JPH052272A - Processor for waterless planographic printing plate - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To facilitate maintenance by removing developing residue which coexists in processing solution by a suspended matter removing means and restoring the processing solution from which the developing residue is removed to circulation again. CONSTITUTION:Since the specific gravity of the developing residue such as silicone rubber scraped in the case of developing processing is lower than that of developer, the residue included in the developer which drops in a developer tank 2 from a receiving part 7 is afloat to the surface layer part of the developer again. At such a time, the tank 2 is sectioned by an impregnating guiding plate 12 and suction by a pump 13 is executed on the upper surface side thereof, so that the residue flows to the entrance of a guiding pipe 14 along the flow of the developer by the sucking action of the pump 13 and the guiding plate 12, and it is sucked with the developer, introduced to a filter mechanism 8, then removed to the outside through the exhaust port 9 by overflow. After the developing residue is removed from the developer containing the developing residue sucked through the guiding pipe 14 by a filter mechanism which is prepared separately, the developer is restored to the developing tank 2.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a waterless lithographic printing plate (hereinafter referred to as waterless PS plate) processing apparatus, and more specifically, it floats in a processing liquid when processing a waterless PS plate. The present invention relates to a waterless PS plate processing apparatus having an improved mechanism for removing so-called development dust such as silicone rubber. Further, the present invention can be applied not only to the processing solution for development but also to the removal of the development dust brought into the processing solution used in the subsequent step.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A waterless PS plate which is known at present is formed by laminating a photoremovable or photocurable or water insoluble or photoadhesive photosensitive layer and a silicone rubber layer as an ink repellent layer on a support such as aluminum. Further, a protective film is laminated on the surface thereof, if necessary.

There are several methods for developing treatment after exposing the above waterless PS plate, but the basic principle is to supply a developing solution to the photosensitive layer side of the waterless PS plate and It is said that the silicone rubber layer in the image area is removed by rubbing with a brush roller. In this system, the developer is stored in a developer tank and prepared, and the developer supplied from above the brush roller by the pump and containing the so-called developer residue of the scraped silicone rubber layer is stored in the developer tank. It is recovered by the pump, circulated by a pump and reused.

In the conventional apparatus, a filter is arranged between the developing solution tank and the pump to prevent the developing waste from being supplied to the processing section.

Toray waterless planographic automatic processor TWL
In 860 and TWL1160, a filter provided in the middle of a conventional developer tank and a pump is used to remove the development dust, and an outlet for overflow is prepared in the developer tank. The development debris floating on the surface is replenished with 1 liter of developer per minute of operation, and a large amount of overflow is taken to eliminate it to the outside.

Further, JP-A-2-220060 and JP-A-2-220060.
In JP 220061, a collecting tank for developing debris is arranged in parallel with the developing solution tank, and the developing solution in the surface layer portion in which the developing debris is floating is poured into the collecting tank by overflow.
The method of separating the development dust is described.

[0007]

The development residue of the silicone rubber layer described above is redeposited on the plate surface to be processed and causes white spots in the image area and stains in the non-image area during printing. If the filter or the shower nozzle is clogged, the processing cannot be performed, the cleaning work is increased, and the maintainability is deteriorated. The amount of liquid supplied to the plate material decreases, and the developability deteriorates. Is causing problems such as. It has also been pointed out that there is an adverse effect caused by dirt on the developer tank due to development dust.

Further, not only the developing solution but also the developing residue brought into the processing solution in the subsequent step causes the above-mentioned problem.

Among the above-mentioned conventional techniques for removing the development dust, a system in which a filter device is provided in a part of the arrangement of the circulation system of the developer and the development dust is mainly removed by the filter causes the clogging of the filter quickly. However, the service life is not sufficient, the maintenance load is large, and the method of discharging the developing waste together with the developing solution to the outside due to the overflow is not preferable in terms of environmental hygiene. Further, the method of discharging and removing by a large amount of overflow is not preferable because the efficiency is low and the cost is high.

Further, in the system in which the developing residue collecting tank is provided in parallel with the developing solution tank, there is a problem that the apparatus becomes large in size, and the movement of the developing residue from the developing solution tank to the collecting tank is not always sufficient. There are some drawbacks.

In view of the above, the present invention is capable of promptly removing the development dust that has flowed into the developer tank, and has a simple and efficient development dust removal mechanism with a light maintenance load. None It is intended to clarify a PS plate processing apparatus.

[0012]

The waterless PS plate processing apparatus of the present invention is an apparatus for automatically conveying and processing a waterless planographic plate after image exposure, from the bottom of the processing liquid tank to the liquid surface. Has a mechanism for removing the development dust mixed in the treatment liquid by the floating substance removing means, and then providing a pump suction port in the upper half portion of the height of the treatment liquid, or removing the development dust. The treatment liquid is returned to the circulation system again.

[0013]

The waterless PS plate processing apparatus according to the present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, in the waterless PS plate processing apparatus to which the first embodiment is applied, the waterless PS plate 1 is conveyed in a horizontal state, and is subjected to a developing process, a first washing process, a dyeing process,
It is discharged to the outside through the second water washing process.

The developing solution stored in the developing solution tank 2 is supplied to the pump 4 via the filter 3 and is sprayed from the shower nozzle 5 by the operation of the pump 4 directly or by the brush roller 6. Is supplied to the surface of the waterless PS plate via. After the processing step, the developing solution containing the developing debris is naturally dropped to the receiving section 7 provided below the developing step section, passes through the filter 8 and is collected in the developing solution tank 2.

9 is a discharge port due to overflow,
Preferably, the waste liquid is discharged to the outside when the supplementary liquid is supplied from the stock solution tank 10 and the dilution water tank 11 during the operation of the processing apparatus.

Reference numeral 12 is an immersion guide plate, 13 is a pump, and 14 is a guide tube. The developer located above the immersion guide plate 12 is sucked by the pump 13, and the filter mechanism as a suspended matter removing means is introduced through the guide tube 14. Introduced in 8.

The developer flowing down along the surface of the receiving portion 7 is introduced into only the filter mechanism 8 and the developer is introduced into the developer tank 2 directly through the upper opening. is there.

The filter used in the filter mechanism 8 as the suspended matter removing means has a mesh of 10 μm to 1 mm, particularly preferably 50 μm to 500 μm, and this filter can be taken out on the upper surface of the receiving portion 7. It is preferably a mounting structure.

Further, the filter mechanism 8 has a mode in which it is an in-liquid filter as shown in the figure and a mode in which it is an out-of-liquid filter which is not immersed in the developing solution.

The immersion guide plate 12 functions as follows. Since the development residue such as silicone rubber scraped off by the developing process has a lower specific gravity than the developer, the development residue contained in the developer falling from the receiving portion 7 into the developer tank 2 is again the surface layer of the developer. Surface. At this time, the developing tank 2
Is divided by the immersion guide plate 12, and suction is performed by the pump 13 on the upper surface side thereof.
Along with the suction action of 3 and the flow of the developing solution by the guide plate 12, the developing solution flows into the inlet of the guide tube 14, is efficiently sucked together with the developing solution, is introduced into the filter mechanism 8, and is eventually discharged to the outside through the discharge port 9 due to overflow. It

The immersion guide plate 12 is preferably inclined as shown in FIGS. Also, the immersion guide plate 1
2 has a function of forming a flow of the developing solution toward the inlet of the guide tube 14 at the surface layer of the developing solution and effectively eliminating the development dust, so that it is not always a single plate-shaped member. Alternatively, the guide tube 14 may be divided into a plurality of sections, and when the guide tube 14 has a single inlet (suction port), it has a fan-shaped shape and is used to remove floating developer debris.
It may have a function of collecting to the entrance side.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, it is also preferable to dispose a submerged filter 15 in a section where the immersion guide plate 12 does not exist, so that the development waste mixed in the recovered developer can be used as the developer in the developer tank 2. The function to stop at the surface layer of.

As shown in FIG. 3, the developing solution containing the developer dust sucked through the inlet of the guide tube 14 is configured to be discharged from the side opposite to the inlet of the guide tube 14 so that the guide tube 14 is positively discharged. It is also preferred to create a stream of developer towards the inlet.

Incidentally, a mode in which the developing solution containing the developing debris sucked through the guide tube 14 is guided to a separately prepared filter mechanism, the developing debris is removed, and then the developing tank is returned to the developing tank. The present invention also includes a mode in which the pump 4 is introduced into the pipe.

In the second embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the inlet (suction port) of the guide tube 14 is provided not in the side surface of the developer tank 2 but in the liquid. It is preferable that the guide tube 14 has a plurality of inlets. With such a configuration, a flow of the developing solution that is stronger and faster than the flow of the developing solution due to a simple overflow is formed. It is possible to quickly aspirate and remove.

It is also preferable to provide a funnel-shaped guide member at the inlet of the guide tube 14.

The position where the inlet (suction port) of the guide tube 14 for sucking the developing solution is provided is preferably below the level of the developing solution and above the bottom of the tank. Specifically,
It is more preferable that the position of the upper part is 0 to 30%, and further the range is 5 to 20%.

It is preferable to remove the development debris when the processing operation is stopped because the liquid surface is not wavy, but it does not exclude a mode in which the development residue is activated.

Further, since the development debris may be brought into the processing solution in the subsequent steps from the development step and adversely affects the plate surface, the above mechanism for removing floating matters such as development debris is dyed, washed with water, It is also effective to arrange it in a process such as rinsing.

[0031]

According to the waterless PS plate processing apparatus of the present invention, the development waste such as silicone rubber mixed in the developer collected in the tank after the processing step or the processing solution in the subsequent step is efficiently removed. In addition, it does not reach the subsequent circulation path, has a simple structure, and has an advantage in terms of ease of maintenance.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing the entire waterless PS plate processing apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a main part.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing another embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing another embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing another embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing another embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Waterless PS version 2 developer tank 3 filters 4 pumps 5 shower nozzles 6 brush roller 7 Receiver 8 filter mechanism 9 outlet 10 stock solution tank 11 dilution water tank 20 tank entrance 22 Sub tank 23 Filter 24 outlet 25 valves

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[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] May 28, 1992

[Procedure Amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Name of item to be corrected] Brief description of the drawing

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing the entire waterless PS plate processing apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a main part.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing another embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing another embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols] 1 Waterless PS version 2 developer tank 3 filters 4 pumps 5 shower nozzles 6 brush roller 7 Receiver 8 filter mechanism 9 outlet 10 stock solution tank 11 dilution water tank 20 tank entrance 22 Sub tank 23 Filter 24 outlet 25 valves

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A device for automatically transporting and processing a waterless planographic plate after image exposure, wherein a pump suction port is provided in the upper half of the height from the bottom of the processing liquid tank to the liquid surface for processing. A processing apparatus for a waterless lithographic printing plate, comprising a mechanism for sucking the liquid and then removing a development residue mixed in the processing liquid by a suspended matter removing means. 2. The processing apparatus for a waterless lithographic printing plate as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processing liquid from which the development dust has been removed is returned to the circulation system again.