JPH1083082A - Automatic developing machine for ps plate - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the consumption of a gum solution and to miniaturize a developing machine, by providing a coating roller which comes into contact with the upper roller of carrying rollers, so as to be rotated and capable of storing the gum solution in the contact part with the upper roller and a gum solution supplying means for supplying the gum solution to the contact part. SOLUTION: A gum processing part 6 is provided with a pair of carrying rollers for holding/pressing/feeding a PS plate 10, the coating roller 65 which comes into contact with the upper roller 64 of the carrying rollers, to be rotated and capable of storing the gum solution in the contact part with the upper roller 64 and the gum solution supplying means for supplying the gum solution to the contact part. In the gum processing part 6, the gum solution supplied from the gum solution supplying means and stored in the contact part of the upper roller 64 of the pair of upper and lower carrying rollers with the coating roller 65 is stuck to the surface of the upper roller 64, to be carried to the feeding side of the PS plate 10 and supplied to the plate surface. Therefore, as the carrying rollers, only a group is used, length in the carrying direction of the plate can be shortened to miniaturize the developing machine and the gum solution is efficiently used for the plate surface, to reduce the consumption of the gum solution.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a PS plate automatic developing machine having a developing section, a rinsing section, a gum processing section and a drying section in order from a PS plate inserting section.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional PS plate automatic developing machine as described above, a gum processing section has a pair of upper and lower transports which respectively define processing areas provided on an entrance side and an exit side, similarly to a rinsing processing section for a gum solution. Since the jet is ejected from the shower nozzle to adhere to the plate fed between the rollers, a large amount of gum solution is consumed, the length of the plate in the feed direction is required, and miniaturization of the developing machine is prevented. Further, when a gum-treated plate insertion guide means for performing only gum treatment on a lithographic printing plate or the like having a reduced gum treatment effect is provided upstream of the gum processing unit,
If provided between the rinsing unit and the gum processing unit, the distance between them must be greatly increased, which results in an increase in the size of the developing machine. In order to avoid such a situation, the inclined gum-treated plate insertion guide means must be provided between the developing section and the rinsing section which are relatively spaced to prevent the passage of the processing solution (see FIG. 1 shows an example of this.) However, there has been a problem that the gum-treated plate requiring only gum treatment is passed through the rinsing section, and the power, the treatment liquid, and the equipment are increased.

Further, in a developing machine in which the distance between the gum processing section and the drying section is shortened in order to reduce the size, high-temperature air from the drying section hits the conveying roller on the outlet side of the gum processing section, and the gum solution which wets the conveying roller is removed. The water evaporates and the solute of the gum solution condenses and solidifies, causing unevenness in the adhesion of the solute to the plate, increasing the rotational resistance of the transport rollers to increase power consumption, and making the transport of the plate unsmooth. There was also a problem that it was easy to do.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problem, and has a gum processing section which can reduce the consumption of gum solution and can achieve a reduction in the size of a developing machine. The first object of the present invention is to provide a PS plate automatic developing machine, and furthermore, a means for inserting a gum-treated plate requiring only gum processing is provided between the rinsing section and the gum processing section to increase the size of the developing machine. The second object of the present invention is to provide a PS plate automatic developing machine that can reduce power consumption and equipment consumption by avoiding the need to perform the above operation, and to prevent the hot air in the drying section from hitting the conveying rollers in the gum processing section as much as possible. A third object of the present invention is to provide a PS plate automatic developing machine capable of shortening the distance between the gum processing section and the drying section and reducing the size.

[0005]

According to the present invention, there is provided an automatic PS plate developing machine having a developing section, a rinsing section, a gum processing section and a drying section in order from the PS plate inserting section. (1) a pair of upper and lower transport rollers, which the gum processing section nips and feeds the PS plate, and an application roller which is rotated while being in contact with the upper roller of the transport roller and which can accumulate a gum solution at a contact portion with the upper roller. And a gum solution supplying means for supplying a gum solution to the contact portion, and furthermore, in a more specific embodiment thereof, the application roller is in contact with a PS plate feeding side from a vertex of the upper roller. 4. A structure in which a spiral groove, a circumferential groove at an equal pitch, or an elliptical circumferential groove is formed on the surface along an intersecting line with a surface obliquely intersecting with the center line of the application roller. ,
The first object is achieved by a configuration in which the gum solution supply means uses a guide means for guiding and flowing down the gum solution.

That is, in the gum processing section having the above structure, the gum solution supplied from the gum solution supply means and accumulated at the contact portion between the upper roller and the application roller of the pair of upper and lower transport rollers adheres to the surface of the upper roller, and the PS plate Is fed to the plate surface, and supplied to the plate surface.Therefore, a set of transfer rollers is sufficient, the length of the plate in the transfer direction can be shortened, the developing machine can be reduced in size, and the gum solution is efficiently used on the plate surface and the gum solution is used. Consumption can be saved.

In the above structure, the feeding guide means for feeding the gum-treated plate to the gum processing section for performing only the gum processing above the PS plate passage between the rinsing section and the gum processing section is provided. By adding the provided configuration,
The second object is also achieved.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a shutter member for opening and closing the passage of the plate between the gum processing section and the drying section based on information detected by a sensor for detecting the plate to be gummed. With the configuration in which the shutter member is opened and also serves as a guide for the plate sent to the drying unit, the high-temperature air from the drying unit hits the conveying roller of the gum processing unit only when the conveying roller is conveying the plate. Therefore, even if the distance between the gum processing section and the drying section is shortened and the developing machine is downsized, the condensation and solidification of the gum solution solute adhering to the transport rollers of the gum processing section can be prevented.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view showing an example of a PS plate automatic developing machine of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a partial view showing another example of a PS plate automatic developing machine of the present invention, and FIGS. FIG. 3 is a front view of an application roller used in the example of FIG. 2.

In the PS plate automatic developing machine shown in FIG. 1, a PS plate 10 subjected to image exposure is inserted from an insertion table 1 and detected by a plate detecting means 2. The operation of the developing machine is started based on the detected information, and the inserted PS plate 10 is sent to the developing section 4 by the pair of feed rollers 3, developed by the developing solution in the developing section 4, and then to the rinsing section 5. It is sent and rinsed with a rinsing liquid, and then sent to a gum processing section 6 to be provided with a gum liquid, and then a drying section 7
After being sent to the drying unit 7 and dried, it is sent out from the drying unit 7 as a lithographic printing plate.

The PS plate 10 is made of paper, plastic sheet,
A metal sheet, a composite sheet obtained by laminating a metal on a plastic or a plastic sheet on paper, preferably an aluminum or aluminum alloy sheet provided with an anodized film on both sides by roughening one side as a support,
A photosensitive diazo compound, azide compound, a compound having an ethylenically unsaturated double bond, a compound having an ethylenically unsaturated double bond, an epoxy compound causing polymerization by an acid catalyst, and decomposition with an acid on the one surface side of the support, which is changed to a curing type or a soluble type by exposure. A negative or positive PS plate may be formed in which a layer such as a combination of a silyl ether polymer or a compound having a C—O—C— group and a photoacid generator is formed.

The image exposure of the PS plate 10 is performed by using a carbon arc lamp, a mercury lamp, a metal halide lamp, a xenon lamp,
This is carried out by actinic light-rich light that gives a line image or a halftone image from a light source such as a chemical lamp, a tungsten lamp, or a laser.

The developing solution in the developing section 4 includes [SiO ₂ ]
/ [M] (wherein [SiO ₂ ] represents the molar concentration of SiO ₂ and [M] represents the molar concentration of the alkali metal) is from 0.35 to 1.0, preferably from 0.4 to 1.0. in the range of 0.9, the content is 0.5 to 5 wt% of SiO _2, the concentration of alkali metal silicate in the range of from 0.1 to 10% by weight and preferably from 1 to 3 wt% Alkaline aqueous solution, if necessary, sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, sodium phosphate tribasic, sodium phosphate dibasic, sodium carbonate, an alkali aqueous solution dissolved by adding another alkali agent such as potassium carbonate, An alkaline aqueous solution having a pH (25 ° C., the same applies hereinafter) of 12 or more and 13.5 or less is used.

As a replenisher replenished to the developing solution in order to recover the deterioration of the developing ability, that is, the deterioration or the fatigue due to the use of the developing solution, etc., [SiO ₂ ] / [M] is 0.2 to 0.1%.
8, preferably in the range of 0.3 to 0.7,
₂ is 0.5 to 5% by weight, preferably 1 to 4% by weight of alkali metal silicate having a concentration higher than the concentration in the developing solution, and optionally potassium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide , Lithium hydroxide, sodium phosphate tribasic, sodium phosphate dibasic, potassium phosphate tribasic, potassium phosphate dibasic, ammonium phosphate tribasic,
Dibasic ammonium phosphate, sodium metasilicate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium carbonate, potassium carbonate, inorganic alkali agents such as ammonium carbonate and mono-, di- or triethanolamine, tetraalkyl ammonium hydroxide,
0.05% of organic alkali agent such as organic ammonium silicate
An aqueous alkali solution added and dissolved in a range of from about 20% by weight to about 20% by weight, the pH of which is higher than the pH of the developer,
An alkaline aqueous solution higher than H by 0.5 or more is used.

The above-mentioned developing solution and replenishing solution may contain various surfactants and organic solvents in an amount of 0.01 to 10 for the purpose of accelerating or suppressing the developing property, dispersing the developing scum or enhancing the ink-affinity if necessary. The replenisher can be added in the range of 10% by weight. However, when an alkaline aqueous solution having a pH or a concentration of alkali metal silicate higher than that of the developer is used for the replenisher, the pH or the replenisher is often replenished to the developer. Dilution water is also supplied so as to bring the concentration closer to that of the developing solution. Therefore, a surfactant or an organic solvent may be added to the dilution water. In addition, additives such as an antifoaming agent and a water softener may be added to the developer and the replenisher.

The rinsing liquid in the rinsing section 5 is water containing water or a surfactant, and the gum liquid in the gum processing section 6 is a liquid containing gum arabic or a starch derivative.

The above-mentioned processing solutions and the like are described in, for example, JP-A-6-236
041, JP-A-6-35174, and JP-A-5-818
No. 42, JP-A-3-59666, JP-A-62-288.
No. 845 and JP-A-61-162049, which are the same as those used in PS plate developing machines.

When the developing machine is started, the above-described replenisher and dilution water are supplied to the development processing section 4 from the replenisher tank 41 and the dilution water tank 42 at an appropriate ratio, respectively. The liquid is stored in the developing tank 40 so as to maintain a predetermined level, and is prepared by being heated to a predetermined temperature by the heater 43. The gum solution tank 6 of the gum processing section 6
The gum liquid is also supplied from a gum liquid supply means (not shown) and stored at a predetermined level.

When the operation of the developing machine is started as described above, the developing solution is circulated through the developing solution circulation path which returns to the developing tank 40 through the filter 44 and the pump 45 from the entrance opened at the bottom of the developing tank 40. PS version 10 inserted
Is transported through the developing solution by the transport roller 46, and is rubbed and developed by the rotating brush 47. Developed PS
The plate 10 is sent out from the developing unit 4 and sent to the rinsing unit 5 by a pair of squeezing rollers 49 that prevent the developer from passing along with the PS plate 10.

In the rinsing section 5, the PS plate 10 is fed from a rinsing liquid supply means (not shown) to a portion of the rinsing tank 50 which is fed between a pair of conveying rollers 53 and 54 on the entrance side and the exit side. At 52, the rinsing liquid as described above is poured, and the developing solution adhering to the PS plate 10, the photosensitive resin dissolved in the developing solution, and the like are washed away.

The PS plate 10 washed in the rinsing section 5 is
The gum solution which is fed into the gum processing unit 6 and is dropped on the inclined plate 63 by the supply pipe 62 through the pump 61 from the entrance opened at the bottom of the gum solution tank 60 in the gum processing unit 6, An upper roller 64 of a pair of upper and lower conveying rollers which flows down on the PS plate 63 and nips the PS plate 10 for feeding, and is accumulated at a contact portion of an application roller 65 which rotates while being in contact with the upper roller 64, and the accumulated gum liquid is collected at the upper portion. It adheres to the surface of the roller 64, is conveyed to the feeding side of the PS plate 10, and is applied to the plate surface of the PS plate 10 sent by the conveying roller to be gummed.

That is, since the gum solution is mainly applied to the plate surface side of the PS plate, consumption is reduced. In addition, if the gum processing unit 6 has a pair of upper and lower transport rollers serving also as a gum liquid application roller at the outlet side, the entrance side does not require a pair of upper and lower transport rollers, so the PS plate transport direction of the gum processing unit 6 is not necessary. The length can be shortened to reduce the size of the developing machine.

However, using the space that can be shortened as described above, a gum-treated plate, such as a lithographic printing plate having a reduced gum treatment effect as a result of use, is subjected to gum treatment only, as in the developing machine in the illustrated example. The gum-treated plate insertion guide means 56 comprising an insertion port for inserting into the section 6 and a guide inclined plate can be provided above the upstream PS plate path of the pair of upper and lower transport rollers of the gum processing section 6. At the insertion opening of the insertion guide means 56, plate detection means 57 for detecting the plate to be gummed is provided. According to this developing machine, since the gum-treated plate is directly sent to the gum processing section 6 without being wetted by the rinsing liquid and is supplied with the gum liquid, the consumption of electric power, gum liquid or further rinsing liquid is reduced. .

It is preferable that the inclination angle of the guide inclined plate of the insertion guide means 56 be in the range of 20 to 50 °. If this angle is less than 20 °, the insertion guide means 5
6 requires a large space between the rinsing section 5 and the gum processing section 6, which results in an increase in the size of the apparatus. To the gum processing unit 6.

The PS plate 10 or the like to which the gum solution has been applied is sent out from the gum processing section 6 to the drying section 7, and before that, the shutter member whose outlet of the gum processing section 6 was closed as shown by the dotted line. Reference numeral 66 denotes a drying unit which rotates the PS plate 10 and the like which are sent out by being rotated to the open position indicated by the solid line under the control of the control unit based on the detection information of the plate detection unit 2 or 57.
To guide. Then, when the PS plate 10 or the like has passed, the shutter member 66 is returned to the original dotted line state under the control of the control means. Accordingly, even if the developing device is downsized by shortening the distance between the gum processing section 6 and the drying section 7, the gum liquid that wets the transport roller by the hot air from the drying section 7 hitting the transport roller of the gum processing section 6 for a long time. Is prevented from condensing and solidifying.

The shutter member 66 shown in FIG. 1 is not limited to the above-described example, but is pressed by the plate fed by the conveying roller of the gum processing unit 6 to open the outlet and guide the plate to the drying unit 7. When the plate passes, the outlet of the gum processing section 6 may return to a closed state as shown by a dotted line by urging. Further, the shutter member 66 is in the closed state,
A packing member for improving the sealing with the gum processing section 6 is provided so that air from the
Is preferably provided on a surface corresponding to the wall surface. But,
The packing member may be provided on the wall surface side of the gum processing section 6.

The PS plate 10 and the like sent to the drying unit 7 are:
A pair of upper and lower air nozzles 71 on the conveying path of the drying unit 7 blows warm air to the upper and lower surfaces, and is sent by a pair of conveying rollers 72. A pair of air nozzles 73 further blows warm air to the upper and lower surfaces to form a pair of air nozzles. The sheet is discharged out of the apparatus by the transport roller 74 and used as a lithographic printing plate.

In the developing machine shown in FIG. 2, the application roller 65 is in contact with the feed roller such as the PS plate 10 from the apex of the upper roller 64. Therefore, if the surface of the application roller 65 is smooth, the application roller 65 Since it is difficult for the accumulated gum liquid to pass through the contact portion with the rotation of the upper roller 64, the spiral groove 651 as shown in FIG. 652 or the point that an elliptical circumferential groove is formed along the intersection line with the surface that intersects with the center line of the application roller 65 at an angle so that the gum solution can easily pass through the contact portion. It is pulled by a coil spring 68 hung between the electromagnets 67 and occupies the position shown by the dotted line closing the outlet of the gum processing section 6, and is attracted by the activated electromagnet 68 and shown by the solid line. Point is configured to occupy the open position is only different from the developing units Fig. Therefore, the same effects as those of the developing machine of FIG. 1 can be obtained in the developing machine of FIG.

The spiral groove 651 of the coating roller 65 shown in FIG. 2 preferably has a depth of 0.1 to 2 mm, a width of 1 to 2 mm, and a pitch of 5 to 20 mm. If the groove cross section is larger than the above range, too much gum solution is brought into the plate surface and it is difficult to accumulate the solution. Conversely, if the groove cross section is smaller than the above range, a sufficient amount of gum solution cannot be supplied to the plate surface. Further, it is preferable that the elliptical circumferential groove is provided with a spread width of the groove position in the roller axis direction at an equal interval in order to reduce the unevenness in the amount of gum solution supplied in the roller axis direction. In terms of the number of times of crossing, the value of 1/2 of the equidistant pitch of the elliptical circumferential groove is the spiral groove 651.
By applying the above-described size conditions for the spiral groove 651 assuming that the pitch corresponds to the pitch of the above, substantially the same effect as in the spiral groove 651 can be obtained. On the other hand, in the case of the circumferential groove 652, the maximum value of the depth and width of the groove is not more than の of the spiral groove 651, and the gap between the equally-spaced pitch grooves is about the groove width. This is preferable for supplying an appropriate amount of gum solution uniformly to the plate surface in the axial direction. Also, the shutter member 66 in the example of FIG.
Needless to say, it is preferable to provide a packing member in the same manner as described in the above example.

[0031]

As described in detail above, according to the present invention,
Gum solution consumption can be reduced, and P
The size of the S-plate automatic developing machine can be reduced. In addition, since the insertion guide means of the gum processing plate that performs only the gum processing using the space that can be shortened in the gum processing section can be provided at the upper portion on the entrance side of the gum processing section, the gum processing of the gum processing plate is economical. Can be obtained without increasing the size of the PS plate automatic developing machine that can be carried out. Also, even if the size of the PS plate automatic developing machine is reduced by shortening the distance between the gum processing section and the drying section, the solute of the gum solution that wets the conveying roller when hot air hits the conveying roller of the gum processing section from the drying section. The occurrence of troubles of condensation and solidification can be prevented.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view showing an example of a PS plate automatic developing machine of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial view showing another example of the PS plate automatic developing machine of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a front view of an application roller used in the example of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a front view of an application roller used in the example of FIG. 2;

[Explanation of symbols]

 2, 57 plate detecting means 10 PS plate 4 developing processing part 40 developing tank 5 rinsing processing part 56 gummed plate insertion guide means 6 gum processing part 62 supply pipe 63 inclined plate 64 upper roller of conveying roller 65 coating roller 651 spiral groove 652 circumferential groove 66 shutter member 7 drying section

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. In a PS plate automatic developing machine having a developing section, a rinsing section, a gum processing section and a drying section in order from a PS plate inserting section, a pair of upper and lower conveyances in which the gum processing section nips and sends the PS plate. A roller, an application roller that is rotated in contact with an upper roller of the transport roller and is capable of collecting a gum solution in a contact portion with the upper roller, and a gum solution supply unit that supplies the gum solution to the contact portion. PS automatic developing machine characterized by the following. 2. The application roller is in contact with the feeding side of the PS plate from the apex of the upper roller, and intersects the surface with a spiral groove, a circumferential groove having an equal pitch, or a center line of the application roller at an angle. 2. The PS plate automatic developing machine according to claim 1, wherein an elliptical circumferential groove is formed along an intersecting line with the surface. 3. The PS plate automatic developing machine according to claim 1, wherein said gum solution supply means uses a guide means for guiding and flowing down the gum solution. 4. A PS between the rinsing section and the gum processing section.
The PS according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein guide means for feeding the gum-treated plate, which performs only gum treatment, to the gum processing section is provided above the plate passage.
Plate automatic developing machine. 5. In a PS plate automatic developing machine having a developing section, a rinsing section, a gum processing section and a drying section in order from the PS plate inserting section, a plate to be gum-processed is placed between the gum processing section and the drying section. A PS plate automatic developing machine having a shutter member for opening and closing the passage of the plate based on detection information of a sensor to be detected, and also serving as a guide for the plate sent to the drying section when the shutter member is opened. .