Abstract: A machine can deposit a film on a roll that will be used as a rotogravure printing medium. The machine has a carriage for rotatably holding the roll. Also included is a rotary driver for rotating the roll, and a linear driver for moving the carriage downstream along a processing path in order to move the roll axially. The machine also has a coating head with an orifice that is in communication with a source of composition for dispensing the composition onto the roll helically as a merging series of adjacent, self-leveling strip or bead portions. The carriage can be moved to one or more curing stations where the composition film will be (a) initially cured with a UV energy source at a primary energy flux density, and (b) secondarily cured with a UV energy source at a secondary energy flux density that is greater than the primary energy flux density.

Abstract: A rotogravure printing medium includes a member coated with a film that is selectively removable to produce ink retaining cells. The film is formed by a series of adjacent strip of bead portions of a self-leveling, curable plastic composition which is engravable after curing. The adjacent strip or bead portions merge and self-level after deposition to produce a uniform continuous coating of the plastic composition.

Abstract: A printing medium or image carrier for application to a printing apparatus or substrate which comprises a plastic composition which is applied to a printing substrate to form a plastic coating covering the substrate, which plastic coating is engraved to provide a printing medium. Preferred plastic compositions are those including epoxide resins such as cycloaliphatic epoxide resins, reaction products of epichlorohydrin and bisphenol A, bisphenol A epoxy resins modified with cresol novolac(s), epoxy-novolac resins, and epoxy-novolac based vinyl esters. The present invention provides for an effective rotogravure printing medium without the use and/or disposal of hazardous chemicals.

Abstract: A rotary die is disclosed to include a roller having a transversely extending channel with bores formed therein, a die sheet wrapped around the roller and having a pair of its edges extending into the channel, the die sheet having shoulders formed on its edges, and locking means disposed within the channel and cooperating with the shoulders on the die sheet to cause tightening of the die sheet around the surface of the roller in response to the tightening of the locking means through the use of bolts securing the locking means to the tapped bores formed in the transverse channel.

Abstract: A machine for advancing strip material from a reel of the strip material through a utilization apparatus, such as a set of dies, including a reel carrier for carrying the reel of strip material and for applying a controlled drag and restoring torque to the reel of strip material, metering roll means for receiving the strip material intermediate the reel of strip material and the utilization apparatus and for advancing the strip material, spent strip material receiving means for receiving the spent strip material exiting the utilization apparatus and for maintaining within predetermined limits tension of the spent strip material exiting the utilization apparatus, electric motor means having a shaft which is mechanically coupled to the metering roll means and such motor for causing rotation of the metering roll means, and electronic control means connected to the motor means and for electrically energizing the motor means to cause rotation of the motor shaft through a predetermined program sequence whereby the