Plate making apparatus and regenerative printing plate management method as well as interstage sleeve

A plate making apparatus, comprising:

• a cylindrical carrier (2) including a printing plate on an outer peripheral face thereof;
• a pair of chuck apparatus (20) for fitting in openings at the opposite ends of said carrier (2) to grasp said carrier (2) from the opposite sides and centering said carrier (2) with a predetermined reference axis (O2);
• and
• one or a plurality of processing apparatus disposed in a direction toward said carrier (2) centered by said chuck apparatus (20) for performing a plate making process for the printing plate supported by said carrier (2);
• said carrier (2) before processing being carried into a space between the pair of chuck apparatus (20) from a perpendicular direction to said reference axis (02), said carrier (2) after the plate making process being carried out from the space between the pair of chuck apparatus (20) to a perpendicular direction to said reference axis (O2).

A management method for a regenerative printing plate which is used in a state wherein the regenerative printing plate is mounted on a cylindrical carrier (2), comprising the steps of:

• applying a printing plate identification number to each regenerative printing plate (1) while a carrier identification number is applied to each carrier (2) and producing a file (42) for recording a use situation of each regenerative printing plate (1) for each plate identification number;
• recording, when each regenerative printing plate (1) is to be used, the printing plate identification number thereof in a corresponding relationship to the carrier identification number of the carrier (2) on which the regenerative printing plate (1) is mounted into a table (43);
• and
• reading, every time each regenerative printing plate (1) is used, the carrier identification number from the carrier (2) to search the printing plate identification number corresponding to the read carrier identification number from the table (43) and recording and updating the use situation of the regenerative printing plate into the file (42) corresponding to the printing plate identification number.

A management method for a regenerative printing plate, comprising the steps of:

• writing use situation data on a plate face of a regenerative printing plate (1) together with a pattern;
• reading, when the pattern of the regenerative printing plate (1) is to be rewritten, the use situation data of the plate face and temporarily storing the use situation data into a memory (71) before regeneration;
• and
• updating, after the regeneration, the use situation data temporarily stored in the memory together with the new pattern and writing the use situation data on the plate face of the regenerative printing plate (1).

A management method for a regenerative printing plate, comprising the steps of:

• applying a printing plate identification number to each regenerative printing plate (1) and writing the printing plate identification number on a plate face;
• producing a file (82) for recording a use situation of each regenerative printing plate (1) for each plate identification number;
• reading, when a pattern of each regenerative printing plate (1) is rewritten, the plate identification number of the plate face and temporarily storing the plate identification number into a memory (83) before regeneration and then recording and updating the use situation of the regenerative printing plate into said file (82) corresponding to the read out printing plate identification number;
• and
• writing, after the regeneration, the printing plate identification number temporarily stored in said memory (83) together with the new pattern on the plate face of the regenerative printing plate (1).