Flexographic Printing Roller Radial Extension for Multi-Thickness Webs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing flexographic printing processes struggle to simultaneously print material webs with different thicknesses in a single process, leading to challenges in optimizing the manufacturing process and increasing costs due to the need for pre-printed materials.
Innovation Solution
A flexographic printing device and method that adapt the printing unit by adjusting the radial extensions of the printing roller, impression roller, and anilox roller to match the thickness of each material web, allowing for simultaneous printing of multiple webs with different thicknesses without deteriorating the materials and maintaining even printing quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a single printing unit is used to print material webs with different thicknesses, then manufacturing efficiency and cost are improved, but printing quality consistency deteriorates due to varying nip pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The impression roller is designed with different radial extensions at different axial positions to match the thickness of different material webs. This allows each local region of the roller to apply appropriate pressure for its corresponding material web, ensuring consistent printing quality across webs of varying thicknesses while using a single printing unit.
Solution Approach 2:
The impression roller is configured to be adjustable in radial extension, allowing dynamic adaptation to different material web thicknesses. This adjustability enables the printing unit to maintain optimal nip pressure for each material web type, resolving the contradiction between handling multiple thicknesses and maintaining printing consistency.
2Loss of time
If material webs with different thicknesses are printed simultaneously in one process, then production cost and time are reduced, but process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A single impression roller is designed to perform multiple functions by having different radial extensions for different material webs. This universal component can handle various material thicknesses without requiring separate printing units or complex switching mechanisms, thus reducing production time while avoiding excessive device complexity.
3Manufacturing precision
If the radial extension of the impression roller is adjusted to match material thickness, then printing quality is maintained, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The radial extension parameter of the impression roller is changed to match the thickness parameter of different material webs. This parameter adjustment allows the device to adapt to varying material properties while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure, as it involves modifying a single geometric parameter rather than adding complex mechanisms.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables a cost-efficient, one-step printing process that maintains printing quality across varying material thicknesses, improving manufacturing flexibility and reducing the need for pre-printed materials, while allowing for easy adaptation of printing patterns and ink delivery.
Implementation Method 1
an anilox roller adapted to feed printing ink from a printing ink chamber onto the printing roller
Implementation Method 2
an anilox roller adapted to feed printing ink from a printing ink chamber onto the printing roller
Implementation Method 3
the material webs being printed when they pass a printing nip formed between the printing roller and the impression roller
Implementation Method 4
a cushion element arranged between the impression roller and at least one of the material webs, the cushion element having a radial extension that corresponds to a thickness of the at least one material web
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a flexographic printing device and a method of simultaneously printing at least two material webs having different thicknesses in the printing device. The flexographic printing device comprises a printing unit comprising a printing roller carrying on a surface thereof an image to be printed, an impression roller and an anilox roller adapted to feed printing ink from a printing ink chamber onto the printing cliché mounted on the printing roller. The printing unit is configured for simultaneously printing at least two material webs having different thicknesses, by means of adjusting the radial extension of the surface of the printing roller, impression cylinder and/ anilox roller in respect of the material web to be printed.