Flexographic plate mounting
OwnerKurt M. Sangerinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of aligning a flexographic printing plate (110) to a plate cylinder (270) is disclosed. The flexographic printing plate has a raised alignment feature (180) which is aligned to a mating fixture (200). The plate cylinder is also aligned to the mating fixture, then the flexographic printing plate is mounted in register onto the plate cylinder using the surface of the flexographic printing plate to determine the alignment.
Claims25
A method of mounting a flexographic printing plate to a cylinder comprising:
- providing the flexographic printing plate with a first alignment feature;
- providing a fixture with a second alignment feature which matches the first alignment feature;
- aligning the plate to the fixture using the first and second alignment features;
- mounting the cylinder in the fixture in alignment with the second alignment feature;
- and
- transferring the plate from the fixture to the cylinder maintaining registration.
A method of mounting flexographic printing plates to plate cylinders comprising:
- providing a first flexographic printing plate with a first set of raised relief image features and a first alignment feature;
- providing a fixture with a second alignment feature which matches the first alignment feature;
- aligning the first flexographic printing plate to the fixture using the first and second alignment features;
- mounting a first plate cylinder in the fixture in alignment with the second alignment feature;
- transferring the first flexographic printing plate from the fixture to the first plate cylinder with the first set of raised relief image features registered to the first plate cylinder;
- providing a second flexographic printing plate with a second set of raised relief image features and a third alignment feature;
- wherein the third alignment matches the second alignment feature;
- aligning the second flexographic printing plate to the fixture using the third and second alignment features;
- mounting a second plate cylinder in the fixture in alignment with the second alignment feature;
- and
- transferring the second flexographic printing plate from the fixture to the second plate cylinder with the second set of raised relief image features registered to the second plate cylinder.
A method of mounting flexographic printing plates to plate cylinders in flexographic printing stations comprising:
- providing platen rails aligned to a first cylinder;
- providing a platen aligned to the platen rails;
- providing a first flexographic printing plate with a first alignment feature;
- providing a fixture with a second alignment feature;
- mounting the fixture onto the platen;
- aligning the first flexographic printing plate to the fixture using the first and second alignment features;
- transporting the platen on the platen rails to the first plate cylinder in a first printing station;
- and
- transferring the first flexographic printing plate from the fixture to the first plate cylinder maintaining registration.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.