WO2008025804A2 - Printing unit of a gravure printing press - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention describes a system for printing a printing-material web, which system comprises at least one gravure printing unit (1), at least one forme cylinder (2) having end-side bearing journals (4, 5), and at least one cylinder mandrel (18) which is configured for receiving cylinder sleeves (19) which bear printing motifs. Either the forme cylinder (2) or the cylinder mandrel (18) can be introduced into the gravure printing unit (1) and can be connected fixedly in terms of rotation to a drive (12) of the gravure printing unit (1).

Description

 Printing unit of a gravure printing machine

The invention relates to a system for printing substrate webs.

For printing substrate webs various systems are known which operate according to different printing principles. The present invention relates to such systems which operate on the gravure principle.

In this printing principle usually provided with a metallic surface pressure cylinder are used, in which the print motif is incorporated. At the present time, by means of laser beams, depressions, which later transport the paint, are introduced into the surfaces of the cylinders. These cylinders are called form cylinders.

During the printing process, these forme cylinders dip into a paint tray and thus absorb the ink to be applied to the substrate. The color on the non-imaging areas of the cylinder is removed by a squeegee device. The printing material, which runs on a designated as impression roller counter, then takes the color directly from the forme cylinder. In general, a plurality of individual gravure printing units are provided in a gravure printing machine to allow multi-color printing.

If the print motif is to be changed after the execution of a print job, it is known from the patent application DE 100 21 398 A1 that the forme cylinder, which is supported on bearing rollers during the printing process, is in the radial direction Direction to be taken from the gravure printing unit. The machine frame of the gravure printing unit has corresponding recesses. In the opposite way, the printing unit, a new form cylinder can be supplied.

Since such form cylinder, which are kept as a whole for different print jobs are very expensive, there have been tendencies in the recent past to make the form cylinder in several parts and to make the individual components easily separable. So such form cylinder often consist of a cylinder mandrel on which a cylinder sleeve can be applied, the latter carries the actual print motif. Therefore, only the cylinder sleeves need to be maintained for the various print motifs, while a cylinder mandrel can be used for various print jobs. Cylinder sleeves and cylinder mandrels must be mounted before the setting up of the gravure printing unit to form a cylinder in order to be introduced into the gravure printing.

The object of the present invention is to propose a system in which the motif change is easier to carry out.

The object is solved by the features of claim 1.

Accordingly, a system according to the invention comprises at least one forme cylinder with end bearing journals which can be inserted into the gravure printing unit in the radial direction. Furthermore, the system also includes at least one cylinder mandrel, which can be introduced into the printing unit instead of the forme cylinder. On this located in the printing unit mandrel then various cylinder sleeves in the axial direction of the cylinder mandrel can be applied without the cylinder mandrel has to be removed from the printing unit. Thus, therefore, the print motif can be changed by simply replacing the cylinder sleeves, or optionally, when the print motif is introduced into a forme cylinder with end journal, by replacing the forme cylinder or cylinder mandrel with the new forme cylinder. In this way, the printing unit offers the opportunity to To make motif changes as easy as possible, with the possibility of using known form cylinder, which are often kept for years for recurring print jobs continue to use. The forme cylinder or the cylinder mandrel instead inserted in the printing unit are rotatably connected to a drive of the gravure printing unit, so that the drive can transmit the torque required for rotation to the cylinders. The drive, which thus serves as a rotary drive for the forme cylinder or the cylinder mandrel, in this case comprises a rotor and a stator, wherein the cylinders are rotatably connected to the rotor and the stator is supported via a suitable torque arm, for example on at least one side frame of the gravure printing unit. With the present invention, the possibility is created to use the gravure printing machine flexible. For high-quality products often conventional form cylinder are used, which usually have a high strength. For products that are to be produced as inexpensively as possible, ask cylinder mandrels with cylinder sleeves. Both types of cylinders can be used according to the invention in a gravure printing unit. This gravure printing unit is designed accordingly in terms of its technical properties, as will be explained below.

It is advantageous if the drive of the gravure printing unit in the axial direction of the cylinder in question is displaced. For this purpose, the stator may be guided on rails, which may be connected to the side frame. The rotor, which is rotatably mounted on suitable rotors in or on the stator, but axially immovable, is connected via a suitable coupling with the pins of the forme cylinder or the cylinder mandrel. To replace the forme cylinder or the cylinder mandrel so only the coupling must be solved and the drive so far be moved in the axial direction until the pin of the cylinder is exposed, so that the forme cylinder or the cylinder mandrel can be removed in the radial direction from the printing unit. Alternatively, the rotor may be axially displaceable within the stator. The stator then does not have to be displaceable, but can be fixed, for example connected to the gravure printing unit frame. To connect or disconnect the Form cylinder or the cylinder mandrel now only needs the rotor to be moved.

On the drive opposite end of the forme cylinder or the cylinder mandrel can be arranged in an advantageous embodiment, an interceptor, which is also displaced in the axial direction. With this aufschiebbares on a journal and a pivot bearing comprehensive

Catch the cylinder can be supported during the printing process. This interceptor can also be moved or pivoted in the radial direction of the cylinder to an axial withdrawal of the

To allow cylinder sleeve of the cylinder mandrel.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention holding means are provided which hold the forme cylinder or the cylinder mandrel in a position in which its axis is aligned with the axes of the interceptor and / or the drive, if interceptor and / or drive is not or no longer in contact stand with the forme cylinder or the cylinder mandrel or not hold the form cylinder or the cylinder mandrel or no longer firm. This is particularly the case when a transport device transfers the cylinder in question to the printing unit for assembly or just before the transport device takes over the cylinder. Of course, the transfer or transfer position may differ from the position aligned with the interceptor or drive. It is important then that the holding means can spend the cylinder in an aligned position. The aligned position is that position in which the axes of rotation of the drive, especially the axis of rotation of the rotor, are aligned with the axis of rotation of the forme cylinder or the cylinder mandrel.

Further embodiments of the invention will become apparent from the description and the claims. The individual figures show:

Fig. 1 a side view of a printing unit during assembly of a forme cylinder. Fig.1b view of the section AA in Fig. 1 a

Fig. 2a side view of a printing unit after mounting a

Form cylinder.

Fig. 2b view of the section B-B in Fig. 1 a

Fig. 3a side view of a printing unit during assembly of a

Cylinder mandrel.

Fig. 3b view of the section C-C in Fig. 3a

Fig. 4a side view of a printing unit during assembly of a

Cylinder sleeve.

Fig. 4b view of the section D-D in Fig. 4a

Fig. 5a side view of a printing unit after the complete

Slide on a cylinder sleeve.

Fig. 5b view of the section E-E in Fig. 5a

Fig. 6a side view of a printing unit, in the support arm and

Fixing lever are applied to the cylinder sleeve.

Fig. 6b view of the section F-F in Fig. 6a

7a side view of a printing unit, in the support arm and

Locking lever are applied to the cylinder sleeve and the

Tray is moved.

Fig. 7b view of the section G-G in Fig. 7a

Fig. 7c view of the section H-H in Fig. 7a

Fig. 8 side view of a printing unit in which the cylinder mandrel is moved.

Fig. 9 side view of a printing unit, in which the cylinder mandrel was brought back into the starting position shown in FIG. 7.

Fig. 8 side view of a printing unit, from which the cylinder sleeve has been removed.

Figures 1 a and 1 b show a form cylinder 2, which is held for the purpose of assembly in the printing unit 1. The forme cylinder 2 in this case comprises a cylindrical pressure region 3, in the metallic surface of which the print motif is engraved. About one or more ring stages of the forme cylinder 2 in bearing pins 4 and 5 goes over. The journals 4 and 5 protrude laterally beyond the side frame walls 6 and 7 of the printing unit 1, which for this reason has slot-like notches 8, so that the forme cylinder 2 in the radial direction, which is indicated by the double arrow R, can be introduced into the printing unit 1. The introduced into the side frame wall 7 notch 8 is dimensioned larger than that in the side frame wall 6. The insertion of the forme cylinder 2 or the cylinder mandrel can be done by means of a suitable transport and / or transfer device with which the forme cylinder 2 or the cylinder mandrel transported to the gravure printing unit can be and / or the cylinder 2 or the mandrel can be supplied to the printing unit. If the forme cylinder has been introduced in the direction of R in the gravure printing unit, so each holding arm 9 can be brought into contact with the forme cylinder in the region of the ends of the forme cylinder. Each support arm 9 is brought zoom from below to the forme cylinder. If this is done, the transport and / or transfer device can release the form cylinder, since it is now held by the holding arms.

In the situation shown in FIG. 1 a, the forme cylinder 2 is held in the printing unit 1 by the holding means 9 formed as holding arms, wherein the axes of the forme cylinder 2, located in the bearing housing 10 pivot bearing 1 1 and the drive 12 are aligned. The holding arms 9 have recesses 13, in which portions of the forme cylinder 2 are inserted, so that it can not roll down from the support arms 9. For this purpose, locking lever 14 are also provided, which also have recesses 15. The retaining arms 9 and the locking lever 14 are pivotally mounted in the illustrated embodiment by pivot points acting on the side frame walls 6 and 7. However, the retaining arms 9 and locking lever 14 may in principle be attached to other components of the printing unit 1 or even on a device not connected to the printing unit. Thus, it is conceivable that the transport and / or transfer device not shown, but mentioned above holding elements such as holding arms 9 and locking lever 14 includes. In the context of the invention, another possibility for movement of the retaining arms and the locking lever is also conceivable apart from the pivoting movement. So a simple, lateral Verfahrmöglichkeit is conceivable. Depending on a holding arm 9 and a locking lever 14 are pivoted by a drive. Such a drive, which is shown in the figures as a piston-cylinder unit 17, acts in a manner not shown on the aforementioned components. The movement of a support arm 9 and its associated locking lever 14 may be coupled to each other by suitable means, such as gear means, to allow a uniform detection of the forme cylinder.

The holding arms 9 and the fixing levers 14 are hinged to the mutually facing sides of the side frame walls, but positioned so as to grip the form cylinder outside the pressure-sensitive printing area 3. At least one combination of a retaining arm 9 and a locking lever 14 is dimensioned so that they permanently counteract the tilting moment of the forme cylinder when it is held only by a Haltearm- / Festlegehebel- combination and arranged on the same side wall frame drive or bearing.

In the situation shown in Fig. 1 a, only the bearing 1 1 and the drive 12 need to be pushed axially in the direction of the bearing pins 4 and 5 only.

After pushing the bearing 1 1 and the drive, the retaining arms 9 and the fixing means 14 can be released from the forme cylinder and removed. Now the printing is possible. This situation is illustrated in FIGS. 2a and 2b.

FIGS. 3a and 3b show a situation analogous to FIGS. 1a and 1b, but in which, instead of a forme cylinder, a cylinder mandrel 18 has been brought into the printing unit. The cylinder mandrel 18 is held by the retaining arms 9 and locking lever 14 already described above. In contrast to the situation shown in Fig. 1 a now the bearing housing 10 has been moved not only in the axial direction, but also in the radial direction. In this way, the bearing housing clears the way to the pressure cylinder sleeve 19th subsequently be able to postpone on the cylinder mandrel 18. It is of course possible to equip the cylinder dome already with a sleeve which is needed for the first print job used in the printing unit. However, further steps are necessary for mounting the sleeve 19 in the case of a mandrel which has already been introduced into the printing unit and which are explained with reference to FIGS. 4 a and 4 b.

In the figures 4a and 4b it can be seen that the drive 12 has already been pushed onto the bearing pin 4 and coupled to this. Thereafter, the retaining arms 9 and the locking lever 14 can be released from the cylinder mandrel 18, so that the cylinder sleeve 19 can be pushed through the side frame wall 7 on the cylinder mandrel 18. Between the inner surface of the cylinder sleeve 19 and the outer surface of the cylinder mandrel 18 compressed air can be injected, which easily stretches the cylinder mandrel to reduce the frictional forces. The rotor of the drive 12 is supported with at least two pivot bearings on the stator or the drive housing, so that can be intercepted by the lever in this situation only one-end held cylinder mandrel leverage. Alternatively, in principle, the support arm 9 associated with the side frame 6 can hold the cylinder mandrel 18. In this case, the drive motor also comes with a single pivot bearing.

FIGS. 5a and 5b show the cylinder mandrel 18 with the cylinder sleeve 19 fully pushed in. The area of the cylinder mandrel 18 which receives the cylinder sleeve 19 is referred to below as the sleeve receiving portion 20. The cylinder mandrel 18 may be equipped with so-called Dehnspannhülsen that allow fixing the cylinder sleeve on the mandrel 18. In the illustrated situation, the side frame wall 7 associated holding arm 9 and the locking lever 14 again the the interceptor 1 1 facing end of the cylinder mandrel 18 detected and this raised so far that the axis of the mandrel 18 is aligned with the axis of the bearing 1 1 again. This step is necessary because it can not be avoided that the only one-end held mandrel 18 lowers a little at its free end. The holding arm 9 is thus able to raise the corresponding end of the cylinder mandrel 18 again. The bearing housing 10 was again moved radially, so that the axes of the cylinder mandrel 18 and the bearing 1 1 are aligned again. Thereafter, the bearing housing can be moved axially again, so that the bearing 1 1 comprises the bearing pin 5 and the retaining arm 9 and locking lever 14 are removed. This resulting situation is shown in Figures 6a and 6b. The cylinder, consisting of mandrel 18 and sleeve 19, is now ready to print.

FIGS. 7a, 7b and 7c show a bearing housing 10 which is displaced in the axial and radial directions. The support arm 9 and fixing lever 14 assigned to the side frame wall 6 have moved together so far that a distance remains between them which is greater than the outside diameter of the cylinder receiving section 20. but smaller than the outer diameter of the cylinder sleeve 19 (see Figure 7c). In this way, holding arm 9 and locking lever 14 are moved into the areas of the end face 21 of the cylinder sleeve 21. Now, if the drive 12 is moved in the axial direction A, without the bearing pin 4 is decoupled, the cylinder mandrel 18 is pulled a little way from the sleeve 19, which remains in position by the support arm 9 and the locking lever 14. This situation is shown in FIG. 8. The retaining arm 9 and the locking lever are assigned to this with damping pieces 22, which avoid damage to the cylinder sleeve 19. Now, if the drive 12 is moved back in the opposite direction, the cylinder mandrel 18 returns to its original position, the cylinder sleeve 19, however, relative to the initial position to the side frame wall 7 is shifted (see Figure 9). In this position, the sleeve can now be taken by the operator and removed in the axial direction of the printing unit (Figure 10).

Claims

claims A system for printing on a printing material web, comprising: at least one gravure printing unit (1), at least one forme cylinder (2) with end bearing journal (4,5), at least one cylinder mandrel (18) which is designed to cylinder sleeves (19) which Bear print motifs, record, wherein either the forme cylinder (2) or the cylinder mandrel (18) in the gravure printing unit (1) can be introduced and with a drive (12) of the gravure printing unit (1) rotatably connected. 2. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the drive (12) of the gravure printing unit (1) in the axial direction of the forme cylinder (2) or the cylinder mandrel (18) is displaceable. 3. System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the gravure printing unit (1) an interceptor (10) is provided, with which an end-side bearing pin (4,5) of the forme cylinder (2) or an axial end of the cylinder mandrel (18). is storable and which (18) in both the axial direction and in the radial direction of the cylinder (2) and the dome (18) is movable. 4. System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that Holding means (9) are provided, with which the forme cylinder (2) or the cylinder mandrel (18) are in a position aligned with the axes of the drive (12) and / or the interceptor storage (10) position. 5. System according to the preceding claim, characterized in that each holding means (9) is associated with a pivotable fixing means (14), with which the forme cylinder (2) or the cylinder mandrel (18) to the holding means (9) can be pressed. 6. System according to one of the two preceding claims, characterized in that each holding means (9) and / or each fixing means (14) by means of a drive unit (12) is movable. 7. System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cylinder mandrel (18) is fixed axially non-displaceably on the drive (12), and in that a holding means (9) on the end face of a cylinder sleeve mounted on the cylinder sleeve (19) can be applied, so that upon axial displacement of the cylinder mandrel (18), the cylinder sleeve (19) relative to the cylinder mandrel (18) is displaceable. 8. A method for equipping a gravure printing unit (1) with a print motif, which is applied to a printing substrate, in which a cylinder mandrel (18) which is designed to accommodate cylinder sleeves (19) which carry print motifs, optionally a forme cylinder (2 ) with end bearing journals (4, 5) or a cylinder mandrel (18) which is designed to receive cylinder sleeves (19) which carry printing motifs, is introduced into the gravure printing unit (1) and is driven by a drive (12) of the gravure printing unit (12). 1) is rotatably connected.