Abstract: A doctor or doctor blade is embedded in an enclosure or casing formed of plastic. The portion of such enclosure covering the region of a work edge of the doctor blade is connected with the remaining part of the enclosure by means of a reference fracture location in the form of notch-shaped weakening lines. These weakening lines determine the separation location between both of the enclosure sections or portions. After mounting the doctor blade, protected by the enclosure or casing, the work edge is exposed by separating the enclosure portion or section covering the work edge, whereas the remaining part of the enclosure remains at the doctor blade.

Abstract: A doctor blade for wiping excess ink from a printing surface of a printing form is disclosed herein, along with a method for making such a doctor blade, and printing equipment and methods using such doctor blade. The disclosed doctor blade comprises a doctor blade body having a constant blade thickness between parallel blade surfaces, and a marginal blade tip portion adjacent the doctor blade body having a shaped blade bevel essentially identical to the run-in blade bevel of a wedge-shaped conventional blade at optimum tonal quality size. Throughout a useful depth of its blade tip portion, the disclosed doctor blade has a constant blade tip thickness equal to the height of the shaped blade bevel measured essentially perpendicularly to the mentioned useful depth, which is equal to several times the shaped blade bevel height.