Abstract:
A technology capable of easily adjusting an illuminance distribution pattern in the irradiation region in the lengthwise direction to a target illuminance distribution pattern with high accuracy when optical processing is performed on a substrate by forming a strip-shaped irradiation region with a plurality of light-emitting blocks is provided. An illuminance distribution response amount as the change amount of the illuminance distribution pattern, associating the position in the irradiation region in the lengthwise direction with the change amount of the illuminance with respect to the change in the drive current, has previously been acquired and stored in a storage unit for each light-emitting block (42). There is provided an arithmetic processing unit that determines (estimates) a current command value of each of the light-emitting blocks based on a present current command value of each of the light-emitting blocks (42) and the change amount of the illuminance distribution pattern of each light-emitting block in order to bring a present illuminance distribution pattern in the irradiation region in a lengthwise direction close to a target illuminance distribution pattern.
Abstract:
A method of tailoring the shape of a plurality of relief printing dots created in a photosensitive printing blank during a platemaking process is provided. The photocurable layer is exposed to actinic radiation using an array of UV LED light assemblies and the use of the array of UV LED light assemblies produces relief printing dots having at least one geometric characteristic selected from the group consisting of a desired planarity of a top surface of the relief printing dots, a desired shoulder angle of the relief printing dots and a desired edge sharpness of the relief printing dots.
Abstract:
A method of making a relief image printing element from a photosensitive printing blank is provided. A photosensitive printing blank with a laser ablatable layer disposed on at least one photocurable layer is ablated with a laser to create an in situ mask. The printing blank is then exposed to at least one source of actinic radiation through the in situ mask to selectively cross link and cure portions of the photocurable layer. Diffusion of air into the at least one photocurable layer is limited during the exposing step and preferably at least one of the type, power and incident angle of illumination of the at least one source of actinic radiation is altered during the exposure step. The resulting relief image comprises a plurality of dots and a dot shape of the plurality of dots that provide optimal print performance on various substrates, including corrugated board.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for the photopolymerization and the washing in series of digital printing plates for flexography. The method according to the present invention is characterized in that it implements in series the exposure and washing steps of the printing plate, which is continuously moved. The present invention further concerns an apparatus adapted to implementing said method.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to a device for emitting ultraviolet light configured such as to expose a photopolymer plate (3), in particular for flexographic printing, including a main row (7) of lamps (6) in the form of equidistant ultraviolet light tubes, separated from one another by a space. The invention comprises an additional source (8) of ultraviolet light located outside of the plane of said main row (7) of lamps (6), said additional source (8) of ultraviolet light being configured such as to send beams (10, 11) of ultraviolet light through said spaces (9) between the lamps (6) of said main row (7). The present invention also relates to an exposure facility (1) including a device according to the invention, as well as to a method for exposing a photopolymer plate (3) using a device according to the invention.
Abstract:
A method for adhering substrates using gray-scale photolithography includes: (a) applying a photopatternable corn-position to a surface of a substrate to form a film; (b) exposing a portion of the film to radiation having a wavelength of from 150 to 800 nm through a gray-scale photomask to produce an exposed film having non-exposed regions covering at least a portion of the surface; (c) heating the exposed film for an amount of time such that the exposed regions are substantially insoluble in a developing solvent and the nonexposed regions are soluble in the developing solvent; (d) removing the non-exposed regions of the heated film with the developing solvent to form a patterned film; (e) heating the patterned film for an amount of time sufficient to form a cured patterned film having a surface; (f) activating the surface of the cured patterned film and a surface of an adherend; (g) contacting the activated surface of the cured patterned film with the activated surface of the adherend. The photopatternable composition includes: (A) an organopolysiloxane containing an average of at least two silicon-bonded unsaturated organic groups per molecule, (B) an organosilicon compound containing an average of at least two silicon-bonded hydrogen atoms per molecule in a concentration sufficient to cure the composition, and (C) a catalytic amount of a photoactivated hydrosilylation catalyst.