US 2010/0141969 A1 · Method and Apparatus for Making Liquid Flexographic Printing Elements

Abstract

A system and method for producing a flexographic relief image printing plate from a liquid photopolymer printing blank. The system comprises one or more apparatuses for performing steps to produce the relief image printing plate which are selected from the group consisting of a) a glass setting apparatus for setting a desired gauge of the relief image printing plate, b) an apparatus for controlling UV exposure of the printing plate during an exposure step, and/or c) an apparatus for automatically performing a masking exposure of the printing plate. A microcontroller is operatively connected to the one or more apparatuses and includes software for controlling the operation of the one or more apparatuses and data storage means for storing data relating to the at least one or more apparatuses. A user interface is operatively connected to the microcontroller and to the one or more apparatuses and comprises means for entering data into the data storage means and means for selecting information relating to the one or more apparatuses of the platemaking system.

Claims28

Dependent claims

A platemaking system for producing a flexographic relief image printing plate from a liquid photopolymer printing blank, said system comprising:

a) one or more apparatuses for performing steps to produce the relief image printing plate from the liquid photopolymer printing blank, wherein the one or more apparatuses are selected from the group consisting of a glass setting apparatus for automatically setting a desired gauge of the relief image printing plate, an apparatus for controlling UV exposure of the printing plate during an exposure step, an apparatus for automatically performing a masking exposure of the printing plate and combinations of one or more of the foregoing;
b) a microcontroller operatively connected to the one or more apparatuses of the platemaking system, said microcontroller comprising software for controlling the operation of the one or more apparatuses of the platemaking system and data storage means for storing data relating to the at least one or more apparatuses of the platemaking system;
and
c) a user interface operatively connected to the microcontroller and to the one or more apparatuses of the platemaking system, said user interface comprising means for entering data into the data storage means and means for selecting information relating to the one or more apparatuses of the platemaking system.

1 more element

A method of making a flexographic relief image printing plate in a liquid photopolymer platemaking process, the method comprising the steps of:

a) performing one or more process steps to produce a flexographic relief image printing plate in the liquid photopolymer platemaking process, wherein the one or more process steps are selected from the group consisting of (i) setting a plate gauge by setting a position of at least one of a top glass and a bottom glass, said top glass and said bottom glass defining a space into which a liquid photopolymer resin is dispensed;
(ii) controlling a UV exposure of the printing plate during an exposure step;
(iii) performing an automatic masking exposure of the printing plate, and (iv) combinations of one or more of the foregoing;
b) instructing a microcontroller to perform steps relating to the one or more process steps, wherein said microcontroller controls the performance of the one or more process steps and stores data relating to the one or more process steps;
and
c) interfacing with the microcontroller to enter data relating to the one or more process steps and/or to select information relating to the one or more process steps.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and Apparatus for Making Liquid Flexographic Printing Elements

Life of this patent

Method and Apparatus for Making Liquid Flexographic Printing Elements

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims28