CN106696503A - Printing offset plate and method - Google Patents

Abstract

A solvent-based ink is utilized to print current accessible flake photosensitive polymer in passes of an ink-jet printer and to form offset printing relief images in the flake photosensitive polymer without an ink-jet received coating. The solvent-based ink attached onto a coating-free photosensitive polymer sliding film is utilized, and in the implementation mode, an inking surface is heated to about 50 DEG C and quickly dried to maximize the image quality. In the implementation mode, the shielded and exposed flake photosensitive polymer is printed and then can be exposed in UV light in an improved printer, and in fact, the printer transforms batch processing into continuous processing.

Description

Printer's blanket and its method

Transverse direction with related application is quoted

The application is the part of the U.S. Patent Application No. 13/902,301 that on May 24th, 2013 submits to Continuation application, the latter is the U.S. Provisional Patent Application the 61/816th, 366 that on April 26th, 2013 submits to Number non-provisional application.The application is also on 2 9th, 2014 U.S. Patent Application No.s submitted to The part continuation application of No. 14/176,110.These applications are jointly owned and one of inventor's phase Together, and for whole purposes it is incorporated integrally into the application.

Technical field

The present invention is print field, is hectographic printing field more specifically, and again more specifically, It is by the field of sheet photosensitive polymer substrate manufacture printer's blanket.

Background technology

Flexographic printing is printing process, and the printing process uses flexible rubber or photosensitive polymer relief printing plate, The flexible rubber or photosensitive polymer relief printing plate are produced the rising area of referred to as embossment region (relief area) Domain, corresponding to image to be printed, and be referred to as the lower area of baseplate zone around.The print Version is typically secured on revolution drum, and revolution drum is contacted by anilox roll system, is applied with to embossment region Ink is covered with, and then inking aqua region is pressed on the mobile sheet material of such as paper or corrugated board.It is soft Property galley can alternatively be applied to drum outside plate installed part on, such as it is on hand stamp or potential Be applied on non-planar surfaces.

For hectographic printing image typically via the negative-appearing image using image blocking photopolymer (light Photosensitive polymerization thing) non-image areas on layer produces.Photosensitive polymer is being exposed to ultraviolet (referred to below as It is UV) radiate and solidified by crosslinking.The printing plate can by digital imagery (referred to as computer master making or CTP) or by the simulation process of exposed and developed conventional film formed.This film (such as Kodak, What the companies such as Fuji were provided) negative film is processed into by laser photocomposing machine (image setter).

Another method for manufacturing negative film uses ink-jet printer, stops ink printed to clearly UV Plastics, such as on polyester material.The surface of plastic material must be ink-jet Receptive or manufactured Into ink-jet acceptance, i.e. acceptable stabilization and detail image can be produced, i.e. can be attached to Plastics and rapid draing and nonmigratory image.Plastic material can be coated with ink-jet acceptance by it Coating, such as coating of micro porous coating or ink-jet acceptance polymer and to be formed ink-jet Receptive, Or the material can be processed in some other manner, such as acid etching allows ink to adhere to produce On to film and rapid draing and nonmigratory surface.Uncoated plastic material can be alternatively direct Ink-jet ink is printed with, as long as the ink and plastics are compatible.Printed image must also have There is the opacity at least above 3.0, to prevent the time quantum in the photosensitive polymer for needing curing exposure The UV solidifications of period unexposed photosensitive polymer.

One is described by quoting the overall U.S. Patent Application No. 14/027,760 being incorporated into the application The technology of kind, the technology is used together with liquid photosensitive polymer, is protected with requirement similar to described in the application Shield.

Being manufactured by sheet photosensitive polymer described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20060073417 The art methods of printer's blanket comprise the following steps：Sheet photosensitive polymer substrate, the sheet are provided Photosensitive polymer substrate has top surface and relative basal surface；By image by inkjet compositions ink-jet to light In a part for the top surface of photosensitive polymerization thing substrate, to provide photomask layer, wherein, the photomask layer With the optical density more than 2；Photosensitive polymer substrate exposure is radiated in UV, to solidify photosensitive polymerization Thing substrate does not cover part；And photosensitive polymer substrate, the condition pair are processed under the following conditions In cause photosensitive polymer from non-shield portions turn into suitable for offset printing process rising imaging surface Effectively.The top surface of sheet photosensitive polymer must have been anticipated non-solidifying before it is by inkjet printing Gluey ink-jet acceptance coating.

For above-mentioned prior art, before the more important to be realized is above the patent application quoted, The ink-jet ink for being intended to abundant opacity in the single non-overlapped passage of printhead must be water base. As a result, above-mentioned print surface must use micropore or other ink-jet acceptance coatings, to produce permission water base Ink is attached on film and rapid draing and nonmigratory surface.Using solvent-based inks, having had can Abundant opacity can be produced, but only applies multilayer ink by using the overlap passage of ink jet-print head. This needs substantially many times to apply and dry ink.The present inventor's is incorporated into this by quoting entirety U. S. application 13/902,301 in application be described and claimed as a kind of solvent-based ink-jet ink and it Combination with film, they are printed in single non-overlapped printhead passage, described to produce negative film Negative film is fully opaque to UV radiation, to form printer's blanket.

The content of the invention

The main object of the present invention be can by print sheet photosensitive polymer and by the photosensitive polymer system Flexographic printing version is made, is coated with ink-jet acceptance without being previously applied.It is another object of the present invention to Quality is improved using solvent-based ink-jet ink and increase the speed of production of this galley, the solvent-based ink-jet Ink is sufficiently opaque, it is only necessary to an ink jet layer, and can not use biography exposed to UV Performed in the case of system exposing unit.

The present invention can be printed using solvent-based inks by single non-overlapped printhead passage and is currently available Sheet photosensitive polymer in the photosensitive polymer produce camegraph, without ink-jet acceptance Coating.It is attached to the solvent inkjet ink for not having on the surface of cated photosensitive polymer sliding film (slip film) Water is used, and in each implementation method, 50 DEG C is heated approximately to and fast by by the surface of inking Speed is dried to maximum image quality.In each implementation method, the sheet photopolymer plates of so production are right After UV light can be exposed in improved printer, the improved printer is actually by batch processed It is transformed into continuous processing.In following the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, these and other benefits will be clear.

According to an aspect of the present invention, it is a kind of to include for manufacturing the method for printer's blanket：

A be added to an adequate amount of UV absorbents in solvent-based inks by (), to produce in UV spectrum extremely It is of about less the composition for ink of 3 opacity；

B () provides the sheet photosensitive polymer with backing sheet, the backing sheet has basal surface, Photosensitive polymer layer on the top of backing sheet, the photosensitive polymer layer has top surface；

C be applied to individual layer composition for ink in a part for top surface by (), to provide photomask image；

D the basal surface is optionally exposed to UV radiation by (), UV radiation is enough to solidify adjacent to described The base plate thickness of the photosensitive polymer layer of at least zero thickness of backing sheet；

E () radiates the top surface exposed to UV, the UV radiation is enough to solidify does not block photosensitive poly- Depth of the compound layer to the photosensitive polymer layer of the solidification neighbouring with the base plate thickness；And

F () processes the photosensitive polymer substrate of exposure under conditions of following, the condition is photosensitive for causing The non-shield portions of the solidification of polymeric layer turn into the rising image table used suitable for flexographic printing process Face is effective.

Preferably, the top surface includes sliding film, and the photomask layer is applied to the slip Film.

Suitably, after step (c), the surface that the composition for ink is applied to thereon is heated.

Advantageously, after step (c), the surface that the composition for ink is applied thereto is heated.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a kind of lamination includes：

Sheet polymer with top surface；

Solvent-based inks water composition, the solvent-based inks water composition is applied to a part for the top surface On, to produce photomask image, wherein each part of described image is in the single non-heavy of ink jet-print head Produced in folded passage；

Solvent-based inks water composition includes at least one UV radiation-absorbent substances with other UV of at least one Radiation filtration material, other UV radiation filtrations materials selection such as following table：

A. at least one fluorescent material；

B. at least one UV radiation reflective materials；And

C. above-mentioned any combination；

The composition has at least about 3 UV opacities when drying on the top.

In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a kind of machine for manufacturing printer's blanket, the machine Device includes ink-jet printer, and the printer includes programmable device, for being input into, printing and exporting tool There is the sheet photosensitive polymer of print surface；Ink process part, the ink process part is beaten with described Print machine output section is neighbouring, including programmable device, for as the sheet photosensitive polymer is by printing The sheet photosensitive polymer for being printed, the sheet photosensitive polymer that process it and will treat are taken into line by line Output；And

Exposed portion, the exposed portion is neighbouring with the process part output section, including programmable device, For being taken into the sheet photosensitive polymer for being printed and being treated, and it is exposed to actinic radiation.

Preferably, the ink process part heats the surface for being printed, and the exposed portion includes Ultraviolet launches LED.

Suitably, with the printing plate trim part neighbouring with the exposed portion.

Brief description of the drawings

Fig. 1 is used in the perspective view of the printer's blanket on printing machine；

Fig. 2 is used in the cross-sectional view of the sheet photosensitive polymer in prior art and the present invention；

Fig. 3 is the horizontal stroke of the art methods using the sheet photosensitive polymer in the component in other layers Sectional view, the sheet photosensitive polymer is in exposing unit to manufacture flexible printing plate；

Fig. 4 is the sliding film for being printed upon sheet photosensitive polymer according to the first embodiment of the invention On solvent-based inks camegraph negative-appearing image cross-sectional view；

Fig. 5 is the cross-sectional view of inkjet printing and camegraph the generation machine of combination.

Specific embodiment

Referring now to accompanying drawing, identical element is indicated by the same numbers in some views, Fig. 1 The perspective view diagram of the not to scale (NTS) of the simplification of the printer's blanket being used in printing machine 2.Printer's blanket 1 (because it is to be fabricated from a flexible material, bend to drum and including soft type-face or relief surface And gain the name accordingly) be fastened on cylindrical marking roll 3.The sheet material of printable material, such as paper 4 lead to Cross the roll gap 5 that is fed through between marking roll 3 and pressure roll 6 and printed.(the typical case of inking roller 7 Ground anilox roll) for example from the liquid film of the pickup ink 8 of ink pallet 9, send it to and printer's blanket In the print surface 10 of 1 integral camegraph 11.Print surface 10 is in print on paper ink figure As 12.

Fig. 2 be used in prior art and the amplification of sheet photosensitive polymer 21 used in this invention not into The cross-sectional view of ratio.Sheet photosensitive polymer is made up of the soft layer of uncured photosensitive polymer 22, The uncured photosensitive polymer is fixed to light penetrating copolymer, PVC or other plastics it is thin flexible On backing sheet 23.The print surface of sheet photosensitive polymer is by sliding film 33, typically polyester Protection.How to be used depending on sheet photosensitive polymer 21, sliding film 33 can be removed.It is preferred that Ground is that sliding film of the invention 33 is retained in place so that embossment negative-appearing image is printed upon on it, and is not had Be removed, until sheet photosensitive polymer be exposed and from exposing unit removal after untill.But, Within the scope of the invention, sliding film 33 can be removed before the printing and camegraph is directly printed Thereon.

Fig. 3 is the art methods of the sheet photosensitive polymer 21 in the component using other layers 20 Cross section illustrates, to manufacture printer's blanket.Sliding film 33 is placed on by sheet photosensitive polymer 21 Removed from sheet photosensitive polymer before printing plate manufacture system (exposing unit), and therefore at this It is invisible in individual figure.In this and subsequent figure, only show to be related to the part of exposing unit of the invention. Major part for the printing plate manufacture system by sheet photosensitive polymer manufacture printer's blanket is flat level Bottom glass 24, the bottom UV lamp 25 under bottom glass in exposing unit base, and Flat top glass 26 and top UV lamp 52 in lid (not shown).Lid (not shown) It is hinged on the base of exposing unit so that be placed in bottom glass 24 in printing plate manufacture component 20 Afterwards, top glass can descend to horizontal level, as illustrated, manufacturing the top of component 20 in printing plate On.

In the photographic negative of embossment region to be printed as described above or by film, numeral or ink-jet After method is made, involved step is in by sheet photosensitive polymer manufacture traditional printing hectograph：

A. the sheet material of unexposed sheet photosensitive polymer 21 is placed in bottom glass 24, and backing Sheet material 23 is against bottom glass 24；

B. by image negative film 27, (black region of negative film is represented by vertical section line herein, even if image material The thickness of material is very small) it is placed on the top of sheet photosensitive polymer 21；

C. cover whole printing plate with vacuum panels (not shown) and manufacture component 20；

D. top glass 26 is dropped on printing plate manufacture component 20；

E. the vacuum source (not shown) for being connected to lower vacuum groove 34 is opened, by air from each layer Between remove；

F. open bottom UV lamp 25 and continue stipulated time amount, irradiated with by bottom glass 26, cause Uniform backplane level 211 is formed in photosensitive polymer layer 22 on backing sheet 23；

G. open top UV lamp 52 to be irradiated with by the clear area 29 in negative film 27, it is clear to cause The vertical area 210 of the sheet photosensitive polymer under region 29 is polymerized, and is bonded to backplane level In 211 (at horizontal dotted lines), and

H. from the sheet photosensitive polymer of unit removal exposure, for producing camegraph.That is, from ground On flaggy 211 by with solvent scouring sheet polymer come the unpolymerized photosensitive polymer of mechanical removal.

It is noted that in this figure and subsequent figure, exposure polymerization photosensitive polymer with not The Relative vertical of horizontal boundary 22 between the unpolymerized photosensitive polymer of exposure inclines about 30 degree, makes The bottom for obtaining vertical area 210 is more wider than their close light sources away from light source.These shoulders are formed in vertically On the sidepiece in region 210, because light spreads apart with them through photosensitive polymer.This effect Should be controlled by the thickness of the shape of light source and photosensitive polymer layer, and can be properly controlled, It is beneficial in terms of increasing the dimensional stability of vertical area in the printing process.

Such as by mask is set directly on photosensitive surface stop light formed image it is any during Like that, mask is closer to the surface, and the image for being formed is more clear.To the applying vacuum of groove 28 from printing plate Remove air between the layer related to image in manufacture component 20, thus by image masks pull closer to Photosensitive polymer layer.Mask (in this case, single negative film 27) is to sheet photosensitive polymer layer 22 Close degree depend on the side how vacuum that is applied on groove 28 is reached well between the two layers Boundary.Vacuum is herein maximal efficiency, because this border there must be at glass surface Only to be evacuated one outside border.

Fig. 4 is out-of-proportion cross-sectional view of the amplification of first embodiment of the invention, i.e. printing Solvent-based inks negative-appearing image 51 on the sliding film 33 of sheet photosensitive polymer 21.Solvent-based inks are bases 13/902, No. 301 manufactures of U.S. Patent Application No., and therefore can be beaten using one of ink-jet printer Print slubbing time, satisfactorily slides thin-film material, such as polyester, polyethylene terephthalate in typical case (PET) required opacity is printed as on.Although inkjet printing is working as accurate addition imaging The preceding choice of technology, but present invention could apply to any ink applying method, the method is allowed in single Apply shielded image in laying.The demand for eliminating multiple laying accelerates the process of image generation, and The registering related any problem for eliminating and repeating laying.

Additionally, using this implementation method, eliminating the whole camegraph negative film of prior art (see figure Element 27 in 3), and between negative film and the sliding film of prior art the aeriferous interface of bag (see Element 33 in Fig. 2).The scope of the present invention includes being applied on the upper surface of sheet photosensitive polymer Other solvent-based inks acceptance films or layer, the sheet photosensitive polymer is as an example, such as, but not limited to Mixture or copolymer comprising both ethene polymers and polyethylene.

Preferably, and according to the specified chemical of ink constitute, the sheet material for being printed can be heated to greatly About 50 DEG C, more rapidly to dry ink.This is by reducing migration and ink of the wet ink after laying The formation of steam bubble in water and improve image definition.

It is real that the step of for preparing printer's blanket by sheet photosensitive polymer, starts from as shown in Figure 4 first The lamination of mode is applied, wherein, backing sheet 23 and sliding film 33 are formed by polyester, and the step is as follows：

A. using being suitable to the single passage of the printhead of ink-jet printer, sheet photosensitive polymer 21 (see The numeral expression of the negative-appearing image of camegraph 51 is printed on sliding film 33 Fig. 4)；

B. the sheet polymer optics that will be printed is heated approximately to 50 DEG C；

C. the dorsal part of sheet photosensitive polymer 21 that will be printed is placed on the bottom of UV exposing units down On glass；

D. irradiation polymerization light passes through the lamination for being printed and is persistently suitable to form reason in photosensitive polymer sheet material Think the time quantum of the uniform mat of thickness；

E. irradiation polymerization light is persistently suitable between polymeric base plate and sliding film 33 through embossment negative-appearing image 51 The time quantum of the camegraph of polymerization is formed in sheet photosensitive polymer；And

F. according to common practice post processing exposure sheet photosensitive polymer with remove ink, sliding film and Unpolymerized photosensitive polymer, and the fixed base plate and camegraph being polymerized.

Fig. 5 is out-of-proportion cross-sectional view of amplification second embodiment of the invention, i.e. The process of the polymeric relief image plate of post processing is got out in the lamination of printed drawings 4 successively and formation In, the inkjet printing and camegraph of combination form the scheme of machine.Have been incorporated into this implementation method Ink-jet printer part 60 new unprinted sheet photosensitive polymer 21 cause pass through inkjet printing First 61 are printed onto thereon embossment negative-appearing image 51A.Sheet polymer 21 is moved in direction a, meanwhile, Printhead 61 moves back and forth on the direction toward and away from observer.So as to image 51A represents court To the single passage (single of ink is laid) of the printhead 61 of observer.When printhead 61 towards observation When person reaches its solstics, sheet material 21 will be indexable (index) in direction a, and printhead 61 will be remote From observer, follow procedure laying ink.Static opaque baffle plate 62 prevents light from entering printer section 60.Part 68 is optional piece process part, in this embodiment and according to the composition of ink And processing speed, the process part is optional thermal source (the such as but not limited to LED of infrared emission).Its Surface temperatures of the ink image 51B under it until about 50 DEG C is heated, before ink starts migration Dry it.

In this embodiment, passing through every time with printhead 61, sheet material 21 is still in direction a Indexing, and sheet material 21 is moved into cured portion 69 from optional process part 68.Second baffle 65 Can be positioned above and below sheet material 21, to prevent the UV radiant sections from lamp 66 and 67 from solidifying Photosensitive polymer under image 51B.The clearly sheet surface area of baffle plate 65 is moved through 29 cause that the photosensitive polymer 210 under it is solidified by top UV sources 66A and bottom UV sources 67A. Initial interface 212A (dotted line) between the material 211 and unpolymerized material 211 of polymerization is formed into One depth, the intensity of exposure of the depth by time for programming and from these UV sources is determined.At this Individual aspect, compared with currently used fluorescent tube, the array 66A-C and 67A-C of ultraviolet LED Can be more precisely controlled.During lasting UV exposures can be programmed into, with sheet material 21 distally move along direction A, in the photosensitive polymer 211 and uncured photosensitive polymer of solidification Interface 212B obvious enough is produced between 210.

Fig. 5 also show printing plate trim part 70 and can be affixed to cured portion 69, printing plate finishing Part can for example include solvent cleaning and mechanical scrub.

Claims (7)

1. one kind is used for the method for manufacturing printer's blanket (1), it is characterised in that comprise the following steps：

A be added to the UV absorbents of q.s in solvent-based inks by (), have in UV spectrum to produce There is the composition for ink of at least about 3 opacity；

B () provides the sheet photosensitive polymer (21) with backing sheet (23), the backing sheet (23) It is described photosensitive on the top of photosensitive polymer layer (22) in backing sheet (23) with basal surface Polymeric layer (22) is with top surface；

C be applied to the composition for ink of individual layer in a part for the top surface by (), to provide photomask Image (51)；

D the basal surface is optionally exposed to UV radiation by (), UV radiation is enough to the neighbouring backing The base plate thickness of sheet material (23) the solidification at least photosensitive polymer layer (22) of zero thickness；

E () radiates the top surface exposed to UV, UV radiation is enough to solidify do not block photosensitive poly- Compound layer (22) to the photosensitive polymer of solidification depth, the photosensitive polymer of the solidification and the base plate Thickness is neighbouring；And

F () processes the sheet photosensitive polymer (21) being exposed under the following conditions, the condition is for making The non-shield portions (210) for obtaining the solidification of photosensitive polymer layer (22) are swiped through as graph is suitably employed in Rising imaging surface in journey is effective.

2. the method for claim 1, it is characterised in that the top surface includes sliding film , and the photomask layer (51) is applied on the sliding film (33) (33).

3. method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, it is characterised in that after step (c), the ink The top surface that water composition is applied in is heated.

4. a kind of lamination, it is characterised in that including：

Sheet photosensitive polymer (21) with top surface；

The solvent-based inks water composition in a part for the top surface is applied to, to produce photomask image (51), wherein each part of the photomask image (51) is not overlapped in the single of ink jet-print head Produced in passage；

The solvent-based inks water composition include at least one UV radiation-absorbent substances and at least one other UV radiation filtration materials, described other UV radiation filtration materials are chosen from list below：

A. at least one fluorescent material；

B. at least one UV radiation reflective materials；And

C. above-mentioned any combination；

The composition on the top surface when drying with least about 3 UV opacities.

5. a kind of machine for manufacturing printer's blanket, it is characterised in that including ink-jet printer (60)；

The printer (60) includes：Programmable device, the programmable device be used for be input into, print and Output has by the sheet photosensitive polymer (21) of print surface；Ink process part (68), the ink Water treatment portion is adjacent with the printer output portion, including programmable device, and the programmable device is used for As the sheet photosensitive polymer is printed the sheet photosensitive polymer that is taken into is printed line by line (21), process it and export treated sheet photosensitive polymer (21)；And

Exposed portion (69), the exposed portion is adjacent with the process part output section, including programmable Device, for being taken into the sheet photosensitive polymer that is printed and treated and being exposed to actinic radiation (67A-68C)。

6. machine as claimed in claim 5, it is characterised in that the ink process part (68) plus The surface that heat is printed, and the exposed portion (69) launches LED (67A-68C) including ultraviolet.

7. the machine as described in claim 5 or 6, it is characterised in that there is printing plate trim part (70), The printing plate trim part is adjacent with the exposed portion (69).