JP2001075293A - Developing device for damping waterless planographic printing original plate - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To eliminate the need for intricate stages like replacing of a developer by installing a spare tank to a preprocessing liquid tank. SOLUTION: The spare tank 188 is filled with a preprocessing liquid 8 at >=90% of its volume and is connected to a preprocessing liquid circulating line by a bypass pipe 189 which can be switched by valves 185 and 187. When the temperature of the preprocessing liquid 8 is desired to be lowered, a valve 186 is closed and the valves 185 and 187 are opened, by which the flow of the preprocessing liquid 8 is eventually passed through the spare tank 188 and therefore the preprocessing liquid is rapidly cooled. Next, the valves 185 and 187 are closed and the valve 186 is opened, by which the preprocessing liquid is returned to the ordinary circulating line. The preprocessing liquid is again heated by a heater, thereby, the preprocessing liquid can be made to rapidly attain a desired temperature. The volume of the spare tank 188 is preferably >=0.5 to <=2 times the ordinary preprocessing liquid volume. If the volume is below 0.5 times, a cooling effect is insufficient. If the volume exceeds 2 times, the volume over the entire part of the device increases.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for developing a lithographic printing original plate requiring no dampening solution, and more particularly, to a printing original plate comprising a silicone rubber layer and an ink receiving layer sequentially laminated from the outermost surface. The present invention relates to a developing device for a lithographic printing original plate requiring no dampening solution, which is subjected to brush development in the presence of water after exposure to light and then immersion in a pretreatment liquid.

[0002]

2. Related Background Art Hitherto, a lithographic printing original plate which does not require dampening water and has a silicone rubber layer as an ink repellent layer has been known.
JP-B-44-23042, JP-B-46-16044, JP-B-54-26923, JP-B-55-22781, JP-B-61-54219 and JP-B-61-54222 disclose an ink-receiving layer and a silicone rubber on a substrate. A lithographic printing plate precursor requiring no dampening solution in which layers are provided in this order is disclosed. These lithographic printing plates requiring no dampening solution are disclosed in
-59351 and the developing method disclosed in JP-A-63-163357 and the like. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 6-258842 and 7-926 are examples of a developing apparatus for a lithographic printing plate precursor that does not require dampening water using such a developing method.
The image is developed using a developing device disclosed in, for example, JP-A-92-92.

On the other hand, in recent years, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-28190
1, JP-A-8-330215, JP-A-10-31957
9. Japanese Patent Application No. 9-326002 and the like disclose a lithographic printing plate precursor that does not require a dampening solution and uses a silicone rubber layer that can be directly drawn by a laser as an ink repellent layer. As described above, a plurality of original plates have been used even with a fountain solution-free lithographic printing plate having a silicone rubber layer as an ink repellent layer. When using an original plate, replacement of the developing solution is required, and there is a problem in workability.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art, the present invention provides an apparatus for developing a lithographic printing plate precursor that does not require a dampening solution and does not require complicated steps such as replacement of a developing solution.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is as follows.
This is achieved by the following configuration.

[0006] A pretreatment liquid tank in a developing machine for exposing a printing plate precursor having a silicone rubber layer and an ink receiving layer sequentially laminated from the outermost surface, exposing it to a pretreatment liquid, and developing the brush in the presence of water. Developing apparatus for lithographic printing plate-free plate, characterized by installing a spare tank in the plate

[0007]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION A lithographic printing plate not requiring fountain solution to which a developing apparatus according to the present invention can be applied is provided with a silicone rubber layer,
This is a lithographic printing plate precursor requiring no dampening solution, in which an ink receiving layer is sequentially laminated from the outermost surface, and a known plate can be used.

According to the developing device of the present invention, a spare tank is provided in the preprocessing section, so that when a plate requiring a different preprocessing temperature is to be developed, a part of the preprocessing liquid is replaced. For example, the temperature can be easily adjusted, and as a result, plate materials requiring different pretreatment liquid temperatures can be easily developed.

[0009]

EXAMPLES The present invention will be described below in more detail with reference to Examples, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a developing device 1 for a waterless planographic printing plate to which the present invention is applied. The developing device 1 includes a pre-processing unit 2, a developing unit 3, a dyeing unit 4, a cleaning unit 5, and a liquid removing unit 6. The developing unit 1 develops and dyes the waterless lithographic printing plate precursor 7, and then cleans the plate. Can be removed. The waterless planographic printing plate 7 used here is, for example, a plate prepared by the following method. <Original plate 7-A> The following photosensitive solution was applied on an aluminum plate having a thickness of 0.3 mm, and was dried by heating at 110 ° C. for 2 minutes.
m was formed. (A) N, N, N ', N'-tetrakis (2-hydroxy-3-methacryloyloxypropyl) -m-xylylenediamine (4: 1 molar ratio reaction product of glycidyl methacrylate and m-xylylenediamine) : 100 parts by weight (b) "Pantex" T-5201 (polyurethane resin manufactured by Dainippon Ink and Chemicals, Inc.): 150 parts by weight (c) N-methylacridone: 5 parts by weight (d) 4,4 ' -Bis (diethylamino) benzophenone: 5 parts by weight (e) Reaction product of crystal violet and sodium 4-toluenesulfonic acid: 0.5 parts by weight (f) Dimethylformamide: 800 parts by weight A silicone solution having the following composition was applied and dried by heating at 90 ° C. for 2 minutes to provide a silicone rubber layer having a thickness of 3 μm. (A) Polydimethylsiloxane having silanol groups at both ends (average molecular weight: 35,000): 100 parts by weight (b) Ethyltriacetoxysilane: 12 parts by weight (c) Dibutyltin diacetate: 0.2 parts by weight (d) n-heptane: 120 parts by weight A thickness of 1 was applied to the surface of the silicone rubber layer thus provided.
A 2 μm polyethylene terephthalate film “Lumirror” (manufactured by Toray Industries, Inc.) was laminated with a calendar roller to obtain a waterless lithographic printing plate precursor 7. A positive film was brought into close contact with this printing plate in vacuum, and exposure was performed for 90 seconds from a distance of 1 m using a 3 kW high-pressure mercury lamp. After the exposure, the cover film was peeled off, and then the film was immersed in the pretreatment liquid in the developing device of the present invention. <Original plate 7-B> A solution having the following composition was applied on a degreased aluminum plate having a thickness of 0.24 mm, dried at 200 ° C for 2 minutes, and provided with a heat insulating layer of 3 g / m ² . <Insulation layer composition (solid content concentration: 16.7% by weight)> (1) Epoxy / phenol resin "Cancoat" 90T
-25-3094 (manufactured by Kansai Paint Co., Ltd.): 15 parts by weight (2) "KAYASORB" IR-820B (infrared absorbing dye, manufactured by Nippon Kayaku Co., Ltd.): 0.16 parts by weight [solvent component] (1 ) Dimethylformamide: 85 parts by weight An ink-receiving layer composition having the following composition was applied on this heat-insulating layer and dried at 130 ° C for 1 minute to provide a heat-sensitive layer having a film thickness of 1 g / m ² . <Composition of heat-sensitive layer (solid content concentration: 10% by weight)> (a) "KAYASORB" IR-820B (infrared light absorbing dye, manufactured by Nippon Kayaku Co., Ltd.): 10 parts by weight (b) "Nasem" Ti (Japan) Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.): 1
0 parts by weight (c) "Sumilite Resin" PR-50731 (Novolak resin, manufactured by Sumitomo Durres Co., Ltd.): 40 parts by weight (d) "SAMPLEN" LQ-T1331 (polyurethane resin, manufactured by Sanyo Chemical Industries, Ltd.) ): 30 parts by weight (e) N, N, N'-tri (2-hydroxy-3-methacryloxypropyl) -N '-(2-hydroxy-3-
(Trimethoxysilylpropyloxypropyl) polyoxypropylenediamine: 10 parts by weight [solvent component] (1) dimethylformamide: 100 parts by weight (2) tetrahydrofuran: 700 parts by weight (3) isopropyl alcohol: 100 parts by weight As described above. The following silicone rubber layer composition was applied on the obtained heat-sensitive layer, and dried at 130 ° C. for 1 minute to form a film having a thickness of 2
g / m ² of the heat-sensitive layer was provided. <Silicon rubber layer composition (solid content concentration: 9.4% by weight)> (1) α, ω-divinylpolydimethylsiloxane (polymerization degree: 770): 100 parts by weight (2) HMS-501 (both terminals manufactured by Chisso Corporation) Methyl (methyl hydrogen siloxane) (dimethyl siloxane) copolymer SiH group number / molecular weight = 0.69 mol /
g): 4 parts by weight (3) Olefin-coordinated platinum: 0.02 parts by weight (4) "BY24-808" (a reaction inhibitor manufactured by Dow Corning Silicone Co., Ltd.): 0.3 parts by weight [solvent component] ( 1) "Isopar" E (manufactured by Esso Chemical Co., Ltd.): 10
00 parts by weight An 8 μm-thick polyester film “Lumirror” (manufactured by Toray Industries, Inc.) was laminated on the laminate obtained above using a calendar roller, and a direct-drawing waterless planographic printing plate precursor was obtained. Obtained. Thereafter, the "Lumirror" of the printing plate precursor was peeled off, mounted on an FX400-AP (plate making machine, manufactured by Toray Engineering Co., Ltd.), and irradiated with a semiconductor laser (wavelength 830 nm, beam diameter 20 μm). Pulse exposure was performed with an exposure time of 10 μs while changing. Subsequently, an automatic developing device TW manufactured by Toray Industries, Inc.
The exposed plate was developed by L-650. The condition for immersion in the pretreatment liquid was 45 ° C. for 30 seconds. Then, use a hand roller with waterless lithographic ink (Wa
terless S, manufactured by The Inc Tech Co., Ltd., red)
Was developed over the entire surface of the developed plate, and the laser irradiation energy at which an image was reproduced was examined. As a result, 250m
In the region of J / s or more, the silicone rubber layer in the laser irradiation part was removed, and the image was reproduced. Here, after developing the master 7-A at a pretreatment liquid temperature of 35 ° C., the time required to switch to the pretreatment liquid temperature of 45 ° C. and develop the master 7-B was 30 minutes. Further, after developing the master 7-B at a pretreatment liquid temperature of 45 ° C., the time required for switching the pretreatment liquid temperature to 35 ° C. and developing the original 7-A is 30 seconds when the present developing machine is used. Minutes.

A developer having the following composition was used as a developing solution used in the pre-processing section 2 (hereinafter referred to as a pre-processing solution 8). (A) 1,3-butylene glycol: 30 parts by weight (b) diethylene glycol-mono-2-ethylhexyl ether: 70 parts by weight The processing liquid used in the developing section 3 (hereinafter referred to as developing water 9) includes: Water was used.

The staining solution 10 used in the staining section 4
Used a liquid having the following composition. (A) Brilliant Basic Cyanin
e 6GH (basic dye manufactured by Hodogaya Chemical Co., Ltd.):
0.2 parts by weight (b) "HITENOL" 12 (Daiichi Kogyo Seiyaku Co., Ltd. emulsifier): 0.2 parts by weight (c) Butyl carbitol: 5 parts by weight (d) Water: 84.6 parts by weight Washing The cleaning liquid 11 used in the part 5 was water.
The pretreatment tank 21 of the pretreatment unit 2 in the present embodiment has an inverted mountain shape, and has a pretreatment tank 22 having an upper surface opened at the bottom, but the pretreatment tank 21 is not limited to the inverted mountain shape. It may be box-shaped or another shape. The pretreatment tank 22 contains the pretreatment liquid 8
Is accommodated.

The pretreatment tank 21 is open at the top for maintenance and inspection. Usually, an upper lid 23 is placed on the pretreatment tank 21 to prevent dust from entering the pretreatment liquid 8 and to release heat of the pretreatment liquid 8. Is suppressed.

At the upper part of the pretreatment tank 21, a pair of transport rollers 24, 25 are arranged in order from the entrance side of the waterless planographic printing original plate 7 (hereinafter abbreviated as plate 7). The transport roller pairs 24 and 25 are supported by side plates (not shown), rotate by receiving the driving force of drive means (not shown), and transport the plate 7 at a predetermined speed in the direction of arrow A in FIG. ing. Rubber is wound around the surfaces of the transport roller pairs 24 and 25,
Care is taken not to damage the surface of the plate 7 to be conveyed. Examples of the rubber material include, but are not limited to, silicone rubber, polybutadiene rubber, ethylene propylene rubber, polychloroprene rubber, nitrile rubber, styrene butadiene rubber, butyl rubber, and fluorocarbon rubber. The hardness of the rubber is preferably from 10 to 100 degrees, more preferably from 20 to 40 degrees. The transport roller pair 24 is disposed at the forefront of the transport path of the plate 7 in the pretreatment tank 21 and plays a role of damping the pretreatment liquid 8 applied on the plate 7. In addition, the transport roller pair 25 is disposed at the rear end of the transport path of the plate 7 in the pretreatment tank 21,
It serves to squeeze the pretreatment liquid from the plate 7. Here, in order to improve the transportability, transport roller pairs 24 and 25 are used.
It is optional to provide one or more pairs of transport rollers between the two. In this embodiment, a pair of upper and lower rollers is used as the transport roller. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a roller may be used only on the plate surface, and the rear surface may be a plate-shaped or mesh-shaped material other than the roller.

Further, the above-mentioned transport roller pair 24, 25
Of the plate 7 is, for example, 0.01 to 20 kg / cm.
² (preferably 0.03 to 2.0 kg / cm ² ).

A transport guide 26 is disposed between the transport roller pairs 24 and 25, and the plate 7 hangs down due to its own weight and the weight of the applied pretreatment liquid 8 and comes off the transport path. Has been prevented. As a material of the transport guide 26, any material may be used as long as it is not affected by the pretreatment liquid 8 and does not damage the surface of the plate 7. Silicon rubber, ethylene propylene rubber, nitrile rubber, butyl rubber, fluorocarbon Rubbers such as rubber, resins such as polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride, metals or alloys such as iron, aluminum, copper, stainless steel and nickel titanium, and composite materials thereof are used.

A squeegee member 27 having a roller structure is provided in contact with an upper portion of the upper roller of the transport roller pair 24.
The squeegee member 27 is supported by a side plate (not shown) similarly to the transport roller pairs 24 and 25,
It is configured to rotate following the rotation of. The squeegee member 27 can squeeze out excess pretreatment liquid attached to the transport roller pair 24, and can prevent the pretreatment liquid from flowing out of the apparatus. Here, it is optional to provide a squeegee member similar to the squeegee member 27 above the transport roller pair 25. The shape of the squeegee member 27 is not limited to the roller structure, and may be, for example, a non-rotating plate-shaped squeegee member. As the material of the squeegee member 27, any material may be used as long as it is not affected by the pretreatment liquid 8 and does not damage the pair of transport rollers. Silicone rubber, ethylene propylene rubber, nitrile rubber, butyl rubber, and fluorocarbon rubber Rubbers, polyethylene, etc.
Resins such as polyvinyl chloride, metals or alloys such as iron, aluminum, copper, stainless steel, and nickel titanium, and composite materials thereof are used.

A shower pipe 28 is arranged above the transport roller pair 24. The shower pipe 28 is provided with discharge ports 28A facing the upper roller of the transport roller pair 24 at appropriate intervals along the axial direction. The shower pipe 28 is connected to a pretreatment liquid circulation device, which will be described later, through a shower pipe 30 via a flow control valve 29. As a result, the pretreatment liquid 8 is sent to the shower pipe 28, is discharged to the upper roller of the transport roller pair 24, and is applied onto the plate 7.

In order to improve the transportability, a pair of transport rollers 2
When a transport roller pair is further provided between 4 and 25, the shower pipe must be disposed above the transport roller pair similarly to the transport roller pair 24.

The pretreatment liquid circulation device includes a circulation pump 31, a pressure gauge 32, filter replacement valves 33 and 35, a spare tank switching valve 186, a filter 34, and a shower pipe 3.
0 and a bypass pipe 36.

The preliminary tank, which is a feature of the present invention, contains a pretreatment liquid 8
And is connected to the pretreatment liquid circulation line by a bypass pipe 189 that can be switched by valves 185 and 187. Here, when it is desired to lower the temperature of the pretreatment liquid, the valve 186 is closed and 185 and 187 are opened, so that the flow of the pretreatment liquid passes through the preliminary tank 188, so that the pretreatment liquid is rapidly cooled. You. Next, valve 1
After returning to a normal circulation line by closing 85 and 187 and opening 186, it is possible to quickly reach a desired temperature by heating again with a heater.

The capacity of the preliminary tank is preferably 0.5 times or more and 2 times or less with respect to a normal pretreatment liquid amount. If it is less than 0.5 times, the cooling effect is not sufficient, and if it exceeds 2 times, there arises a problem that the capacity of the entire apparatus becomes large.

As the circulation pump 31, a commercially available general-purpose pump can be used, and its operation is controlled by the control unit 37. The suction port side of the circulation pump 31 communicates with the bottom of the pretreatment tank 22, and the discharge port side communicates with the shower pipe 30.
The operation of the circulation pump 31 causes the pretreatment tank 22
Is sent to the shower pipe 28 through the shower pipe 30.

In the middle of the shower pipe 30, a filter 3 is provided.
4, and filter replacement valves 33 and 35 are arranged. The filter 34 allows the shower pipe 30
The dust in the pretreatment liquid passing through the inside is filtered to prevent the discharge port 28A of the shower pipe from being clogged. Filter 34
Has a filtration accuracy of 10 to 1000 μm. The filter replacement valves 33 and 35 are provided in order to prevent the pretreatment liquid 8 in the pretreatment tank 22 from flowing out by closing these valves at the time of filter replacement.

A pressure gauge 32 is provided between the circulation pump 31 and the filter 34 so that the pressure of the pretreatment liquid 8 entering the filter 34 can be detected. Pressure gauge 3
2 is connected to the controller 37, and the pressure detection result is transmitted to the controller 37. A flow meter may be used in place of the pressure gauge 32. When the pressure of the pretreatment liquid 8 entering the filter 34 becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined value, a display urging the replacement of the filter 34 is displayed on a display 38 connected to the control unit 37.

By providing the bypass pipe 36, the pretreatment liquid 8 in the pretreatment tank is circulated and stirred, and the temperature of the entire pretreatment becomes uniform.

In the pretreatment tank 22, a temperature detector 39, a heater 40, and a float switch 41 are arranged. The temperature detector 39 is connected to the control unit 37, and the result of the temperature detection is transmitted to the control unit 37. The heater 40 is connected to a power supply in the control unit 37, and is turned on and off based on a temperature detection result. Thereby, the temperature of the pretreatment liquid 8 is controlled at 10 to 60 ° C, preferably 20 to 50 ° C. The float switch 41 detects a decrease in the pretreatment liquid 8, and is connected to the control unit 37. When the decrease of the pretreatment liquid 37 is detected, the power of the heater 40 is turned off, and the circulation pump 31 is stopped. This prevents power to the heater 40 when the electric heating surface of the heater 40 is exposed from the liquid surface, and prevents the circulating pump 31 from running idle while air is being bitten. Then, a display urging the replenishment of the pretreatment liquid 8 is displayed on the display 38.

Next, the developing section 3 will be described.

In this embodiment, the developing tank 51 of the developing section 3 is used.
Has a developing tank 52 having an inverted mountain shape and a bottom opening at the bottom, but the developing tank 51 is not limited to the inverted mountain shape.
It may be box-shaped or another shape, and a developing tank 52 can be provided independently of the developing tank 51. The developing water 52 is stored in the developing tank 52.

The developing tank 51 has an upper part opened for maintenance and inspection. Usually, an upper lid 53 is placed on the developing tank 51 to prevent dust from entering the developing water 9 and to suppress heat radiation of the developing water 9. .

At the upper part of the developing tank 51, pairs of transport rollers 54, 55 and 56 are arranged in order from the entrance side of the plate 7.
The transport roller pairs 54, 55, and 56 are supported by side plates (not shown), are rotated by the driving force of a drive unit (not shown), and transport the plate 7 in the direction of arrow A at a predetermined speed. I have. Rubber is wound around the surfaces of the conveying roller pairs 54, 55, 56 so that the surface of the plate 7 to be conveyed is not damaged. Examples of the rubber material include, but are not limited to, silicone rubber, polybutadiene rubber, ethylene propylene rubber, polychloroprene rubber, nitrile rubber, styrene butadiene rubber, butyl rubber, and fluorocarbon rubber. Rubber hardness is 10-10
0 degree is preferred, and more preferably 20 to 40 degrees.
The transport roller pair 54 is disposed at the forefront of the transport path of the plate 7 in the developing tank 51 and plays a role of damping the developing water 9 applied on the plate 7. In this embodiment, a pair of transport rollers is arranged upstream of the brush roller 57, but two or more pairs may be provided. Also, the transport roller pair 55
Is arranged between the brush roller 57 and the brush roller 58 to improve the conveying force of the plate 7. In this embodiment, a pair of transport rollers is disposed between the brush roller 57 and the brush roller 58, but two or more pairs may be provided or may not be provided. The transport roller pair 56 is disposed at the rear end of the transport path of the plate 7 in the developing tank 51 and plays a role of squeezing the developing water 9 from the plate 7. In this embodiment, a pair of transport rollers is arranged downstream of the brush roller 57, but two or more pairs may be provided to squeeze the developing water 9 applied on the plate 7. In this embodiment, a pair of upper and lower rollers is used as the transport roller. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a roller may be used only on the plate surface, and the rear surface may be a plate-shaped or mesh-shaped material other than the roller.

Further, the transport roller pairs 54, 5
For example, the clamping pressure of the plates 5 and 56 is 0.01 to 20 k.
g / cm ² (preferably 0.03 to 2.0 kg / cm ² )
Can be set to

A squeegee member 59 having a roller structure is provided in contact with an upper portion of the upper roller of the pair of transport rollers 54.
The squeegee member 59 is supported by a side plate (not shown) similarly to the transport roller pairs 54, 55 and 56, and is configured to rotate following the rotation of the transport roller pair 54. Excess developing water attached to the pair of conveying rollers 54 can be squeezed out by the squeegee member 59, and the developing water 9 can be prevented from flowing out of the apparatus or to the pretreatment tank 21 side. Here, it is optional to provide the squeegee member 59 above the transport roller pairs 55 and 56. The shape of the squeegee member 59 is not limited to the roller structure, and may be, for example, a non-rotating plate-shaped squeegee member. As the material of the squeegee member 59, any material may be used as long as it is not affected by the developing water and does not damage the transport roller. However, rubber such as silicone rubber, ethylene propylene rubber, nitrile rubber, butyl rubber, and fluorocarbon rubber can be used. Metal, alloys such as iron, aluminum, copper, stainless steel, nickel titanium, etc., and composite materials thereof.

A brush roller 57 is disposed between the pair of transport rollers 54 and 55. This brush roller 57
Is for scraping the silicone rubber layer corresponding to the image portion by rubbing the surface of the plate 7. The brush roller 57 is moved in the same direction (B) as the rotation direction of the pair of conveying rollers 54, 55, 56 by a brush roller rotating means described later.
(Hereinafter, referred to as “forward rotation”). In some cases, the pair of transport rollers 54, 5
Reverse direction of rotation direction of 5, 56 (hereinafter referred to as "reverse rotation")
May be rotated.

A brush roller 58 is disposed between the pair of transport rollers 55 and 56. This brush roller 58
Rubs the surface of the plate 7 so that the brush roller 57
This is for scraping off the remaining silicone rubber layer. The brush roller 58 is rotated in the reverse direction (C direction) by a brush roller rotating means described later.
However, when rotating the brush roller 57 in reverse, the brush roller 58 is rotated forward.

The brush rollers 57 and 58 have a diameter of 2
It is common to attach a brush material of 0 to 500 μm in a row shape in a metal or plastic channel material to a core, but the brush material may be radially implanted in a metal or plastic core. Alternatively, a material obtained by implanting the above-mentioned brush material in a base material such as a plastic sheet or cloth may be wound around a core.

By making the brush material of the brush rollers 57 and 58 at least one selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl chloride, polyamide, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate and polypropylene,
The plate surface is not damaged by the brush, and the silicone rubber in the image area cannot be removed due to insufficient brush force, thereby preventing the occurrence of defective development. This brush roller 57,
The rotation speed of 58 is 10 to 1500 rpm (preferably 20 rpm).
0 to 1200 rpm).

The brush rollers 57 and 58 are reciprocated in the axial direction by brush roller swinging means described later. This is to improve the effect of scraping the silicone rubber layer in the image area of the plate 7.

The brush rollers 57 and 58 are driven by brush roller rotating means and brush roller swinging means independent of the brush roller rotating means as shown in FIG.

First, the brush roller rotating means will be described.

The driving force of the motor 301 is transmitted to the pulleys 303 and 304 by the belt 302. Pulley 30
The rotation of the brush shaft 30 is performed by rotating the bearing 305 having a spline shape on the inner diameter side and partially forming the spline shape on the outer diameter side.
6, the brush stopper 307, and the brush roller 57 are transmitted in this order. In addition, the rotation of the pulley 304 includes a gear 308 and a gear 309, a spline-shaped bearing 310 on the inner diameter side, a brush shaft 311 partially processed on the outer diameter side into a spline shape,
The information is transmitted in the order of the brush stopper 312 and the brush roller 58. Therefore, the brush rollers 57 and 58 rotate in directions opposite to each other. A spline-shaped bearing 305 on the inside diameter side,
310 is supported by inner rings of bearings 313 and 314, respectively, and outer rings of the bearings 313 and 314 are fixed to side plates (not shown) by housings 315 and 316.

Next, the brush roller swing means will be described.

Disk 3 fixed to the output shaft of motor 321
22 has a cam follower 32 at a certain distance from the center.
The cam follower 323 makes a circular motion by the driving force of the motor 321. The swing arm 324 is connected to the support shaft 3 via a bearing 325.
26, and receives a circular motion of the cam follower 323 to perform a pendulum motion about the support shaft 326.

The brush shaft 306 is supported by a bearing 327 fixed to a side plate (not shown). Further, a block 329 is attached to the brush shaft 306 via a bearing 328. Block 329
Receives the pendulum motion of the swing arm 324 via the cam follower 330, and reciprocates in the axial direction. As a result, the brush shaft 306 reciprocates in the axial direction, and the brush stopper 3
The brush roller 57 fixed by 07 also reciprocates in the axial direction. Similarly, the brush roller 58 reciprocates in the axial direction.

The support shaft 326 has the cam followers 330 and 3
31, the brush rollers 57 and 58
Are 180 degrees out of phase. This is effective in reducing the vibration of the apparatus main body or improving the durability. The swing drive mechanism for shifting the phase of the reciprocating motion of the brush rollers 57 and 58 by 180 ° is not limited to the method of the present embodiment, but may be any other simple mechanism. On the other hand, if the phase is shifted other than by 180 °, the drive mechanism becomes complicated and the cost of the apparatus increases.

On the downstream side of the brush roller 57, the plate 7
A flip-up prevention plate 60 is provided above the transport path. The splash prevention plate 60 is supported by a side plate (not shown). When the brush roller 57 rotates forward, the end of the plate 7 can be prevented from being flipped downstream of the brush roller 57 and the plate from being bent, by the flip-up preventing plate 60. When the brush roller 57 rotates in the reverse direction, if the splash prevention plate 60 is provided on the upstream side of the brush roller 57,
It is possible to prevent the leading edge of the plate 7 from being flipped up and the plate 7 from coming off the original transport path.

The upstream side of the brush roller 58 and the plate 7
A flip-up preventing plate 61 is provided above the transport path. The splash prevention plate 61 is supported by a side plate (not shown). When the brush roller 58 rotates in the reverse direction, the tip of the plate 7 is repelled upstream of the brush roller 58, and
Is prevented from falling off from the original transport path by the flip-up preventing plate 60.
Can be prevented by When the brush roller 58 rotates forward, the splash-up preventing plate 60 is
If it is provided on the downstream side, it can be prevented that the end of the plate 7 is flipped up and the plate is bent.

As the material of the splash prevention plates 60 and 61, any material may be used as long as it does not damage the plate, but silicone rubber, ethylene propylene rubber, nitrile rubber, butyl rubber, fluorinated hydrocarbon rubber, etc. Rubbers, resins such as polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride, metals or alloys such as iron, aluminum, copper, stainless steel and nickel titanium, and composite materials thereof are used.

Below the brush rollers 57 and 58, brush receiving tables 62 and 63 are provided, respectively. When the plate 7 passes, the brush holder 62,
The plate 7 is supported from the back by 63 and the brush roller 5
By strongly rubbing the surface with 7, 58, the silicone rubber layer corresponding to the image area can be scraped off.

The material of the brush receivers 62 and 63 may be any material as long as it can smoothly transport the material.
Polyethylene terephthalate, nylon, polyamide,
Resins such as polybutylene terephthalate and polyacetal, metals and alloys such as iron, aluminum, copper, stainless steel, nickel and titanium, and composite materials thereof are used. The plate 7 is conveyed over the developing water adhering to the surfaces of the brush receivers 62 and 63 by processing the brush receivers 62 and 63 with a surface roughness of 5 to 2000 μm (preferably 10 to 200 μm). At this time, a force acts in a direction opposite to the transport of the plate due to the viscosity of the developing water, thereby preventing a transport failure.

A shower pipe 64 is disposed between the transport roller pair 54 and the brush roller 57. The shower pipe 64 is provided with discharge ports 64A facing the brush roller 57 at appropriate intervals along the axial direction. The shower pipe 64 is connected to a later-described developing water circulation device via a flow control valve 65 via a shower pipe 66. As a result, the developing water 9 is sent to the shower pipe 64 and discharged to the brush roller 57, and the plate 7
It is designed to be applied on top.

The shower pipe 67 is connected to the brush roller 5.
7 and a pair of conveying rollers 55. The shower pipe 67 is provided with discharge ports 67A facing the transport roller pair 55 at appropriate intervals along the axial direction. The shower pipe 67 is connected to a developing water circulation device, which will be described later, through a pipe branching off from the shower pipe 66 via a flow control valve 68. As a result, the developing water 9 is sent to the shower pipe 67, discharged to the transport roller pair 55, and applied onto the plate 7.

A shower pipe 69 is arranged between the transport roller pair 55 and the brush roller 58. The shower pipe 69 is provided with discharge ports 69A facing the brush roller 58 at appropriate intervals along the axial direction. The shower pipe 69 is connected to a developing water circulating device described later through a pipe branched from the shower pipe 66 via a flow control valve 70. As a result, the developing water 9 is sent to the shower pipe 69, is discharged to the brush roller 58, and is applied onto the plate 7.

The shower pipe 71 is connected to the brush roller 5.
8 and a pair of conveying rollers 56. The shower pipe 71 is provided with discharge ports 71A facing the pair of transport rollers 56 at appropriate intervals along the axial direction. The shower pipe 71 is connected to a developing water circulating device described later through a pipe branched from the shower pipe 66 via a flow control valve 72. As a result, the developing water 9 is sent to the shower pipe 71, discharged to the transport roller pair 55, and applied onto the plate 7.

Above the brush rollers 57 and 58, brush covers 73 and 74 having a substantially U-shaped cross section are arranged. The brush covers 73 and 74 are
58 prevents the developing water 9 from scattering to other parts.

The developing water circulation device includes a circulation pump 75, a pressure gauge 76, filter replacement valves 77 and 79, a filter 7
8, a shower pipe 66, and a bypass pipe 80.

As the circulation pump 75, a commercially available general-purpose pump can be used, and its operation is controlled by the control unit 37. The suction port side of the circulation pump 75 communicates with the bottom of the developing tank 52, and the discharge port side communicates with the shower pipe 66. By the operation of the circulation pump 75, the developing water 9 in the developing tank 52 passes through the shower pipe 66 and passes through the shower pipe 6.
4, 67, 69, 71.

In the middle of the shower pipe 66, a filter 7 is provided.
8 and filter replacement valves 77 and 79 are arranged. The filter 78 allows the shower pipe 66
The debris in the developing water passing through the inside (mainly the debris scraped off from the surface of the plate 7) is filtered and discharged to the discharge port 64 of the shower pipe.
A, 67A, 69A, and 71A are prevented from being clogged. The filter 78 has a filtration accuracy of 10 to 500 μm,
Preferably, those having a thickness of 10 to 300 μm are used.
Further, the filter replacement valves 77 and 79 are provided in order to prevent the developing water 9 in the developing tank 52 from flowing out by closing these valves at the time of filter replacement.

By providing the bypass pipe 80, the developing water 9 in the developing tank is circulated and stirred, and the temperature of the entire developing water becomes uniform.

A pressure gauge 76 is provided between the circulation pump 75 and the filter 78 so that the pressure of the developing water 9 entering the filter 78 can be detected. Pressure gauge 76
Is connected to the control unit 37, and the pressure detection result is transmitted to the control unit 37. A flow meter may be used instead of the pressure gauge 76. When the pressure of the developing water 9 entering the filter 78 becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined value, a display urging the replacement of the filter 78 is displayed on a display 38 connected to the controller 37.

A new developing water supply port 8 is provided in the developing tank 52.
1 and an overflow port 82 are provided. The new developing water supply port 81 includes an electromagnetic valve 83, a filter 84, a valve 8,
5, a new developing water supply pipe 86 communicates with a new developing water supply device (not shown). As a result, new developing water is supplied into the developing tank 52. The electromagnetic valve 83 is connected to a power supply in the control unit 37, and is opened and closed according to the number of processed sheets. The filter 84 is provided to filter foreign substances in new developing water passing through the new developing water supply pipe 86. The valve 85 is provided to adjust the supply amount of the new developing water and to prevent the new developing water from flowing out when the filter 84 is replaced.

The overflow port 82 is connected to a waste liquid treatment device (not shown) through an overflow pipe 87. Thereby, the developing water 9 by the supply of new developing water
Is discharged to a waste liquid treatment device. Above the overflow port 82, a bulk 88 is provided, and the developing water discharged from the shower pipes 64, 67, 69, 71 directly enters the overflow port 82,
This prevents the developing water 9 from decreasing due to the discharge amount exceeding the supply amount.

A filter 89 is provided in the middle of the overflow pipe 87, and filters a developing residue contained in the discharged developing water. As shown in FIG. 3, the filter 89 includes a housing 89A, a housing lid 89B, and a cage 8.
9C, a bag-shaped filter 89D, and a bypass 89E. The filter replacement operation is performed by opening the housing cover B, taking out the basket C, replacing the bag-like filter 89D in which the development residue 401 is accumulated, and returning it to the original state.
The bypass 89E is provided to prevent the discharged developing water from overflowing due to neglected filter replacement. A float switch 402 may be provided in the housing 89A to detect a rise in the water level in the housing 89A due to clogging of the bag-like filter 89D. The filter 89 can prevent the development residue from being deposited on the pipe 87C downstream of the filter 89.

The filter 89 is arranged not at the position directly below the developing tank 52 but at a position close to the outside of the apparatus in consideration of the ease of replacement work. Therefore, the overflow port 8
A certain distance is required from 2 to the filter 89.
During this time, the straight pipe portion 87A,
On the extension of 87B, each opening 403 for cleaning the inside of the pipe,
An in-pipe cleaning water supply port 404 is provided. However, normally, the opening 403 is closed by a removable plug 405, and the in-pipe washing water supply valve 406 is closed.

Such an overflow pipe for overflowing and discharging the processing liquid from the processing liquid tank, and a filter (developing means filtering means) in the middle of the overflow pipe.
It is most effective to provide the processing tank in the developing tank, which is a processing liquid tank in the developing section.
Can also be provided.

In the pre-processing section 2, the pre-processing liquid 8 is squeezed out by the transport roller pair 25, but cannot be completely removed, so that it is carried to the developing section 3 and mixed with the developing water 9. Developing water 9
When the concentration of the pretreatment liquid therein rises, the silicone rubber layer in the non-image area of the printing plate 7 is easily damaged, and there is a problem that the silicone rubber layer is scratched when rubbed by the brush rollers 57, 58. However, by supplying new developing water and causing it to overflow, the concentration of the pretreatment liquid in the developing water 9 can be suppressed to a certain value or less, so that the silicone rubber layer in the non-image area is not damaged, and Water exchange work is also unnecessary.

A temperature detector 90, a heater 91, and a float switch 92 are arranged in the developing tank 52. The temperature detector 90 is connected to the control unit 37, and the result of the temperature detection is transmitted to the control unit 37. The heater 91 is connected to a power supply in the control unit 37, and is turned on and off based on a temperature detection result. Thereby, the temperature of the developing water 9 is 10 to 60 ° C., preferably 20 to 60 ° C.
に 50 ° C. The float switch 92 detects a decrease in the amount of the developing water 9 and is connected to the control unit 37. When the decrease of the developing water 9 is detected, the power of the heater 91 is turned off, and the circulation pump 75 is stopped. This prevents power to the heater 91 when the electric heating surface of the heater 91 is exposed from the liquid surface, and prevents the circulating pump 75 from running idle with the air being bitten. The display 38 indicates that the developing water 9 is abnormally reduced.

A ventilation zone 93 is provided between the pre-processing section 2 and the developing section 3. Since the main component of the developing water 9 is water, the water vapor pressure of the air in the developing tank 51 rises, and this air leaks out from the slit hole which is the conveyance path. This air is discharged to the outside air without entering the pretreatment tank 21. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the water vapor pressure of the air in the pretreatment tank 21 from increasing, and the water content of the pretreatment liquid 8 from increasing, thereby reducing the effect of dissolving or swelling a part of the ink receiving layer. Even if the plate 7 is bent or distorted, the height of the slit hole is preferably 10 mm or more, preferably 20 mm or more so that the plate 7 does not touch the top and bottom of the slit hole. On the other hand, the length of the ventilation zone 93 is at least 10 mm, preferably at least 20 mm. If a fan is arranged in the ventilation zone 93 or in any of the upper, lower, left and right sides of the ventilation zone to create a flow of air, the effect of ventilation is improved.

Next, the dyeing section 4 will be described.

The dyeing tank 101 of the dyeing section 4 in this embodiment.
Is an inverted mountain-shaped dyeing tank 1 with an open top at the bottom
However, the dyeing tank 101 is not limited to the inverted mountain shape, but may have a box shape or another shape. Alternatively, the dyeing tank 102 may be provided independently of the dyeing tank 101.
The dyeing solution 102 is stored in the dyeing tank 102.

The dyeing tank 101 is opened at the upper part for maintenance and inspection.
0 is prevented from being mixed with dust, and the heat radiation of the staining liquid 10 is suppressed.

At the upper part of the dyeing tank 101, a pair of transport rollers 104 and 105 are arranged in order from the entrance side of the plate 7. The transport roller pairs 104 and 105 are supported by a side plate (not shown), rotate by receiving a driving force of a drive unit (not shown), and transport the plate 7 at a predetermined speed in the direction of arrow A. . Rubber is wound around the surfaces of the pair of transport rollers 104 and 105 so that the surface of the plate 7 to be transported is not damaged. Silicone rubber,
Examples include, but are not limited to, polybutadiene rubber, ethylene propylene rubber, polychloroprene rubber, nitrile rubber, styrene butadiene rubber, butyl rubber, and fluorocarbon rubber. Rubber hardness is 10-100
Degree is preferable, and more preferably 20 to 40 degrees. The transport roller pair 104 is installed at the forefront of the transport path of the plate 7 in the dyeing tank 101, and the dye solution 1 applied on the plate 7 is
It plays the role of damming zero. In this embodiment, a pair of transport rollers is arranged upstream of the brush roller 106, but two or more pairs may be provided. In addition, the transport roller pair 1
Reference numeral 05 is installed at the last part of the transport path of the plate 7 in the dyeing tank 101 and plays a role of squeezing the dyeing solution 10 from the plate 7. In this embodiment, a pair of transport rollers is arranged downstream of the brush roller 106, but two or more pairs may be provided to squeeze the dyeing solution 10 applied on the plate 7. In this embodiment, a pair of upper and lower rollers is used as the transport roller. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a roller may be used only on the plate surface, and a plate-like or net-like roller other than the roller may be used on the back side.

Further, the transport roller pairs 104, 1
For example, the clamping pressure of the plate No. 05 is 0.01 to 20 kg /
cm ² (preferably 0.03 to 2.0 kg / cm ² ).

A squeegee member 107 having a roller structure is provided in contact with an upper portion of the upper roller of the pair of transport rollers 104. The squeegee member 107 includes a pair of transport rollers 104 and 105.
In the same manner as described above, it is supported by a side plate (not shown), and is configured to rotate following the rotation of the transport roller pair 104. The squeegee member 107 causes the conveying roller pair 10
Excess dyeing liquid attached to 4 can be squeezed out, and the dyeing liquid 10 can be prevented from flowing out of the apparatus or to the developing tank 51 side. Here, it is optional to provide a squeegee member above the transport roller pair 105. The shape of the squeegee member 107 is not limited to the roller structure, and may be, for example, a non-rotating plate-shaped squeegee member. As the material of the squeegee member 107, any material may be used as long as it is not affected by the staining liquid and does not damage the transport roller, and rubber such as silicone rubber, ethylene propylene rubber, nitrile rubber, butyl rubber, and fluorocarbon rubber is used. Kind,
Resins such as polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride, metals or alloys such as iron, aluminum, copper, stainless steel, nickel and titanium, and composite materials thereof are used.

A brush roller 106 is disposed between the pair of transport rollers 104 and 105. The brush roller 106 is for removing the developing residue adhering to the surface of the plate 7 by rubbing the surface of the plate 7, and for uniformly dyeing with the dye solution 10. The brush roller 106 is also supported on a side plate (not shown) similarly to the transport roller pairs 104 and 105, and a driving force is transmitted by drive means (not shown), and the brush roller 106 is rotated in a direction opposite to the rotational direction of the transport roller pairs 104 and 105 (D direction). , Hereinafter referred to as “reverse rotation”). In some cases, the transport roller pair 1
The rotation may be performed in the same direction as the rotation direction of the rotations 04 and 105 (hereinafter referred to as “forward rotation”).

The brush roller 106 has a diameter of 20 to
It is common to mount a 500μ brush material in rows in a grooved material such as metal or plastic, and attach it to the core. However, the brush material described above may be radially implanted in a metal or plastic core. A material obtained by implanting a brush material in a base material such as a plastic sheet or cloth may be wound around a core.

The brush material of the brush roller 106 is made of polyvinyl chloride, polyamide, polyethylene terephthalate,
By using at least one selected from the group consisting of polybutylene terephthalate and polypropylene, dyeing can be surely performed without damaging the plate surface with a brush. The rotation speed of the brush roller 106 is 10
１０００1000 rpm (preferably 50 to 500 rpm).

Also, the brush roller 106 is rotated and reciprocated in the axial direction, so that the dyeing effect of the dyeing solution 10 is improved.

A splash preventing plate 108 is provided on the upstream side of the brush roller 106 and above the transport path of the plate 7. The splash prevention plate 108 is supported by a side plate (not shown). When the brush roller 106 rotates in the reverse direction, the tip of the printing plate 7 is repelled upstream of the brush roller 106, and the repelling prevention plate 108 can prevent the printing plate 7 from deviating from the original transport path. When the brush roller 106 rotates forward, if the splash prevention plate 108 is provided on the downstream side of the brush roller 106, it is possible to prevent the end of the plate 7 from being flipped and the plate from being bent.

As the material of the splash prevention plate 108, any material can be used as long as it does not damage the plate, and the same material as the splash prevention plate 60 can be used.

A brush receiving stand 109 is provided below the brush roller 106. When the printing plate 7 passes, the printing plate 7 is supported from the back surface by a brush receiving stand 109 so that the printing plate 7 does not bend, and the surface is strongly rubbed by a brush roller 106, so that the printing plate 7 is uniformly dyed. I have.

The material of the brush cradle 109 may be any material as long as the material can be smoothly transported.
Resins such as polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, nylon, polyamide, polybutylene terephthalate, polyacetal,
Metals or alloys such as iron, aluminum, copper, stainless steel, nickel, and titanium, and composite materials thereof are used. The brush holder 109 has a surface roughness of 5-20.
By performing processing in the range of 00 μm (preferably 10 to 200 μm), when the printing plate 7 is transported over the dyeing solution adhered to the surface of the pedestal 109, the viscosity of the dyeing solution causes the printing plate 7 to move in the reverse direction. The force works to prevent transport failure.

The transport roller pair 104 and the brush roller 106
The shower pipe 110 is disposed between the two.
The shower pipe 110 is provided with discharge ports 110A facing the brush roller 106 at appropriate intervals along the axial direction. The shower pipe 110 is connected to a staining liquid circulation device, which will be described later, through a shower pipe 112 via a flow control valve 111. As a result, the dyeing solution 10 is sent to the shower pipe 110, is discharged to the brush roller 106, and is applied to the plate 7.

The shower pipe 113 is disposed between the brush roller 106 and the transport roller pair 105.
The shower pipe 113 is provided with discharge ports 113A facing the transport roller pair 105 at appropriate intervals along the axial direction. The shower pipe 113 is connected to a staining liquid circulation device, which will be described later, through a pipe branched from the shower pipe 112 via a flow control valve 114. As a result, the dyeing solution 10 is sent to the shower pipe 113, discharged to the transport roller pair 105, and applied to the plate 7.

A brush cover 115 having a substantially U-shaped cross section is disposed above the brush roller 106. The brush cover 115 prevents the staining liquid 10 from scattering to other parts by the brush roller 106.

The dye circulation device includes a circulation pump 116, a pressure gauge 117, and filter replacement valves 118 and 12.
0, a filter 119, a shower pipe 112, and a bypass pipe 121.

As the circulation pump 116, a commercially available general-purpose pump can be used, and its operation is controlled by the control unit 37. The suction port side of the circulation pump 116 communicates with the bottom of the dyeing tank 102, and the discharge port side communicates with the shower pipe 112. By the operation of the circulation pump 116, the dyeing solution 10 in the dyeing tank 102 is sent to the shower pipes 110 and 113 through the shower pipe 112.

In the middle of the shower pipe 112, the filter 1
19, and filter replacement valves 118 and 120 are arranged. The filter 119 filters the residue (mainly, the development residue removed from the surface of the plate 7) in the staining solution passing through the shower pipe 102, thereby preventing the discharge ports 110A and 113A of the shower pipe from being clogged. The filter 119 has a filtration accuracy of 10 to 500 μm, preferably 10 to 300 μm. Also,
The exchange valves 118 and 120 are used when the filter is exchanged.
The valve is provided to prevent the staining liquid 10 in the staining tank 102 from flowing out by closing these valves.

A pressure gauge 117 is provided between the circulation pump 116 and the filter 119 so that the pressure of the stain 10 entering the filter 119 can be detected.
The pressure gauge 117 is connected to the control unit 37, and the pressure detection result is transmitted to the control unit 37. A flow meter may be used instead of the pressure gauge 117. When the pressure of the staining solution 10 entering the filter 119 becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined value, the control unit 37
Is displayed on the display unit 38 connected to the display unit for prompting the user to replace the filter 119.

By providing the bypass pipe 121, the staining liquid 10 in the staining tank 102 is circulated and agitated, and the temperature of the entire staining liquid becomes uniform.

In the dyeing tank 102, a temperature detector 122, a heater 123, and a float switch 124 are provided.
Is arranged. The temperature detector 122 is connected to the control unit 37, and the result of the temperature detection is transmitted to the control unit 37. The heater 123 is connected to a power supply in the control unit 37, and is turned on and off based on a temperature detection result. Thereby, the temperature of the staining solution 10 is 5 to 60 ° C.
Preferably, it is controlled at 5 to 50 ° C. The float switch 124 detects a decrease in the staining liquid 10,
It is connected to the control unit 37. When the decrease in the staining liquid 6 is detected, the power of the heater 123 is turned off, and the circulation pump 11 is turned off.
6 stops. Thereby, the heater 1
This prevents power from being supplied to the heater 123 when the electric heating surface of the heater 23 is exposed from the liquid surface, and prevents the circulation pump 116 from running idle with air being bitten. Then, a display urging the replenishment of the staining liquid 10 is displayed on the display 38.

Next, the cleaning section 5 will be described.

The cleaning tank 131 of the cleaning section 5 in this embodiment.
Is a cleaning tank 1 having an inverted mountain shape and having an upper surface opened at the bottom.
Although the cleaning tank 131 is provided, the cleaning tank 131 is not limited to the inverted mountain shape, and may have a box shape or another shape. Further, the cleaning tank 132 may be provided independently of the cleaning tank 131.
The cleaning liquid 132 is stored in the cleaning tank 132.

The cleaning tank 131 is opened at the top for maintenance and inspection.
1 is prevented from being mixed with dust, and heat radiation of the cleaning liquid 11 is suppressed.

At the top of the cleaning tank 131, a pair of transport rollers 134 and 135 are arranged in order from the entrance side of the plate 7. The transport roller pairs 134 and 135 are supported by a side plate (not shown), rotate by receiving a driving force of a drive unit (not shown), and transport the plate 7 at a predetermined speed in the direction of arrow A. . Rubber is wound around the surfaces of the pair of transport rollers 134 and 135 so that the surface of the plate 7 to be transported is not damaged. Silicone rubber,
Examples include, but are not limited to, polybutadiene rubber, ethylene propylene rubber, polychloroprene rubber, nitrile rubber, styrene butadiene rubber, butyl rubber, and fluorocarbon rubber. Rubber hardness is 10-100
The degree is good, preferably 20 to 40 degrees. The transport roller pair 134 is disposed at the forefront of the transport path of the plate 7 in the cleaning tank 131 and plays a role of damming the cleaning liquid 11 applied on the plate 7. In this embodiment, a pair of transport rollers is disposed upstream of the brush rollers 136 and 137, but two or more pairs may be provided. In addition, the transport roller pair 1
Reference numeral 35 is installed at the last part of the transport path of the printing plate 7 in the cleaning tank 131 and serves to squeeze the cleaning liquid from the printing plate 7. In the present embodiment, a pair of transport rollers is disposed downstream of the brush rollers 136 and 137, but two or more pairs may be provided to squeeze the cleaning liquid 11 applied on the plate 7. In the embodiment, a pair of upper and lower rollers is used as the transport roller.
The back side may be something other than a roller.

Further, the transport roller pair 134, 1
The clamping pressure of the 35 plate 7 is, for example, 0.01 to 20 kg /
cm ² (preferably 0.03 to 2.0 kg / cm ² ).

A squeegee member 138 having a roller structure is provided in contact with an upper portion of the upper roller of the pair of transport rollers 134. The squeegee member 138 is a pair of conveying rollers 134 and 135
In the same manner as described above, it is supported by a side plate (not shown), and is configured to rotate following the rotation of the transport roller 134. The squeegee member 138 allows the conveying roller pair 134
It is possible to squeeze out the excess cleaning liquid attached to the cleaning liquid 11 and to prevent the cleaning liquid 11 from flowing out of the apparatus or to the staining tank 101 side. Here, it is optional to provide a squeegee member above the conveying roller pair 135. The shape of the squeegee member 138 is not limited to the roller structure, and may be, for example, a non-rotating plate-shaped squeegee member. As the material of the squeegee member 138, any material may be used as long as it is not affected by the dyeing solution and does not damage the transport roller, but rubber such as silicone rubber, ethylene propylene rubber, nitrile rubber, butyl rubber, and fluorocarbon rubber is used. Kind,
Resins such as polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride, metals or alloys such as iron, aluminum, copper, stainless steel, nickel and titanium, and composite materials thereof are used.

A brush roller 136 is disposed between the pair of transport rollers 134 and 135 and above the transport path of the plate 7. The brush roller 136 is a pair of the transport roller 13
4, 135, is supported by a side plate (not shown), and a driving force is transmitted by a driving unit (not shown), and is in the same direction as the rotation direction of the pair of transport rollers 134, 135 (direction E; To rotate). In some cases, the pair of transport rollers 134, 13
5 may be rotated in the opposite direction (hereinafter referred to as “reverse rotation”). The brush roller 136 has a function of cleaning the surface of the plate 7 and supporting the plate 7 from the surface.

Below the transport path of the plate 7, the brush roller 1
A brush roller 137 is disposed at a position facing the roller 36. The brush roller 137 includes a pair of transport rollers 134,
Similar to 135, it is supported by a side plate (not shown), and a driving force is transmitted by a driving unit (not shown), so that the motor rotates forward. Further, depending on the case, the rotation may be reversed. The brush roller 137 has a function of cleaning the back surface of the plate 7 and supporting the plate 7 from the back surface.

The plate 7 is moved by the brush rollers 136 and 137.
Since both front and back sides are washed at the same time, the brush roller rubbing the front surface and a pair of supporters supporting from the back surface are paired, and the brush roller rubbing the back surface and a pair of receiving rollers supporting from the front surface are roughly half the conventional method. The same cleaning effect can be obtained in the space.

As the brush rollers 136 and 137, a brush material having a diameter of 20 to 500 μm, which is implanted in a groove shape such as metal or plastic in a row, is generally attached to a core. It may be radially implanted in a core such as plastic,
A material obtained by implanting the above-mentioned brush material in a base material such as a plastic sheet or cloth may be wound around a core.

By setting the brush material of the brush rollers 136 and 137 to at least one selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl chloride, polyamide, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate and polypropylene, the brush surface can be surely prevented from being damaged by the brush. Can be washed. The number of rotations of the brush rollers 136 and 137 is 10 to 1000 rpm (preferably 50 to 50 rpm).
0 rpm).

The cleaning effect of the cleaning liquid 11 is improved by rotating the brush rollers 136 and 137 and reciprocating in the axial direction.

In this embodiment, a pair of brush rollers for rubbing the surface of the plate and a brush roller for rubbing the back surface of the plate are provided.
Two or more pairs may be provided to further improve the cleaning effect.

A splash prevention plate 139 is provided downstream of the brush roller 136 and above the transport path of the plate 7. The splash prevention plate 139 is supported by a side plate (not shown). When the brush roller 136 rotates forward, the end of the plate 7 is flipped up downstream of the brush roller 136, so that the plate 7 can be prevented from bending. When the brush roller 136 rotates in the reverse direction, if the splash preventing plate 139 is provided on the upstream side of the brush roller 136, it is possible to prevent the leading end of the plate 7 from being flipped and the plate from coming off the original transport path. As the material of the splash prevention plate 139, any material can be used as long as it does not damage the plate, and the same materials as the splash prevention plates 60 and 108 can be used.

A repelling prevention plate 140 is provided downstream of the brush roller 137 and below the transport path of the plate 7. When the end of the plate 7 passes above the brush roller 137, the end of the plate 7 hangs down due to its own weight and the weight of the applied cleaning liquid 11, as shown in FIG. 7A. Therefore, when the brush roller 137 rotates forward, there is a problem that the end of the plate 7 is repelled and the plate 7 is bent. However, the provision of the repelling prevention plate 140 solves this problem.

When the leading end of the plate 7 passes above the brush roller 137, the leading end of the plate 7 hangs down as shown in FIG. 4B due to its own weight and the weight of the applied cleaning liquid 11. For this reason, when the brush roller 137 rotates in the reverse direction, there is a problem that the leading end of the plate 7 is repelled and the plate 7 deviates from the original transport path. However, this problem can be solved by providing the repelling prevention plate 140 on the upstream side of the brush roller 137 and below the transport path of the plate 7.

The position at which the repelling prevention plate 140 is attached may be any position at which the plate can be effectively prevented from repelling without hindering the transport of the plate, but may be 1 to 100 mm below the normal transporting path of the plate. And more preferably 3 to 50 mm. The horizontal distance from the uppermost end of the brush roller is preferably in the range of 0 to 50 mm. If the plate is in contact with the plate, the operation of the brush roller 137 is hindered. If the plate is too far away, the plate cannot be prevented from falling down. The splash-down preventing plate 140 has attachment portions at both ends for attachment to a side plate (not shown). The central portion has an L-shaped cross section, but the shape is not limited to the L shape and may be a cylindrical shape or a prismatic shape.

As the material of the splash prevention plate 140, any material can be used as long as it does not damage the plate, and the same materials as the splash prevention plates 60 and 108 can be used.

A shower pipe 141 is disposed between the transport roller 134 and the brush roller 136. The shower pipe 141 is provided with discharge ports 141A facing the brush roller 136 at appropriate intervals along the axial direction. The shower pipe 141 is connected to a washing liquid circulating device described later through a shower pipe 143 via a flow control valve 142. Thus, the cleaning liquid 1
1 is sent to the shower pipe 141, discharged to the brush roller 136, and further supplied to the surface of the plate 7.

The shower pipe 144 is disposed between the brush roller 136 and the transport roller pair 135.
The shower pipe 144 is provided with discharge ports 144A facing the transport roller pair 135 at appropriate intervals along the axial direction. The shower pipe 144 is connected to a cleaning liquid circulating device described later through a pipe branching off from the shower pipe 143 via a flow control valve 145. As a result, the cleaning liquid 11 is supplied to the shower pipe 144.
And is discharged to the upper roller of the pair of transport rollers 135 and supplied to the surface of the plate 7.

The transport roller pair 134 and the brush roller 137
Between the shower pipe 146 and the lower side of the transport path.
Is arranged. The shower pipe 146 has a discharge port 146A formed upward. The shower pipe 146 is connected to a washing liquid circulating device described later through a pipe branched from the shower pipe 143 via a flow control valve 147. Thus, the cleaning liquid 11 is sent to the shower pipe 146 and supplied to the back surface of the plate 7.

The shower pipe 148 is disposed below the transport path between the brush roller 137 and the transport roller pair 135. A discharge port 148A is formed upward in the shower pipe 148. The shower pipe 148 is connected to a cleaning liquid circulating device described later through a pipe branched from the shower pipe 143 via a flow control valve 149. Thus, the cleaning liquid 11 is sent to the shower pipe 148 and supplied to the back surface of the plate 7.

A brush cover 150 having a substantially U-shaped cross section is disposed above the brush roller 136. The brush cover 150 prevents the brush roller 136 from scattering the cleaning liquid 11 to other parts.

The cleaning liquid circulating apparatus includes a circulating pump 151, a pressure gauge 152, and filter replacement valves 153 and 15.
5, a filter 154, a shower pipe 143, and a bypass pipe 156.

As the circulation pump 151, a commercially available general-purpose pump can be used, and its operation is controlled by the control unit 37. The suction port side of the circulation pump 151 is connected to the bottom of the cleaning tank 132, and the discharge port side is connected to the shower pipe 143. By the operation of the circulation pump 151, the cleaning liquid 11 in the cleaning tank 132 is sent to the shower pipes 141, 144, 146, and 148 through the shower pipe 143.

In the middle of the shower pipe 143, the filter 1
54 and filter replacement valves 153 and 155 are arranged. The filter 154 filters out the residue in the cleaning liquid passing through the shower pipe 143, and discharges the shower pipes 141A, 144A, 146A, 148.
A clogging is prevented. The filter 154 has a filtration accuracy of 10 to 500 μm, preferably 10 to 300 μm.
m are used. The replacement valves 153 and 155 are provided to prevent the cleaning liquid 11 in the cleaning tank 132 from flowing out by closing these valves when replacing the filter.

A pressure gauge 152 is provided between the circulation pump 151 and the filter 154 so that the pressure of the cleaning liquid 11 entering the filter 154 is detected.
The pressure gauge 152 is connected to the control unit 37, and the pressure detection result is transmitted to the control unit 37. A flow meter may be used instead of the pressure gauge 152. When the pressure of the cleaning liquid 11 entering the filter 154 becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined value, the controller 37
Is displayed on the display 38 connected to the display device for prompting the user to replace the filter 154.

By providing the bypass pipe 156, the cleaning liquid 11 in the cleaning tank 132 is circulated and agitated, and the temperature of the entire cleaning liquid becomes uniform.

A new cleaning liquid supply port 157 and an overflow port 158 are provided in the cleaning tank 132. The new cleaning liquid supply port 157 is provided with the solenoid valve 159 and the filter 1
A new cleaning liquid supply device (not shown) communicates with a new cleaning liquid supply pipe 162 via a valve 161 and a new cleaning liquid supply pipe 162. Thus, a new cleaning liquid is supplied into the cleaning tank 132. The solenoid valve 159 is connected to a power supply in the control unit 37, and is opened and closed according to the number of processed sheets. Filter 160
It is provided to adjust the supply amount of the new cleaning liquid and to prevent the new cleaning liquid from flowing out when the filter 160 is replaced.

The overflow port 158 is connected to a waste liquid treatment device (not shown) through an overflow pipe 163. Thus, the surplus of the cleaning liquid 11 due to the supply of the new cleaning liquid is discharged to the waste liquid treatment device. Above the overflow opening 158, a bulk 164 is provided.
Are provided, and shower pipes 141, 144, 1
The cleaning liquid discharged from the cleaning liquids 46 and 148 directly enters the overflow port, thereby preventing the discharge amount from exceeding the supply amount and reducing the cleaning liquid 11.

In the dyeing section 4, the dyeing liquid 10 is squeezed out by the transport roller pair 105, but cannot be completely removed, so that the dyeing liquid 10 is carried to the cleaning section 5 and mixed with the cleaning liquid 11. When the concentration of the staining solution in the washing solution 11 increases, there arises a problem that the washing power for washing the plate 7 decreases. However, by supplying a new cleaning liquid and causing it to overflow, the concentration of the staining liquid in the cleaning liquid 11 can be suppressed to a certain value or less, so that the detergency is stabilized and the cleaning liquid replacement operation is not required.

In the cleaning tank 132, the temperature detector 16 is provided.
5, a heater 166, and a float switch 167 are arranged. The temperature detector 165 is connected to the controller 37, and the result of the temperature detection is transmitted to the controller 37. The heater 166 is connected to a power supply in the control unit 37, and is turned on and off based on a temperature detection result. Thereby, the temperature of the cleaning liquid 11 is controlled at 5 to 60 ° C, preferably 5 to 50 ° C. The float switch 167 detects a decrease in the cleaning liquid 11, and is connected to the control unit 37. When the reduction of the cleaning liquid 11 is detected, the power of the heater 166 is turned off, and the circulation pump 151 is turned off.
Is to stop. Thereby, the heater 16
This prevents power from being supplied to the heater 166 when the heating surface of the heater 6 is exposed from the liquid surface, and prevents the circulating pump 151 from running idle when air is being sucked. Then, the display 38 indicates that the cleaning liquid 11 is abnormally reduced.

Next, the liquid removing section 6 will be described.

The liquid removing tank 171 of the liquid removing section 6 in this embodiment.
Is box-shaped and has an open bottom.

At the upper part of the liquid removing tank 171, a pair of transport rollers 172 and 173 are arranged in order from the entrance side of the plate 7. The transport roller pairs 172 and 173 are supported by side plates (not shown), rotate by transmitting the driving force of a drive unit (not shown), and transport the plate 7 in the direction of arrow A at a predetermined speed. Highly water-absorbing cloths 172A and 173A are wound around the surfaces of the pair of conveying rollers 172 and 173, and the cleaning liquid on the plate 7 remaining without being squeezed by the pair of conveying rollers 135 of the cleaning unit 5 is sucked. Fabric 172A, 173
As A, anything that has high water absorption may be used,
For example, a cotton towel-like material (commonly referred to as molton) used in a fountain solution device of a printing press can be used. In the present embodiment, two pairs of transport rollers wound with the cloth are arranged. However, one pair may be provided, or three or more pairs may be provided in order to reliably absorb the cleaning liquid.

Further, the transport roller pair 172, 1
The clamping pressure of the 73 plate 7 is, for example, 0.01 to 20 kg /
cm ² (preferably 0.03 to 2.0 kg / cm ² ).

The fan 174 is provided on the upper surface of the liquid removing tank 171. The outside air flows into the liquid removing tank 171 by the fan 174, and the air in the tank flows out from the opening on the bottom surface of the liquid removing tank 171. A cloth 172A wound around a pair of conveying rollers,
173A absorbs the cleaning liquid that has not been completely squeezed out by the cleaning unit 5 and becomes moist, but drying is promoted by the flow of air created by the fan 174. In this embodiment, the fan 174 is mounted on the upper surface of the liquid removing tank 171 and the bottom surface is opened. However, the fan may be mounted on any of the front, rear, left, right, upper and lower surfaces of the liquid removing tank, or any surface may be opened. Is also good. If the opening area is large, it is not always necessary to attach a fan. Comparative Example After developing the master 1 at a pretreatment liquid temperature of 35 ° C. using the same developing machine as that of the example except that no preparatory tank was used, a pretreatment liquid temperature of 4
The time required for developing the master 2 by switching to 5 ° C. was 30 minutes. Further, after developing the original 2 at a pretreatment liquid temperature of 45 ° C., the time required for switching the pretreatment liquid temperature to 35 ° C. and developing the original 1 is as follows. Met.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

The above-mentioned waterless lithographic printing original plate 7 (hereinafter abbreviated as plate 7) is exposed to an image by an exposure device (not shown). After exposure, the cover film is peeled off, and the developing device 1 shown in FIG. Place on the table 181. Insertion table 181
When the entrance sensor 182 detects that the plate 7 has been placed on the top of the developing device 1, the developing device 1 is started, and the plate 7 is drawn into the pre-processing section 2 by the pair of conveying rollers 24. Here, the exposed portion of the plate 7 is cured, and the ink receiving layer of the unexposed portion is in a state where it can be partially dissolved or swelled by the pretreatment liquid 8.

The plate 7 drawn into the pre-processing unit 2 is indicated by an arrow A
The pretreatment liquid 8 controlled at a predetermined temperature is applied while being conveyed at a predetermined speed in the direction. This is version 7
A part of the ink receiving layer in the unexposed area (image area) is dissolved or swelled, and the silicone rubber layer is easily peeled off. After the pretreatment liquid 8 is squeezed by the pair of conveying rollers 25, the plate 7 is conveyed to the developing unit 3.

The plate 7 drawn into the developing section 3 by the transport roller pair 54 is transported between the brush roller 57 and the brush receiving table 62. While the developing water 9 controlled at a predetermined temperature is applied through the brush roller 57, the developing water 9 is rubbed by the brush roller 57 which rotates in the forward direction.
The silicone rubber layer in the unexposed area (image area) is removed.

The plate 7 is transported between the brush roller 58 and the brush receiving base 63 by the transport roller pair 55. The brush roller 5 that rotates in the reverse direction while applying the developing water 9 controlled at a predetermined temperature via the brush roller 58
By rubbing with 8, the unexposed portion (image portion) of the silicone rubber layer left behind by the brush roller 57 is removed, and a positive image is formed on the plate 7.

The developing water 9 applied to the surface of the plate 7 is collected in the developing tank 52 together with the scraped off developing dust.

The developing tank 52 has a new developing water supply port 81.
New developing water is supplied from the
Exhausted from 2. As a result, the concentration of the pretreatment liquid mixed in the developing water without being stopped by the transport roller pair 25 in the developing water is suppressed to a certain value or less, and the silicone rubber layer in the non-image area is easily damaged. Preventing.

Although the developing water discharged from the overflow port 82 is mixed with the developing scum, the overflow pipe 8
7 is removed by a filter 89 provided in the middle of the filter 7.

After the developing water 9 is squeezed by the conveying roller pair 56, the plate 7 is conveyed to the dyeing section 4.

The printing plate 7 drawn into the dyeing section 4 by the transport roller pair 104 includes a brush roller 106 and a brush cradle 1.
09. While the dyeing solution 10 controlled at a predetermined temperature is applied via the brush roller 106, the developing solution adhering to the surface of the plate 7 is removed by being rubbed by the rotating brush roller 96, and the ink in the image area is further removed. The receiving layer is dyed. This makes a clear difference between the image area and the non-image area, thereby facilitating plate inspection.

The dyeing solution 10 applied to the surface of the plate 7 is collected in the dyeing tank 102 together with the scraped off development residue.

After the dyeing solution 10 is squeezed by the transport roller pair 105, the plate 7 is transported to the washing unit 5.

The plate 7 drawn into the cleaning section 5 by the pair of conveying rollers 134 is conveyed between the brush roller 136 and the brush roller 137. The surface of the plate 7 is cleaned by being rubbed by the rotating brush roller 136 while the cleaning liquid 11 controlled at a predetermined temperature is applied via the brush roller 136. Further, the cleaning liquid 11 is applied from the upward shower pipes 135 and 137 provided below the transport path, and is rubbed by the rotating brush roller 137, so that the back surface of the plate 7 is cleaned.

The brush roller 137 for rubbing the back surface of the plate
Of the plate 7 is prevented from being bent by the repelling prevention plate 140.

The cleaning liquid 11 applied to the surface of the plate 7 is collected in the cleaning tank 132 together with the washed out dyeing liquid.

The cleaning tank 132 has a new cleaning liquid supply port 1.
A new cleaning liquid is supplied from 57, and a surplus is discharged from an overflow port 158. Thereby, the concentration of the staining solution mixed in the washing solution 11 in the washing solution is suppressed to a certain value or less, and the washing effect is stabilized.

After the cleaning liquid 11 is squeezed by the conveying roller pair 135, the plate 7 is conveyed to the liquid removing section 6.

The plate 7 is drawn into the liquid removing section 6 by the pair of conveying rollers 172. The cleaning liquid remaining on the plate 7 without being squeezed by the transport roller pair 135 is sucked by the highly water-absorbing fabrics 172A and 173A wound around the transport roller pairs 172 and 173. As a result, all the processing liquid remaining on the front and back surfaces of the plate 7 is removed.

The plate 7 is carried out to the commercially available auto stocker 183 by the conveying roller 173, and is stacked and stocked. Since the processing liquid has been completely removed from both the front and back surfaces of the plate 7, even if a plurality of plates are stacked, the front and back surfaces adhere to each other or the dye adheres to the silicone rubber layer which is a non-image portion. There is no decrease in ink resilience. Furthermore, the hands of the operator carrying the plate are not soiled.

When the exit sensor 184 detects that the plate 7 has been completely carried out, the developing device 1 stops.

[0149]

According to the present invention, plates having different pretreatment solution temperatures can be developed quickly without requiring complicated steps such as replacement of the developer.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view showing an example of a developing device for a waterless planographic printing plate precursor according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of an essential part showing an example of a brush roller driving unit of the developing device for a waterless lithographic printing plate precursor according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of an essential part showing an example of an overflow device of a developing device for a waterless lithographic printing plate precursor according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a main part of the developing device for a waterless lithographic printing plate precursor according to the present invention in which a repelling prevention member is omitted.

FIG. 5 shows the shape of an image area obtained by a conventional developing device.

FIG. 6 shows the shape of an image area obtained by a developing device for a waterless planographic printing plate precursor according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1: developing device 2: preprocessing unit 3: developing unit 4: dyeing unit 5: washing unit 6: liquid removing unit 7: waterless planographic printing plate 57: brush roller 58: brush roller 89: filter 136: brush roller 137: Brush roller 140: splash prevention plate

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A developing machine for exposing a printing plate precursor comprising a silicone rubber layer and an ink receiving layer sequentially laminated from the outermost surface, immersing the printing plate precursor in a pretreatment liquid, and developing with a brush in the presence of water. An apparatus for developing a lithographic printing plate precursor requiring no dampening solution, characterized by installing a spare tank in the processing liquid tank.