Anti-bounce print deck for flexographic printing press

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11628664-B2
Application number	US-202117540463-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 2, 2021
Priority date	May 3, 2018
Publication date	Apr 18, 2023
Grant date	Apr 18, 2023

Abstract

A device and a method is disclosed to maintain plate and anilox mandrel position stability in print decks of a flexographic printing press. In one aspect, the mandrel bearings associated with at least one of the plate roll and the anilox roll are preloaded for the purpose of eliminating backlash and increasing the positional stiffness of the bearings, and thus the mandrel. In another aspect, the roll drive motor control system is enabled to provide a torque additive command the torque profile to maintain rotational consistency and otherwise overcome torque transients experienced by the motor during print bounce. Accordingly, the problem commonly referred to as print bounce and or print banding is alleviated.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A printing press comprising:
front and back frames;
a front bearing assembly supported on the front frame;
a back bearing assembly supported on the back frame;
a roll extending axially between the front and back frames, the roll having front and back ends which are rotatably supported by the front and back bearing assemblies, the roll comprising one of an anilox roll and a plate roll; and
a motor operatively connected with and adapted and configured for rotating the roll, the motor having a control, the control being configured to determine rotational position information of the roll, the control being enabled to drive the motor with a torque profile based upon the rotational position of the roll, the control being enabled to apply an additive torque command to the torque profile based upon the rotational position of the roll to compensate for a torque transient subjected to the motor by a periodic disturbance during rotation of the roll.

2. The printing press of claim 1 wherein the control is adapted and configured to: process rotational position data of the roll relative to an occurrence of the torque transient during rotation of the roll, and apply the additive torque command to the torque profile prior to the occurrence of the torque transient.

3. The printing press of claim 1 wherein the control is adapted and configured to process rotational position data of the roll relative to an occurrence of the torque transient during rotation of the roll during set-up of the printing press prior to normal operation of the printing press.

4. The printing press of claim 1 , wherein the control is adapted and configured to apply the additive torque command in a manner to reduce a peak to peak torque transient.

5. The printing press of claim 1 , further comprising an encoder coupled to the motor, the encoder providing the rotational position information of the roll to the control.

6. The printing press of claim 1 , wherein the additive torque command applied to the torque profile to compensate for the torque transient subjected to the motor by the periodic disturbance during rotation of the roll is directed to the periodic disturbance generated by the printing plate used in the press.

7. A control for driving a motor for a roll in a printing press, wherein the printing press has front and back frames, a front bearing assembly supported on the front frame, and a back bearing assembly supported on the back frame, the roll extends axially between the front and back frames, the roll has front and back ends which are rotatably supported by the front and back bearing assemblies, the roll comprises one of an anilox roll and a plate roll, and the motor is operatively connected with and adapted and configured for rotating the roll, the control being configured to: (i) determine rotational position information of the roll, (ii) drive the motor with a torque profile based upon the rotational position of the roll, and (iii) apply an additive torque command to the torque profile to compensate for a torque transient subjected to the motor by a periodic disturbance during rotation of the roll.

8. The control of claim 7 wherein the control is adapted and configured to: (iv) process rotational position data of the roll relative to an occurrence of the torque transient during rotation of the roll, and (v) apply the additive torque command to the torque profile prior to the occurrence of the torque transient.

9. The control of claim 8 wherein the control is adapted and configured to: process rotational position data of the roll relative to the occurrence of the torque transient during rotation of the roll during set-up of the printing press prior to normal operation of the printing press.

10. The control of claim 7 , wherein the control is adapted and configured to: (iv) apply the additive torque command in a manner to reduce a peak to peak torque transient.

11. The control of claim 7 , wherein the control is adapted and configured to: (iv) be operatively coupled to an encoder associated with the motor to receive the rotational position information of the roll.

12. The control of claim 7 , wherein control is adapted and configured to: (iv) apply the additive torque command to the torque profile to compensate for the torque transient subjected to the motor by the periodic disturbance during rotation of the roll based upon the periodic disturbance generated by the printing plate used in the press.

Assignees

• Paper Converting Machine Co

Inventors

• Koplien Jordan W
• Kaye James J
• Heyrman Randall L
• Zeman Dale E

Classifications

• B41F13/30

  Bearings mounted on sliding supports · CPC title

• B41F5/24

  for flexographic printing · CPC title

• B41F13/20

  Supports for bearings or supports for forme, offset, or impression cylinders · CPC title

• F16C35/077

  between housing and outer race ring · CPC title

• F16C2229/00

  Setting preload · CPC title