Forming a rotogravure cup from small cups

Abstract

In a method for engraving of a rotogravure cup to accept printing ink in a processing surface of a rotogravure print cylinder, a cup is formed with at least one engraving tool from a plurality of engraved small cups and wherein a depth of at least one of the small cups differs from the depth of at least one other small cup within the cup.

1 - 263 . (canceled)  
   
   
       264 . A method for engraving of a rotogravure cup to accept printing ink in a processing surface of a rotogravure printing cylinder, comprising the step of: 
 forming the cup in the processing surface with at least one laser beam from a plurality of engraved small cups and wherein a depth of at least one of the small cups differs from a depth of at least one other small cup within the cup.    
   
   
       265 . A method according to  claim 264  wherein the cup has a dimension of at least 8×8 engravable small cups.  
   
   
       266 . A method according to  claim 264  wherein the depth of the small cups is determined by amplitude modulation of said at least one laser beam.  
   
   
       267 . A method according to  claim 264  wherein the small cups are created by a plurality of laser beams.  
   
   
       268 . A method according to  claim 264  wherein at least four laser beams are generated which impinge the printing cylinder in a row next to one another to form the cup.  
   
   
       269 . A method according to  claim 264  wherein the small cups are formed by at least one fiber laser beam.  
   
   
       270 . A method according to  claim 264  wherein the at least one laser beam has a spot size of 10 μm or less at the processing surface.  
   
   
       271 . A method of  claim 264  wherein a printing screen having screen elements is provided and the cup is engraved in one of the screen elements by a plurality of engraving tool processed tracks in the screen element.  
   
   
       272 . A method according to  claim 264  wherein a spot size of the at least one laser beam at the processing surface is approximately 20 μm or less.  
   
   
       273 . A method according to  claim 264  wherein the at least one laser beam which generates the small cups has a power density at the processing surface of at least 10 7  W/cm 2  at full beam intensity.  
   
   
       274 . A method according to  claim 264  wherein the at least one laser beam which generates the small cups has a power density at the processing surface of at least 10 8  W/cm 2  at full beam intensity.  
   
   
       275 . A method of  claim 264  wherein the at least one laser beam has a power of at least 100 watts.  
   
   
       276 . A method of  claim 264  wherein the processing surface comprises metal.  
   
   
       277 . A method for direct engraving of a rotogravure cup to accept printing ink in a processing surface of a rotogravure printing cylinder, comprising the step of: 
 forming the rotogravure cup in the processing surface by use of a plurality of amplitude modulated laser beams so that the cup is formed from a plurality of engraved small cups and wherein a depth of at least one of the small cups differs from a depth of at least one other small cup within the cup.    
   
   
       278 . A method for engraving of a rotogravure cup to accept printing ink in a processing surface of a rotogravure printing cylinder, comprising the step of: 
 forming the cup in the processing surface with at least one amplitude modulated laser beam having a spot size at the processing surface of less than 20 μm from a plurality of engraved small cups and wherein a depth of at least one of the small cups differs from a depth of at least one other small cup within the cup.    
   
   
       279 . A method for engraving of a rotogravure cup to accept printing ink in a processing surface of a rotogravure printing cylinder, comprising the step of: 
 from a plurality of engraved small cups and wherein a depth of at least one of the small cups differs from a depth of at least one other small cup within the cup.