Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
  • G03F—PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR
  • G03F7/00—Photomechanical, e.g. photolithographic, production of textured or patterned surfaces, e.g. printing surfaces; Materials therefor, e.g. comprising photoresists; Apparatus specially adapted therefor
  • G03F7/16—Coating processes; Apparatus therefor
  • G03F7/18—Coating curved surfaces
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
  • G03F—PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR
  • G03F7/00—Photomechanical, e.g. photolithographic, production of textured or patterned surfaces, e.g. printing surfaces; Materials therefor, e.g. comprising photoresists; Apparatus specially adapted therefor
  • G03F7/20—Exposure; Apparatus therefor
  • G03F7/24—Curved surfaces

Definitions

• This invention concerns a method for manufacturing continuos design rollers, consisting of ⁇ cylindrical core with an outside covering of elastomeric material in which method the cylindrical core, which may have an adhesion promotion layer on its surface, is coated with a layer of liquid photopolymer material , which material is cured by UV-radiation in such a way, that after development and drying a relief image of the desired shape is left.
• liquid photopolymer material which has the property of being crosslinkable by expos ⁇ re to UV-radiation, whereupon the liquid State transforms into the solid State.
• Elasticity and hardness of the end product are related to the chemical composition and can vary from rubber-like to relatively hard.
• the product is then still soluble in cert ⁇ in solvente so ⁇ s chlorinated hydrocarbons or other organic solvents.
• liquid photopolymer substances were coated in the desired thickness onto horizontally rotating cylindrical cores.
• the thickness of the layer is controlled by means of a glass plate, on the surface of which a film is applied containing the negative pattern in UV-impermeable parts.
• the film is covered with a very thin, UV-radiation transmitting foil, on which the photopolymer substance does not adhere.
• Imagewise exposure of the photopolymer through the film is carried out during the coating process
• Said Application start a method in which a vertical cylindrical member is coated with liquid material by the use of an annular reservoir, being positioned around the cylinder and fitting to the outer surface of the cylinder in such a way that a thin liquid coating is left on the surface, when the reservoir is moved in a controlled way along the cylinder from top to bottom.
• an annular reservoir being positioned around the cylinder and fitting to the outer surface of the cylinder in such a way that a thin liquid coating is left on the surface, when the reservoir is moved in a controlled way along the cylinder from top to bottom.
• the cured photopolymeric covering in pattern form is applied to the outside of a cylindrical core in such a way that UV-curing of the liquid photopolymeric material is carried out in at least two steps, comprising a first step in which a homogeneous exposure with UV-radiation is carried out during the process of applying a homogeneous coating of liquid photopolymer in a known manner to the outer surface of a vertically positioned cylindrical core, the exposive being such that a partial curing, preventing flow of the photopolymer is achieved, and a second step in which a pattern-wise exposure to UV-radiation is carried out, using a film, which is the negative of the desired pattern, as a mask, after which the exposed layer is developed and dried in a known way.
• the first step of the UV-curing process is a homogeneous exposure to UV-light, due to which a viscosity increase of the photopolymer is realized which is such, that flow of the layer after application is prevented.
• the second step of the UV-curing process can be carried out either in a separate exposure machine or in the coating apparatus itself. In both cases a film having a pattern which is the negative of the desired pattern is wrapped around the coated cylinder after which exposure is carried out in a known way.
• a relative rotary movement between the cylindrical core and the UV-source during the first exposure step so as to ensure a perfectly homogeneous exposure of the total cylinder surface.
• the present invention is not restricted to the use of thick-walled printing cylinder cores as are usual in printing industries.
• Thin-walled, seamless cylinders can also be used, consisting for instance of nickel, which cylinders can be mounted in a known way on cylindrical rigid cores, by means of pneumatical processes.
• the present invention is also embodied in an apparatus for carrying out the aforedescribed method.
• This apparatus comprises means for mounting a cylindrical core with its central axis in a vertical position, an annular reservoir being positioned around the cylinder, fitting in a sealing way to the cylinder surface which reservoir can be moved along the cylinder in a controlled way.
• This known apparatus comprises for the purpose of the present invention an annular UV-radiation source which exposes an area directly above the reservoir while the vertical movement of the source is identical to that of the reservoir, a UV-shield between reservoir and source and means providing a relative rotary movement of the so ⁇ rce with respect to the cylinder.
• the drawing is a vertical cross-section of the present apparatus.
• the apparatus consists of a cylindrical core 1 with a vertical upright axis 2.
• Mo ⁇ nting means 3 and 4 of the core 1 are rotatably installed in bearings in frame part 5.
• annular reservoir is situated, said reservoir consisting of a wall 6 and a sealing ring 7, co-operating with the outer surface of core 1.
• an annular UV-so ⁇ rce 8 is moumed in fixed relationship to the reservoir and close to the reservoir.
• UV-impermeable shield 9 is situated between source 8 and reservoir 6, 7 .
• the reservoir 6, 7 with source 8 and shield 9 are supported on bearings 10 on Single spindles 11.
• the spindles are interconnected in the top by means of an
• the lower end 4 of the core 1 is, via mounting means, 14, connected with a gear box and the drive motor 16.
• the reservoir 6, 7 can be driven together with shield 9 with uniform speed along the outer surface of core 1.
• Motor 16 is suited to rotate core 1 slowly during the vertical movement of the reservoir.
• motor 16 so as to rotate core 1 slowly around its vertical axis, although this is not essential for the envisaged method.
• UV-radiation of source 8 can only radiate that part of coating, which is situated above shield 9, by which exposure the substance is th ⁇ s partially hardened so that no streaming will occur.
• the negative film is wrapped tightly around the coating, whereupon the second exposure is carried out.
• a uniform post-exposure step can be carried out to harden remaining quantities of not exposed photopolymer or insufficiently hardened photopolymer.
• every type of UV-curing mix whether or not mixed with additives may be chosen, e.g.
• photoinitiators or mixtures of different photoinitiators can be added in quantities of 0.05-10% by weight with respect to the weight of resin.

Landscapes

• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Application Of Or Painting With Fluid Materials (AREA)
• Photosensitive Polymer And Photoresist Processing (AREA)
• Exposure And Positioning Against Photoresist Photosensitive Materials (AREA)
• Treatment Of Fiber Materials (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=19834171

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (7)

Cited By (9)

Citations (12)

• 1979
  • 1979-11-14 NL NL7908327A patent/NL7908327A/nl not_active Application Discontinuation
• 1980
  • 1980-11-04 JP JP50246680A patent/JPS56501542A/ja active Pending
  • 1980-11-04 WO PCT/EP1980/000126 patent/WO1981001474A1/de unknown
  • 1980-11-04 EP EP80902115A patent/EP0047737A1/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 1980-11-11 IT IT25877/80A patent/IT1133787B/it active
• 1981
  • 1981-07-13 NO NO812396A patent/NO812396L/no unknown
  • 1981-07-13 DK DK311381A patent/DK311381A/da not_active Application Discontinuation

Patent Citations (12)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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