Intaglio printing press and method of monitoring operation of the same

Abstract

There is described an intaglio printing press comprising a plate cylinder () carrying one or more intaglio printing plates () and an impression cylinder () cooperating with the plate cylinder (), a printing nip being formed between the plate cylinder () and the impression cylinder (). The plate cylinder () and the impression cylinder () each comprise one or more cylinder pits () and a corresponding number of cylinder segments (), the plate cylinder () and the impression cylinder () being in rolling contact with one another during printing operations along their respective cylinder segments () when no cylinder pits () are present at the printing nip. The intaglio printing press further comprises a monitoring system () designed to monitor a rolling condition of the impression cylinder () with respect to the plate cylinder () and to provide an indication as to whether or not the rolling condition corresponds to a desired rolling condition, the desired rolling condition being a rolling condition corresponding to true rolling of the impression cylinder () with respect to the plate cylinder () where no slippage occurs between a circumferential surface of the impression cylinder () and a circumferential surface of the plate cylinder (). Also described is a method of monitoring operation of an intaglio printing press.