Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
  • B41F—PRINTING MACHINES OR PRESSES
  • B41F13/00—Common details of rotary presses or machines
  • B41F13/08—Cylinders
  • B41F13/10—Forme cylinders
  • B41F13/11—Gravure cylinders
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
  • B41F—PRINTING MACHINES OR PRESSES
  • B41F9/00—Rotary intaglio printing presses
  • B41F9/02—Rotary intaglio printing presses for multicolour printing
  • B41F9/023—Web printing presses
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
  • B41F—PRINTING MACHINES OR PRESSES
  • B41F9/00—Rotary intaglio printing presses
  • B41F9/003—Web printing presses
  • B41F9/005—Printing on two sides of the same web
  • B41F9/007—Printing on two sides of the same web with the same printing cylinder
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
  • B41C—PROCESSES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR REPRODUCTION OF PRINTING SURFACES
  • B41C1/00—Forme preparation
  • B41C1/02—Engraving; Heads therefor
  • B41C1/04—Engraving; Heads therefor using heads controlled by an electric information signal
  • B41C1/05—Heat-generating engraving heads, e.g. laser beam, electron beam

Definitions

• the present invention is related to a double ender rotogravure printing apparatus according to the pre-characterizing portion of claim 1.
• the object of the invention is to provide a solution overcoming the drawback of the known gravure printing technology in printing short runs and with signatures containing 16 to 64 pages and to decrease the average minimum print runs with signatures containing 16 up to 64 pages which are technically and economically feasible to achieve when using the rotogravure printing method.
• Another object of the invention is to provide a solution which is highly automated as to its function which minimizes the need for staffing. Furthermore, the solution must be reliable, cost efficient and easy to use in order to minimize the above mentioned constraints.
• the minimum average print runs (for 32-48-64 pages) is above 500 000 copies.
• the invention makes it feasible to substantially reduce the minimum average print run (well below 100 000 copies of products containing 16-64 pages in A4 format), and make rotogravure printing competitive on such products and markets where such products are in demand.
• To economically produce such products (16-64 pages) with low average print runs has not been technically and economically feasible since the end of 1970's, when the previous manual etching methods were replaced by mechanical engraving. These methods were analogue and can not be used today when all data received from customers is digital for manufacture of engraved cylinders. In the future, when faster laser technology is available even shorter runs will be possible to print - technically as well as economically.
• the cylinders of the double ender printing apparatus has a width of 130-380 cm with four units allowing the production of products from 16 to 64 pages in four colours on each side of the printed paper substrate.
• the said direct laser engraved cylinders are preferred, allowing the lowest average print runs, alternatively also mechanical engraved cylinders may be used.
• the said apparatus according to invention has the same performance as a standard eight unit rotogravure printing apparatus.
• FIG. 1 is a side view of a double ender rotogravure printing apparatus according to the invention, where several parts of the printing apparatus are deleted for clarity.
• Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the double ender apparatus in Fig. 1 along the line II - II in Fig. 2.
• Fig. 3 is a schematical top view of a second embodiment of a double ender apparatus according to the invention where further parts of the printing apparatus are deleted for more clarity.
• Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional of the cavities in cylinders used in double ender apparatus in Fig. 1.
• Figs. 1-2 illustrates a first embodiment of a double ender rotogravure printing apparatus 1 according to the invention.
• the double ender printing apparatus 1 comprises a folder 2, printing units 3, a turning bar device 4, an unwinder 5, a main drive 6 for the printing units 3 and devices 7 for loading/unloading of cylinders 8 into the printing units 3.
• the double ender printing apparatus 1 consists of five units, but at least four must be used in such an apparatus, and uses a continuous paper web 9 having two main printing passes which are substantially parallel to each other and each extends over a part of each half of each cylinder 8.
• the cylinder 8 is used to print the recto side, then the web 9 is turned twice by means of the turning bars 4 to print the verso side (wiederdruck) on the other half of the cylinder 8.
• the proposed rotogravure printing apparatus 1 is designed only for double ender printing.
• Fig. 3 shows a second embodiment of a double ender apparatus 20 according to the invention comprising a folder 21, four printing units (not shown), turning bars 22, an unwinder 23, a main drive (not shown) for the printing units and devices (not shown) for loading/unloading of cylinders 24a, 24 into the printing units.
• the apparatus has an automated device for webbing up the web 25.
• the continuous paper web 25 starts at the unwinder 23 and runs to the folder 21 of the double ender apparatus 20 and passes through four printing units (print cylinder 24) to print the recto side 25a of the web 25; the web 25 is then turned twice 45 degrees at the turning bars 22. The web 25 is then turned upside down and goes thereafter back to the first cylinder 24a. Further, the web 25 passes through the four printing units (print cylinders 24, 24a) to print the verso side 25b "wieder horr" of the paper web 25 and into the folder 21, to the right in Fig. 3. In order to obtain perfect colour register, the paper web 25 can be moved independently in lateral and longitudinal directions shown by means of arrows 26 and 27, respectively, when passing through each printing unit in recto "sch ⁇ n" and verso "wieder".
• the fifth unit could be used for lacquer (printing covers for magazines), any special ink demanded or to produce very few pages (8-16 pages) for versioning/zoning editions (when the text cylinders for black text needs to be changed very quickly).
• Figure 4 shows a metal surface 40 of cylinders 8 and 24a, 24 of the double ender rotogravure printing apparatuses 1 and 20, respectively.
• the metal surface 40 of cylinders 8, 24a, 24 is engraved in a laser engraving apparatus (not shown) with high speed and producing at least two rotogravure printing cylinders per hour.
• the laser engraving apparatus engraves cavities (cells) 41 which are generated on the metal surface 40 for rotogravure printing in the double ender printing apparatuses 1 and 20.
• the structure of the metal surface 40 which is preferably used generates
• double ender rotogravure printing apparatus 1 and 20 is not limited to the above described embodiments, but could be modified within the scope of the appended claims.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Manufacture Or Reproduction Of Printing Formes (AREA)
• Rotary Presses (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=39875734

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Citations (8)

Family Cites Families (1)

• 2007
  • 2007-04-23 SE SE0700985A patent/SE531975C2/sv not_active IP Right Cessation
• 2008
  • 2008-03-27 EP EP08724295A patent/EP2139682B1/en not_active Not-in-force
  • 2008-03-27 WO PCT/SE2008/050349 patent/WO2008130309A1/en active Application Filing

Patent Citations (8)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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