platen

Dictionary: plat·en (plăt'n) pronunciation

The roller in a typewriter that serves as the backing for the paper against which the type bars strike.
Computer Science. The roller in a printer against which the print head strikes.
A flat plate or rolling cylinder in a printing press that positions the paper and holds it against the inked type.
The glass surface of a flatbed scanner.

[Middle English plateine, paten, from Old French platine, metal plate, from plat, flat. See plate.]

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Computer Desktop Encyclopedia: platen

A long, thin cylinder in a typewriter or printer that guides the paper through it and serves as a backstop for the printing mechanism to bang into. It is typically made of a hard rubber or rubber-like material. See carriage and typewriter.

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WordNet: platen

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Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.

The noun has 3 meanings:

Meaning #1: work table of a machine tool

Meaning #2: the flat plate of a printing press that presses the paper against the type

Meaning #3: the roller on a typewriter against which the keys strike

Wikipedia: Platen

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For other uses, see Platen (disambiguation).

Look up platen in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

A platen (or platten) is typically a flat metal (or earlier, wooden) plate pressed against a medium (such as paper) to cause an impression in letterpress printing. Platen may also refer to a typewriter roller which friction-feeds paper into position below the typebars or print head.

1 Other applications
- 1.1 Office equipment
- 1.2 Manufacturing and research
2 See also

Other applications

Office equipment

In office copiers and scanners, the platen is a flat glass surface on which operators place papers or books for scanning. The platen is also called the flatbed. Platens are also used in some printers, such as the Dot-matrix printer.

Manufacturing and research

In manufacturing, a platen is a flat plate of a press utilized in laminate, plastic and forest product industries . A platen is typically heated with oil, water, steam or electricity and is used in the production of furniture, tires, gaskets, particle board, composite heaters and plywood. In high frequency welding products, platens are used to put lines on PVC binders and folders down the spine lines.

In metal forming processes, a platen is the component that houses the mold for forging the required shape. The platen tends to be the heaviest and strongest part of the press due to the massive forces that it has to withstand. A platen for a 5000 ton press can weigh anything up to 350 tons.^{[citation needed]}

Platens are utilized in impact testing in research; a specimen is crushed between platens.

The platen also refers to the fixed part of a linear motor.

		Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more
		Computer Desktop Encyclopedia. THIS COPYRIGHTED DEFINITION IS FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY. All other reproduction is strictly prohibited without permission from the publisher. © 1981-2009 Computer Language Company Inc. All rights reserved. Read more
		WordNet. WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. Read more
		Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Platen". Read more
		Translations. Copyright © 2007, WizCom Technologies Ltd. All rights reserved. Read more

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	platin
	drawsheet (graphic arts)
	carriage (technology)

platen

Contents

Other applications

Office equipment

Manufacturing and research

See also