Goss International Americas, Inc.

Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Ag

Heidelberg Harris, Inc.

Heidelberger Harris, Inc.

Michael Raymond Rancourt

Howard W Hoff

Brian Robert Elkinson

George Athans

Laura Schuler Cossette

Kevin Lauren Cote

James Brian Vrotacoe

Michael Robert Lemelin

Charles Douglas Lyman

Michael Lee Hearn

Atef Tanious Massoud

Stephen P Fraczek

Gerald Joseph Drew

Howie Hoff

Dennis Normand Michaud

Richard Conrad

Eduardo M Barreda

William David Mellencamp

Bradley Maurice Estabrook

William J Derocher

Laura Schuler-Cossette

Ronald Billmen Robert

Christophe Rifflart

Brad Estabrook

A method for operating a web printing press is provided. The method includes unwinding a substrate from a roll to define a web; during makeready, printing the web using at least one print unit, the makeready ending when the web is being printed to a desired standard; stopping the web after the makeready; rewinding the web so that the substrate printed during the make ready pass back through the print unit; and unwinding again the rewound substrate to pass through the print unit. A press and printed product are also provided.

Method for reducing web printing press start-up waste, and related printing press and printed product

A method is provided of charging an inker in a lithographic printing press. The method comprises placing all of the printing units of the printing press in an off impression position, with a continuous substrate passing through the printing units, each printing unit including a blanket cylinder; and in one or more printing units of the plurality of printing units, moving the takeaway roller into contact with the blanket cylinder of the printing unit. Thereafter, the method includes driving the ink train, plate cylinder, blanket cylinder and the take away roller at a first surface speed, whereby the ink from the ink train transmitted to the plate cylinder from the ink train, from the plate cylinder to the blanket cylinder, and from the blanket cylinder to the take away roller; and during said driving step, keeping the continuous substrate stationary or moving the continuous substrate at a second surface speed less than 50% of the first surface speed. Also provided is a closed loop control system for controlling the ink film thickness applied to a printed substrate in a lithographic printing press.

Closed loop ink thickness control system with reduced substrate waste in a printing press

A method for determining blanket performance in a printing press is provided. The printing press includes a plate cylinder having a printing plate transferring an image to a blanket on a blanket cylinder for printing on a substrate. The method includes determining an acceptable range of nip force (Fp) between a plate cylinder and a blanket cylinder in a printing unit, calculating the nip force (Fp) between the plate cylinder and blanket cylinder and determining blanket performance based on the nip force with respect to the acceptable range of nip force. A printing press is also provided.

Method for quantifying blanket performance and printing press

A method of inking a substrate in a printing press is provided. The printing press includes a plurality of printing units, each printing unit includes a blanket cylinder, a plate cylinder and an inker. The method includes the steps of running the plate cylinder, blanket cylinder and inker at a press speed, driving the inker independently, printing on a substrate with a desired ink film thickness at the press speed and stopping the press for a press stop event. Stopping the press further includes stopping the inker at a maximum stop rate, stopping the plate cylinder and blanket cylinder at a normal stop rate and moving the plate cylinder and blanket cylinder into an off impression position. The method further includes ramping the plate cylinder and blanket cylinder up to a desired press speed, ramping the inker up to press independently so as to match the speed of plate cylinder, returning the plate cylinder and blanket cylinder to an on impression position and printing on the substrate with the desired ink film thickness at the desired press speed.

Independent inker control and method

A method of preventing damage in a printing press is provided. The method includes determining a minimum value at which tension in a web in the printing press is capable of damaging at least one web contacting component of the printing press; sensing a tension in the web in the printing press; and severing the web when the sensed tension reaches the minimum determined tension value. A printing press is also provided.

System and method for preventing high tension from damaging a printing press

A method of preparing cylinders for printing on a web during auto transfer operations is provided. The method includes the steps of printing images on a web with at least one first printing cylinder; accelerating at least one second printing cylinder so that the at least one second printing cylinder has a surface velocity that equals a velocity of the web; adjusting a phasing of the at least one second printing cylinder with respect to the web during the accelerating step and before the surface velocity of the at least one second printing cylinder equals the velocity of the web; moving the at least one first printing cylinder away from the web and moving the at least one second printing cylinder towards the web; and printing images on the web with the at least one second printing cylinder. A printing press configured for auto transfer is also provided.

Method of phasing and accelerating cylinders of printing press during auto transfer

A color control system for use in a printing press is provided. The system includes a controller for reviewing digital data for a print job and identifying solid color regions of the print job that are greater than a predetermined size, a user interface allowing an operator to select solid color regions identified by the controller, a sensor for measuring a characteristic of the selected solid color regions of the print job on a printed substrate, the controller determining measured values of the characteristic for each of the selected solid color regions, and at least one inking unit for supplying ink in a plurality of ink zones to a plate cylinder, the controller varying the ink supplied to ink zones including the solid color regions as function of a difference between the measured value of the characteristic of each selected solid color region and a predetermined target value of the characteristic. A method for controlling printing of a printing press is also provided.

Closed loop color control of selected regions using solid color regions within images

A web printing press is provided including a printing unit for printing a web, a delivery for printed products formed from the web, the web and printed products defining a printed product stream, a first sensor sensing a first characteristic of the web or printed products, a controller connected to the first sensor, and an indicator indicating in real-time a print defect in the printed product stream as a function of the first sensor. A method is also provided.

Real-time print product status

A method of operating a web printing press is provided. The method includes storing productivity data, press speeds and paper types of past print jobs run on the web printing press in a database; comparing a paper type of a new print job with the paper types of the past print jobs stored in the database to identify past print jobs with similar or the same paper type as the new print job; selecting a press speed for the new print job based on at least the productivity data of the past print jobs with similar or the same paper type as the new print job; and printing the new print job on the web printing press at the selected press speed.

Automated press speed optimization

A printing press is provided including at least one print unit printing a first job on a web, a folder splitting the web into a plurality of ribbons, combining the ribbons, and cutting the ribbons into signatures, the folder having a folder delivery for delivery of the signatures, a marking device marking every ribbon, a sensor sensing the marks on every ribbon, and a controller connected to the marking device and the sensor and determining a shortest ribbon value and a longest ribbon value, the shortest ribbon value being a function of a shortest path length of a first ribbon through the folder and the longest ribbon value being a function of a longest path length of a further ribbon through the folder. A method is also provided.

Web printing press with delivery stream length determination

In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a method for operation of a printing press includes the steps of generating unique individual signature identification information, tracking printing press operation information and associating the printing press operation information with the unique signature identification information. For use in a printing press arrangement, a system for tracking printing press operation, including: a plurality of sensors arranged in a preselected configuration in the printing press arrangement to sense preselected Printing press operation information; and a press control and tracking controller coupled to each of the plurality of sensors, the press control and tracking controller arranged and configured to receive inputs from the plurality of sensors to generate unique individual signature identification information, track printing press operation information and associate the printing press operation information with the unique signature identification information.

System and method for press signature tracking and data association

An ink key control system comprises a data processor, a local area network connected to the data processor, and a plurality of ink keys connected directly to the local area network. Each of the plurality of ink keys includes a protocol controller for receiving an input from the local area network and a setpoint controller for receiving an input from the protocol controller. Also provided is a method for setting ink keys in a printing press comprising the steps of determining a desired setpoint for an ink key, transmitting the desired setpoint over a LAN to the ink key, receiving the desired setpoint at the key, and setting the key as a function of the desired setpoint.

Device and method for controlling ink keys

The present invention is directed to providing a printing press interface which permits the operator to walk freely about the press during operation, and to input voice commands and to receive press status information as recognizable voice feedback. Exemplary embodiments permit the operator to initiate voice commands and to receive voice status information when the operator is located anywhere in a vicinity of the press. For example, the operator can communicate with the press via a wireless headset which transmits voice commands from the operator to the press, and which receives voice status information transmitted from the press.

Voice based interface for a printing press

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for normalizing the zero points for each ink key in an ink fountain. The method and apparatus are useful in an ink fountain using an inker roll and a meter roll which are spaced by a gap, which gap can have possible variations in width. The method is performed when an operator programs the ink fountain controller with a reference point corresponding to the position of the ink key where ink is first transferred from the inker roll to the meter roll - - - the zero points for the ink keys. The reference points for all the ink keys are then normalized within the ink fountain controller, such that an operator display shows a uniform value for the individual reference points for all the ink keys.

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Merrimack, NH, United States of America

Michael Raymond Rancourt