# US 8,770,107 B2 · Device and method for producing flexographic printing sleeves

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- Number: US 8,770,107 B2
- Document ID: US8770107B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/698,080
- Filed: 2011-05-16
- Published: 2013-04-18
- Granted: 2014-07-08
- Earliest claimed: 2010-05-17
- Assignees: Fling Group Germany GmbH
- Applicants: Gernot Dietz
- Inventors: Gernot Dietz
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8770107B2

## CPC

- B65G 49/02: for conveying workpieces through baths of liquid
- B41N 3/006: {Cleaning, washing, rinsing or reclaiming of printing formes other than intaglio formes (B41N3/06 takes precedence)}
- G03F 7/24: Curved surfaces {(G03F7/70 takes precedence)}
- G03F 7/3035: {from printing plates fixed on a cylinder or on a curved surface; from printing cylinders}
- B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D)
- B41N: PRINTING PLATES OR FOILS (photosensitive material G03); MATERIALS FOR SURFACES USED IN PRINTING MACHINES FOR PRINTING, INKING, DAMPING, OR THE LIKE; PREPARING SUCH SURFACES FOR USE AND CONSERVING THEM
- G03F: PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR; (phototypographic composing devices B41B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; electrophotography, sensitive layers or processes therefor G03G)

## Abstract

Device for producing flexographic printing sleeves starting from photopolymerizable sleeves comprising at least a clean-out unit, a drying unit, and a post-exposure unit, wherein the flexographic printing sleeves are transported within the apparatus by means of a transport device, wherein the sleeves are mounted dually translationally in the longitudinal direction in the transport device, and a method for the production of flexographic printing sleeves using said device.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A device for producing flexographic printing sleeves comprising:
a clean-out unit for removing unexposed portions of image-exposed sleeves using a cleaning agent,
a drying unit for removing residual cleaning agent from the sleeves that had unexposed portions removed by the clean-out unit, and
a post-exposure unit for re-exposing with UV radiation the sleeves that had residual cleaning agent removed by the drying unit,
wherein the clean-out unit, the drying unit and the post exposure unit are arranged directly one after another in the sequence given, the sleeves have a length LS and for the purposes of processing in the device are mounted concentrically on axles of a length LA by way of suitable support devices so that the sleeves can rotate during processing in the device, wherein each of the clean-out unit and the post-exposure unit comprises a transport device for transporting the sleeves into each respective unit and from there to the drying unit or out of the device, characterized in that
the transport device comprises two supports for holding the axles of the sleeves mounted thereon, said axles extending out from both sides of the sleeves and said supports being disposed parallel to one another at a distance A, wherein LS<A<LA, and the supports are mounted dually translationally in the longitudinal direction of the device.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that
each of the transport devices comprises two transport arms disposed parallel to one another,
the transport arms are mounted in such a way that the transport arms can move in the longitudinal direction, and
a support of the two supports is disposed on each of the transport arms, the support able to move along the respective transport arm.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The device as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the transport device is also movably mounted in the vertical direction.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The device as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the transport arms can hold the axles near the ends thereof.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the device also comprises an exposure unit disposed before the clean-out unit in which photopolymerizable sleeves can be image-exposed with actinic radiation, and wherein the exposure unit also comprises a transport device.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the clean-out unit comprises two clean-out brushes that rotate in opposite directions and that are disposed below the sleeve, wherein the rotational velocities of the sleeve and of the two clean-out brushes can be regulated separately.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The device as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the two clean-out brushes can be moved in the vertical direction by way of a suitable device, such that the two clean-out brushes can be moved from a rest position in which the two clean-out brushes make no contact with the sleeve to a working position in which the two clean-out brushes contact the sleeve.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The device as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that each of the two clean-out brushes is equipped with at least one doctor blade for removing excess cleaning agent and/or for removing contamination from the respective brush.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The device as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that a pan that is open upward is disposed below the two clean-out brushes, the pan holding the cleaning agent, wherein a bottom side of the two clean-out brushes dips into the cleaning agent.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

A method for producing flexographic printing sleeves starting with photopolymerizable sleeves, comprising at least one cylindrical sleeve and a photopolymerizable layer applied thereto, the method comprising at least the processing steps of:
(1) image-exposing of the photopolymerizable layer of the sleeves using actinic radiation,
(2) removing unexposed portions of the image-exposed sleeves using cleaning agent,
(3) drying the sleeves that had unexposed portions removed, and
(4) post-exposing with UV radiation of the sleeves that were dried,
characterized in that at least process steps of removing unexposed portions, drying and post-exposing are performed in a device as claimed in claim 1.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that the device also comprises an exposure unit disposed before the clean-out unit in which photopolymerizable sleeves can be image-exposed with actinic radiation, and wherein the exposure unit also comprises a transport device and that the processing step of image-exposing is also performed in the device.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The method as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that the device comprises a first clean-out brush and a second clean-out brush that rotate in opposite directions from one another, wherein the first clean-out brush rotates in the same direction as a rotational direction of the sleeve and the second clean-out brush rotates in the opposite direction to the rotational direction of the sleeve, and wherein |VB2|>|VS|>|VB1|, where |VB2| is the magnitude of the surface velocity of the second clean-out brush, |VS| is the magnitude of the surface velocity of the sleeve and |VB1| is the magnitude of the surface velocity of the first clean-out brush.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that the rotational velocities of the brushes are adjusted such that |VB2|−|VS| is approximately equal to |VS|−|VB1|.