EP1743770B1 - Printing press and method for operating a printing press - Google Patents

Abstract

The machine has printing units with a rubber cylinder (11) and a form cylinder (12) that are coupled and decoupled by a coupling. A control device (15) is directly provided between cylinders and/or rollers of the units and the form cylinder, where the cylinders are driven by a main drive (10). The device closes the coupling between the rubber and form cylinders and connects a drive (13) of the form cylinder in a moment-release manner. An independent claim is also included for a method of operating a sheet printing machine.

Description

The invention relates to a printing machine, in particular a sheet-fed printing machine, according to the preamble of claim 1 and a method for operating a printing press, in particular a sheet-fed printing press, according to the preamble of claim 6.

Printing machines have a variety of facilities that must be driven in the printing, setup or maintenance operation of the printing press. In classical constellations all driven devices of a printing press are driven by a so-called main drive of the printing press. All devices to be driven are then usually mechanically connected via gears or toothed belt to the main drive.

In modern concepts for printing presses at least some of the driven devices of a printing press are driven by an engine. Thus, it is already known from the prior art to drive form cylinders or plate cylinders of printing units of the printing press by virtue of the fact that each of the form cylinder is assigned a separate drive, so that the form cylinder can be driven independently of the main drive.

A printing press whose printing units have self-driven form cylinder, is from the EP 0 834 398 B1 known, which can be coupled or decoupled by a switchable coupling according to this prior art driven by the main drive rubber cylinders of the printing units and the respective self-propelled forme cylinder of each printing unit.

In order to ensure safe operation of a printing machine, protective measures must be implemented on the control side for all hazards caused by drives of the printing press. This applies both to the main drive as well as each independently driven by the main drive drive a self-propelled device. Thus, a safe operation of a drive is usually only to be ensured if basic protective measures or safety specifications are implemented for it, in particular measures for a safe shutdown of the drive, measures against an unexpected start of the drive, measures to maintain maximum speeds of the drive, measures to comply with maximum distances of the drive and measures to maintain a correct direction of rotation of the same. The implementation of all these protective measures for the main drive and each independently driven from the main drive drive the self-propelled devices of the printing press requires a lot of effort on the control side. This is disadvantageous overall.

On this basis, the present invention is based on the problem to provide a novel printing press and a method for operating the same.

This problem is solved by a printing machine according to claim 1. The printing press according to the invention has a first control device which, in the presence of a safety-relevant event, prescribes synchronous operation between the cylinders or cylinders of a printing unit driven by the or each main drive and the respective forme motor driven form cylinder, namely in that the first control device is the or each switchable coupling between the blanket cylinder and the forme cylinder of the respective printing unit closes and switches the drive of the forme cylinder torqueless.

For the purposes of the present invention, it is proposed that a first control device force a synchronous operation between the devices of the printing press driven by the main drive and the form-cylinder driven by the motor directly in the presence of a safety-relevant event. The synchronous operation is enforced by the fact that the first control device closes a clutch, which is opened in the printing operation of the printing press and decouples the forme cylinder from the main drive, and switches the drive of the forme cylinder torque-free. This ensures that all protective measures or safety specifications of the main drive are inherited on the drive of the respective self-propelled forme cylinder controlled by the control. As a result, control measures can be implemented with relatively little effort on the control side for all hazards of all drives of the printing press.

According to an advantageous development of the invention, the printing machine according to the invention has a second control device which, independently of the first control device after a defined period of time after the presence of the safety-relevant event synchronous operation between the driven by the or each main drive cylinders or rollers of a printing unit and the respective own cylinder drivable form cylinder dictates that the second control device closes the or each switchable coupling between the blanket cylinder and the forme cylinder of the respective printing unit and the drive of the forme cylinder torque-free switches.

The inventive method for operating a printing press is defined in claim 6.

Fig. 1:

ein stark schematisiertes Blockschaltbild einer erfindungsgemäßen Druckmaschine;

Fig. 2:

ein stark schematisiertes Blockschaltbild einer weiteren erfindungsgemäßen Druckmaschine.

Preferred embodiments of the invention will become apparent from the dependent claims and the description below. Embodiments of the invention will be described, without being limited thereto, with reference to the drawings. Showing:

Fig. 1:

a highly schematic block diagram of a printing machine according to the invention;

Fig. 2:

a highly schematic block diagram of another printing press according to the invention.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to FIG Fig. 1 and 2 described in more detail.

Fig. 1 shows a highly schematic block diagram of the control-side components of a sheet-fed press according to the invention, wherein the sheet-fed printing machine according to the invention comprises a main drive 10, which in the illustration of Fig. 1 drives a blanket cylinder 11 of a printing unit of the sheet-fed press. A plate cylinder or forme cylinder 12 of this printing unit can be driven by a separate drive 13. In the form of cylinder 12 is therefore a self-powered device of the sheet-fed press.

At this point it should be noted that the sheet-fed press may comprise several main drives. Furthermore, the sheet-fed printing press usually comprises a plurality of printing units, each printing unit having an own-motor-driven forme cylinder. For the sake of simplicity, is in Fig. 1 only the blanket cylinder 11 and the forme cylinder 12 of a printing unit shown, wherein the blanket cylinder 11 from the main drive 10 and the forme cylinder 12 are driven by the drive 13 eigenmotorisch. In addition to the blanket cylinder 11, the main drive 10 usually drives in non-illustrated printing cylinder and non-illustrated transfer cylinder of the sheet-fed press and in Fig. 1 not shown inking units of the printing units of the sheet-fed printing machine.

As Fig. 1 can be removed is between the blanket cylinder 11 and the plate cylinder 12 of the Fig. 1 a clutch 14 is arranged, wherein in the normal pressure operation, in which the forme cylinder 12 is driven by the drive 13, the clutch 14 is opened, so as to decouple the forme cylinder 12 from the main drive 10 and the blanket cylinder 11.

To implement the necessary safety measures for the self-powered form cylinder 12 of the Fig. 1 shown printing unit is proposed in the sense of the present invention, the safety measures of the main drive 10 control side on the self-propelled forme cylinder 12 of the respective printing unit inherit that in the presence of a safety-related event synchronous operation between the driven by the main drive 10 blanket cylinder 11 and the drive 13 own motor driven form cylinder 12 is specified. For this purpose, in the sense of the present invention, a first control device 15 is used, to which a signal is fed as input signal 16 which contains data on whether or not there is a safety-relevant event. The first control device 15 is directly in the presence of a safety-related event synchronous operation between the driven by the main drive 10 blanket cylinder 11 and driven by the drive 13 form cylinder 12 in that the first controller 15 via a first output signal 17, the clutch 14 between blanket cylinder 11 and forme cylinder 12 closes and via a second output signal 18, the drive 13 of the forme cylinder 12 torque-free switches, in which this z. B. is switched off or de-energized. Accordingly, by closing the clutch 14 immediately in the presence of a safety-relevant event, the first control device 15 forces the synchronous operation between the forme cylinder 12 and the blanket cylinder 11 driven by the main drive 10 immediately in the presence of a safety-relevant event. This achieves that the forme cylinder 12 reaches the main drive 10 follows.

As Fig. 1 shows, the signal 16, which contains data on the presence or absence of a safety-relevant event, not only the first control device 15 is supplied as an input signal, but rather continues to a second control device 19. It lies within the meaning of the present invention that the second control device 19 independently of the first control device 15 after a defined period of time after the presence of the safety-relevant event and thus delayed to or after the first control means 15, a synchronous operation between the forme cylinder 12 and driven by the main drive 10 blanket cylinder 11 pretends, namely turn in that this time the second control device 19 closes the clutch 14 via corresponding output signals 20 and switches the drive 13 of the forme cylinder 12 torqueless.

It is therefore enforced via two independently operating control devices 15 and 19 in the presence of a safety-related event synchronous operation between the forme cylinder 12 and driven by the main drive 10 blanket cylinder 11. The first control device 15 predetermines the synchronous operation immediately in the presence of a safety-relevant event. The second control device 19 forces the synchronous operation only after a defined period of time, which is preferably on the order of a few seconds.

According to an advantageous development of the present invention, the second control direction 19 reads during or within the defined period of time after the existence of the safety-relevant event at least the first output signal 17 of the first control device 15, which serves to drive the clutch 14, the second control device 19 based on This read signal monitors the proper operation of the first controller. If the second control device 19 determines that the first control device 15 is not operating properly, an error message or a warning can be generated. From the second control direction can also be the second output signal 18 of the first Control device 15 are read to monitor the proper operation of the first control device 15. By comparing the forced synchronous operation with the clutch 14 closed, the proper operation of the clutch 14 can be monitored in the first control device 15, in which case if an error of the clutch 14 is detected, again a warning or an error message can be generated.

Fig. 2 shows a preferred development of the control-side components according to Fig. 1 , wherein like reference numerals are used to avoid unnecessary repetitions for the same components. In the following, only the details are dealt with by which the arrangement of the Fig. 2 from the arrangement of Fig. 1 different.

Thus, in the arrangement of Fig. 2 between the driven by the main drive 10 blanket cylinder 11 and the motor driven by the drive 13 form cylinder 12 two clutches 21 and 22 are arranged, wherein the normal pressure operation of the sheet printing machine, the clutch 21 is open to the self-powered form cylinder 12 from the main drive 10 and the blanket cylinder 11th to decouple, and wherein the clutch 22 is closed in normal pressure operation of the sheet-fed press to couple an inking unit 23 to the main drive 10 so that cylinders or rollers of the inking unit 23 are driven via the main drive 10. The coupling 21 of the arrangement of Fig. 2 Accordingly corresponds to the coupling 14 of the arrangement of Fig. 1 , wherein the first control device 15 and the second control device 19 in turn close when clutching a safety-relevant event, the clutch 21 and the drive 13 of the forme cylinder 12 torqueless, namely independently and offset in time. Regarding these details may refer to the comments on the arrangement of Fig. 1 to get expelled. The safety measures of the main drive 10 can be inherited on the drive 13 of the self-propelled forme cylinder 12 control side.

As already mentioned, in the normal printing operation of the sheet-fed printing machine in the arrangement of Fig. 2 the clutch 21 is opened and the clutch 22 is closed so that the inking unit 23 is coupled to the main drive 10 and the forme cylinder 12 is decoupled from the main drive 10. Then, when a safety-relevant event is present, a synchronous operation between the forme cylinder 12 and driven by the main drive 10 blanket cylinder 11 enforced, namely, inter alia, that via output signals 17, 20 of the controller 15, 19, the clutch 21 is controlled in a time-delayed manner that the same is closed.

Is used in the arrangement of Fig. 2 the sheet-fed press z. B. for washing the inking unit 23 and for inking run in the inking unit 23 with the clutch 21 and clutch 22 open, so as to couple the inking unit 23 to the drive 13 and decouple from the main drive 10, and occurs during this Operating state a safety-relevant event, it is within the meaning of the invention that the control device 15 via a third output signal 24, the clutch 22 closes, so as to couple the self-propelled mechanisms of the sheet-fed press to the main drive 10. Here too, the second control device 19 generates a corresponding output signal 20 offset in time or temporally after the first control device 15 in order to force the synchronous operation. By reading the output signals 17 and / or 18 and / or 24 of the first control device 15 by the second control device 19 can also in the embodiment of the Fig. 2 a proper operation of the first control device 15 are monitored.

As a security-relevant event, it is preferably monitored whether a protective device is open on the sheet-fed printing press and thus a danger zone is accessible to it. However, any other signal can be evaluated as a security-relevant event. So z. B. synchronous operation, as described above, be enforced even if an auxiliary power source.

Fig. 1 and 2 show the invention for reasons of a simpler representation of a printing unit of a sheet-fed press. In the case of several printing units, each printing unit has a form cylinder 12 which can be driven by an own motor, to which a respective drive 13 is assigned. It is within the meaning of the present invention that separately or individually the presence of at least one safety-relevant event is monitored for each self-propelled forme cylinder 12 or for each printing unit. In the presence of a safety-relevant event for at least one self-propelled forme cylinder 12 then give, as described above, the control means 15 and 19 a synchronous operation between the main drive 10 and the respective self-propelled forme cylinder 12 and the drive 13 thereof.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

10

main drive

11

rubber cylinder

12

form cylinder

13

drive

14

clutch

15

first control device

16

input

17

first output signal

18

second output signal

19

second control device

20

output

21

clutch

22

clutch

23

inking

24

third output signal

Claims (8)

1. A printing machine, more preferably sheet-fed printing machine, with a plurality of printing systems, wherein each printing system comprises a printing cylinder, a rubber cylinder (11) and cylinders or rolls of a inking system (23), which can be driven by at least one main drive (10), wherein each printing system furthermore comprises a form cylinder (12) which is drivable by its own motor independently of the or each main drive (10), which form cylinder is assigned a separate drive (13), and wherein the rubber cylinder (11) and the form cylinder (12) of each printing system can be coupled and decoupled via at least one switchable clutch (21, 22) each, characterized by a first control device (15), which immediately in the presence of a safety-relevant event presets synchronous operation between the cylinders or rolls of a printing system driven by the or each main drive (10) and the respective form cylinder (12) drivable by its own motor in that the first control device (15) closes the or each switchable clutch (14; 21) between the rubber cylinder (11) and the form cylinder (12) of the respective printing system and switches the drive (13) of the form cylinder (12) momentless.
2. The printing machine according to Claim 1, characterized by a second control device (19) which independently of the first control device (15) following the expiration of a defined time span in the presence of the safety-relevant event presets synchronous operation between the cylinders or rolls of a printing system driven by the or each main drive (10) and the respective form cylinder (12) drivable by its own motor in that the second control device (19) closes the or each switchable clutch (14; 21) between the rubber cylinder (11) and the form cylinder (12) of the respective printing system and switches the drive (13) of the form cylinder (12) momentless.
3. The printing machine according to Claim 2, characterized in that the second control device (19) during or within the defined time span in the presence of the safety-relevant event reads at least one control signal (17) of the first control device (15) and on the basis of the or each read control signal (17) monitors the proper operation of the first control device (15).
4. The printing machine according to any one or several of the Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the first control device (15) and preferentially the second control device (19) monitors as safety-relevant event if a protective device is open and thus a hazard area on the printing machine is accessible.
5. The printing machine according to any one or several of the Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that in a printing operation of the printing machine the form cylinder (12) of each printing system with an opened clutch (14; 21) is decoupled from the rubber cylinder (11) and thus driven independently of the main drive (10), wherein the first control device (15) and offset in time the second control device (19) whenever a safety-relevant event is present, closes the opened clutch (14; 21) between the rubber cylinder (11) and the form cylinder (12) of the respective printing system and switches the drive (13) of the form cylinder (12) momentless.
6. A method for operating a printing machine, more preferably a sheet-fed printing machine with several printing systems, wherein each printing system comprises a printing cylinder, a rubber cylinder (11) and cylinders or rolls of an inking system (23), which can be driven by at least one main drive (10), wherein each printing system furthermore comprises a form cylinder (12) drivable by its own motor independently of the or each main drive (10), and wherein the rubber cylinder (11) and the form cylinder (12) of each printing system can be coupled and decoupled via at least one switchable clutch each, characterized in that it is monitored if a safety-relevant event is present, wherein immediately in the presence of a safety-relevant event a first control device (15) presets synchronous operation between the cylinders or rolls of a printing system driven by the or each main drive (10) and the respective form cylinder (12) drivable by its own motor in that the or each switchable clutch between the rubber cylinder (11) and the form cylinder (12) of the respective printing system is closed and the drive (13) of the form cylinder (12) is switched momentless.
7. The method according to Claim 6, characterized in that after the expiration of a defined time span in the presence of the safety-relevant event a second control device (19) independently of the first control device (15) presets synchronous operation between the cylinders or rolls of a printing system driven by the or each main drive (10) and the respective form cylinder (12) drivable by its own motor in that the or each switchable clutch (22, 23) between the rubber cylinder (11) and the form cylinder (12) of the respective printing system is closed and the drive (13) of the form cylinder (12) is switched momentless.
8. The method according to Claim 7, characterized in that during or within the defined time span in the presence of the safety-relevant event at least one control signal of the first control device (15) is read by the second control device (19) in order to monitor the proper operation of the first control device (15).

Images