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US 2014/0234587 A1Published application
Methods of Producing Flat Top Dots on Flexographic Printing Plates, and Laminates Therefor
AssigneeChemence, Inc.
InventorJohn P. Maneira
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Two methods using two respective laminates produce flexographic printing plates with flat top dots from sheet photopolymers. The methods use a preliminary laminate to isolate the photopolymer surface from the ambient air. A third method enables images to be transferred to non-porous surfaces.
Claims21
A laminate, comprising:
- (a) a release coating;
- (b) an image opaque to actinic radiation;
- (c) an adhesive layer;
- (d) a photopolymer layer;
- and
- (e) a substrate.
3 more elements
A laminate, comprising:
- (a) a release coating;
- (b) an adhesive layer;
- (c) an imaged digital photopolymer sheet.
A method of making a flexo plate, comprising the steps of:
- (a) applying a release coating to a backing sheet;
- (b) printing an image on the release coating, creating a release coating image side;
- steps (c) and (d), taken from the list of:
- (c) applying an adhesive layer to the image side of a sheet photopolymer;
- (d) applying the release coating image side to the adhesive layer;
- or
- (c) applying an adhesive layer to the release coating image side, creating a release coating adhesive side;
- (d) applying the release coating adhesive side to the image side of a sheet photopolymer;
- (e) allowing the adhesive layer to cure;
- (f) peeling the backing sheet away from the release coating to produce a printed sheet photopolymer;
- (g) exposing the printed sheet photopolymer to actinic radiation;
- and
- (h) cleaning the ink, release coating, adhesive, and un-crosslinked photopolymer off the exposed printed sheet photopolymer.
10 more elements
A method of making a flexo plate, comprising the steps of:
- (a) applying a release coating to a flexible backing sheet;
- (b) creating an etched image in the thermal layer of a digital photopolymer sheet;
- steps (c) and (d), taken from the list of:
- (c) applying an adhesive layer to the thermal layer side of the photopolymer sheet;
- (d) applying the release coating to the adhesive layer;
- or
- (c) applying an adhesive layer to the release coating, creating a release coating adhesive side;
- (d) applying the release coating adhesive side to the thermal layer side of the photopolymer sheet;
- (e) allowing the adhesive layer to cure;
- (f) peeling the backing sheet away from the release coating to produce an unexposed sheet photopolymer;
- (g) exposing the unexposed sheet photopolymer to actinic radiation;
- and
- (h) cleaning the thermal layer, release coating, adhesive, and un-crosslinked photopolymer off the exposed sheet photopolymer.
10 more elements
A method of transferring an image to a surface, comprising the steps of:
- (a) applying a release coating to a flexible backing sheet;
- (b) applying an image to the release coating, creating a release coating image side;
- steps (c) and (d), taken from the list of:
- (c) applying an adhesive layer to a surface;
- (d) applying the release coating image side to the adhesive layer;
- or
- (c) applying an adhesive layer to the release coating image side, creating a release coating adhesive side;
- (d) applying the release coating adhesive side to the surface;
- (e) allowing the adhesive layer to cure;
- and
- (f) peeling the backing sheet away from the release coating.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.