Automatic motor phase presetting for a web printing press

1. A method for presetting motor phase in a web printing press comprising the steps of:

determining a desired preset phase for a motor;

subsequent to the determining step, providing a mark on a first printing form using plate or image making equipment, the plate or image making equipment providing the mark as a function of the determined desired preset phase for a motor driving the first printing form during printing;

reading the mark using a sensor, the sensor having a sensor output; and

presetting the phase of the motor as a function of the sensor output.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the desired preset phase is a function of a physical position of the mark on the first printing form.

3. The method as recited in claim 2 wherein the mark includes information related to the desired preset phase.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the mark includes information related to the desired preset phase.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the first printing form is a lithographic printing plate.

6. The method as recited in claim 5 wherein the sensor reads the mark prior to placement of the printing plate on the printing press.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the mark is located outside a main image area of the printing plate.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the sensor reads the mark when the first printing form is on the printing press.

9. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising providing a second mark on a second printing form, the second mark being a function of a desired preset phase for a second motor driving the second printing form during printing, the first and second printing forms printing different webs.

10. The method as recited in claim 1 further including calculating the desired preset phase for a specific job.

11. The method as recited in claim 10 further comprising storing the desired preset phase.

12. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising measuring a distance of the mark from an edge of the first printing form.

13. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the mark is a bar code.

14. A web printing press comprising:

plate or image making equipment providing a first mark to a first printing form, the first mark being provided as a function desired preset motor phase information;

a first printing group for printing a first web and having at least one first drive motor and the first printing form, the first printing form having the first mark providing first preset motor phase information for presetting the first drive motor to a first preset phase;

a first sensor for reading the first mark, the first sensor having an output; and

a controller for determining the first preset motor phase information as a function of the output of the first sensor and determining the desired preset motor phase information and providing the desired preset motor phase information to the plate or image making equipment.

15. The web printing press as recited in claim 14 further comprising a folder having a cutting device for cutting the web into signatures, the first preset motor phase information being a function of a reference position of the cutting device.

16. The web printing press as recited in claim 14 further including a second printing group for printing a second web and having at least one second drive motor and at least one second printing form, the second printing form having a second mark providing second preset motor phase information for presetting the second drive motor to a second preset phase.

17. The web printing press as recited in claim 16 wherein the controller controls the first and second drive motors.