Can decorator and plate cylinder locking mechanism, replacement system, and timing adjustment system and method therefor

A plate cylinder replacement system for a can decorator having a plurality of inker stations each inker station having a corresponding plate cylinder and plate cylinder shaft, the plate cylinder replacement system comprising:

• a robotic arm structured to, for a given inker station, remove the plate cylinder from the plate cylinder shaft and place the removed plate cylinder in a storage location, and to pick up a new plate cylinder from the storage location and install the new plate cylinder on the plate cylinder shaft;
• and
• a robotic arm movement system structured to move the robotic arm to each of the plurality of inker stations.

A can decorator comprising:

• a plurality of inker stations each having a corresponding plate cylinder and plate cylinder shaft;
• and
• a plate cylinder locking and unlocking mechanism structured to, for at least one of the inker stations, selectively lock the plate cylinder to the plate cylinder shaft such that the plate cylinder shaft and plate cylinder rotate in conjunction and to selectively unlock the plate cylinder from the plate cylinder shaft such that the plate cylinder shaft and plate cylinder do not rotate in conjunction and the plate cylinder is permitted to be removed from the plate cylinder shaft, wherein the plate cylinder locking and unlocking mechanism uses at least one of pneumatic, magnetic, and mechanical power to selectively lock and unlock the plate cylinder.