An apparatus for aligning an edge, typically a leading edge of a plate, in particular a printing plate or a printing plate precursor, said apparatus comprising a support (100) configured for supporting the plate on a support surface, and intended to be located upstream of a treatment station; at least two movable elements (501, 502) arranged to be moved by an edge, typically a leading edge, of the plate, said at least two movable elements comprising a first and a second movable element; a detection means (601, 602) configured to detect a first and second measure representative for a first and second position of the first and second movable element, respectively, at least one controllable component (100, 250) configured to perform an action on the plate; and a control means (700) configured to control the at least one controllable component based on the first and second measure.
B65G 47/91 - Devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials incorporating pneumatic, e.g. suction, grippers
B65G 49/06 - Conveying systems characterised by their application for specified purposes not otherwise provided for for fragile or damageable materials or articles for fragile sheets, e.g. glass
B41N 3/00 - Preparing for use or conserving printing surfaces
B41C 1/10 - Forme preparation for lithographic printing; Master sheets for transferring a lithographic image to the forme
B65H 7/08 - Controlling article feeding, separating, pile-advancing, or associated apparatus, to take account of incorrect feeding, absence of articles, or presence of faulty articles by feelers or detectors responsive to presence of faulty articles or incorrect separation or feed responsive to incorrect front register
B65H 7/10 - Controlling article feeding, separating, pile-advancing, or associated apparatus, to take account of incorrect feeding, absence of articles, or presence of faulty articles by feelers or detectors responsive to presence of faulty articles or incorrect separation or feed responsive to incorrect side register
B65H 3/08 - Separating articles from piles using pneumatic force
G03F 9/00 - Registration or positioning of originals, masks, frames, photographic sheets or textured or patterned surfaces, e.g. automatically
B65G 47/244 - Devices influencing the relative position or the attitude of articles during transit by conveyors orientating the articles by turning them about an axis substantially perpendicular to the conveying plane
G01B 11/00 - Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of optical techniques
B41F 27/12 - Devices for attaching printing elements or formes to supports for attaching flexible printing formes
A system for moving a flexible plate, in particular a printing plate or a printing plate precursor, over a support surface in the direction of a treatment station, comprising a support for supporting the plate on a support surface thereof; an articulated operating arm extending substantially parallel to the support surface and comprising a first segment and a second segment; said first segment having a first end which is rotatably connected to said second segment around a first rotation axis substantially perpendicular to the support surface, and a second end provided with a plate engagement means to contact the plate; said second segment being rotatable around a second rotation axis substantially perpendicular to the support surface; a control means to control the rotation of the first and second segment, such that the plate is slid over the support in the direction of the treatment station.
System for moving a flexible plate (P), in particular a printing plate or a printing plate precursor, over a support surface in the direction of a treatment station (S2), such as a washer station, said system comprising: a support (100) configured for supporting the plate on a support surface thereof, and intended to be located upstream of the treatment station; a movement means (200) comprising a plate engagement means (250) configured to contact the plate in such a way that the plate is engaged by adhesion or by friction or a combination thereof, in a movement mode, and that the plate can be slid over the support surface by controlling the movement means (200) in the movement mode; a control means configured to control the movement means such that the plate is slid over the support in the direction of the treatment station.
A method to determine an exposure time and/or intensity to be used for obtaining a desired feature of a relief structure, in particular a desired floor thickness, said method comprising: - exposing a first side of a relief precursor with electromagnetic radiation wherein the exposure is done in an area having a first position A and a second position B and is performed such that for a plurality of points between said first and second positions A, B the values for the exposure time and the exposure intensity are known, wherein the exposure time and/or the exposure intensity are automatically controlled to be varied at said plurality of points; - determining one or more points of said plurality of p ints representative for the desired feature; - determining the required exposure time and/or exposure intensity for the desired feature based on the determined one or more points and the known values.
Apparatus for exposure of a relief precursor (P) having a first side (F) and an opposite second side (B), said apparatus comprising: a light source (1) configured to expose the relief precursor during relative movement between the light source and the relief plate precursor; a moving means (2) configured to cause a first relative movement (M1) between the light source and the relief precursor to expose the first side of the relief precursor, to cause a second relative movement (M2) between the light source and the relief precursor to expose the second side of the relief precursor, and to move (M3) the light source between a first position (Po1) and a second position (Po2), said first and second positions being on opposite sides of a plane of the relief precursor; wherein at least one of the first and the second relative movement (M1, M2) is a reciprocating movement.
An apparatus for treating a relief precursor (P), such as a printing plate precursor, with a liquid (L), comprising: a treatment compartment (400) with treatment means (450) configured to treat a relief plate precursor with a liquid and to remove pieces from the relief precursor; and a liquid collection system (900) configured to receive liquid and removed pieces from the treatment means (450); wherein the liquid collection system is configured to separate pieces having dimensions larger than predefined minimum dimensions from the liquid and to allow at least some of said pieces to be dissolved at least partially in the liquid at least when the liquid is in a static state after or before a treatment of the relief precursor with the treatment means.
An apparatus (1000) for treating a relief plate precursor (P), such as a printing plate precursor, with a liquid, comprising: a treatment compartment (400) configured for treating the relief plate precursor with a liquid; a transport system (210) for use with one or more transport bars (100), wherein a transport bar thereof is configured to be coupled to a relief plate precursor, said transport system being configured to move the transport bar with the coupled relief plate precursor through the treatment compartment (400); and said transport bar being provided with a coupling portion (121, 122) configured to couple the transport bar to the transport system; a protection system (900) configured to guide and evacuate liquid such that the transport system is protected against wetting with the liquid of the treatment compartment.
Apparatus for exposure of a relief precursor (P) which comprises a substrate layer and at least one photosensitive layer, said apparatus comprising: a first light source (1) configured to illuminate a first side of the relief precursor, a movable second light source (2) configured to illuminate a second side of the relief precursor opposite the first side, a movable shield (3) located between the first light source and the second light source (2) and configured to capture at least a portion of the light of the second light source transmitted through the relief precursor (P), a moving means configured to move the movable shield simultaneously with the second light source.
A method for processing a raster image file, said method comprising the steps: receiving of a raster image file comprising image data for a plurality of pixels, analyzing the image data of the raster image file, determining control data, and optionally t least one new raster image file, based on the analyzed image data, said control data being data for controlling settings of an imaging device so as to change the physical properties of generated imaged features corresponding with one or more of the plurality of pixels; outputting the raster image file and/or the new raster image file, with the control data to an imaging device for imaging a relief precursor.
Punching station (300) for arranging one or more penetration elements in or through an edge portion of a relief plate precursor (P) or for arranging one or more perforations in the edge portion, comprising: a punching means (10) comprising one or more penetration elements (110) or perforating elements, said punching means being configured for arranging the one or more penetration elements or perforating elements through or in an edge portion of the relief plate precursor; an abutment means (20) aligned with the punching means and configured for forming an abutment for the edge of the relief plate precursor; a detection means (30) configured to detect at two or more locations along the abutment means whether the edge portion of the relief plate precursor is correctly positioned against the abutment means; a signalling means (40) configured to communicate a signal in function of the detection by the detection means.
Apparatus for exposure of a relief precursor (P) which comprises a substrate layer and at least one photosensitive layer, said apparatus comprising: a carrying structure (10) for carrying a relief precursor; a LED array (20) configured to illuminate photosensitive layer of the relief precursor carried by the carrying structure, said LED array being configured to illuminate simultaneously a predetermined surface area of at least 900 cm2, said LED array comprising a plurality of subsets (25) of one or more LEDs (21), each subset being individually controllable; a control unit (40) to control the plurality of subsets (25) individually, and such that an irradiation intensity difference in the predetermined surface area is within a predetermin d range.
An apparatus for treating a relief printing plate precursor (P) having a back side (Pb) and a relief side (Pr), said apparatus comprising: a housing (10), a compartment (20) to hold liquid, a treating means (30) for treating the relief precursor with at least one liquid, a removal means (40) for removing debris and/or liquid from the relief precursor, said removal means being arranged downstream of the treating means, a conveying mechanism (50) configured for transporting the relief precursor in a transport direction (T) through the housing (10), wherein the removal means (40) comprises a liquid removal and guidance body (45) mounted for removing liquid from the back side of the relief precursor, said conveying mechanism being configured for pulling said relief precursor over and against said liquid removal and guidance body (45) whilst the relief precursor is moved in the transport direction, such that in operation liquid is removed from the back side.
A method for applying a pattern on a mask layer, said method comprising: obtaining an image file representing pixels with a first pixel size (p; p1) in a first direction parallel to an edge of the pixel, and a second pixel size (p; p2) in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, wherein the first and second pixel size are the same (p) or different (p1, p2); treating the mask layer such that a plurality of areas with altered physical properties are created in the mask layer, said plurality of areas (A) corresponding to a plurality of pixels of the image file, wherein the treatment is done such that a first and/or a second area size (h; h1, h2) of an area of said plurality of areas, seen in said first and/or said second direction, is smaller than the first and/or second pixel size (p; p1, p2) respectively.
An apparatus and a method for generating a relief carrier using a solidifiable material (M), comprising a support structure (100) configured for providing a substantially cylindrical support surface, wherein the support surface may be formed by a substrate intended to be part of the relief carrier to be generated or by a cylindrical support not intended to be part of the relief carrier to be generated; a container (200) for the solidifiable material, said container having a wall (210) arranged substantially parallel to an axis (A) of the support structure; a moving means (300) to move the support structure relative to the wall, such that subsequent areas (Z1, Z2) of the support surface face the wall during the moving; said moving comprising at least a rotation around the axis (A); an irradiating means (400) to send irradiation, through said wall, in a predetermined area between the support surface and the wall..
B41N 1/12 - Printing plates or foils; Materials therefor non-metallic other than stone
B29C 64/124 - Processes of additive manufacturing using only liquids or viscous materials, e.g. depositing a continuous bead of viscous material using layers of liquid which are selectively solidified
15.
APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR TREATING AND TRANSPORTING A RELIEF PRINTING PLATE PRECURSOR
An apparatus (1000) for preparing a relief plate precursor, such as a printing plate precursor (P), that has to be treated, comprising: a transport bar (100) provided with at least one penetration element (110), preferably a plurality of penetration elements; a plate coupling station (300) configured for coupling a relief plate precursor to the transport bar by causing a penetration by the at least one penetration element through an un perforated area near an edge of a relief plate precursor.
An apparatus (1000) for treating a relief plate precursor, such as a printing plate precursor (P), preferably with a liquid, comprising: a transport system (210, 220, 230) with at least one, preferably at least two transport bars (100); a plate coupling station (300) configured for coupling a relief plate precursor to the transport bar; a treatment compartment (400) configured for treating the relief plate precursor; a plate decoupling station (500) configured for decoupling the treated relief plate precursor from the transport bar; wherein the transport system is configured to automatically move each transport bar, after being coupled to a relief plate precursor in the plate coupling station, from the plate coupling station through the treatment station to the plate decoupling station, and, after being decoupled from a treated relief plate precursor, from the plate decoupling station back to the plate coupling station, such that the transport bar moves in a closed loop through the apparatus.
A method for fixing and treating a flexible plate (100) on a drum (200) comprising the steps: providing a flexible plate comprising a support layer (170) made of a first material and at least one additional layer (110, 160) made of a second material which is different from said first material, wherein one or more thin film side wings (120, 130,140,150) are connected to one or more sides of the flexible plate, said one or more thin film side wings having a thickness which is at least 5 times smaller than the thickness of the flexible plate; positioning the flexible plate on the drum such that the lower face of each thin film side wing of the flexible plate covers at least one vacuum suction opening (250); performing a treatment on at least one layer of the flexible plate whilst rotating the drum.
A method for writing an imageable material using multiple beams comprising: preparing subsequent patterns each having Y rows of N pixel locations, said subsequent patterns including a first and a second pattern; wherein the first and the second pattern overlap with each other in an overlap area consisting of O columns and Y rows of pixel locations; selecting for each row i of said first pattern Mi1 pixel locations; selecting for each row i of said second pattern Mi2 pixel locations; writing simultaneously, for each row i, said Mi1 selected pixel locations by moving the N beams in a fast scan direction relative to said imageable material; and next moving said N beams relative to said imageable material in a slow scan direction over (N-O) pixel locations; writing simultaneously, for each row i, said Mi2 selected pixel locations by moving the N beams in a fast scan direction relative to said imageable material; wherein said selecting is such that certain conditions are fulfilled.
A flexographic printing plate comprising at least one halftone printing area with a plurality of halftone dots (100), wherein a halftone dot of said plurality of halftone dots is shaped as a relief area (30); said relief area comprising a central portion (10) and a surrounding portion (20); said central portion having a central dot floor (25) with a first pattern of a plurality of pins (11) protruding upwardly from the central dot floor; said surrounding portion (20) protruding upwardly from the central dot floor and having a top side comprising a second pattern of a plurality of recesses (21), wherein the first pattern and second pattern are such that the surrounding portion can be distinguished from the central portion.
A method for stereolithography printing, comprising the steps of positioning a holder containing a printing material in a first position in a stereolithography apparatus; stereolithography printing a plurality of successive layers in said holder using radiation for solidifying the printing material, such that one or more objects are formed; moving said holder from said first position to a second position away from said first position; opening said holder and removing said one or more objects from said opened holder, in said second position of the holder.
patents
