Apparatus, assembly and method for dry cleaning a flexographic printing plate carried on a plate cylinder that includes optimized cleaning functionalities

A printing press assembly comprising:

• a flexographic plate that is carried on a printing plate cylinder, the printing plate cylinder having a longitudinal axis;
• a subassembly for dry cleaning the flexographic plate that is carried on the plate cylinder within the printing press assembly, the subassembly comprising:
• a frame disposed above the printing plate and the printing plate cylinder;
• a track subassembly comprising a linear actuator motor, the frame being attached to the track subassembly and the frame being movable along the track subassembly via the linear actuator motor in a longitudinal direction that is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the printing plate cylinder;
• an impression motor for enabling arcuate movement of the frame relative to the printing plate and the printing plate cylinder;
• a roller that is movable upwardly and away from the printing plate and the printing plate cylinder via the impression motor and is alternatively movable downwardly and toward the printing plate and the printing plate cylinder via the impression motor;
• an unwind spindle;
• a rewind spindle;
• a rewind motor for rotating the rewind spindle;
• and
• a web of dry cleaning material;
• wherein the unwind spindle carries the web of dry cleaning material and the rewind spindle pulls the web of dry cleaning material from the unwind spindle and across a portion of the roller;
• and
• wherein a portion of the web of dry cleaning material passing over the roller is movable upwardly and away from the printing plate and the printing plate cylinder via the impression motor and is alternatively movable downwardly and toward the printing plate and the printing plate cylinder via the impression motor to clean that portion of the printing plate that the web contacts.