Maintaining raw flexible plate integrity using pre-hardened flexible plate regions
AssigneeSp Holding II Et, Inc.
InventorsLewis B. Jennings, Peter J. Fronczkiewicz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Embodiments of the invention are directed to a component of a flexographic printing system. The component includes an electromagnetic energy source operable to electronically couple to a controller. The electromagnetic energy source is further operable to apply a pre-hardening process to a non-print region of a raw flexible plate. The pre-hardening process results in a pre-hardened region of the non-print region of the raw flexible plate. The pre-hardened region of the non-print region of the raw flexible plate counters a clamping force applied to the non-print region of the raw flexible plate.
Claims20
A component of a flexographic printing system, the component comprising:
- an electromagnetic energy source configured to electronically couple to a controller;
- wherein the electromagnetic energy source is further configured to apply a pre-hardening process to at least one selected regions of a raw flexible plate, the raw flexible plate comprising one or more print regions and one or more non-print regions;
- wherein the one or more print regions comprise one or more non-sacrificial regions of the raw flexible plate reserved for forming, through downstream plate processing, a hardened flexible plate;
- wherein the one or more non-print regions further comprise one or more sacrificial regions of the raw flexible plate not reserved for forming, through the downstream plate processing, the hardened flexible plate;
- wherein the one or more sacrificial regions comprise a first non-print region;
- wherein the electromagnetic energy source is further configured to apply the pre-hardening process to the first non-print region;
- wherein applying the pre-hardening process to the first non-print region results in a pre-hardened region of the first non-print region of the raw flexible plate;
- and
- wherein the pre-hardened region of the first non-print region of the raw flexible plate counters a clamping force applied to the first non-print region of the raw flexible plate during the pre-hardening process.
A flexible plate comprising:
- one or more print regions;
- one or more non-print regions comprising a first non-print region having an exposed edge sidewall;
- wherein the one or more print regions comprise one or more non-sacrificial regions of the flexible plate reserved for forming, through downstream plate processing, a hardened flexible plate;
- wherein the one or more non-print regions further comprise one or more sacrificial regions of the flexible plate not reserved for forming, through the downstream plate processing, the hardened flexible plate;
- and
- an electromagnetic energy source configured to, responsive to instructions from a controller, convert at least a portion of the first non-print region to a pre-hardened first non-print region by applying a pre-hardening process to the exposed edge sidewall.
A method of forming a component of a flexographic printing system, the method comprising:
- providing an electromagnetic energy source configured to electronically couple to a controller;
- wherein the electromagnetic energy source is further configured to apply a pre-hardening process to at least one selected regions of a raw flexible plate, the raw flexible plate comprising one or more print regions and one or more non-print regions;
- wherein the one or more print regions comprise one or more non-sacrificial regions of the raw flexible plate reserved for forming, through downstream plate processing, a hardened flexible plate;
- wherein the one or more non-print regions further comprise one or more sacrificial regions of the raw flexible plate not reserved for forming, through the downstream plate processing, the hardened flexible plate;
- wherein the one or more sacrificial regions comprise a first non-print region;
- wherein the electromagnetic energy source is further configured to apply the pre-hardening process to the first non-print region;
- wherein applying the pre-hardening process to the first non-print region results in a pre-hardened region of the first non-print region of the raw flexible plate;
- and
- wherein the pre-hardened region of the first non-print region of the raw flexible plate counters a clamping force applied to the first non-print region of the raw flexible plate during the pre-hardening process.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.