Abstract: The invention relates to a multi-layer, expandable sleeve (100) for a printing press cylinder, particularly for flexographic printing. The sleeve has an inner layer (110) with a hard surface inner jacket (112), which defines a longitudinal axis (A) and the cavity for mounting on the cylinder, and an outer layer (130) with a cylindrical outer jacket (132) for carrying an outer shell, a printing plate or a separate outer sleeve, in particular. An intermediate layer (120), manufactured in the form of a lightweight honeycomb having honeycomb cells oriented radially (B) to the longitudinal axis (A), is provided between the inner jacket (112) and the outer jacket (132). According to the invention, the intermediate layer (120) comprises at least one honeycomb layer (122-1, 122-2, 122-3, 122-4, 122-5) consisting of shaped cured fiber composite honeycomb made of fiber material embedded in a resin matrix.

Abstract: An imprinter for creating impressions of designs in media such as buttercream, fondant, gum paste, modeling dough, and cookie dough for decoration. The imprinter includes a retainer having a retainer body and at least one retaining portion and a lock configured to be received by the retainer. The lock has a lock retaining portion engageable with the retaining portion of the retainer to selectably secure the lock to the retainer.

Abstract: A method of producing a print product comprises: performing digital printing of each surface of the print product, sequentially and repeatedly, on a continuous paper; forming a section by cutting the printing-completed continuous paper into a paper sheet and folding the paper sheet in two; forming a section block by at least one of sections; and folding the section block in two.

Abstract: At the two ends of a pair of clamping members (9a) which sandwich and clamp a board (10) from the Y direction, mask supporting members (9b) forming a rectangle frame are disposed, and a screen mask (12) is supported from below by the mask supporting members (9b) in a state that the board (10) abuts against the under surface of the screen mask (12). A downwards bending of the screen mask (12) can be prevented, and the time and labor of maintenance can be decreased by preventing the deposits of paste on the screen mask (12) that occur due to the bending.

Abstract: A system and method are provided that incorporate a multi-layer plate configuration for a Digital Offset Plate (DOP) including at least a robust top imaging layer and a bottom layer that acts as a reservoir for the releasing oil in a proposed variable digital offset lithographic architecture. The top imaging layer may contain a small amount of oil (<20%) in a range suitable for allowing a small amount of oil to coat the surface and enable release of the ink. A bottom layer may be larger in volume and contain greater quantities (˜20-75%) of oil. Oil from the reservoir layer may diffuse to and through the top layer when the oil in the top surface layer is depleted in a manner that maintains a supply of oil at the surface. The top layer may act as a gate to maintain a steady flow of oil to the surface.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus including: a first convey path; a support member which supports a first recording medium, a second recording medium, and a tray; a second convey path connected to the first convey path; a first guide member partly defining the second convey path; and a posture change mechanism which changes the support member and the first guide member between (a) a first posture in which the first convey path has a height allowing the first recording medium to pass therethrough, and the second convey path has a height allowing the first recording medium to pass therethrough and (b) a second posture in which the first convey path has a height larger than the first height and allowing the second recording medium or the tray to pass therethrough, and the second convey path has a height smaller than the second height.

Abstract: A system and method for capturing three-dimensional image data for inspection, alignment and operations of a material applicator includes an imaging system configured to capture three-dimensional image data of an electronic substrate. The imaging system includes one or more illumination assembly configured to project a spectrum of light substantially along a first axis at an angle to the surface of the electronic substrate. The imaging system further includes an image sensor assembly configured to detect the spectrum of light reflected from an electronic substrate surface, with the image sensor assembly including a viewing plane. The material application includes a controller that is coupled to the imaging system. The controller is configured to control movement of the imaging system and to communicate with the image sensor assembly to produce a three-dimensional image of the topology of the electronic substrate.

Abstract: A method for regulating a web tension in a processing machine for processing a product web, in particular a shaftless printing press, includes separating a first product-web section from a second product-web section by a delay section. The web tensions in the first and second product-web sections are influenced by first and second actuators, respectively. To regulate the web tension in the first product-web section, the method further includes defining a regulation output value from which an actuating command for the first actuator is derived. An actuating command for the second actuator is defined from the regulation output value and a delay element to decouple the web tension in the second product-web section from the regulation of the web tension in the first product-web section. The delay element delays the effect of the regulation output value on the actuating command for the second actuator by a delay time.

Abstract: A printing press includes a plurality of inking systems, which cooperate with at least one impression cylinder, each inking system including a print roller and at least one additional ink-transfer roller, each of which includes a roller body, at the front sides of which a first and a second end shaft journal is disposed. The printing press includes at least one roller-bearing device, in which the print rollers and the ink-transfer rollers can be mounted in roller-bearing positions, and a transfer element, via which at least the print rollers or the ink-transfer rollers can be transported between the roller-bearing positions and the inking systems. At least one roller-bearing position, in which one of the rollers can be set up for a subsequent print job, is provided in the roller-bearing device.

Abstract: An image forming device including a main frame, a fixing unit, and a sheet discharge guide. The main frame is formed with a sheet discharge opening. The fixing unit includes a heat member and a pressure member providing a nip portion in cooperation with the heat member to fix a developing agent image onto a sheet at the nip portion. The sheet discharge guide provides a generally U-shaped guide surface configured to turn around the sheet discharged from the fixing unit toward the sheet discharge opening. The sheet discharge guide is displaceable toward and away from the nip portion between a non displaced state and a displaced state. The sheet discharge guide is configured to guide the sheet toward the sheet discharge opening at the non displaced state and the displaced state.

Abstract: Prior to a mark imaging process executed for the purpose of detecting a position of recognition marks for positioning the substrate and the mask, an optical axis calibration processing process of detecting a horizontal relative position between imaging optical axes, and a surface correction data creation processing process of detecting a local positional deviation of the imaging optical axes, which is caused by the travel of the imaging unit, are executed. Before starting production, a production pre-start precision evaluation process for evaluating a substrate positioning precision is executed by using a verification substrate and a verification mask, and after starting the production, a production post-start precision evaluation process for evaluating a substrate positioning precision after starting the production is executed by using a commercial production substrate and a commercial production mask.

Abstract: An ink film thickness distribution correction method in an ink supply apparatus including an ink fountain storing an ink, a plurality of ink fountain keys, an ink fountain roller to which the ink is supplied from the ink fountain, an ink ductor roller to which the ink is transferred from the ink fountain roller, and an ink roller group including at least one ink form roller to which the ink transferred to the ink ductor roller is supplied. A throw-off operation of the ink form roller positioned at the end of the ink roller group is performed during test printing or final printing. An ink film thickness distribution correction apparatus is also disclosed.

Abstract: A state of a print head is checked by printing a plurality of images in order on a sheet fed from a sheet feeding unit, and reading the printed images. A region that is inappropriate for performing printing on the fed sheet is detected. When the inappropriate region has been detected, printing the images is stopped and the sheet is cut. Of the cut sheets, the sheet at an upstream is sent back to the sheet feeding unit. Subsequently, the sheet is again fed to perform printing and conduct a test.

Abstract: An improved screen printing machine is provided. The main body portion and the support table portion of the printer main body are constructed independently of each other, and the main body portion is supported by the support table portion so as to be movable forward. A feed screw is axially immovably and rotatably held by the main body portion so as to be parallel to the front and rear direction, and the feed screw is engaged with the nut provided on the support table portion. An operator rotates the handle attached to the feed screw to move the main body portion forward with respect to the support table portion so that the main body portion is drawn from the support table portion.

Abstract: A screen printing screen, having: a screen printing stencil carrier which is configured as a film which is provided with first recesses which are configured in such a way that they reach from one upper side to the underside of the film, and a screen printing stencil which is configured as a nonmetallic masking layer which is connected fixedly to the underside of the screen printing stencil carrier, the masking layer being provided with second recesses which lie in congruence at least partially with the first recesses of the screen printing stencil carrier in such a way that a printing medium can pass through the first recesses of the screen printing stencil carrier from its upper side in the direction of the underside and through the second recesses of the masking layer to a substrate which can be placed underneath.

Abstract: A method for controlling an inking unit of a printing press, includes resetting an ink metering element from first to second metered quantities for an intended inking level. The metering element is set to a temporary, third metered ink quantity by a control unit, for a time interval, during a non-steady phase of the inking unit before reaching the intended level. A value of a variable characterizing the inking state of printing material is determined and a plurality of sets of values for the variable are predefined, into which the determined value can be grouped. The temporary metering quantity is carried out: at a first rate and/or during a first time period if the value of the variable lies in a first set of values, and at a second rate and/or in a second time period if the value of the variable lies in a second, different set of values.

Abstract: A platen roller assembly for a printer includes a platen roller, a retaining clip, a plurality of bearings, and a pulley assembly. The platen roller defines a longitudinal axis. The retaining clip mounts to a support body of the printer and is positioned to retain the platen roller relative to the support body. The plurality of bearings is operably coupled to the platen roller. Each of the bearings permits rotational movement of the platen roller about the longitudinal axis thereof. The pulley assembly is mounted to the support body and is operably associated with one or more of the bearings. The pulley assembly includes a pulley and a belt. The belt is operably coupled to the pulley such that the platen roller rotates in response to rotational movement of the belt. The platen roller may be selectively coupled and uncoupled to/from the support body independent of the pulley assembly.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a sheet feed unit which feeds a sheet to an image forming unit forming an image on the sheet, a re-transport roller which reverses the sheet with a toner image fixed on the sheet and re-transports the sheet to the image forming unit, and a control unit which controls a sheet feed operation of the sheet feed unit for feeding the sheet. As the temperature of the re-transport roller sensed by the temperature sensing unit is decreased, the control unit retards the timing at which the sheet feed unit starts the sheet feed operation when a duplex image formation in which the image is formed on both sides of the sheet is performed after a one-side image formation is completed.

Abstract: A bound document having a plurality of sheets is produced. Image data for a cover image is received and dividing along a sheet-edge curve into first and second image portions. The first image portion is printed on an inner cover sheet so that an alignment location is defined on the inner cover sheet corresponding to the sheet-edge curve. The inner cover sheet and the plurality of sheets are bound together. The second image portion is printed on an outer cover sheet, and is printed borderlessly with respect to a selected edge of the outer cover sheet. After the binding step, the outer cover sheet is affixed to the inner cover sheet so that the selected edge aligns with the alignment location to form the bound document.

Abstract: A printing screen, comprising a sheet, at least sections of at least one pair of opposite edges of which are folded such as to define attachment elements, and a printing screen unit including at least one pair of interface members attachable to the attachment elements at the at least one pair of opposite edges of the sheet.