Anilox roll cleaning blanket and assembly

Abstract

A micro-fibre anilox cleaning blanket 21 has a cleaning surface area defined by a first pair of parallel edges located on opposing ends of the blanket and a second pair of edges that run between said

Description

02 05 25 Field of the Invention The present invention relates to the apparatus and methods for use in cleaning printing rollers, and in particular the cleaning of anilox rolls using micro-fibre cleaning 5 blankets. Background of the Invention Anilox rolls are used in printing operations, such as flexographic printing, to provide measured quantities of ink to a flexographic printing plate so as to deliver a consistent printing effect. io Anilox rolls are hard cylinders that are typically formed from a steel or aluminium core that is provided with a coating of ceramic material. This ceramic coating is engraved with millions of very small depressions, which are commonly referred to as cells, or channels. By way of the anilox cells / channels, controlled quantities of ink are transferred 15 from an ink reservoir to the print surface of a printing plate, such as a flexographic printing plate. However, over time these cells / channels can become clogged with dry ink. This introduces inconsistencies into the quantities of levels being transferred to the printing plate by the anilox roll. This in turn can lead to a degradation of print image quality. 20 Various methods of cleaning anilox rolls are known. These cleaning methods range from off roll cleaning methods, in which the anilox roll is removed from the printing press and either cleaned manually or using specialised machinery, or in-situ cleaning methods, in which the anilox roll is retained on the printing press throughout the cleaning process. 25 One example of an in-situ cleaning approach is the use of micro-fibre cleaning plates or blankets. Using this approach the printing plate on an adjacent print cylinder is removed and replaced with a micro-fibre cleaning plate / blanket. The printing press is then operated for a period of time so as to brush the micro-fibre cleaning plate / blanket over the anilox roll. In this way, and usually in the presence 02 05 25 of cleaning detergents, the micro-fibres are forced into the anilox cells / channels, thereby removing any dry ink that might be present and returning the cells / channels to their original state. Typically each micro-fibre cleaning plate / blanket is selected according to the 5 printing press being cleaned and specifically to the dimensions of the print cylinder on which the cleaning plate / blanket is mounted during the cleaning process. Summary of the Invention The aim of the present invention is to provide a universal micro-fibre anilox cleaning blanket assembly that can be quickly and easily configured for use on a io variety of different print cylinders. To this end the present invention provides a micro-fibre anilox cleaning blanket according to claim 1. Accordingly the present invention provides a micro-fibre anilox cleaning blanket having a cleaning surface area defined by a first pair of parallel edges located on opposing ends of the blanket and a second pair of edges that run between said end 15 edges along either side of the blanket; wherein each end edge is provided with a connection strip that is configured to form a non-permanent slotted relationship with a complementary connection element on a print cylinder attachment means such that the blanket can be mounted on a print cylinder; and wherein, when laid flat, the cleaning blanket has at least one side edge that comprises an angularly offset portion 20 that is oblique to the end edges of the blanket. By providing connection strips that are capable of forming non-permanent slotted relationships with print cylinder attachment means on both end edges of blanket, it is possible to vary the type of print cylinder attachment means used according to the size and design of the printing press on which the anilox roll is to be 25 fitted. This enables the same cleaning blanket to be used on a range of different printing presses rather than requiring a separate cleaning blanket for each machine. It is envisioned that in situations where the anilox roll to be cleaned is longer than a single cleaning blanket, two or more blankets of the present invention can be mounted on a printing cylinder in alignment so as to define a larger, combined cleaning 30 surface area. 02 05 25 Providing a slanted edge on the cleaning blanket means that when the blanket is aligned with an adjacent blanket having a corresponding slanted edge any gap in the combined cleaning surface area that might exist between the blankets would be angularly offset from the cylinder’s direction of rotation. By angularly offsetting the gap 5 in this way it is possible to avoid the creation of a cleaning ‘dead zone’ between the blankets in which the anilox roll is not contacted by micro-fibres. Preferably the angularly offset portion may be located in the middle of said side edge(s) with the rest of the side edge(s) being perpendicular to the end edges. Further preferably each side edge perpendicular portion is between 2-3mm long. io It will be appreciated that providing non-slanted regions adjacent to each end edge of the blanket facilitates the attachment of a connection strip to each end edge. Generally speaking, in those cases where the side edge has an angularly offset portion, the majority of the side edge of the blanket is oblique to the end edges. Minimising the length of the perpendicular portions within the middle of the combined 15 cleaning surface area minimises the creation of micro-fibre cleaning ‘dead zones’ in which the cells / channels of the anilox roll are neglected. Preferably each angularly offset portion may be oriented at an angle of between 55 and 75° from one of the end edges of the blanket. Also, in situations where the angularly offset portion of a side edge is bordered by perpendicular portions, and / or 20 the entire opposing side edge of the blanket is perpendicular to the end edges, the angularly offset portion is oriented at an angle of between 15 and 35° from said perpendicular portions. Although other angles can be used, it is appreciated that this range strikes a balance between maintaining the structural integrity of the cleaning blanket and 25 avoiding the creation of cleaning ‘dead zones’. Preferably each connections strip may define either a rib or a channel that runs along the length of the associated end edge. Providing the connection strips as a rib or a channel that runs the length of each end edge not only provides additional structural strength to the end edges of the 30 cleaning blanket but it also provides the maximum available contact surface for forming a non-permanent relationship with the print cylinder attachment means that 02 05 25 facilitate the mounting of the cleaning blanket on a print cylinder. This helps to maintain the structural integrity of the cleaning blanket both before and after it has been mounted on a print cylinder. The present invention also provides a micro-fibre anilox cleaning blanket 5 assembly according to claim 7. In particular, there is provided a micro-fibre anilox cleaning blanket assembly comprising: at least one micro-fibre anilox cleaning blanket according to the present invention; a plurality of print cylinder attachment means, each of which has a print cylinder mounting element and a complementary blanket connection element; and wherein each end edge connection strip engages at least io one complementary blanket connection element so as to form a non-permanent slotted relationship between the blanket and said print cylinder attachment means thereby enabling the assembly to be mounted on a printed cylinder. As noted above, because the attachment means used to mount the cleaning blanket on the printing cylinder are non-permanently slotted together with the cleaning 15 blanket, the print technician has the ability to select the most appropriate attachment means for the particular design of printing press that is to be cleaned. This is considered highly advantageous when compared to the alternative of providing a separate cleaning blanket for each design of printing press. Also, when dealing with larger anilox rolls, one current approach is to clean the 20 anilox roll in stages by fitting the cleaning blanket, running the press to clean a first portion of the anilox roll, then relocating the cleaning blanket and running the press a second time to clean the rest of the anilox roll. The present invention offers an alternative approach for cleaning larger anilox rolls. To this end, the assembly of the present invention preferably comprises two or 25 more cleaning blankets arranged adjacent one another such that their respective edges align to form a consolidated cleaning surface area. Further preferably all of the connection strips along one end edge of the aligned blankets may engage with the blanket connection element of a single common print cylinder attachment means. 02 05 25 Alternatively, the connection strips on both end edges of the aligned blankets are engaged respectively with the blanket connection elements of common print cylinder attachment means. It will be appreciated that the use of a single common print cylinder attachment 5 means that engages the entire end edge of the aligned cleaning blankets unifies the separate blankets into a single consolidated structure that can be handled as one. This makes it more convenient for a print technician to mount and dismount the cleaning blanket assembly relative to the print cylinder. Preferably the print cylinder attachment means are selected from a group that io contains extension panels, tension bands and tension band clusters. It is envisaged that the extension panels can be used to increase the overall length of the cleaning blanket assembly so that it can reach around print cylinders with large circumferences. Extension panels of various lengths could be employed depending on the shortfall between the length of the cleaning blanket and a print 15 cylinder’s circumference. Tension bands and tension band clusters can be used to retain the cleaning blanket assembly on the print cylinder under tension so that the assembly hugs the cylinder even when it is rotating at speed. Tension bands comprise a single blanket connection element and a single print 20 cylinder mounting element separated by an elasticated member. Tension band clusters, on the other hand, comprise a single blanket connection element with a plurality of print cylinder mounting elements connected to it at various points by way of elasticated members. It is appreciated that tension band clusters are particularly suitable for use in those assemblies of the present invention that comprise 25 multiple cleaning blankets. Tension band clusters are quicker and easier to attach to the assembly but lack the adjustability that can be achieved by a plurality of separate tension bands that can be individually positioned on the assembly. Preferably each blanket may comprise at least one side edge with an angularly 30 offset portion and said portions are arranged in correspondence with one another so 02 05 25 as to maintain a contiguous relationship between adjacent blankets thereby forming the consolidated cleaning surface area. As detailed above, arranging adjacent cleaning blankets so that the border between them is angularly offset from the print cylinder’s direction of rotation helps to 5 avoid the creation of a cleaning ‘dead zone’ that runs around the entire circumference of cleaning blanket assembly and which would result in a line of anilox cells being left uncleaned by the cleaning blanket’s micro-fibres. Preferably the assembly may further comprise an underlay that supports the non-cleaning surface of the blanket and wherein the underlay either forms part of a io print cylinder attachment means or is connectable thereto in addition to the connection strip of the blanket(s). By providing an underlay below the non-cleaning surface of the cleaning blanket it is possible to increase the overall thickness of the cleaning blanket assembly to accommodate the variations in the inter-cylinder spacing found on different designs 15 of printing presses. Preferably the underlay comprises a polyethylene foam. In addition to the cleaning blanket and the cleaning blanket assembly, the present invention also provides a micro-fibre anilox cleaning system according to claim 14. The micro-fibre anilox cleaning system comprises: a plurality of micro-fibre anilox cleaning blankets according to the present invention; a plurality of print cylinder 20 attachment means, each of which has a print cylinder mounting element and a complementary blanket connection element; wherein each end edge connection strip engages at least one complementary blanket connection element so as to form a non-permanent slotted relationship between the blanket and said print cylinder attachment means that enables the assembly to be mounted on a printed cylinder; 25 and wherein said plurality of print cylinder attachment means comprises a range of print cylinder attachment means having a variety of print cylinder mounting elements configured to engage different designs of print cylinders. The system of the present invention provides a print technician with the ability to form a wide range of different cleaning blanket assembly configurations, thereby 30 giving them the ability to clean a variety of printing press anilox rolls without the need to purchase and store a specific cleaning blanket for each design of printing press. 02 05 25 Preferably the cleaning surface areas of the cleaning blankets in the system may differ from one another. In this way the cleaning blankets can be used in different combinations to achieve a wide variety of consolidated cleaning surface areas, which once again affords the print technician with greater flexibility when cleaning the anilox 5 rolls of a number of different printing presses. Preferably the system may further comprise one or more underlays of different thickness that are selectable to adjust the overall thickness of the cleaning blanket assembly formed by the cleaning blankets and the print cylinder attachment means. In this way the system of the present invention not only allows the cleaning io blanket assembly to accommodate a range of different print cylinder designs and sizes, it also allows the assembly to be used on printing presses with different inter-roll spacing. Brief Description of the Drawings The present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings, 15 wherein: Figure 1a shows a diagrammatic representation of a flexographic printing press in operation; Figure 1b shows a diagrammatic representation of the printing press of Figure 1a during the cleaning of the anilox roll with a cleaning blanket; 20 Figure 2 shows a preferred embodiment of the cleaning blanket assembly of the present invention; Figure 3 shows a second preferred embodiment of the cleaning blanket assembly of the present invention; and Figures 4a and 4b show the cleaning blanket assembly of Figure 3 in two 25 different size arrangements. Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments Before describing the present invention in more detail a brief overview of the operation and cleaning of anilox rolls will be provided with reference to Figures 1a and 02 05 25 1b. Figure 1a shows a diagrammatic representation of a typical flexographic printing press 1 in a printing operation. The press 1 transfers ink 3 from a reservoir 2 to a substrate 9 (e.g. paper, cardboard) by way of a series of rolls. The process begins with the fountain roll 4 collecting ink 3 from the ink reservoir 5 2 as it rotates through it. The ink 3 is then transferred to an anilox roll 5 as the fountain roll 4 and the anilox roll 5 are brought into close contact with one another. The surface of the anilox roll 5 is provided with an array of cells or channels in which the ink 3 is retained. Excess ink is removed from the anilox roll 5 by the action of a doctor blade 6. io As the anilox roll 5 continues to rotate the retained ink is brought into contact with a printing plate 8 that is mounted on a print cylinder 7(also referred to as a plate cylinder). The printing plate 8 picks up the ink as it rotates past the anilox roll 5. In the final printing stage the ink on the printing plate 8 is transferred to a substrate material 9 (e.g. paper, cardboard, or other flexible packaging materials). An 15 impression cylinder 10 supports the substrate 9 in order to ensure the transfer of ink from the print plate 8 to the substrate and in so doing complete the printing of an image 11. Over time the cells / channels of the anilox roll 5 can become clogged with dried ink 3a. The build-up of dried ink 3a reduces the capacity of the anilox roll 5 to pick up 20 ink for transfer to the printing plate. This in turn can lead to an inconsistent application of ink to the printing plate 8, which reduces the quality of the final print image 11 delivered to the substrate. In order to avoid such reductions in image quality it is necessary to clean the anilox roll 5 from time to time. The anilox roll can be removed from the printing press 25 in order to clean it. However, as this can be time consuming and involves a risk of the roll being damaged during the dismantling process, it is generally more preferable to clean the anilox roll in situ; that is, without removing it from the printing press. Figure 1b shows an example of one in situ approach that is currently employed to clean anilox rolls 5. During cleaning the ink reservoir 2 is disengaged to prevent 30 further ink being transferred to the anilox roll 5. The printing plate 8 is also removed 02 05 25 from the print cylinder 7 and replaced with a cleaning blanket 12. The cleaning blanket is provided with a cleaning surface made up of an array of projecting micro-fibres. During the cleaning operation the printing press is operated so as to rotate at least the anilox roll 5 and the print cylinder 7. By this method, and usually with the 5 addition of cleaning detergents, the cleaning blanket acts like a scrubbing brush and removes the dried ink 3a from the cells / channels of the anilox roll 5. Once the dried ink 3a has been removed from the anilox roll 5 the cleaning blanket 12 can be removed from the print cylinder and the printing plate 8 can be mounted once again. The printing press 1, so cleaned, is then ready to carry out a io new printing run. Although the general operational principles of flexographic printing presses are the same, there are currently a wide variety of different printing presses in operation, each of which has its own unique combination of characteristics (e.g. cylinder size, plate mounting systems and inter-cylinder clearances). As a result there is necessarily 15 a correspondingly wide range of cleaning blankets configured to run on such printing presses. This can create issues when multiple printing presses are in operation at a particular site due to the need to purchase and store multiple cleaning blankets and also the possibility of incorrect cleaning blankets being mounted by mistake. 20 The present invention seeks to address these problems by providing a universal cleaning blanket system that can be quickly and easily mounted to a range of different printing presses. A first preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figure 2 in the form of a micro-fibre anilox cleaning blanket assembly 20. The assembly 20 25 comprises a micro-fibre cleaning blanket 21 which is typically formed as an array of upright plastic bristles (e.g. polyester, nylon) that project from a rubber support substrate or mat. As will be appreciated by the skilled person, the length and diameter of the bristles, as well as the overall bristle array density, can vary from one cleaning blanket 30 to the next but essentially the bristles are configured to get into the ink cells / channels 02 05 25 of the anilox roll during the cleaning process. However, by way of example, the micro-fibres bristles employed in the preferred embodiments of the present invention are about 6mm long. In order to facilitate the mounting of the cleaning blanket assembly 20 on a print 5 cylinder the end edges of the blanket 21 (i.e. both the leading edge and trailing edge when the blanket is mounted on a print cylinder) are provided with connection strips 22 and 24. In the preferred embodiment shown, the connection strips are retained in position by stitching 23 and 25. However it is envisaged that an alternative preferred fixing method involves the use of a suitable adhesive. io The connection strips 22 and 24, which are preferably plastic extrusions (e.g. PVC) that have either a ‘male’ rib configuration or a ‘female’ channel configuration, are positioned on the end edges such that a complementary print cylinder attachment means can be non-permanently slotted onto them. In the example shown, the connection strips 22 and 24 have a ‘male’ rib configuration. 15 With reference to Figure 2 it will be noted that print cylinder attachment means (i.e. tension bands 26) are only shown as being attached to one of the connection strips 24. It will be understood by the skilled person that, in order for the cleaning blanket assembly 20 to be mounted on a print cylinder, connection strip 22 would also require 20 print cylinder attachment means. However the print cylinder attachment means that would be used have been omitted from Figure 2 in order to reveal the connection strip. As noted above, the print cylinder attachment means provided on the connection strip 24 take the form of tension bands 26. It is envisaged that the tension bands 26 employed on the assembly 20 may be similar to those described in the 25 applicant’s earlier European Patent EP3112153. In particular, each tension band 26 comprises a blanket connection element and a print cylinder mounting element joined by an elasticated strap. The cleaning blanket connection element is selected to be complementary to the connection strip (e.g. 24). As such the blanket connection element may take the form of either a 30 ‘female’ channel or a ‘male’ rib. 02 05 25 However in the shown example, the tension bands are provided with a ‘female’ channel to accommodate the ‘male’ rib configuration of the connection strip 24. It will be appreciated that the complementary nature of the connection strip and the cleaning blanket connection element allows each tension band 26 to form a non-5 permanent slotted relationship with the cleaning blanket 21, which in turn facilitates the mounting of the cleaning blanket assembly 20 on a print cylinder 7 using the print cylinder mounting elements of the tension bands. As the print cylinder attachment means (i.e. 26) are not permanently connected to the cleaning blanket 21 the print technician has the option to quickly replace them io with print cylinder attachment means that have different configurations. This flexibility allows the print technician to attach tension bands, for example, with a different type of print cylinder mounting element so that the cleaning blanket can be mounted onto a different design of print cylinder. The print technician also has the option to employ different lengths of extension 15 panels (e.g. see panel 34 in Figure 3) on the cleaning blanket assembly, which in turn enables the blanket assembly to be used on cylinders with different diameters. It is envisaged that even greater freedom of use is provided by the preferred embodiment shown in Figure 3, which relates to a cleaning blanket assembly 30 that is formed from a pair of cleaning blankets 31, 32 rather than just a single micro-fibre 20 blanket. Figure 3 shows a micro-fibre anilox cleaning blanket assembly 30 having a pair of micro-fibre cleaning blankets 31 and 32. Other than their shape, it is envisaged that the micro-fibre blankets have similar constructions. As with the cleaning blanket 21 shown in Figure 2, cleaning blankets 31 and 32 25 are provided with connection strips at each of their end edges (i.e. their leading and trailing edges). In particular, blanket 31 is provided with connection strips 33a and 38a, whereas blanket 32 is provided with connection strips 33b and 38b. Again, the connection strips are preferably stitched onto the blankets but alternative fixing methods may be employed without departing from the scope of the present invention. 02 05 25 As with the connection strips 22 and 24 shown in Figure 2, the connection strips 33a, 33b, 38a, 38b shown in Figure 3, which are preferably plastic extrusions (e.g. PVC) that has either a ‘male’ rib configuration or a ‘female’ channel configuration, are positioned on the end edges such that print cylinder attachment means can be non-5 permanently slotted onto the blanket assembly 30. Each cleaning blanket 31, 32 constitutes a stand-alone separate component that can be handled separately. However, once the blankets have been aligned with one another they are secured together using the print cylinder attachment means, which in Figure 3 take the form of extension panel 34 and tension band cluster 39. io The extension panel 34 comprises an elongate blanket connection element 36 and an elongate print cylinder mounting element 35 joined by a sheet of suitable plastic material 37 (e.g. polyesters such PET). The length of the sheet 37 can be selected to suit the length of cleaning blanket assembly that is needed for a particular design of print cylinder. 15 The tension band cluster 39 comprises an elongate blanket connection element 40 with a plurality of separate print cylinder mounting elements 41, each of which is joined to the elongate element by way of its own elasticated strap 42. Specifically, with reference to Figure 3, it will be appreciated that, once aligned, the connection strips 33a and 33b at the leading end edge of blankets 31, 32 are 20 engaged by the blanket connection element 36 of the extension panel 34. At the trailing end edge of the blankets, the connection strips 38a and 38b are engaged by the blanket connection element 40 of the tension band cluster 39. In this way the print cylinder attachment means (i.e. the extension panel 34 and the tension band cluster 39) serve a dual function of not only mounting the blankets 25 onto a print cylinder but also retaining them in close alignment with one another so as to maintain a combined cleaning surface area. By maintaining the blankets in close alignment with one another it is possible to create a cleaning blanket assembly that has a large cleaning surface area than might not otherwise be achievable due to the limitations associated with the 30 manufacture of micro-fibre sheets. 02 05 25 It will be appreciated that in order for each pair of connections strips (i.e. 33a, 33b and 38a, 38b) to be received by a single common blanket connection element both connection strips need to be of the same type (i.e. ‘male’ rib or ‘female’ channel) so as to ensure a constant cross-section along the aligned connection strips. 5 It has been found that, even when multiple micro-fibre blankets are brought into alignment and retained in position by way of print cylinder attachment means, a gap can develop in the cleaning surface area of the cleaning blanket assembly 30. This gap has been exaggerated in Figure 3 to highlight this issue. Gaps in the cleaning surface area can lead to a cleaning ‘dead zone’ where io there are insufficient micro-fibre bristles to effectively clean the anilox roll. This incomplete cleaning of the anilox roll can create interference on the final print image due to the cells in a specific region of the anilox roll not being able to hold the same amount of ink as the rest of the cleaned anilox roll. In order to avoid the creation of such cleaning ‘dead zones’ the inventor found 15 that the abutting side edges of neighbouring cleaning blankets could be provided with a sloped or slanted orientation. By adopting this arrangement it was possible to cause any gap to travel laterally across the anilox roll as cleaning process progressed. As a result, over time, every cell of the anilox roll would be brought into contact with the micro-fibre bristles and no cleaning ‘dead zone’ would remain. 20 Although, in theory, the entire length of a blanket’s side edge might be slanted, in practise it was found that positioning the angularly offset portion of each side edge between end portions that remain perpendicular to the end edges was beneficial. This was because the perpendicular portions provided a constant straight end edge onto which the connection elements could be attached (e.g. by stitching). 25 Although it is envisioned that these perpendicular portions could extend for any length along the abutting side edges of the blankets, increasing the length of these portions also increases the possibility that a cleaning ‘dead zone’ may be created. Therefore, preferably each perpendicular portion runs for about 2-3mm along the abutting side edge of each blanket. 30 The angularly offset portions of blanket side edges are preferably oriented at an angle (see 43 in Figure 4) of between 55 and 75° from one of the end edges of the 02 05 25 blanket. Also, in those embodiments where the side edge of the blanket has portions that are arranged perpendicular to the end edge of the blanket, it is envisioned that the angularly offset portions may be oriented at an angle of between 15 and 35° from such perpendicular portions. 5 Although not shown in the figures, it is envisaged that the various embodiments of the present invention may further be provided with an underlay below the micro-fibre cleaning blanket(s). Preferably the underlay comprises polyethylene foam. In this regard, underlays of different thicknesses could be employed to help further configure the cleaning blanket assembly to a particular design of printing press. io Preferably the underlays may also be configured to form non-slotted relationships with the cleaning blankets and / or the print cylinder attachment means on at least one of the end edges (such as the leading edge) of the blankets when they are mounted on a print cylinder. Figures 4a and 4b show how the micro-fibre cleaning blanket assembly 30 of 15 the preferred embodiment shown in Figure 3 can be reconfigured for use on a larger print cylinder by interchanging one of the cleaning blankets 31 with a second, larger cleaning blanket 31a. Figure 4a shows a simplified representation of the assembly 30 shown in Figure 3. The total length of the assembly, as achieved by aligning cleaning blankets 31 and 20 32 adjacent to one another, is ‘a’. In use, and as detailed above, the blankets would be held in alignment by the engagement of the complementary print cylinder attachment means to the end edges of the blankets. In Figure 4b, however, the total length of the assembly 30a has been increased to ‘b’ by replacing original blanket 31 with alternative blanket 31a, which is identical to 25 the original blanket 31 other that with respect to its width. Although not shown, it will be appreciated that it would also be possible to achieve an assembly that is shorter in length than assembly 30 by replacing blanket 32 with blanket 31a. It is envisaged that the cleaning blanket of the present invention makes it 30 possible to provide a universal cleaning blanket system that, by way of selecting the appropriate combination of blankets and print cylinder attachment means (i.e. tension bands 26, extension panels 34, tension band clusters 40) a print technician can clean a wide variety of anilox rolls without the need to have a separate cleaning blanket for each printing press. 02 05 25

Claims

02 05 251. A micro-fibre anilox cleaning blanket having a cleaning surface area defined by a first pair of parallel edges located on opposing ends of the blanket and a second pair of edges that run between said end edges along either side of the blanket;5 wherein each end edge is provided with a connection strip that is configured to form a non-permanent slotted relationship with a complementary connection element on a print cylinder attachment means such that the blanket can be mounted on a print cylinder; andwherein, when the blanket is laid flat, at least one of said side edges comprises 10 an angularly offset portion that is oblique to the end edges of the blanket.

2. The cleaning blanket of claim 1, wherein the angularly offset portion is located in the middle of said side edge(s) with the rest of the side edge(s) being perpendicular to the end edges.

3. The cleaning blanket of claim 2, wherein each side edge perpendicular portion 15 is between 2-3mm long.

4. The cleaning blanket of any one of the preceding claims, wherein each angularly offset portion is oriented at an angle of between 55 and 75° from one of the end edges of the blanket.

5. The cleaning blanket of any one of the preceding claims, wherein each 20 connection strip defines either a rib or a channel that runs along the length of its associated end edge.

6. A micro-fibre anilox cleaning blanket assembly comprising:at least one micro-fibre anilox cleaning blanket according to any one of the preceding claims;25 a plurality of print cylinder attachment means, each of which has a print cylindermounting element and a complementary blanket connection element; andwherein each end edge connection strip engages at least one complementary blanket connection element so as to form a non-permanent slotted relationship02 05 25between the blanket and said print cylinder attachment means thereby enabling the assembly to be mounted on a printed cylinder.

7. The assembly of claim 6, wherein said assembly comprises two or more cleaning blankets arranged adjacent one another such that their respective edges 5 align to form a consolidated cleaning surface area.

8. The assembly of claim 7, wherein all of the connection strips along one end edge of the aligned blankets engage with the blanket connection element of a single common print cylinder attachment means.

9. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the connection strips on both end edges of 10 the aligned blankets are engaged respectively with the blanket connection elements of common print cylinder attachment means.

10. The assembly of any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the print cylinder attachment means are selected from a group that contains extension panels, tension bands and tension band clusters.15 11. The assembly of any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein each blanket comprises atleast one side edge with an angularly offset portion and said portions are arranged in correspondence with one another so as to maintain a contiguous relationship between adjacent blankets thereby forming the consolidated cleaning surface area.

12. The assembly of any one of claims 6 to 11, further comprising an underlay that 20 supports the non-cleaning surface of the blanket and wherein the underlay either forms part of a print cylinder attachment means or is connectable thereto.

13. A micro-fibre anilox cleaning system comprising:a plurality of micro-fibre anilox cleaning blankets according to any one of claims 1 to 5;25 a plurality of print cylinder attachment means, each of which has a print cylindermounting element and a complementary blanket connection element; andwherein each end edge connection strip engages at least one complementary blanket connection element so as to form a non-permanent slotted relationshipbetween the blanket and said print cylinder attachment means that enables the assembly to be mounted on a printed cylinder; andwherein said plurality of print cylinder attachment means comprises a range of print cylinder attachment means having a variety of print cylinder mounting elements 5 configured to engage different designs of print cylinders.

14. The cleaning system of claim 13, wherein the cleaning surface areas of the cleaning blankets in the system differ from one another.

15. The cleaning system of claim 13 or 14, further comprising one or more underlays of different thickness that are selectable to adjust the overall thickness of 10 the cleaning blanket assembly formed by the cleaning blankets and the print cylinder attachment means.CM

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