US 8,757,060 B2 · Method and apparatus for loading and unloading flexographic plates for computer-to-plate imaging including separate loading and unloading areas

Abstract

An apparatus for and a method of loading and unloading of plates to and from an imager. The apparatus includes a loading area holding one single or a plurality of plates and an unloading area holding a single plate, the areas arranged vertically. The plate includes ultraviolet curable material. The apparatus includes a control system configured when in operation to control the automated loading and unloading and the apparatus elements therefor. One fully automatic version includes automatic loading from a stack or set of plate magazines and in the case that the plate includes a protective sheet thereon, includes removing the protective sheet from the plate. Some versions also include one or more ultraviolet sources to irradiate the flexographic plates with ultraviolet radiation during the automated loading and/or unloading. The ultraviolet sources are controlled by the same control system.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of operating a control system of a drum imager having rotatable drum, the method comprising:

loading a printing plate from a loading position on a loading area on to the drum of the drum imager, the loading area adjacent to the drum, the printing plate including material that is curable by irradiation with ultraviolet radiation;
imaging the loaded printing plate to form an imaged plate;
and
unloading the printing plate from the imager onto an unloading area separate from the loading area, the unloading area being for holding a single plate
the method further comprising automatically irradiating the printing plate under control of the control system, the irradiating using ultraviolet radiation and controlled to occur prior to or after the imaging during one or both of loading of the plate and unloading of the plate,
wherein while one plate is positioned at the loading position on the loading area, another plate can be unloaded from the imager or be situated at the unloading area.

3 more elements

An apparatus for making printing plates comprising:

means for loading a printing plate from a loading area on to a drum of a drum imager, the loading area being adjacent to the drum, the printing plate including material that is curable by irradiation with ultraviolet radiation;
means for imaging the loaded printing plate to form an imaged plate;
means for unloading the printing plate from the imager onto an unloading area separate from the loading area, the unloading area being for holding a single plate;
and
means for automatically irradiating the printing plate by ultraviolet radiation prior to or after the imaging during one or both of loading of the plate and unloading of the plate,
control means to control the means for loading, the means for imaging, the means for unloading and the means for automatically irradiating, such that a plate that includes material that is curable by irradiation with ultraviolet radiation can be irradiated in an automatic manner under control of the control system during one or both of loading of the plate and unloading of the plate
wherein while one plate is positioned at the loading position on the loading area, another plate can be unloaded from the imager by the means for unloading or be situated at the unloading area.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and apparatus for loading and unloading flexographic plates for computer-to-plate imaging including separate loading and unloading areas

Life of this patent

Method and apparatus for loading and unloading flexographic plates for computer-to-plate imaging including separate loading and unloading areas

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20