Process and apparatus for feeding a flexographic printing plate processor

A plate processing line for producing a flexographic printing plate comprising:

• an imaging station configured to apply image information to the plate;
• a first exposure station configured to expose the plate to radiation to cure the plate;
• a processing station configured to process the plate by applying one or more of water, a solvent, and/or a thermal process to the plate;
• at least one further station selected from a group consisting of a drying station configured to dry the plate and an after-exposure station configured to expose the plate to further radiation;
• plate transportation means configured to transport the plate between respective ones of the stations;
• and
• a central computer in communication with each of the stations and the plate transportation means, the central computer configured to coordinate operation of each of the stations and the transportation means to effect the producing of the flexographic printing plate.

A plate processing method for producing a flexographic printing plate comprising:

• applying image information to a first plate;
• exposing the plate to radiation to cure the first plate at a first exposure station;
• feeding the first plate from the first exposure station to a processing station;
• processing the first plate at the processing station by applying one or more of water, a solvent, and/or a thermal process to the first plate;
• exposing a second plate to radiation to cure the second plate at a second exposure station during the processing of the first plate at the processing station;
• feeding the second plate from the second exposure station to the processing station following the processing of the first plate;
• and
• processing the second plate at the processing station by applying one or more of water, the solvent, and/or the thermal process to the second plate.

A plate processing method for producing a flexographic printing plate, the method comprising the sequential steps of:

• a) applying image information to a first plate at a first imaging station;
• b) exposing the first plate to radiation to cure the first plate at a first exposure station;
• c) processing the first plate by applying one or more of water, a solvent, and/or a thermal process to the first plate at a first processing station;
• d) drying the first plate, exposing the first plate to further radiation, or a combination thereof at one or more further stations;
• and
• e) feeding a second plate cured by a second exposure station to the first processing station.