JPH03107950A - Automatic developing machine for photosensitive lithographic printing plate - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the efficiency of the cleaning work of an automatic developing machine by providing a mechanism to perform cleaning by automatically supplying a cleaning solution directly or indirectly to a roller and/or a brush stained with the disposal solution of the automatic developing machine. CONSTITUTION:Cleaning with a cleaning mechanism 4 is performed by operating a pump 24 by depressing a cleaning button at an arbitrary time while the operation of the automatic developing machine is stopped and it is re-started, injecting the cleaning solution 23a to a rotary brush 12, a squeezing roller 14, and a carrier roller 20 with a cleaning solution supply pipe 26. The operating time of the pump 24 is controlled with a timer 25. Thereby, the efficiency of the cleaning work of the automatic developing machine can be improved, and also, it is possible to efficiently prevent a print stain occurring due to the attachment of the stain of the roller, etc., on the printing plate of the photosensitive lithographic printing plate.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a photosensitive lithographic printing plate (hereinafter referred to as "PS plate").
Regarding the processing device, more specifically, the image-exposed PS
This invention relates to a cleaning device for an automatic developing machine that automatically transports and develops plates.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, in processing work in which image-exposed PS plates are developed in an automatic processor, when the automatic processor is not used for a long time or after the work is finished, the rolls and brushes that have the processing liquid on them are cleaned by wiping them with a sponge or cloth. are doing. However, this work is manual, time consuming, and inefficient. Furthermore, if this cleaning is neglected, dirt may adhere to the treated plate, resulting in staining during printing.

[Purpose of the invention]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an automatic developing machine that automatically conveys and develops PS plates, and can improve the cleaning efficiency of the automatic developing machine. Another object of the present invention is to provide an automatic developing machine that can prevent stains from adhering to processed plates.

[Structure of the invention]

The above-mentioned object of the present invention is to apply a cleaning liquid directly or onto the rollers and/or brushes that are contaminated with the processing liquid of the automatic developing machine in an automatic developing machine that automatically conveys and develops an image-exposed photosensitive lithographic printing plate. This is achieved by an automatic developing machine for photosensitive lithographic printing plates, which is characterized by being equipped with a mechanism for indirectly and automatically supplying and cleaning the plates. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the automatic developing machine is provided with a cleaning button, and a mechanism is provided for cleaning the rollers and/or brushes by pressing the cleaning button and supplying a certain amount or a certain period of time of cleaning liquid.

The present invention will be explained below based on examples.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

Note that in the following drawings, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated explanations will be omitted.

In Figure 1, ■ is a developing section that performs development, 2 is a water washing section,
Reference numeral 3 designates a gum section that performs a desensitization process, 4 a cleaning mechanism according to the present invention, and PS a transport path for the 28th plate.

In the developing section I, 5 is a developer tank containing the developer 5a, 6 is a metering pump, 7 is a developer supply pipe, and 8 is a developer supply member, which is formed from two plates, and the lower end thereof forms a slit. However, the lower end of this slit comes into sliding contact with the circumferential surface of the roller 9. 10 is a developing tank, 11 is a guide roller, 12 is a rotating brush, 13 is a roller, 1
4 is a squeeze roller, and 15 is a pipe that leads waste liquid to a waste liquid tank (not shown).

In the washing section 2 and the gum section 3, 17 is a washing water tank containing washing water 17a, 18 is a pump, 19 is a spray device, 20 is a conveyance roller, 14 is a squeeze roller, and 21 is a gum liquid containing nonfatting liquid 21a. It's a tank.

In the cleaning mechanism 4, 23 is a cleaning liquid tank containing cleaning liquid 23a, and 24 is a metering pump, which is activated by pressing a cleaning button (not shown). 25 is a timer that controls the operating time of the pump 24, and 26 is a cleaning liquid supply pipe that injects cleaning liquid to the plate 28. The cleaning liquid supply pipe 26 is provided with a large number of holes arranged along the conveying width to allow the cleaning liquid to flow out to the object to be cleaned.

For rollers used for conveyance and/or squeezing, the amount of cleaning liquid supplied is based on the outer circumferential surface area of each roller.
0.05 to 5 m12 per cm" is preferable, and more preferably 0.1=1 mff. For brushes,
When the shape is like the rotating brush 12, the surface area around the tip of the brush bristles is 0.05 to 1 cm.
OI1112 is preferred, more preferably 0.1-1 m
It is Q.

Next, the operation will be explained.

When the 28th plate is inserted from the apparatus entrance, a 25th plate detection switch (not shown) causes the transport roller 20. Guide roller 1
1. A rotating brush 12, a receiver roller 13, and a squeeze roller 14 rotate to convey 28 plates. Further, the operation of the metering pump 6 is controlled so that a predetermined amount of the developer 5a is supplied from the developer supply member 8 onto the plate surface of the 28 plate for a predetermined time. The washing water 17a is also applied to the washing section 2 and the gum section 3 at a predetermined time lag.

The desensitizing liquid 21a is sprayed by the spray devices 19 to 28 for a predetermined period of time.
The operation of the pump 18 is controlled by a control mechanism (not shown) so as to supply the liquid onto the surface of the plate.

The 28 plate is first coated with the developer 5a by the developer supply member 8 so as to have a uniform liquid film thickness on the plate surface, and then immersed in the developer 10a in the developer tank IO. 1
0a, the printing plate is rubbed with a rotating brush 12 to promote the fused image, and is squeezed with a squeeze roller 14 to complete the development. Next, the 28th plate is conveyed to the washing section 2, where it is washed by spraying washing water onto the plate surface from the spray device 19, and then in the gumming section 3, a desensitizing liquid is applied to the plate surface, and it is squeezed by the squeeze roller 14. The process ends.

In the above-mentioned processing work, the processing solution and eluates from the 28th plate adhere to the rotating brush 12, the squeeze roller 14, and the transport roller 20 after the developer is supplied to the 28th plate, and the automatic developing machine is not operating. It dries and sticks to the plate, and this may be transferred to the plate surface of the 28 plate during the next operation, causing stains on the printed matter. The cleaning mechanism 4 operates the pump 24 by pressing a cleaning button (not shown) at any time between the stoppage of operation and the time of restart of the automatic developing machine, and the cleaning liquid 23a is supplied through the cleaning liquid supply pipe 26. It is poured onto each of the rotating brush 12, squeeze roller 14, and conveyance roller 20 to wash them. A timer 25 controls the operating time of the pump 24. During cleaning, the rollers and brushes are preferably rotated to supply cleaning water. Note that this rotation is sufficient at low speed.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of the processing apparatus of the present invention, in which the cleaning liquid is indirectly supplied.

In the figure, 31 is a developing section, 32 is a washing section, 33 is a gumming section for performing a desensitizing treatment, and 34 is a cleaning mechanism of the present invention. 35 in the developing section 31 or gumming section 33
is a developer tank, 35a is a developer, 36 is a washing water tank, 37
is the gum liquid tank. In the cleaning mechanism 34, 26.
38 is a cleaning liquid supply pipe, 14a is a backflow prevention roller that prevents the cleaning liquid from flowing down to the developing tank side, and 39 is a conveyance roller 2 that cleans the cleaning liquid spouted from the cleaning liquid supply pipe.
0 and the circumferential surface of the squeeze roller 14, and is made of a roof-shaped plate material as shown in FIG.
A is provided.

A cleaning button similar to that in FIG. 1 is also provided.

In the present invention, supplying the cleaning liquid directly means supplying the cleaning liquid directly from the nozzle to the roller or brush, and supplying the cleaning liquid indirectly means supplying the cleaning liquid from the nozzle to the roller or brush through another object. Say something.

Next, a processing method using the automatic processor of the present invention will be explained.

As the cleaning liquid used in the cleaning mechanism, water, an alkaline aqueous solution, an aqueous solution containing a surfactant, an unused developer, etc. can be preferably used, and an aqueous solution containing a surfactant is particularly preferred.

It is preferable to use an aqueous solution containing a surfactant as the cleaning liquid not only from the viewpoint of the cleaning function but also from the viewpoint of not degrading the desensitizing function when the cleaning liquid mixes with the desensitizing liquid during cleaning.

The surfactant to be contained in the aqueous solution containing the surfactant may be anionic, nonionic, cationic, or amphoteric, but anionic surfactants and nonionic surfactants are particularly preferred. Anionic surfactants and nonionic surfactants may be used in combination. The concentration of the surfactant is preferably in the range of 0.01 to 5 wt%, 0.1 to Q,
A range of 5 wt% is more preferable.

As anionic surfactants, higher alcohols (cm
~Czz) Sulfuric ester salts [e.g., sodium salt of lauryl alcohol sulfate, sodium salt of octyl alcohol sulfate, ammonium salt of lauryl alcohol sulfate, rTeepol-81J
(trade name: Shell Chemistry Department), disodium alkylsal 7ade, etc.], aliphatic alcohol phosphate ester salts (e.g., sodium salt of cetyl alcohol phosphate, etc.), alkylaryl sulfonates (e.g., dodecylbenzene Sodium salts of sulfonic acids, sodium salts of inglovirna-7talenesulfonic acid, sodium salts of sinaphthalin disulfonic acid, sodium salts of metanitrobenzenesulfonic acid, etc.), sulfonic acid salts of alkylamides (for example, cITJICON (CHi
), sulfonic acid salts of dibasic fatty acid esters (eg, sodium sulfosuccinate dioctyl ester, sodium sulfosuccinate dihexyl ester, etc.), and the like can be used.

Examples of nonionic surfactants include polyethylene glycol, polyoxyethylene lauryl ether, polyoxyethylene nonyl ether, polyoxyethylene cetyl ether, polyoxyethylene stearyl ether, polyoxyethylene oleyl ether, polyoxyethylene behenyl ether, and polyoxyethylene polyether. Oxypropylene cetyl ether, polyoxyethylene polyoxypropylene behenyl ether, polyoxyethylene nonylphenyl ether, polyoxyethylene octylphenyl ether, polyoxyethylene stearylamine, polyoxyethylene oleylamine, polyoxyethylene stearamide, polyoxyethylene olein Acid amide, polyoxyethylene castor oil, polyoxyethylene abiethyl ether, polyoxyethylene lanolin ether, polyoxyethylene monolaurate, polyoxyethylene monostearate, polyoxyethylene glyceryl monooleate, polyoxyethylene glycer monostearate , polyoxyethylene propylene glycol monostearate, oxyethylene oxypropylene block polymer, distyrenated phenol polyethylene oxide adduct, tribenzylphenol polyethylene oxide adduct, octylphenol polyoxyethylene polyoxypropylene adduct, glycerol monostearate, sorbitan monolau ester, polyoxyethylene sorbitan monolaurate, etc. can be used.

As the cationic surfactant, water-soluble quaternary ammonium salt type cationic surfactants, such as alkyltrimethylammonium salts, alkyldimethylbenzylammonium salts, and ethylene oxide-added ammonium salts, can be used.

As the amphoteric surfactant, for example, a compound such as sodium N-methyl-N-pentadecyl amylacetate can be used.

Examples of the alkaline aqueous solution include sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, lithium hydroxide, sodium carbonate,
Potassium carbonate, sodium hydrogen carbonate, sodium silicate,
A 0.1 to 5.0 wt % aqueous solution of potassium silicate, tetraalkylammonium hydroxide, monoethanolamine, jetanolamine, triethanolamine, etc. can be used.

As the unused developer, an unused developer used for development in an automatic developing machine having a cleaning mechanism according to the present invention can be used.

The 25th plate to be developed with the automatic processor according to the present invention includes a negative WPS plate having a photosensitive layer using a diazo compound as a photosensitive component, and a positive plate having a photosensitive layer using an 0-quinonediazide compound as a photosensitive component. 25th edition, for example, JP-A-62-175757, page 5, lower left column, lines 18 to 7.
Includes 25 editions as listed on line 11 in the top right column of the page.

Next, an example of a cleaning method for an automatic processor of the present invention will be described.

Example 1 A large number of positive type 23 plates and negative type 25 plates were prepared and imagewise exposed. Using an automatic developing machine as shown in FIG. 1, a developer tank 5 was charged with a negative/positive common developer having the following composition diluted six times with water. Further, the washing water tank 17 was filled with washing water, and the gum liquid tank 21 was filled with a desensitizing liquid having the following composition. Furthermore, water was charged into the cleaning liquid tank 23. The diameter of the squeeze roller 14 and the conveyance roller 20 is 4 am, the length in the conveyance width direction is 90cm, and the diameter of the rotating brush 12 is 60I11%, and the length in the conveyance width direction is 90cm.
It is m. The cleaning liquid supply pipe 26 has an inner diameter of 15 mm.
A pipe with holes of 21 mm in diameter at intervals of 50+++ m was used.

Negative/positive developer composition β-anilinoethanol propylene glycol 2-hydroxy-3-naphthoic acid p-tert-butylbenzoic acid 50% potassium hydroxide aqueous solution Emulgen 147 (manufactured by Kako Co., Ltd., nonionic surfactant) Silicic acid Potassium aqueous solution (Si02 content 2[3vt%.

7.5g 73.5g 73.5g 146.7g 294.0g 771.6g K*0 included 1'f 13wt%)
540.6g 40% potassium sulfite aqueous solution
450.3g water
1262.7g Fat-desensitizing liquid composition Gum arabic 5g Dextrin 15g Phosphoric acid (75%)
0.3g water
180g C-2-Ethylhexyl Sodium Sulfosuccinate
1.0g nonylphenol polyethylene oxide ether (6 moles of ethylene oxacyto)
) 1.0g stearic acid
1.0g sorbitan monooleate 1.
0g dibutyl phthalate 2.0g
The above-exposed negative 25th plate and positive 23rd plate were tJ
Using the automatic developing machine shown in Figure 1, the film was developed for 20 seconds at a development temperature of 27°C, and then washed with water and desensitized using a gum solution.

The processing of the 25th plate is a negative type 25th plate and a positive type 23rd plate at a ratio of 1:1.
A total of 20 plates were processed continuously at a ratio of 1, and then only the transport drive was performed without processing for 3 hours. After that, 20 editions were processed again and the processing was stopped for 3 hours. By repeating this process, a total of 80 plates were processed in one day. In addition, during the 3 hours when processing is not performed with the automatic developing machine, 11000II1 cleaning water is applied to the rotating brush 12 for 10 seconds per transformed cleaning solution supply pipe per hour.
, a program for supplying and cleaning the squeeze roller 14 and the conveyance roll 20 is incorporated.

The roll and brush were rotated while the cleaning solution was being supplied.

In this way, 80 plates were processed in one day, and all the plates printed well without any stains.

Comparative Example 1 An experiment similar to Example 1 was conducted except that the cleaning mechanism was activated, and after 3 hours of no processing, the actual PS plate was processed without passing through the plate. The stain transferred from the squeeze roller 14 was attached to the top, causing stains during printing.

Example 2 A large number of negative PS plates were prepared and imagewise exposed. On the other hand, the second
Using the automatic developing machine shown in the figure, a solution obtained by diluting positive developer 5DN-21 (manufactured by Konica Corp.) 4 times with water was put into the developing section 31 and the temperature was adjusted to 30°C. Fill the washing water tank 36 with washing water 1012. Into the gum liquid tank 37, 10I2 of a liquid obtained by diluting Fuwa Fatting Liquid 5GW-2 (manufactured by Konica Corporation) twice with water was put. Backflow prevention roller 14 of developing section 31
The diameter of a is 2 cm, the diameter of the squeeze roller 14 and the transport roller 20 is 4 cm, and the length of these in the transport width direction is 90 cm.
It is m. The cleaning liquid supply pipe 26 has the same structure as that shown in FIG. 1, and the cleaning liquid supply pipe 38 has the same structure as the cleaning liquid supply pipe 26 except that the inner diameter of the pipe is 10+am and holes are provided in two rows. A cleaning liquid having the following composition was used, and 200 ml of cleaning liquid was supplied per pair of rollers.

Cleaning liquid composition Propylene glycol 2g Phosphoric acid-sodium salt 1g Emulgen A-500 (Nonionic surfactant manufactured by Kako Co., Ltd.) 0.5g Water

We processed 100 sheets on the 21st day of H21, and at the end of the work, we pressed the cleaning button to automatically supply a certain amount of cleaning liquid onto the rollers, and the process continued for a month without any manual cleaning.
No stains occurred.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the efficiency of cleaning work of an automatic developing machine in a developing process using an automatic developing machine that automatically conveys and develops a PS plate, and also prevents stains on rollers etc.
It is possible to efficiently prevent printing stains caused by adhesion to the plate surface of the S plate.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 and 2 are sectional views showing an embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention, and FIG. 2(A) is a perspective view of the guide plate 39. 1.31...Developing section 2.32...Water washing section 3
．． 33... Gum pulling part 4.34... Cleaning mechanism 1
2... Rotating brush 14... Squeeze roller 20... Conveyance roller 26. 38... Cleaning liquid supply pipe 23... Cleaning liquid tank 37... Backflow prevention roller 39... Guide plate

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) In an automatic developing machine that automatically conveys and develops an image-exposed photosensitive lithographic printing plate, a cleaning solution is automatically or directly applied to the rollers and/or brushes that are contaminated with the processing solution of the automatic developing machine. An automatic developing machine for photosensitive lithographic printing plates, characterized by being equipped with a mechanism for supplying and cleaning the plates. (2) The automatic developing machine is provided with a cleaning button, and a mechanism is provided for cleaning the rollers and/or brushes by pressing the cleaning button and supplying cleaning liquid in a certain amount or for a certain period of time. automatic developing machine for photosensitive lithographic printing plates.