EP2006099A2 - Printing press - Google Patents

Abstract

The press has printing units convertible between different printing processes. Each printing unit has a receiving element for releasably connecting and receiving a printing unit subassembly or a printing unit component for implementing a printing process on a web of printing material passing through the printing unit in a nip. The receiving element executes a linear movement perpendicular to an engagement direction for tilting an axis of rotation of the cylinder relative to an axis of rotation of an impression cylinder.

Description

The invention relates to a printing machine for processing a printing material web, in particular for the production of labels or packaging, with a plurality of convertible between different printing methods printing units, each convertible printing unit at least one receiving element for releasably connecting a recording unit component or a printing unit component such that Printing method on the running through the printing substrate substrate in a pressure gap formed by a cylinder and an impression cylinder is executable.

For label printing or packaging printing, printing machines are frequently used which work with a multiplicity of different printing methods in order to make the various special design options of the printing methods available in combination. For this purpose, there are also printing presses whose printing units can be easily converted from a first printing method to a second, different printing method by replacing one or fewer printing unit components or printing unit components, so that the variable desired desired printed products each adapted structure of the printing press can be realized ,

Such a generic convertible printing press is called Gallus RCS by Gallus Ferd. Rüesch AG in St. Gallen, Switzerland, manufactured and distributed. Individual variants of this widespread type of printing press are characterized by a number addition, for example, a Gallus RCS 330 machine is offered for sale. This generic convertible printing machine processes a printing substrate in a plurality of work stations, in particular printing units, which are arranged in a row in a horizontal sequence. The individual printing units comprise two platforms, in particular receiving elements, such as bearing blocks or bearing plates and drive shafts, on which printing unit components or printing unit components / printing unit assemblies are detachably received, so that functioning printing units are created. The printing units can in particular be converted or reconfigured between the following printing methods: flexographic printing, gravure printing, offset printing and screen printing. The platforms are movable along a linear path relative to each other and to a counter-pressure cylinder, so that a pressure adjustment can be made to the guided over the impression cylinder printing material.

In order to expand the possibilities of action to achieve a register-based pressure of a plurality of individual color separations to one another, it may be expedient to equip such a generic convertible printing press with a diagonal register adjustment. For example, from the document DE 563 833 It is known to compensate for differences in transmission between a plurality of intaglio cylinders arranged around an impression cylinder in that the axes of the intaglio cylinders are crossed or interleaved relative to the impression cylinder axis. In particular, the support means of the rotogravure cylinder can be specifically adjustable: pivoting plates are accommodated eccentrically mounted in pivot pins. Instead of the pivot and adjustable bearings or journals can be arranged or the bearings of the gravure cylinder can be adjustable.

By a pivoting movement of a bearing but the employment or contact pressure of the forme cylinder can be changed to the printing material on the impression cylinder, so that further secondary corrective measures are required in a disadvantageous manner.

Object of the present invention is to provide a decoupled from the employment of the printing unit to the printing material web diagonal register adjustment in a convertible between different printing process printing a printing press.

This object is achieved by a printing machine with the features of claim 1. Advantageous developments of the invention are characterized in the dependent claims.

A printing press according to the invention for processing a printing material web, in particular for the production of labels or packages, comprises a plurality of printing units convertible between different printing methods, each convertible printing group having at least one receiving element for detachably connecting a printing unit component or a printing unit component such that the printing method (US Pat. the printing process determined by the printing unit components or printing engine components) on the running through the printing unit substrate web in one of a cylinder and an impression cylinder pressure gap is executable. According to the invention, the axis of rotation of the cylinder is linearly movable (pivotable, tiltable, crossable) relative to the axis of rotation of the counter-pressure cylinder by linear movement of the at least one receiving element perpendicular to the setting direction between the cylinder and the counter-pressure cylinder.

In other words, the axes of rotation of the cylinder and of the counter-pressure cylinder can be brought by means of the linear movement of the receiving element from a parallel position to a position in which the axes of rotation are skewed with unchanged minimal vertical distance from each other. In other words, the axis of rotation of the cylinder is pivoted out of the plane defined by the parallel axes of rotation about a plane parallel to the plane axis.

The inclusion of a printing unit component or a printing unit component can be done by means of a bearing in the receiving element. A conversion of a printing unit can be done with little effort by means of detachable connections of individual parts of the printing unit, in particular for the printing unit non-destructive. The at least one receiving element is preferably arranged on the operating side. The print engine components or printing unit components to be included for the conversion can be recorded on a recording platform of the printing unit. The receiving element may be part of a receiving platform, in particular a storage location or a storage block, or a whole receiving platform. The printing unit component may be a cylinder, the printing unit component may be a cassette with a plurality of individual Be printing unit components. The printing machine may be referred to as a hybrid printing machine. The printing material may be in particular paper, cardboard, a film or a material for self-adhesive labels. The printing press can be a narrow web press. The width of the printing material web can be less than 900 mm, in particular less than 500 mm. The printing machine can be used in particular for multicolor printing. A convertible printing unit is in particular a printing unit for a single color separation on one side of the printing material web. In other words, a printing unit in particular comprises only a single form cylinder.

Advantageously, a diagonal register adjustment is provided by the invention, in which no change in the Anpressbedingungen results. There is a mechanical compensation of errors from the prepress, the printing plate production or manufacturing tolerances, which is decoupled from the employment of the printing unit to the printing material. Due to the decoupling for employment, the adjustment can also take place in printing operation. Waste can be reduced or even avoided. As a further advantage, it can be seen that the diagonal register is realized with the remaining in a process change in the printing machine receiving element and can be used for each of the recorded printing unit components or printing engine components process independent and equivalent effect. In this way, a very user-friendly diagonal register adjustment is created, since only one adjustment is required.

In preferred embodiments of the printing press according to the invention, the printing unit component or the printing unit component can be converted from the remainder of the printing press without removing the impression cylinder from the printing unit and / or without changing the course of the printing material web through the printing press and / or severing the printing material web. In other words, different printing methods use the same impression cylinder or the same press configuration. In further developed embodiments of the printing machine and the impression cylinder can be independent of the printing unit component or the Print engine component be convertible or removable.

Particularly preferred in the printing machine according to the invention, the linear movement is effected by means of a component of an adjusting device which converts a linear movement in a direction other than the direction of movement of the at least one receiving element or a rotational movement in the linear movement of the at least one receiving element. In particular, the component of the adjusting device may be a wedge, which cooperates on an inclined plane with a sliding surface of a printing unit component, in particular a sliding block, so that upon movement of the wedge in the direction of inclination of the inclined plane, the sliding surface of a printing unit component, in particular the sliding block, perpendicular to the movement of the wedge is movable.

In embodiments of the printing press according to the invention, the adjustment of the cylinder to the impression cylinder in the horizontal direction and the entanglement of the axis of rotation of the cylinder relative to the axis of rotation of the impression cylinder by movement of the receiving element in the vertical direction can take place.

Furthermore or alternatively, the convertible printing unit can be an offset printing unit, the cylinder being a printing form cylinder or a transfer printing cylinder, or a flexographic printing unit or a gravure printing unit, wherein the cylinder is a printing form cylinder. The printing machine may further comprise one or more printing units according to the following printing methods: screen printing, letterpress printing, xerographic printing, ink jet printing. In addition, the printing press may include one or more cutting units, embossing units, in particular hot foil stamping units, or stamping units.

For offset printing (indirect planographic printing) is the skilled person immediately clear that in the case of entanglement of the transfer cylinder (blanket cylinder) relative to the impression cylinder in addition to this entanglement also a corresponding movement of the plate cylinder is required to the impression cylinder, thus no equalization of the entanglement made by a counteracting between Transfer printing cylinder and printing forme cylinder occurs. If printing form cylinder and transfer cylinder are realized in a printing unit component, for example in the form of a cassette, drawer or essay, the entanglement can be achieved by an entanglement of the entire printing unit components.

In advantageous embodiments of the printing machine according to the invention, the at least one receiving element can be relatively displaceable relative to the base frame of the printing unit in a direction perpendicular to the lateral direction and / or the printing unit can comprise at least two receiving elements which are adjustable relative to one another and relative to the base frame of the printing unit.

In an advantageous development, the printing unit comprises a display element for a degree of entanglement of the axis of rotation of the cylinder relative to the axis of rotation of the impression cylinder.

In advantageous embodiments of the printing press according to the invention, at least one other receiving element, which is different from the linearly movable receiving element, can simultaneously form a drive interface for the printing unit component and / or the printing unit component.

In the printing machine according to the invention, the printing units of the printing press can be arranged substantially in the horizontal direction in series construction and / or the printing units of individual drives are driven separately and / or the printing length (format length) and / or the printing width of the printing units to be variable. Typical format lengths are between 30,48 and 60,96 centimeters (12 and 24 inches).

Figur 1

eine Ansicht eines umrüstbaren Druckwerks einer Ausführungsform einer erfindungsgemäßen Druckmaschine,

Figur 2

einen vergrößerten Ausschnitt der Ansicht der Figur 1, welcher die erfindungsgemäße Diagonalregisterverstellung nebst Anzeigeelement zeigt,

Figur 3

eine Ansicht der Diagonalregisterverstellung ohne Lagerplatte, und

Figur 4

schematische Darstellungen verschiedene Ausführungsformen A, B und C, in denen eine Verstellung mittels eines Keiles zur Wandlung einer linearen Bewegung in einer ersten Richtung in eine lineare Bewegung in einer zweite Richtung erfolgt.

Further advantages and advantageous embodiments and developments of the invention will be described with reference to the following figures and their descriptions. It shows in detail:

FIG. 1

a view of a convertible printing unit of an embodiment of a printing press according to the invention,

FIG. 2

an enlarged section of the view of the FIG. 1 , which shows the diagonal register adjustment according to the invention together with display element,

FIG. 3

a view of the diagonal register adjustment without bearing plate, and

FIG. 4

schematic representations of various embodiments A, B and C, in which an adjustment by means of a wedge to convert a linear movement in a first direction into a linear movement in a second direction.

The FIG. 1 shows a convertible printing unit 12 of an embodiment of a printing machine 10 according to the invention, a Gallus RCS printing machine, for multi-color printing, the operator side in the foreground, the drive side in the background. The printing press 10 has a plurality of such printing units in a row construction and is designed for label printing, in particular of self-adhesive labels. This embodiment of the printing machine according to the invention is also referred to as a narrow web label printing machine. The printing machine 10 further comprises an unprocessed printing material unwinding device, a web with a carrier layer and a substrate layer, downstream printing units 12 for punching on the substrate layer printed labels from the printing material web without severing the carrier web, and a retractor for the processed substrate web, that is, the carrier web with the labels thereon.

The convertible printing unit 12 shown here is configured by way of example to form a flexo printing unit. The removable cylinder 14 is a printing form cylinder which interacts with a counter-pressure cylinder 16, via which the printing material web is guided during operation, in a printing gap 30. The convertible printing unit 12 also includes a Anilox roller 18, on which printing ink is applied by means of a doctor blade chamber 20. The cylinder 14, here the Druckfromzylinder, is recorded on a first platform 22, and the anilox roller 18 with Rakelfarbkammer 20 on a second platform 24. Both platforms 22, 24 are linearly movable along guide beams 26, guide rails, relative to the counter-pressure cylinder 16 and relative to each other, so that a position of the individual printing engine components can be made to the guided over the impression cylinder 16 substrate web in the direction of employment 28. Different print lengths (print formats) can be realized by using cylinders of different sizes. The distance between the axes of rotation is variable in the direction of employment 28. The printing units 12 of the printing press 10 are individually driven (direct drive). On the drive side of the printing unit 12 there are two servomotors concealed in this illustration, one servomotor each being assigned to one of the platforms 22, 24. The interfaces to the servomotors allow on the one hand a mechanical fixation (receiving elements by frictional engagement, adhesion or the like), on the other hand, they also make a drive connection ago (here, for example by means of a shaft journal). The first platform 22 includes such a drive-side receiving element 38. The operator-side bearing plate 32 is hinged to make the recorded on the first platform 22 print engine components or engine components accessible. The same applies to the second platform 24. In particular, at the interfaces on the platforms 22, 24 recorded printing unit components or printing unit components can be separated from their drives. In the realization of an offset printing unit, the assembly Druckfromzylinder-Umdruckzylinder (format cassette) can be added to the first platform 22, while on the second platform 24, the ink fountain unit can be accommodated. In the realization of a gravure printing unit, the printing form cylinder on the first platform 22 and the chamber doctor blade on the second platform 24 are received.

In the operating side bearing plate 32 of the first platform 22, in which the cylinder 14 is detachably or removably received, here for the convertible flexographic printing of the plate cylinder, there is a receiving element 34 which perpendicular to the direction of employment 28 in the direction of Verschränkungsbewegung 36 with a basis the following Figures 2 and 3 closer explained adjusting device is movable, so that the axis of rotation of the cylinder 14 can be entangled relative to the axis of rotation of the impression cylinder 16. Such a diagonal register adjustment has the function of avoiding skew errors in multicolor printing by tilting the cylinder 14, here in the flexographic printing unit of the forme cylinder, more generally the printing unit components or the printing unit components, which are accommodated on the first platform 22. By the cylinder 14, here in the case of the flexographic printing unit of the forme cylinder, more generally the printing unit components or the printing unit components accommodated on the first platform 22, being entangled relative to the impression cylinder, the printed image is inclined relative to the printing material web.

Alternatively to a built-in the bearing-side bearing plate 32 movable receiving element 34 according to the FIGS. 1 . 2 and 3 , It can be realized that the entire first platform 22 is carried out in addition to recorded thereon printing unit components or printing unit components linearly movable for entanglement.

The FIG. 2 is an enlarged section of the view of the FIG. 1 , which shows the diagonal register adjustment according to the invention, in particular the linearly movable receiving element 34 together with the display element 44 in the bearing plate 22 for the cylinder 14. The receiving element 34 has an externally accessible adjusting screw 40 which can be actuated with a socket wrench. As an alternative to the illustrated adjustment also a tool-operated screw or a thumbwheel can be used. By a rotation of the adjusting screw 40, a movement of a component of the adjusting device in the adjustment direction 42, in the lateral direction (transverse direction) of the printing machine 10 is effected, this movement in the adjustment direction 42 is converted into the Verschränkungsbewegung 36 in the vertical direction. The quantitative position of the receiving element 34 and thus of the cylinder 14, the adjustment variable, the operator by means of a display element 44, here by means of pointing on a scale analog pointer, visualized. The entanglement can take place from a horizontal plane both upwards and downwards, so that the Entanglement (skew) is signed. The fixation is done by hand with a locking lever or with a thumbscrew. The fuse is frictionally by means of a prestressed plate spring, in alternative embodiments only form-fitting.

The FIG. 3 shows a view of the diagonal register adjustment without bearing plate 32. Specifically, in this embodiment, the adjusting device by the rotational movement of the adjusting screw 40, a flat wedge with a pitch angle of 3 ° horizontally transversely displaced. This horizontal transverse movement of the wedge is converted into vertical movement of a sliding surface of a sliding block in contact with the flat wedge on the operating side bearing plate 32 of the first platform 22. In this way, the cylinder 14, here in the case of the flexographic printing unit of the forme cylinder, generally adjusts the printing unit components or the printing unit components accommodated on the first platform 22 in the bearing position relative to the counter-pressure cylinder 16 or the printing substrate, vertically. In this embodiment, the adjustment resolution is about 0.01 mm. The maximum adjustment path is +/- 0.15 mm based on the printing width. The adjustment can be done advantageously under load with a tool. At the bearing only small hystereses, and the adjustment works thus under pressure. Due to the direct action on the bearing, no additional tolerances are incorporated.

In the FIG. 4 are schematically different to those in the FIGS. 1 . 2 and 3 shown embodiment alternative embodiments A, B and C shown in which an adjustment by means of a wedge to convert a linear movement in a first direction into a linear movement in a second direction. In the part A of the FIG. 4 In the embodiment shown, a wedge 46 cooperating with a sliding surface 48 is provided on the operating-side bearing plate 32, so that an adjustment of the bearing plate 32 in the horizontal, lateral direction results in a vertical displacement movement 36. In the part B of the FIG. 4 shown embodiment, a co-operating with a sliding surface 48 wedge 46 between the guide bracket 26 and the operating side bearing plate 32 to effect a Verschränkungsbewegung 36 in the vertical direction by means of an adjustment of the bearing plate 32 in the horizontal, lateral direction. Finally, in the field C of FIG. 4 illustrated how a wedge 46 cooperates with a sliding surface 48 of an inking unit 50 for offset printing with the convertible printing unit 12, so that an adjustment of the bearing plate 32 in the horizontal direction, perpendicular to the lateral direction results in a Verschränkungsbewegung 36 in the vertical direction.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

10

press

12

printing unit

14

cylinder

16

Impression cylinder

18

anilox roller

20

Squeegee ink chamber

22

first platform

24

second platform

26

guide support

28

employment direction

30

nip

32

bearing plate

34

receiving element

36

tilting movement

38

drive-side receiving element

40

adjusting

42

adjustment

44

display element

46

wedge

48

sliding surface

50

inking

Claims (10)

Printing machine (10) for processing a printing material web, in particular for the production of labels or packaging, with a plurality of convertible between different printing methods printing units (12), wherein each convertible printing unit (12) at least one receiving element (34) for releasably connecting receiving a printing unit component or a printing unit component such that the printing process is executable on the printing substrate web extending through the printing unit (12) in a printing nip (30) formed by a cylinder (14) and an impression cylinder (16),
characterized,
in that the axis of rotation of the cylinder (14) is linearly displaceable relative to the axis of rotation of the counter-pressure cylinder (16) by linear movement (36) of the at least one receiving element (34) perpendicular to the direction of engagement (28) between the cylinder (14) and the impression cylinder (16). Printing machine (10) according to claim 1,
characterized,
that the printing device or printing unit component can be converted from the rest of the printing machine (10) without removing the back-pressure cylinder (16) the printing unit (12) and / or without changing the course of the printing substrate through the printing machine (10) and / or the substrate web to sever. Printing machine (10) according to claim 1 or 2,
characterized,
in that the linear movement (36) is effected by means of a component of an adjusting device which effects a linear movement in a different direction (42) than the direction of movement of the at least one receiving element (34) or a rotational movement into the linear movement of the at least one receiving element ( 34) converts. Printing machine (10) according to claim 3,
characterized,
in that the component of the adjusting device is a wedge (46) which interacts with a sliding surface (48) at an inclined plane, so that when the wedge (46) moves in the direction of the inclination of the inclined plane of the sliding surface (48) perpendicular to the movement of the wedge (46). 46) is movable. Printing machine (10) according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized,
that the adjustment of the cylinder (14) to the impression cylinder (16) in the horizontal direction and the entanglement of the axis of rotation of the cylinder (14) relative to the axis of rotation of the impression cylinder (16) by movement of the receiving element (34) in the vertical direction. Printing machine (10) according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized,
that the convertible printing unit (12) is an offset printing unit, wherein the cylinder (14) is a printing form cylinder or a transfer cylinder, or a flexographic printing unit or a gravure printing unit, wherein the cylinder (14) is a printing form cylinder. Printing machine (10) according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized,
in that the at least one receiving element (34) is relatively displaceable relative to the base frame of the printing unit (12) in a direction perpendicular to the lateral direction and / or that the printing unit (12) comprises at least two receiving elements (32) adjustable relative to one another and relative to the base frame of the printing unit (12). 34, 38). Printing machine (10) according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized,
in that the printing unit (12) has a display element (44) for a measure of the entanglement of the axis of rotation of the cylinder (14) relative to the axis of rotation of the impression cylinder (16). Printing machine (10) according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized,
in that at least one other receiving element (38), which is different from the linearly movable receiving element (34), simultaneously forms a drive interface for the printing unit component and / or the printing unit component. Printing machine (10) according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized,
that the printing units (12) of the printing machine (10) are arranged substantially in the horizontal direction in series construction and / or the printing units (12) of individual actuators are separately driven and / or the print length and / or the printing width of the printing units (12) are variable ,

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