Method for thermally developing relief precursors
AssigneeFlint Group Germany GmbH
InventorsPeter Fronczkiewicz, Andrew Knapp, Torben Wendland, Martin Kunz
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of thermal development of flexographic printing elements, having steps of: fixing a relief precursor a movable support; repeatedly moving the support in a multitude of movement cycles; heating the relief precursor to a temperature sufficient to cause the uncured portions of the photopolymer layer to soften or liquefy; contacting with a development medium; Single movement cycles are carried out with different heating powers and different contacting with the developing medium such that one may improve the registration accuracy of the printing element, ease removal of functional layers, smoothen the relief plate precursor surface, and address heat build-up problem.
Claims18
A method for thermally developing a relief precursor comprising a supporting layer and photopolymer layer having cured and uncured portions comprising the steps:
- (a) fixing the relief precursor with the supporting layer adjacent to a movable support;
- (b) repeatedly moving the movable support with the relief precursor fixed thereon in a multitude of movement cycles;
- each movement cycle being such that whenever a leading edge of the relief precursor passes a starting location a full movement cycle is completed;
- wherein the multitude of movement cycles comprises at least one full movement cycle B and at least one full movement cycle A;
- wherein:
- in each full movement cycle A, the relief precursor is heated with heating power and not contacted with the development medium, so that the relief precursor is treated with heat only;
- in each full movement cycle B, the relief precursor is heated with a heating power which is sufficient to cause the uncured portions of the photopolymer layer to soften or liquefy, and the relief precursor is contacted with a development medium to allow the softened or liquefied uncured portions to be adhered to and removed by the development medium.
A method for thermally developing a relief precursor comprising a supporting layer and photopolymer layer having cured and uncured portions comprising the steps:
- (a) fixing the relief precursor with the supporting layer adjacent to a movable support;
- (b) repeatedly moving the movable support with the relief precursor fixed thereon in a multitude of movement cycles;
- wherein the multitude of movement cycles comprises at least two cycles B, followed by a sequence of alternating cycles B and D, wherein
- in each cycle B, the relief precursor is heated with a heating power which is sufficient to cause the uncured portions of the photopolymer layer to soften or liquefy, and the relief precursor is contacted with a development medium to allow the softened or liquefied uncured portions to be adhered to and removed by the development medium;
- in each cycle D, the relief precursor is not heated, and not contacted with the development medium.
A method for thermally developing a relief precursor comprising a supporting layer and photopolymer layer having cured and uncured portions comprising the steps:
- (a) fixing the relief precursor with the supporting layer adjacent to a movable support;
- (b) repeatedly moving the movable support with the relief precursor fixed thereon in a multitude of movement cycles;
- each movement cycle being such that whenever a leading edge of the relief precursor passes a starting location a movement cycle is completed;
- wherein the multitude of movement cycles comprises at least one cycle B and at least one cycle D;
- wherein:
- in each cycle B, the relief precursor is heated with a heating power which is sufficient to cause the uncured portions of the photopolymer layer to soften or liquefy, and the relief precursor is contacted with a development medium to allow the softened or liquefied uncured portions to be adhered to and removed by the development medium;
- in each cycle D, the relief precursor is not heated, and the relief precursor is not contacted with the development medium.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.