Abstract: A method for automatically providing a printing plate to a plate cylinder includes the steps of aligning a first edge of a printing plate against a cylinder adjacent to a plate cylinder, moving the first edge of the printing plate into a gap in the plate cylinder, and wrapping the printing plate about the plate cylinder. The present invention also includes a device for attaching a printing plate to a plate cylinder comprising a first set of grippers for gripping a printing plate and aligning the printing plate against a cylinder adjacent to the plate cylinder, and a second set of grippers for moving the printing plate toward a gap in the plate cylinder. An offset printing press having the device is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for automatically providing a printing plate to a plate cylinder includes the steps of aligning a first edge of a printing plate against a cylinder adjacent to a plate cylinder, moving the first edge of the printing plate into a gap in the plate cylinder, and wrapping the printing plate about the plate cylinder. The present invention also includes a device for attaching a printing plate to a plate cylinder comprising a first set of grippers for gripping a printing plate and aligning the printing plate against a cylinder adjacent to the plate cylinder, and a second set of grippers for moving the printing plate toward a gap in the plate cylinder. An offset printing press having the device is also disclosed.

Abstract: Printing plates can be reliably extracted from a plate cylinder with an automatic plate changer even when the plate lock has a very narrow plate gap between the trailing edge and the leading edge of the printing plate. First, the trailing edge of a printing plate is released by the locking member and the printing plate is elastically deformed at the trailing edge. This allows the guide fork of the automatic plate changer to reliably peel the printing plate away from the plate cylinder. In addition, the guide fork may engage the leading edge of the printing plate after the plate lock has been disengaged once more and peel the leading edge away from the plate cylinder by pivoting away from the cylinder.