JPH10305551A - Plate making apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To produce light collection spots in parallel by a plurality of optical fiber laser devices and to reduce a plate making device in size as well as to form dot arrangements in a high speed. SOLUTION: This apparatus comprises a cylinder 10 having a resist film, a plurality of optical fiber laser devices 1 each emitting a laser beam 2, a positioning means for the laser devices, a collimator 4 for converting to parallel laser beams 5, a light switch 6 for passing or blocking the laser beams 5, a beam expander 7 for enlarging a diameter of each of the laser beams 5 and a light collection lens 9 that collects a laser beam 8 to form a light collection spot 11. As a result, it is possible to reduce the apparatus in size as well as to form light collection spots in parallel, thereby forming dot arrangement 12 in a high speed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a plate making apparatus capable of performing high-speed plate making by positioning a plurality of optical fiber laser devices with high precision.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a conventional plate making apparatus. In the figure, reference numeral 21 denotes an optical fiber laser apparatus for transmitting a laser beam using an optical fiber capable of emitting a laser beam 22 as a laser medium, 23 denotes a collimator,
The laser beam 22 is converted into a parallel laser beam 24. Reference numeral 25 denotes an acousto-optic element or the like, and an optical switch for turning on / off the laser beam 24 by transmitting or blocking the laser beam 24; 26, a beam expander for enlarging the diameter of the laser beam 24; 27, a beam expander 26; A laser beam 28 whose diameter is enlarged by a laser beam 28 is a condenser lens for condensing the laser beam 27, and is formed to be movable in a direction perpendicular to a rotation direction of a cylinder 29 described later. Reference numeral 29 denotes a cylinder having a resist film formed by applying a resist material on the surface so as to be freely rotatable, and reference numeral 30 denotes a laser beam 27 formed by condensing a laser beam 27 at a predetermined position on the cylinder 29 by a condensing lens 28. It is a converging spot.

Next, the operation will be described. Laser beam 22 emitted from optical fiber laser device 21
Are collimated by a collimator 23,
Is converted to The laser beam 24 is turned on or off by being transmitted or cut off by the optical switch 25.
FF is performed. And the transmitted laser beam 24 is
The diameter is expanded by a beam expander 26 to form a laser beam 27. This laser beam 27
The light is condensed by the condensing lens 28, and a condensed spot 30 is formed on the resist film on the surface of the cylinder 29. The resist film is removed by the condensing spot 30, and plate making by etching is performed. The rotation of the cylinder 29 is controlled, and a predetermined dot row can be formed by moving the condenser lens 28 in a direction perpendicular to the rotation direction of the cylinder 29, thereby serving as a plate.

[0004]

Since the conventional plate making apparatus is constructed as described above, one dot row is formed by the laser beam 22 emitted from one optical fiber laser apparatus 21 and the condensing lens 28 is formed. Thus, there is a problem that a predetermined halftone dot must be formed by moving the image, and a long time is required to form one plate.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and has as its object to provide a plate making apparatus capable of forming halftone dots at a high speed and making a plate more quickly and efficiently than in the past.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a plate making apparatus comprising: a cylinder having a resist film; a plurality of optical fiber laser devices; and a laser for positioning and arranging the plurality of optical fiber laser devices. The apparatus includes a device positioning unit, an optical switch, and a dot row forming unit that forms a plurality of focused spots by condensing a laser beam on the resist film of the cylinder to form a dot row.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below. Embodiment 1 FIG. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a plate making apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes an optical fiber laser apparatus that emits a laser beam using an optical fiber capable of emitting a laser beam 2 as a laser medium;
Laser conditions and the like can be optimally set according to the dot conditions to be formed.

Reference numeral 3 denotes a laser device positioning means for positioning and arranging the three optical fiber laser devices 1 respectively, and is formed so as to be arranged at a slight angle. That is, the laser device positioning means 3 is configured to control the position of the condensed spot 11 described later by adjusting the arrangement angle of the optical fiber laser device 1 and to form the dot row 12 described later. For the laser device positioning means 3, for example, a so-called XY table that can be easily numerically controlled can be suitably used.

Reference numeral 4 denotes a collimator composed of, for example, a convex lens, which converts the laser beam 2 into a parallel laser beam 5. Reference numeral 6 denotes an optical switch that is configured by an acousto-optic element or the like, and that turns on or off the laser beam 5 by transmitting or blocking the laser beam 5. This is for forming dots on the resist film. Reference numeral 7 denotes a beam expander (dot array forming unit) for expanding the diameter of the laser beam 5, 8 denotes a laser beam whose diameter is expanded by the beam expander 7, and 9 denotes a condensing lens (dot array forming unit) for condensing the laser beam 8. 10 is a cylinder having a resist film formed by applying a resist material on the surface so as to be rotatable, and 11 is formed by condensing a laser beam 8 at a predetermined position on the cylinder 10 by a condenser lens 9. The focused spots 12 are dot rows formed by removing the resist film by the plurality of focused spots 11.

Next, the operation will be described. The laser beam 2 emitted from each optical fiber laser device 1 is
It is converted by a collimator 4 into a parallel laser beam 5. The laser beam 5 is turned on and off by being transmitted or cut off by the optical switch 6.
Then, the transmitted laser beam 5 is expanded in diameter by a beam expander 7 to be a laser beam 8. This laser beam 8 is condensed by a condensing lens 9, and a condensed spot 11 is formed on the resist film on the surface of the cylinder 10. At this time, the arrangement angle of the plurality of optical fiber laser devices 1 is
By controlling the position of the condensing spot 11 and controlling the rotation of the cylinder 10, a predetermined dot row 12 is formed at high speed, and plate making by etching is performed quickly and efficiently.

As described above, according to the first embodiment, since the plurality of optical fiber laser devices 1 can be used to produce the condensed spots 11 in parallel, the device can be downsized and the dot rows 12 can be produced at high speed. As a result, an effect of making a plate more quickly and efficiently than before can be obtained.

In the first embodiment, three optical fiber laser devices 1 have been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The number of optical fiber laser devices 1 can be appropriately adjusted according to the spot array 12 to be formed. Further, the collimator 4 is not limited to the one made of a convex lens.
Further, in the first embodiment, the plate making apparatus for gravure printing has been described. However, the present invention can be applied to an offset printing apparatus or the like by using a lower output laser beam 2.

[0013]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, a cylinder having a resist film, a plurality of optical fiber laser devices, and a laser device for positioning and arranging the plurality of optical fiber laser devices respectively. A positioning means, an optical switch, and a dot row forming means for forming a plurality of focused spots by condensing a laser beam on the resist film of the cylinder to form a dot row; Since the condensing spots can be produced in parallel by the laser device, the dot row can be produced at high speed while the device is downsized, and there is an effect that plate making can be performed more quickly and efficiently than before.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a plate making apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing a conventional plate making apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Optical fiber laser apparatus 2, 5, 8 Laser beam 3 Laser apparatus positioning means 6 Optical switch 7 Beam expander (dot row forming means) 9 Condensing lens (dot row forming means) 10 Cylinder 11 Focusing spot 12 Dot row

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A cylinder rotatably provided with a resist film, a plurality of optical fiber laser devices for emitting a laser beam by optical fibers, and a laser device positioning means for positioning and arranging the plurality of optical fiber laser devices, respectively. An optical switch for transmitting or blocking the laser beam emitted from the optical fiber laser device, and condensing the laser beam transmitted by the optical switch on the resist film of the cylinder to form a plurality of condensed spots And a dot row forming means for forming a dot row by removing the resist film.