Printing sleeves and methods for producing same

A method for producing a cylindrically-shaped flexographic printing sleeve, the flexographic printing sleeve being readily axially mountable on and dismountable from a complementary printing cylinder, which comprises:

• providing an apparatus for receiving a curable polymeric material and for forming said flexographic printing sleeve;
• spraying said curable polymeric material directly onto said apparatus;
• curing said curable polymeric material and forming a cured printing sleeve blank;
• and
• forming said flexographic printing sleeve from said cured printing sleeve blank, removing said printing sleeve from said apparatus, for mounting said sleeve onto said printing cylinder, said flexographic printing sleeve having a substantially unitary construction which is self-supporting, the cross-sectional inner and outer diameter of the flexographic printing sleeve being expandable by introducing a low pressure fluid between an inner surface of the flexographic printing sleeve and an outer wall of the printing cylinder, the flexographic printing sleeve being contractible from its expanded position by releasing said low pressure fluid, and the flexographic printing sleeve having a structural integrity which is resistant to substantial damage or distortion.

A method for producing a flexographic printing sleeve which is readily axially mountable on and dismountable from a complementary shaped printing cylinder, which comprises:

• providing an apparatus for receiving a sprayed curable polymeric material and for forming said flexographic printing sleeve;
• spraying said curable polymeric material directly onto said apparatus;
• and
• curing said polymeric material and forming a flexographic printing sleeve, removing said printing sleeve from said apparatus, for mounting said sleeve onto said printing cylinder, said sleeve having a substantially unitary construction which is self-supporting, the cross-sectional inner and outer diameter of the flexographic printing sleeve being expandable by introducing a relatively low pressure fluid between an inner surface of the flexographic printing sleeve and an outer cylindrically-shaped wall of the printing cylinder, the flexographic printing sleeve being contractible from its expanded position by releasing said low pressure fluid, the flexographic printing sleeve having a structural integrity which is resistant to substantial damage or distortion, and the average time for producing the flexographic printing sleeve being not more than about 1.0 hour.

A method for producing a cylindrically-shaped flexographic printing sleeve, the flexographic printing sleeve being readily axially mountable on and dismountable from a complementary printing cylinder, which comprises:

• providing an apparatus for receiving a curable polymeric material and for forming said flexographic printing sleeve;
• spraying said curable polymeric material directly onto said apparatus;
• curing said curable polymeric material and forming a cured printing sleeve blank;
• and
• forming said flexographic printing sleeve from said cured printing sleeve blank, removing said printing sleeve from said apparatus, for mounting said sleeve onto said printing cylinder, said flexographic printing sleeve having a substantially unitary construction which is self-supporting, the cross-sectional inner and outer diameter of the flexographic printing sleeve being expandable by introducing a low pressure fluid between an inner surface of the printing body sleeve and an outer wall of the printing cylinder, the flexographic printing sleeve being contractible from its expanded position by releasing said low pressure fluid, the flexographic printing sleeve having a structural integrity which is resistant to substantial damage or distortion, and the average time for producing the flexographic printing sleeve being not more than about 1.0 hour.