Coating machine with at least one coating unit for coating substrates with printing ink or varnish

Abstract

The invention relates to a coating machine with at least one coating unit for coating substrates with printing ink or varnish, wherein the coating unit has a plate cylinder on which a printing or varnish plate can be arranged or is arranged, and the plate cylinder or a plate changing device on the plate cylinder is arranged elevated above the level on which the coating machine stands, such that an operator must assume a position elevated above the level on which the coating machine stands in order to remove a plate from the coating machine, wherein a stacking device with at least one guide element is provided, onto which a removed plate can be placed by the operator from the elevated position or into which a plate can be inserted by the operator from the elevated position, wherein the at least one guide element is designed such thatthat it causes the plate to move towards a plate support or a plate resting on the plate support due to the action of gravity.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a coating machine with at least one coating unit for coating substrates with printing ink or varnish.

[0002] Various devices are known for feeding new printing plates to the plate cylinders and for removing used printing plates from the plate cylinders of sheet-fed offset rotary printing presses.

[0003] DE 42 15 969 A1 discloses a device for feeding printing plates with an insertion rail through which the printing plates can be inserted into the open gripping area of ​​a clamping rail of a plate cylinder assigned to the printing start. After the plate cylinder is rotated into the plate changing position, the outer circumference of the plate cylinder, together with the insertion rail, forms a funnel-shaped area for the leading edge of the printing plate.

[0004] Plate changers assigned to the plate cylinders are known for carrying out automatic plate changing processes. One such plate changer is described in DE 10 2015 215 439 B4.

[0005] Printing plate logistics systems with movable transport carriages are known for feeding printing plates to and from plate changers. These printing plate logistics systems feature movable transport elements that allow printing plates to be inserted vertically into the plate changers' feed slots and removed from the removal slots.

[0006] The plate changers change the plates in a semi-automatic or fully automatic process, transferring them from the plate cylinders to so-called removal chutes, where they can be removed by an operator. The used printing plates are then usually placed in a pile by the operator in a manual process and disposed of.

[0007] If the sheet-fed offset printing presses are mounted at a higher level, as is usual to increase the stacking capacity of the feeder and delivery, and the printing units of the sheet-fed offset printing presses are only accessible via a gallery, an operator must carry each used printing plate to the end of the gallery and then leave the gallery via a staircase in order to be able to place the plate on a stack.

[0008] There are printing companies where used printing plates are collected in the gallery and then transported manually, for example, using a plate trolley, to the collection point. It usually takes several steps before the plate is placed on the scrap pile.

[0009] According to DE 10 2018 220 643 A1, a printing plate logistics system is known with a plate supply, a plate disposal, and a transport system that connects the plate supply and disposal to multiple printing presses. The printing plate logistics system handles the disposal of used printing plates fully automatically. The disadvantage of the printing plate logistics system is its considerable mechanical engineering complexity.

[0010] The invention is based on the object of creating a coating machine with at least one coating unit for coating substrates with printing ink or varnish.

[0011] It is a particular object of the invention to provide a coating machine which reduces the effort involved in storing used plates.

[0012] The object is achieved according to the invention by the features of claim 1.

[0013] The advantages achievable with the invention are, in particular, that the time required and the physical strain on the operator for storing used plates are minimized.

[0014] A particular advantage of the invention is that the risk of injury to the operator resulting from handling the sharp-edged and unwieldy printing plates is minimized.

[0015] An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawings and is described in more detail below.

[0016] They show: Fig. 1 shows a section of a sheet-fed printing press with a stacking device with details of a means for deforming plates; Fig. 2 shows a section of a sheet-fed printing press with a stacking device with a drive means for displacing a plate carrier holder.

[0017] The invention is described below using the example of a printing press, for example a sheet-fed printing press, in particular a sheet-fed offset rotary printing press, whereby this description should also apply analogously to other sheet-processing machines, in particular varnishing machines or die-cutting machines, as well as to web-fed printing presses, in particular offset web-fed printing presses.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment of the machine, it can also be designed as a hybrid machine, a sheet-fed mechanical processing machine with at least one punching or embossing unit and, in addition, at least one printing unit arranged upstream of the punching or embossing unit in the substrate or transport path. The product delivery, e.g., the stack delivery of such a machine, can also be designed for the delivery of bundles formed from sheets.

[0019] The sheet-fed printing press preferably comprises a feed system, also referred to as a feeder, for printing materials which are embodied by substrates in the form of sheets. Substrates are understood to be, in particular, sheet-shaped workpieces made of paper, cardboard, paperboard, corrugated cardboard, plastic or the like, which are preferably printable or printed. The sheets are present in the feeder of the sheet-fed printing press as a stack and are separated by this and fed to the units of the sheet-fed printing press downstream of the feeder via an acceleration system and moved in a feed direction through the units of the machine. The sheet-fed printing press comprises at least one, preferably several, coating units 01, e.g. printing units 01 and / or varnishing units 01. The printing units 01 and / or varnishing units 01 each comprise, in particular, a printing cylinder (not shown) and a sheet guide cylinder preferably designed as a transfer drum.The printing cylinder is assigned a blanket cylinder carrying a rubber blanket and to this in turn is assigned a plate cylinder 02 carrying a plate 03, in particular a printing plate 03 or varnish plate 03.

[0020] The plate cylinder 02 is preferably in contact with an inking unit (not shown) and preferably also with a dampening unit.

[0021] Such a plate cylinder 02 has a plate cylinder channel arranged axially to the plate cylinder 02, in which clamping rails are arranged for receiving the leading edge of printing plates 03. The clamping rails can preferably be controlled from a control station in order to clamp or release the leading or trailing edges of the printing plates 03. Plate changing devices, also known by the abbreviated term plate changers, are preferably arranged in the area of ​​the plate cylinders 02 of the printing units 01.

[0022] Such a plate changing device can preferably have a feed chute and a discharge chute. The feed chute and the discharge chute are preferably formed by guide elements, which can be designed as guide plates or guide grids. The feed chute and the discharge chute can, in particular, have perforated walls. The lateral boundaries of the feed chute and / or the discharge chute can also be formed by guide rails. The feed chute and the discharge chute are preferably arranged adjacent to one another, in particular adjacent to one another.

[0023] The geometry of the feed chute and the discharge chute is dimensioned in particular in such a way that there is sufficient play between a pressure plate 03 inserted into the respective chute and the lateral boundaries of the feed chute or discharge chute.

[0024] At the lower end of the feed shaft facing the plate cylinder 02, at least one movably mounted support element is preferably arranged.

[0025] The at least one movably mounted support element is preferably designed as a rotatably or pivotably mounted insert shaft, the rotational axis or pivot axis of which runs parallel to a rotational axis of the plate cylinder 02. The support element, in particular the insert shaft, extends across the entire format width. The extension of the insert shaft in the axial direction of the plate cylinder 02 corresponds at least to the maximum width of a printing plate 03 that can be used in the sheet-fed printing press. Preferably, the support element, in particular the insert shaft, is provided with a segment cutout. The segment cutout can be designed as a wedge-shaped recess in the cross-section of the insert shaft and extend over the entire length of the insert shaft. The segment cutout serves to accommodate the leading edge of the new printing plate 03.The support element, in particular the insertion shaft, is movable, in particular pivotable or rotatable, from a support position in which a front edge of a respective printing plate 03 arranged in the feed shaft rests on the at least one support element, into a release position in which the front edge of the respective printing plate 03 no longer rests.

[0026] In printing unit 01, the sheet-shaped substrate is guided in a conventional manner by the sheet holding systems provided on the printing cylinder and sheet guide cylinder, printed in the printing gap formed between the printing cylinder and blanket cylinder, and transferred to the downstream unit of the sheet-fed printing press, e.g. in the form of the next printing unit 01. Downstream of the printing unit(s) 01 or between the printing units 01, one or more coating units 01 and / or one or more processing units can be provided. The last printing unit 01 or coating unit 01 or processing unit in the feed direction transfers the substrates to the delivery, where the substrates are deposited in a stack on a stack carrier that can be lowered to receive the stack.

[0027] To control the machine, a display and / or control device, in particular a control station, is preferably designed, which is arranged in particular at a distance from the units of the machine.

[0028] The display and / or control device, in particular the control station, has in particular a preferably electronic control unit for the mechanical, e.g. drive-related, control of the printing press and a human-machine interface connected to the control unit and having at least one operating element.

[0029] The invention is not limited to coating machines that have one or more plate changing devices. The invention can also be applied to coating machines whose plates 03 must be changed manually by an operator, although the quantity of printing plates 03 to be disposed of per unit of time is comparatively larger in a highly automated coating machine.

[0030] The plate cylinders 02 or the plate changing devices on the plate cylinders 02 are arranged at a distance from the level at which the coating machine is located such that an operator must assume a position elevated relative to the level at which the sheet-fed printing press is located in order to remove a plate 03 from the sheet-fed printing press, in particular from a respective plate cylinder 02 or from a respective plate changing device. The level at which the sheet-fed printing press is located is formed by the floor of the room in which the sheet-fed printing press is located.

[0031] The elevated position on which the operator stands to remove the plate 03 from the sheet-fed printing press can in particular be formed by a gallery 09.

[0032] The term gallery 09 is understood to be an elevated area accessible by the operator, which extends at least partially along the sheet-fed printing press. The gallery 09 preferably extends in a sheet transport direction of the sheet-fed printing press over all printing and / or coating units 01 of the sheet-fed printing press. The gallery 09 can have one or more accesses, which are formed in particular by stairs and are preferably arranged at the front and / or rear end of the gallery 09 in the sheet transport direction. The gallery 09 allows the operator access to the printing and / or coating units 01 to carry out operating actions. In particular, the space formed between adjacent printing and / or coating units 01 can be entered from the gallery 09 to carry out operating actions, such as removing plates 03.On the side of the gallery 09 facing away from the sheet-fed printing press, a fall protection device 10, in particular a railing 10, is preferably formed.

[0033] The or a walkable gallery 09 has a fall protection device 10 with a gap 11 formed in the area of ​​at least one guide element 05.

[0034] Adjacent to the sheet-fed printing press, in particular adjacent to the gallery 09, a stacking device 04 for used plates 03 is provided. The stacking device 04 comprises at least one guide element 05, onto which a removed plate 03 can be placed by the operator from the elevated position or into which a plate 03 can be inserted by the operator from the elevated position. The guide element 05 can be formed by a sheet guide plate. More preferably, the guide element 05 is a chute or a hopper, or comprises an inlet chute or an inlet hopper.

[0035] The at least one guide element 05 is designed such that it guides a placed or inserted plate 03 onto a plate carrier 06 or a plate 03 resting on the plate carrier 06 due to the effect of gravity. The plate carrier 06 is arranged or can be arranged in a replaceable manner, in particular below the at least one guide element 05. The plate carrier 06 can be designed, in particular, as a pallet.

[0036] Preferably, the at least one guide element 05 is designed to deflect a front edge of the plate 03 in a horizontal direction after release by the operator. Release by the operator is understood in particular to mean a mechanical release in the sense of letting go.

[0037] In particular, the at least one guide element 05 has a support plane that is inclined relative to the vertical by an angle of attack. The angle of attack of the support plane is in particular in the range of 10 to 80 or 15 to 70 degrees.

[0038] The at least one guide element 05 can have a curved guide contour or a straight guide contour. The guide contour can also be configured in some areas as a straight, in particular flat, guide contour, and in some areas as a curved guide contour. Preferably, the at least one guide element 05 is configured with a straight, in particular flat, guide contour in its upper region and with a curved guide contour at its lower end.

[0039] The radius of curvature of at least one guide element 05 or the curved guide contour is in the range of 100 millimeters to 700 millimeters.

[0040] In particular, the at least one guide element 05 can be designed as a jump.

[0041] The at least one guide element 05 is preferably assigned a plate carrier receptacle 07, in which the plate carrier 06 is arranged or can be arranged inclined by an angle of inclination relative to the horizontal.

[0042] The plate carrier holder 07 is preferably designed as a stack support plate.

[0043] The plate carrier holder 07 can be assigned a drive means 12, with which the plate carrier holder 07 can be displaced to change the angle of inclination of the plate carrier 06 arranged in the plate carrier holder 07. Preferably, the drive means 12 is designed as a working cylinder, in particular a pneumatic cylinder or hydraulic cylinder. In particular, the rod of the working cylinder can be mounted at a point fixed to the frame and the base body of the working cylinder can be connected to the plate carrier holder 07, in particular in an articulated manner. To improve clarity, the drive means 12 is only shown in the Fig. 1 shown.

[0044] The plate carrier receptacle 07 and / or the at least one guide element 05 can have a stop 13; 14. The stop 14 arranged on the plate carrier receptacle 07 is in particular stationary. The stop 13 on the at least one guide element 05 is preferably displaceable, so that, depending on an active position of the stop 13, a plate 03 resting on the at least one guide element 05 is held at the stop 13 due to the effect of gravity and is released in a passive position of the stop 13.

[0045] The plate support holder 07 can also be assigned a slider 15 that can be moved back and forth in the axial direction of the plate cylinder 02. The slider 15 is designed to act on an edge of a plate 03 resting on the plate support holder directly or with the interposition of the plate support 06.

[0046] The stacking device 04 preferably has a means for deforming 08 plates 03. The means for deforming 08 plates 03 is shown only in the Fig. 2 shown.

[0047] The means for deforming 08 of plates 03 deforms the plates 03 curved as a result of being clamped on the plate cylinders 02 in such a way that they again have an at least approximately flat shape.

[0048] The means 08 for deforming the plates 03 can comprise two first rollers arranged parallel and spaced apart on one side of a transport path of the plates 03, and at least one second roller arranged on the other side of the transport path of the plates 03. A gap is formed between the first rollers and the at least one second roller, into which a respective plate 03 can be inserted.

[0049] Preferably, the second roller is designed to be displaceable with respect to the first two rollers in order to be able to temporarily enlarge the gap for the purpose of inserting a front edge of the plate 03.

[0050] At least one first and / or one second roller is driven. List of reference symbols 01 Coating unit, printing unit, varnishing unit 02 Plate cylinder 03 Plate, printing plate, coating plate 04 Stacking device 05 Guide element 06 Plate carrier 07 Plate carrier holder 08 Deforming agents (03) 09 Gallery 10 Fall protection, railings 11 gap 12 Propulsion means 13 stop 14 stop 15 sliders QUOTES CONTAINED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents submitted by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the convenience of the reader. This list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] DE 42 15 969 A1

[0003] DE 10 2015 215 439 B4

[0004] DE 10 2018 220 643 A1

[0009]

Claims

[1] Coating machine with at least one coating unit (01) for coating substrates with printing ink or varnish, wherein the coating unit (01) has a plate cylinder (02) on which a printing or varnish plate (03) can be arranged or is arranged, and the plate cylinder (02) or a plate changing device on the plate cylinder (02) is arranged elevated relative to a level at which the coating machine stands in such a way that an operator must assume a position elevated relative to the level at which the coating machine stands in order to remove a plate (03) from the coating machine, wherein a stacking device (04) is designed with at least one guide element (05) onto which a removed plate (03) can be placed by the operator from the elevated position or into which a plate (03) can be inserted by the operator from the elevated position, wherein the at least one guide element (05) is designed in such a waythat it guides the plate (03) as a result of the effect of gravity onto a plate carrier (06) or a plate (03) resting on the plate carrier (06). [2] Coating machine according to claim 1, characterized by that the at least one guide element (05) is designed to deflect a front edge of the plate (03) in the horizontal direction after release by the operator. [3] Coating machine according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by that the at least one guide element (05) has a support plane which is inclined by an angle of attack relative to the vertical. [4] Coating machine according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized by that one or the support plane of the at least one guide element (05) has an angle of attack in the range of 10 to 80 or 15 to 70 degrees. [5] Coating machine according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, characterized bythat the at least one guide element (05) has a curved guide contour. [6] Coating machine according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, characterized by that the at least one guide element (05) is designed with a radius of curvature in the range from 100 millimeters to 700 millimeters. [7] Coating machine according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6, characterized by that the at least one guide element (05) is assigned a plate carrier receptacle (07), in which the plate carrier (06) is arranged or can be arranged inclined by an angle of inclination relative to the horizontal. [8] Coating machine according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7, characterized by that a drive means (12) is assigned to one or the plate carrier receptacle (07), with which the plate carrier receptacle (07) can be displaced to change one or the angle of inclination of a plate carrier (06) arranged in the plate carrier receptacle (07). [9] Coating machine according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8, characterized by that one or the plate carrier receptacle (07) and / or the at least one guide element (05) has a stop (13; 14). [10] Coating machine according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9, characterized by that the at least one guide element (05) is designed as a jump. [11] Coating machine according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10, characterized by that the stacking device (04) has a means for deforming (08) plates (03). [12] Coating machine according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 or 11, characterized bythat one or the means for deforming (08) plates (03) has two first rollers arranged parallel and at a distance from one another on one side of a transport path and at least one second roller arranged on the other side of the transport path, and a gap is formed between the first rollers and the at least one second roller, into which a respective plate (03) can be inserted. [13] Coating machine according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 or 12, characterized by that the coating machine has a gallery (09) accessible by the operator and at least one elevated position is formed by the gallery (09). [14] Coating machine according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 or 13, characterized by that the or a walkable gallery (09) has a fall protection device (10) with a gap (11) formed in the region of the at least one guide element (05). [15] Coating machine according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 or 14, characterized by that the plate carrier holder (07) is assigned a slider (15) which can move back and forth in the axial direction of the plate cylinder (02) and which is designed to act on an edge of a plate (03) lying on the plate carrier holder directly or with the interposition of the plate carrier (06). [16] Coating machine according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 or 15, designed as a sheet-processing printing and / or varnishing machine.

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