JP2714816B2 - Printing plate developing device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention adjusts the supply temperature of a photosensitive material such as a printing plate in a small-volume developer coating type printing and developing apparatus, and develops the image in a workplace where air conditioning conditions are incomplete. The present invention relates to a developing device having improved performance, particularly, developing performance in cold regions.

[Conventional technology]

As shown in FIG. 6, a printing plate using a photosensitive material, particularly a PS plate, has a developing unit having various functions stored in a frame 1 and mounted on a floor via jack bolts 13. And
A printing plate 101 such as a PS plate is supplied from an insertion table 102, is conveyed while being held by guide rollers 2C while being held between conveyance rollers 2A and 2B, and a developing solution is poured onto the surface of the printing plate by a shower pipe 3 so as to be brushed. The development is further promoted by facilitating the swelling, dissolution and peeling of the photosensitive layer on the wetted surface by the roller 5, and is conveyed to the next washing step, washed with water by a shower pipe, and then washed with a gum solution or A rinsing liquid is applied to the surface of the printing plate to complete the development process and to be recovered.

The temperature of the developing solution in the developing tank 9 is circulated through the heat exchanger 9A by the pump P, and is repeatedly circulated while being discharged by the shower pipe 3 by the pump 8A.

Similarly, the water in the rinsing tank 10 and the rinsing liquid in the rinsing tank 11 are also circulated while being discharged from the shower pipes 3A and 3C by the pumps 8B and 8C, respectively. However, the temperature is not regulated as in the developer.

Although not shown, the new liquid is also periodically replaced with the old liquid.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

In such a printing plate developing apparatus, the developing solution is easily oxidized, and even if the developing solution is circulated and replenished with a new solution, the developing solution is greatly deteriorated, and it is difficult to obtain stable developing quality. There is a drawback that the apparatus is contaminated by scattering.

In order to solve such drawbacks, it is necessary to provide a developing device which applies a small amount of fresh developing solution uniformly and uniformly to the printing plate surface.

On the other hand, the environment where the printing plate developing device is installed is not always good, and there are places where the temperature conditions are close to the outdoors,
Otherwise, if work is started early in the winter in the morning, the printing plate such as the PS plate is cold, and if the printing plate is to be transported to the developing device as it is, the temperature condition of the developer is hindered. In this case, the conventional developing method in which a large amount of the heated developer is showered is still good, but in the new method in which a small amount of the developing solution is applied as needed and developed, the temperature-controlled heated developer is When a printing plate having a large area comes into contact with a large-capacity low-heat source, the temperature immediately becomes low, so that the development conditions are greatly changed and the development quality is reduced.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a printing plate developing apparatus for supplying a small amount of developer with high development quality, which solves such a problem.

[Means for solving the problem]

The object of the present invention is to provide a printing plate supply unit for supplying a printing plate to a developing unit, a developing solution supply unit for supplying a developing solution to be supplied, and a developing solution having a nozzle for applying the supplied developing solution onto the supplied printing plate. A printing plate developing device provided with at least a coating type developing unit, wherein the printing plate developing device is provided with a room temperature detector of the device installation room, and the printing plate supply unit is provided with a printing plate warming room, The heating chamber is provided with a heating device for the printing plate and a temperature detector for detecting a temperature near the surface of the printing plate. The heating device is operated within a range where the temperature does not exceed a set value, and control means for controlling operation of the heating device to be stopped when the detected temperature of the room temperature detector exceeds a predetermined value is provided. Achieved by the printing plate developing device characterized

〔Example〕

An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4 (a) and (b).

In the figure, members having the same functions as those of the conventional example are denoted by the same numbers.

Further, the present invention is not limited to only the present embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1, a developing device for a printing plate, particularly a PS plate, using the photosensitive material of the present invention has its functions stored in a frame 1 and is mounted on the floor via jack bolts 13. Then, horizontal adjustment is performed by the adjustment nut 13A.

Then, a printing plate 101 such as a PS plate is moved from the insertion table 102 to the heat insulation room 13.
It is supplied through a line 0 and is conveyed while being held by the guide rollers 2C while being held between the conveyance rollers 2A and 2B. Then, in the base slit nozzle section 20, a fresh developing solution is flowed out by a small amount as necessary and uniformly applied to the photosensitive material of the printing plate supplied onto the guide roller 2C. Next, the printing plate being conveyed is guided and immersed and developed by the roller 15 in the dip developing tank unit 50 of a shallow bottom type, and the swelling, dissolving and peeling of the photosensitive layer on the wet surface is facilitated by the brush roller 5. Is transported to the next washing step while promoting development by the shower pipe.
It is washed by immersing it in the water flow of 3A, 3C and proceeds to the next gum step or rinse application step. Although not shown, the developing process is completed and recovered through a drying process.

Here, the shallow dip developing tank has a large liquid surface area,
Further, the printing plate 101 guided by the rollers 15 is transported in the liquid and stirred, so that the printing plate 101 is easily evaporated. Therefore, a lid 40 is provided as a means for preventing evaporation. The dip development using the shallow-bottom dip developing tank is provided to eliminate an undeveloped portion called an edge effect around the printing plate by coating and developing. The undeveloped portion is not preferable because it causes stain in a printing process. However, the freshness of the developer here is not so required.

Next, the supply pump 110 for supplying the developer to the mixing section 60 and the base slit nozzle will be described.

The undiluted developer solution is placed in a cartridge tank 61, which is placed upside down on a movable gantry 64 that slides along a fixed gantry 65, and a hose is inserted from a plug portion 62 of the tank to an injection portion of an auxiliary tank 68. It is connected. Auxiliary tank 68
Has a narrowed portion 67 and is open to the atmosphere. However, since the contact area with the atmosphere is small, the stock solution is rarely oxidized. The lower portion of the auxiliary tank 68 forms a wide portion 68A, and the cartridge tank 61
Lower than the bottom. This makes it possible to know the liquid level in the cartridge tank if a part of the auxiliary tank 68 is made transparent, and a float switch SW0 is provided as a liquid level detector in the auxiliary tank near the bottom of the cartridge. If it is used, the undiluted solution in the cartridge tank will be used until it is empty, and even if the float switch is activated, there is still undiluted solution in the auxiliary tank. be able to. Here, as the cartridge tank 61, a commercially available cuv retainer packed with an undiluted solution can be used almost as it is, which is convenient. Then, pump with a hose from the discharge port of the auxiliary tank 68.
It is connected to the 69A inlet, and the mixing tank 8
1 has hose piping.

On the other hand, the water tank 71 of the dilution water is connected to the inlet of the pump 69B, and the outlet of the pump is connected to the mixing tank. Normally, the discharge amounts of the respective pumps are adjusted so that the dilution liquid 5 becomes the dilution liquid 5 with respect to the undiluted developer solution 1. However, the dilution degree is not limited to this, and can be variously adjusted.

In this way, the two liquids in the mixing tank are sufficiently mixed by the stirrer 82, and are mixed while being injected until the float switch SW1 detects the two liquids. When the level detection float switch SW3 in the temporary developer storage tank detects that the remaining amount of the developer is low, the valve opening / closing solenoid is operated and the bottom valve 83 is opened to temporarily stop the developer. It is fed from a portion 87 near the bottom of the storage tank 85. During this time, feeding of the undiluted developing solution and water to the mixing tank 81 is stopped. When the mixed developer flows into the temporary developer storage tank and the float switch SW2 detects the liquid level, the valve opening / closing solenoid is actuated and the valve is closed, and the developing solution and water are again injected into the mixing tank and agitated. The container 82 is driven. Then, the mixed dilution of the developer of the next lot is completed before the developer of the previous lot is consumed. Therefore, the supply of the developing solution from the developing solution temporary storage tank 85 is not interrupted during the printing plate development.

The developing solution in the developing solution temporary storage tank 85 is connected to an inflow side of the supply pump 110 by a pipe from an outlet at a lower portion of the tank.
The pump 110 uses bellows pumps 111, 112 and 113 in triplicate and repeats suction and discharge with a phase shift of 120 ° from each other, so that pulsation on the discharge side is taken out and uniform developer application is performed. I have. And the pump 11
The developer discharged from 0 passes through the temperature controller 115, is sent to the base slit nozzle unit 20 at a constant temperature, and is applied to the printing plate.

The water in the rinsing tank 10 and the rinsing liquid in the rinsing tank 11 are circulated while being discharged from the shower pipes 3A and 3C by the pumps 8B and 8C, respectively. During this time, although not shown, the exchange of the new liquid and the old liquid is performed periodically.

By the way, in the developing device of the present invention, a base slit nozzle is provided so that a new solution is always supplied in a necessary amount for coating and developing without circulating the developing solution, and a slight surplus of the developing solution is stored in another collecting vat. It employs a small amount developing system to make waste liquid.

The photosensitive material, the developing solution and the exposure conditions used in this example are specifically shown below. However, it is not limited to this.

Positive PS plate A 0.24mm thick JIS1050 aluminum plate is immersed in a 2% aqueous sodium hydroxide solution and degreased.
The surface was electrochemically roughened in a dilute hydrochloric acid solution, washed well, and then anodized in a dilute hydrochloric acid solution to form an oxide film of 2.5 g / m ² on the surface of the aluminum plate.

After the obtained aluminum plate was washed with water and dried, a photosensitive solution having the following composition was applied so as to have a dry weight of 2.5 g / m ² and dried to obtain a positive PS plate. The dimensions of the plate were 1003 × 800 mm.

(Photosensitive solution) Resorcinol-naphthoquinone of benzaldehyde resin-
1,2-diazide (2) -5-sulfonic acid ester (described in Example 1 of JP-A-56-1044) ... 1 part Cresol-phenol-formaldehyde resin ... 3 parts tert-butylphenol Naphthoquinone-1,2-diad (2) -5-sulfonic acid ester of benzaldehyde resin (described in Example 1 of JP-A-60-31138) 0.1 part Crystal violet (dye manufactured by BASF) 0,05
Part: ethylene glycol monomethyl ether: 20 parts A transparent positive film was adhered to the obtained positive PS plate, and exposure was performed for 60 seconds from a distance of 70 cm with a 2 kilowatt metal halide lamp.

Negative PS plate A 0.24 mm thick JIS10150 aluminum plate is immersed in a 20% aqueous sodium phosphate solution, degreased, electrochemically roughened in a dilute nitric acid solution, washed well, and then diluted with a dilute sulfuric acid solution. Anodizing treatment was performed in the inside to form an oxide film of 1.5 g / m ² on the surface of the aluminum plate.

The resulting aluminum plate further subjected to dipping to sealing treatment in sodium metasilicate solution, rinsing, after drying, was applied so that the photosensitive solution having the following dry weight 2.0 g / m ^2, dried To get a negative PS version.

(Photosensitive solution) Hexafluorophosphate of a condensate of p-diazodiphenylamine and paraformaldehyde: 1 part N- (4-hydroxyphenylmethacrylamide copolymer (described in Example 1 of JP-B-57-43890) ) 10 parts Victoria Pure Blue BOH (Dye made by Hodogaya Chemical Co., Ltd.) 0.2 parts Ethylene glycol monomethyl ether ... 100 parts A 2 kilowatt metal halide with a transparent negative film adhered to the negative PS plate Exposure was performed for 30 seconds from a distance of 70 cm with a lamp.

The exposed positive-working and negative-working PS plates were developed with the following developer I using the automatic developing machine shown in FIG.

Developer I (also used for positive and negative PS plates)-5 parts by weight of sodium silicate (JIS sodium silicate 3)-2 parts by weight of sodium hydroxide-1 part by weight of phenyl cellosolve-Perex NB-L (trade name) 10 parts by weight of an anionic surfactant manufactured by Kao Corporation. 1 part by weight of anhydrous sodium sulfite. 1 part by weight of Emulgen 147 (nonionic surfactant manufactured by Kao Corporation) 0.1 part by weight. 120 parts by weight of water. Liquid II (Positive PS version only) ・ 100 parts by weight of potassium silicate (potassium silicate manufactured by Nippon Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.) ・ 1000 parts by weight of water ・ 20 parts by weight of benzoic acid ・ Emulgen 147 (Nonion manufactured by Kao Corporation) 1 part by weight) 20 parts by weight of 50% potassium aquatic solution The pH of the adjusting solution was adjusted to 13.00 at 25 ° C.

Developer III (Negative PS version only)-1.5 parts by weight of diethanolamine-3.5 parts by weight of phenyl cellosolve-2.0 parts by weight of p-tert-butylbenzoic acid-1.0 part by weight of potassium hydrate 50%-Perex NBL (Kao Corporation anion) 1.0 part by weight ・ Sodium sulfite 0.3 part by weight ・ Water 90.7 parts by weight For the positive and negative type developer, apply to the Japanese Patent Application No. 63-50499 by the applicant of the present invention. Has been filed by the present applicant in Japanese Patent Application No. 63-50498.

When the printing plate is cooled by the application of a small amount of the developing solution, normal development is not performed and the normal development condition is deviated. In order to solve this, a heat insulation chamber 130 was provided as shown in FIG. The structure and operation of this will be described in some detail with reference to FIGS. 2, 3, and 4 (a) and (b).

First, a first embodiment using a heat roller will be described. FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the heat retaining chamber 130 in that case, and FIG. 3 is an axial sectional view of the heat roller.

Heat rollers 140A and 140B are provided above and below the transport path of the printing plate 101 adjacent to the printing plate insertion table 120, also serving as a pair of nipping transport rollers. The heat roller and the temperature detector
A heat insulation room 130 is configured to house 134A and 134B, and outer frames 131, 132, 147, and 148 of the heat insulation room 130 are provided, and a heat insulating material 133 is affixed inside as a heat insulating material. However, the application of a heat insulating material is omitted on the developing section side so that warm heat can be supplied to the developing section.

Here, the heat roller 14 as the heating device of the present embodiment
The structure of 0A and 140B will be described with reference to FIG.

Inside the heat roller, a roll heater 136 with a nichrome wire wound around a pipe-shaped member processed to heat-resistant resin and sealed with a heat-resistant insulating tape is attached to the fixed shaft 135, and both ends are attached to the frame 147 and frame 148. Supported by the bearing block 149 provided. The power supply cord of the heater passes through the hollow portion of the fixed shaft 135 and is taken out of the frame.

On the other hand, the rotating part is a frame 1 in which aluminum pipe rollers 137A and 137B are coated with urethane rubber 138A or fluorine resin 138B such as Teflon, and both ends are integrally and concentrically connected to a boss 139.
47 and ball bearing 1 provided on bearing block 149
It is pivoted to 45. And the drive is the boss
The rotation is transmitted by a gear 141 fixed concentrically to 139. By this rotation, the printing plate is conveyed from the insertion table 102 and proceeds to the developing section, and is brought into a state where the printing plate is heated and transferred by the heat roller.

In order to determine the degree of this heating, temperature detectors 134A and 134B
2 and 3 are turned on and off so that the temperature of the heating device by the heat roller does not exceed a certain set temperature (40 ° C. in this embodiment) by detecting the temperature.
Adjustments are made.

However, in the present invention, a room temperature detector 181 for detecting the room temperature of the developing device installation room is further provided. The detected temperature is considered to be substantially equal to the temperature immediately before the printing plate itself is supplied to the developing device. When the printing plate passes through the heating device and reaches the developing position, it is necessary that the temperature of the printing plate is at an allowable temperature condition sufficient for normal development. This allowable temperature is usually -27 ⁺⁶ _-3 ℃. Therefore, in the present invention, when the detected temperature of the developing device installation room is 24 ° C. or less as a predetermined value by conducting an experiment, the heating device is energized, and when the detected temperature exceeds the predetermined value of 24 ° C. Control to turn off the power to the heating device is performed.

If the room temperature is too low, allow room temperature to be 10 ° C.
It is necessary to adjust the air so that the temperature is raised as described above, and when the room temperature is extremely increased, the temperature is lowered to the allowable value of 33 ° C. or less.

Thus, when the room temperature is between 10 ° C. and 33 ° C., the room temperature is detected and only the ON / OFF control of the heating device is performed. It has become possible to achieve high quality printing plate development processing.

The above printing plate temperature control is arranged as shown in the flowchart of FIG.

In the present embodiment, the temperature set value near the heating device surface is set to about 40
° C, the predetermined value t of the room temperature of the developing device installation room was set to 24 ° C, and the allowable development temperature was set to 2727 ⁺⁶ _-3 ▼ ° C. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and when there is a change in the allowable development temperature. Needless to say, the heating chamber set temperature and the predetermined value t of the room temperature can be newly set.

Next, a second embodiment of the heating device will be described with reference to the sectional side view of FIG.

The heat retaining chamber 130A is constituted by outer frames 151, 152 and 161 and 162, and the conveying path of the printing plate 101 includes a holding roller 156.
A and 156B are rotatably supported by bearings provided on the outer frames 161 and 162 so as to be driven. A heat insulating material 15 is provided inside each of the frames as a heat insulating material.
3 is affixed. However, no heat insulating material was attached to the wall at the entrance to the developing section. And 130A of thermal insulation room
The heated air inside is circulated inside the machine to the developing section.

Further, a plurality or a single heater 159 is provided on an insertion table frame 157 provided at the lower part of the transport path, and a temperature detector 161A is further provided.

The heaters used in the present embodiment are an infrared heater, a sheath heater and a hot water heater, and each of them is used alone to enhance the effect of printing plate heating.

As a third embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4 (b), a bracket 163 in the heat insulation chamber 130A of the heat insulation example of the second embodiment.
Is provided with a fan 164 attached to the. In addition to the heating effect substantially the same as that of the second embodiment, there is an effect of promoting uniform heating.

〔The invention's effect〕

According to the present invention, even when the printing plate developing apparatus of the small-volume developing / coating method is operated at a low temperature at room temperature, the developing can be performed without changing the allowable developing condition temperature. An even high-quality development finish is now possible.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the heat retaining chamber shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is an axial sectional view of a heat roller as a heating device shown in FIG. FIG. 4 (a) is a side sectional view of a second embodiment of the heat insulation room. FIG. 4 (b) is a side sectional view of a third embodiment of the heat insulation room. FIG. 5 is a flowchart of printing plate temperature control. FIG. 6 is an overall configuration diagram of a conventional printing plate developing apparatus. 20 Base slit nozzle unit 50 Dip developing unit 60 Developer mixing unit 101 Printing plate 102 Insert table 115 Temperature controller 130, 130A Heat insulation room 131, 132, 147, 148, 161, 162 Outer frame 133, 153 Insulation material 134A, 134B, 161A Temperature detector 135 Fixed shaft 136 Roll heater 137A, 137B Aluminum pipe roller 138A Urethane rubber 138B Fluorine resin 139 Boss 140A, 140B Heat roller 141… Gear 145… Ball bearing 149… Bearing block 156A, 156B… Conveying and holding roller 157 …… Insert base frame 159 …… Heater 181 …… Room temperature detector t …… Specified value

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] A developing device having a printing plate supply unit for supplying a printing plate to a developing unit, a means for supplying a developing solution to be supplied, and a nozzle for applying the supplied developing solution onto the supplied printing plate. A printing plate developing device provided with at least a liquid coating type developing unit, wherein the printing plate developing device is provided with a room temperature detector in the device installation room, and the printing plate supply unit is provided with a printing plate warming room. A heating device for the printing plate and a temperature detector for detecting a temperature near the surface of the printing plate, and a surface of the heating device for detecting when the temperature detected by the room temperature detector is equal to or lower than a predetermined value. Control means is provided for controlling the heating device to operate within a range in which the vicinity temperature does not exceed a set value, and to stop the operation of the heating device when the detected temperature of the room temperature detector exceeds a predetermined value. A printing plate developing device characterized by the above-mentioned.