mechanism;
• a printing plate pressure mechanism for pressing said printing plate against said plate cylinder;
• a plate rear end fixing mechanism for fixing the plate rear end of said printing plate to said plate cylinder;
• a packing sheet which is wound and fixed to said plate cylinder and has a function of preventing positional deviation of said printing plate;
• and
• a pin contact member which has higher rigidity than said printing plate and includes at least three fixing pins for fixing said printing plate;
• fixing said printing plate on said pin contact member by allowing said fixing holes of said printing plate to be inserted into said fixing pins of said pin contact member, respectively;
• fixing and positioning said printing plate onto said plate cylinder by fixing a leading end of said pin contact member to said positioning pin between said upper and lower teeth of said plate front end clamp mechanism;
• winding said printing plate onto said plate cylinder by rotating said plate cylinder with said plate rear end set free, while said printing plate pressure mechanism presses said printing plate against the entire outer peripheral surface of said plate cylinder including top portions thereof using a pressure member;
• and
• pressing and fixing said plate rear end of said printing plate in a radial direction of said plate cylinder using said plate rear end fixing mechanism after completion of said winding;
• whereby stretching of said flexible printing plate in its maximum printing length in the rotational direction of said plate cylinder during said printing plate-mounting operation is suppressed to 100 μm or less.

A flexible printing plate-mounting apparatus for mounting a flexible printing plate having three or more notches formed in a plate front end thereof onto a plate cylinder, said flexible printing plate-mounting apparatus comprising:

• a plate front end positioning and fixing mechanism comprising:
• a plate front end clamp mechanism having upper teeth and lower teeth for fixing the plate front end of said printing plate to said plate cylinder;
• and at least three positioning pins respectively disposed in said plate front end clamp mechanism in such a manner that they are respectively opposed to said notches of said printing plate;
• a printing plate pressure mechanism for pressing said printing plate against said plate cylinder;
• a plate rear end fixing mechanism for fixing the plate rear end of said printing plate to said plate cylinder;
• and
• a packing sheet which is wound and fixed to said plate cylinder and has a function of preventing positional deviation of said printing plate.

A flexible printing plate-mounting apparatus for mounting a flexible printing plate onto a plate cylinder, said flexible printing plate-mounting apparatus comprising:

• a plate front end positioning and fixing mechanism comprising:
• a plate front end clamp mechanism having upper teeth and lower teeth for fixing the plate front end of said printing plate to said plate cylinder;
• positioning pins disposed in said plate front end clamp mechanism;
• and a pin contact member which has higher rigidity than said printing plate, is to be attached to said positioning pin and has at least three fixing pins for fixing said printing plate;
• a printing plate pressure mechanism for pressing said printing plate against said plate cylinder;
• a plate rear end fixing mechanism for fixing the plate rear end of said printing plate to said plate cylinder;
• and
• a packing sheet which is wound and fixed to said plate cylinder and has a function of preventing positional deviation of said printing plate.

A flexible printing plate-mounting apparatus for mounting a flexible printing plate onto a plate cylinder, said flexible printing plate-mounting apparatus comprising:

• a plate front end positioning and fixing mechanism comprising:
• a plate front end clamp mechanism having upper teeth and lower teeth for fixing the plate front end of said printing plate to said plate cylinder;
• and a positioning pin disposed in said plate front end clamp mechanism;
• a printing plate pressure mechanism for pressing said printing plate against said plate cylinder;
• a plate rear end fixing mechanism for fixing the plate rear end of said printing plate to said plate cylinder;
• a packing sheet which is wound and fixed to said plate cylinder and has a function of preventing positional deviation of said printing plate;
• and
• a pin contact member which has higher rigidity than said printing plate and includes at least three fixing pins for fixing said printing plate.