Device for providing exposure and bended printing formes

Abstract

The invention relates to a system for providing exposed and bent printing plates, comprising the following modules: at least one loading module (10) comprising a device (11) for storing and supplying unexposed printing plates (2); an exposure module (20) comprising means (21) for exposing the supplied printing plate (2); and a bending module (30) comprising means (31) for bending the exposed printing plate (2), characterized in that the bending module (30) and the loading module (10) or one of the loading modules (10) are combined to form a combined module (40), such that the means (31) for bending the exposed printing plate (2) is arranged on the means (11) for storing and supplying the unexposed printing plate (2). The invention advantageously implements a space-saving exposure machine system. The invention is preferably used in the field of graphics industry, in particular the so-called pre-press field (pre-press).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a system for providing an exposed and bent printing plate.

[0002] The present invention belongs to the technical field of the graphic industry, especially in the field of producing exposed printing plates (such as offset printing plates) and bending the exposed printing plates so as to fit and clamp them on a printing cylinder for printing. Background Art

[0003] EP0985528A1, DE202007011576U1, US6354208B1 and US8256348B1 disclose systems for exposing printing plates and further processing (especially bending) the exposed printing plates.

[0004] US7225737B2 discloses a method for automatically producing printing plates, in which the printing plates are exposed in an exposure machine and then bent. The bending is also carried out in the exposure machine, or a bending device provided therefor is arranged adjacent to the exposure machine.

[0005] EP3564036A1 discloses a method for exposing and automatically sorting printing plates.

[0006] Systems used industrially for exposing, bending and possibly further processing steps of printing plates with high productivity and quality require a large floor area due to their size. In existing printing production facilities, there may not be such a floor area, or it may cost a great deal to provide such a floor area. Therefore, saving floor area has advantages and can have a positive impact on the success of such systems in the market. Summary of the Invention

[0007] Therefore, the task of the present invention is to improve the prior art so that an exposure machine system can be realized in a space-saving manner, in particular.

[0008] According to the present invention, the task is solved by a system of preferred technical solutions.

[0009] Advantageous and thus preferred expansion solutions of the present invention are derived from the alternative technical solutions, the description and the drawings.

[0010] According to the present invention, there is provided a system for providing an exposed and bent printing plate, the system having the following modules: at least one loading module including means for storing and supplying unexposed printing plates; an exposure module including means for exposing the supplied printing plates; and a bending module including means for bending the exposed printing plates, characterized in that the bending module and the loading module or one of the loading modules are combined into a combined module, so that the means for bending the exposed printing plates is arranged on the means for storing and supplying unexposed printing plates.

[0011] Advantageous designs and effects of the present invention

[0012] The present invention realizes an exposure machine system in a space-saving and thus possibly more cost-effective manner. The present invention is preferably used in the field of the graphic industry (or the plate-making field), especially in the so-called prepress field (prepress).

[0013] The combined module provided and used according to the present invention can save the floor area of the production facility. Here, the loading module and the bending module of the combined module can be simply stacked and combined together; alternatively, the loading module and the bending module can also be integrated together and form a new unit.

[0014] The loading module of the combined module can receive the stored printing plates in a cassette, that is, be configured as a so-called "cassette loader (one cassette)" or "dual cassette loader" (two or more cassettes). Alternatively, the loading module can also receive the stored printing plates on a tray, that is, be configured as a so-called "tray loader".

[0015] The following individual modules have been known in the prepress stage (but are constructed in a space-saving manner and arranged in a row one after another as a so-called "production line (Straβe)": a loading module (English: loading module, loader), an imaging module (English: imaging module, exposure machine, CtP), a bending module (English: bending module), a stacking module (English: stacking module), and possibly a sorting module (English: sorting module). In addition, if unprocessed (prozesslos) printing plates are not processed, a developing module (English: developing module) in such a "production line" is also known. In contrast, the present invention is particularly applicable to the processing environment of unprocessed printing plates, because such printing plates do not require chemical development (that is, the developing module can be omitted), and thus the generated bending parts have less or no impact on subsequent steps.

[0016] Although the combination module includes a bending module, its bending device does not have to be started every time it is applied. Instead, computer technology can be used to decide whether a bending portion needs to be generated between different printing plates. For this purpose, for example, barcodes or the like on the printing plate can be detected and analyzed to determine whether bending is required. Alternatively, the necessary data can also be provided by prepress software for this purpose.

[0017] Before or after bending, the printing plate can be moved a certain predetermined distance parallel to the bending portion, so that the printing plates can be stacked together during subsequent storage. This makes it convenient to remove single or multiple printing plates of a combined printing job from the storage module.

[0018] The bending device can have a stop, and the printing plate to be processed can be sequentially conveyed to the stop. The printing plate leaning against the stop can be bent in a predetermined manner (preferably bent downward) with a bending tool, and the bending tool preferably acts from above. After the bending is completed, the printing plate can be output or transferred to a subsequent station. For this purpose, it is preferred to move the printing plate under, through, or past the bending device.

[0019] If a storage module is provided, the storage module is preferably configured to receive the bent printing plates, for example, in corresponding grooves or shafts of the storage module.

[0020] The printing plates to be processed are preferably offset printing plates. They are preferably used in sheet-fed printing presses, such as sporadic printing presses or packaging printing presses; alternatively, they can also be used in web printing presses, such as newspaper printing presses.

[0021] Expansion solutions of the present invention

[0022] The preferred expansion solutions (briefly: expansion solutions) of the present invention will be introduced below. They can also be combined with each other if it is not technically impossible.

[0023] A feature of an expansion solution can be that the unexposed printing plate is supplied from the loading module to the exposure module along the supply direction. A feature of an expansion solution can be that the exposed printing plate is output from the exposure module along the output direction. A feature of an expansion solution can be that the output direction is opposite to the supply direction. A feature of an expansion solution can be that the output direction is the same as the supply direction.

[0024] A feature of an expansion solution can be that the device for bending the exposed printing plate is arranged transversely to the output direction, so as to bend the front edge of the correspondingly output printing plate. A feature of an expansion solution can be that the bent printing plate is conveyed to a subsequent module, such as a storage module.

[0025] A feature of an extended solution may be that the loading module or one of the loading modules or the bending module includes a rotating device configured to rotate the exposed plate around an axis perpendicular to the plate plane (preferably a vertical axis). A feature of an extended solution may be that the device for bending the exposed plate is arranged parallel to the output direction so as to bend the front edge of the correspondingly output and rotated 90° plate.

[0026] A feature of an extended solution may be that the rotated 90° and bent plate is conveyed to a subsequent module, such as a storage module. A feature of an extended solution may be that the rotated 90° and bent plate is rotated back 90° and conveyed to a subsequent module, such as a storage module.

[0027] A feature of an extended solution may be that the loading module or one of the loading modules includes a separating device that separates the plate from the interleaving paper.

[0028] A feature of an extended solution may be that the device for storing and supplying unexposed plates is configured to store multiple plates, where the plates are stored in at least one cassette or tray. A feature of an extended solution may be that the device for storing and supplying unexposed plates can store multiple unprocessed plates and supply these plates individually.

[0029] A feature of an extended solution may be that the exposure module includes a die-cutting device configured to die-cut registration die-cut portions in the plate.

[0030] A feature of an extended solution may be that the system has at least one storage module that includes a device for storing the exposed and bent plates. A feature of an extended solution may be that the storage module includes an inserting device configured to insert strips between the stored plates. A feature of an extended solution may be that the system has a sorting module that can distribute the exposed and bent plates to multiple storage modules according to sorting rules.

[0031] A feature of an extended solution may be that the system includes the following modules in functional sequence: an exposure module, a combining module; or an exposure module, a combining module, a storage module; or an exposure module, a combining module, a sorting module, a storage module; or a loading module, an exposure module, a combining module, a storage module; or a loading module, an exposure module, a combining module, a sorting module, a storage module.

[0032] A feature of an extended solution may be that except for the mutually combined modules of the combining module, the other modules in the system are designed as independent modules, that is, these modules can be placed separately from each other (with or without a gap).

[0033] The features and combinations of features disclosed in the above technical field, invention content and expansion solutions sections, as well as in the following embodiments section, represent more advantageous expansion solutions of the present invention (which can be combined arbitrarily with each other). Description of the Drawings

[0034] Figures 1 to 3 Illustrate the preferred embodiments and expansion solutions of the present invention. Corresponding features in the figures have the same reference numerals. For clarity, some of the repeated reference numerals in the figures are omitted.

[0035] Figure 1 Illustrate a cross-sectional schematic view of a preferred embodiment of the system according to the present invention.

[0036] Figure 2 Illustrate a top view schematic view of a preferred embodiment of the system according to the present invention.

[0037] Figure 3 Illustrate a top view schematic view of another preferred embodiment of the system according to the present invention. Detailed Description of the Invention

[0038] Figure 1 Illustrate a system 1 for providing or producing an exposed and bent printing plate 2. Each printing plate 2 includes a front edge 2a at which a bent portion 2b is produced (for later mounting the printing plate 2 onto a printing plate cylinder). The stored printing plates 2 are separated from each other by interleaving paper 3 to prevent damage.

[0039] The system 1 includes at least one loading module 10 having means 11 for storing and supplying unexposed printing plates 2 and means 12 for separating and, if necessary, removing the interleaving paper 3. The means 11 can receive a tray 14 having printing plates 2. Alternatively, the printing plates 2 can be stored in one or more cartridges. Further alternatively, the means 11 can also be configured to receive not only trays but also cartridges.

[0040] The system 1 further includes an exposure module 20 (“exposure machine”), which has means 21 for exposing the printing plate 2 supplied from the loading module 10. The means 21 preferably includes a drum 22 for receiving the printing plate 2 to be exposed and for rotating the printing plate 2 in the rotation direction 22a during exposure. The means 21 further includes at least one exposure head 23, which preferably uses a laser to image the printing plate 2. Optionally, the means 21 further includes a die-cutting device 24, which provides a registration die-cut portion 2c for the printing plate 2. The printing plate 2 is supplied from the loading module 10 to the exposure module 20 in a supply direction 70 (e.g., from the right in the figure), and the exposure module 20 sends the printing plate 2 to a subsequent module (see below: bending module 30) in an output direction 71 (e.g., to the right in the figure); these two directions are preferably oriented opposite to each other. Here, the supply can be carried out from below on one side of the exposure module 20 and the output can be carried out above; the housing of the exposure module 20 can have appropriate openings for this purpose. The supply can also be carried out on one side of the exposure module 20 (e.g., from the left in Figure 1 the figure) and the output can be carried out on the opposite side (e.g., to the right in the figure). The supply can also be carried out manually (from the right in the figure).

[0041] The system 1 further includes a bending module 30, which has means 31 for bending the exposed printing plate 2, i.e., for generating a corresponding bending portion 2b. The means 31 can be oriented transversely to the output direction 71 of the exposure module 20; alternatively, the means 31 can be oriented longitudinally to the output direction 71 (dashed line indicates). In addition, the bending module 30 can further include a rotating device 32, which can rotate the exposed printing plate 2 around a vertical rotation axis 33. By means of the rotating device 32, the printing plate 2 can be rotated, for example, 90°, so that its front edge 2a can be oriented parallel to the corresponding orientation of the means 31. If the loading module 10 already has a rotating device 32 on its upper side, this rotating device can also be used.

[0042] It can be clearly seen in Figure 1 that the bending module 30 and the loading module 10 together form a combined module 40. In particular, the bending module 30 is arranged on the loading module 10, for example, mounted on the loading module 10 and especially fixed to this loading module. In this way, the two modules 10 and 30 only occupy a common and thus reduced floor area 61 (compared to the floor area of the system 1 in which the loading module 10 and the bending module 30 are arranged adjacent to each other without a combined module). In this way, the floor area 62 of the system 1 is also reduced. As a combined module 40, these two modules 10 and 30 can form a unit, for example, having a common frame and / or common feet.

[0043] In addition, the system 1 can also optionally include a subsequent module 50 or a plurality of subsequent modules 50, such as a sorting module 51 and / or a storage module 52, which storage module has means 53 for storing the exposed and bent printing plates 2. Here, the sorting module 51 is used to sort the printing plates 2 according to the printing job or the printing press involved. Here, the storage module 52 is used to receive / store the sorted printing plates 2 in order to convey them from there to the printing press. The storage module 52 can include an inserting device 54, which can, for example, place a strip of paper between the printing plates 2 of different printing jobs. In addition to just one storage module 52, it is preferably also possible to provide a plurality of storage modules 52; they can, for example, be arranged along the sorting module 51.

[0044] In addition, the system 1 can also optionally include other loading modules 10a. The other loading modules are preferably arranged on the opposite side of the exposure module 20 with respect to the loading module 10. The other loading modules 10a can also have means 11 for storing and supplying the printing plates 2 and means 12 for separating the interleaving paper 3. The other loading modules 10a can include one or more cassettes 13 for storing unexposed printing plates 2. Alternatively, the printing plates 2 can be stored on trays. Further alternatively, the means 11 can also be configured to receive not only trays but also cassettes.

[0045] It can also be clearly seen in Figure 1 that the printing plates 2 to be processed must be transferred between the modules of the system 1. For this purpose, the system 1 has transfer points or transfer means 60 (such as rollers or belts for preferably horizontally conveying the printing plates 2), at which corresponding transfers can be made between the modules and the subsequent modules. The horizontal dimension of the transfer points 60 is preferably small, so that the overall floor area 62 of the system 1 is as small as possible.

[0046] Figure 2 A top view of the same system 1 is shown, in which only the combined module 40 (composed of the loading module 10 and the bending module 30) and the exposure module 20 are shown. It can be seen that the exposed printing plates 2 are transferred from the exposure module 20 in the output direction 71 to the bending module 30 and, after bending, are output or transferred in the same direction 71 to the subsequent module 50. Here, the rotating device 32 is not used, that is to say, in this embodiment, the rotating device 32 can be dispensed with if necessary. Therefore, the bending part 2b is produced transversely to the output direction 71 at the front edge 2a of the printing plate 2.

[0047] Compared with Figure 2 Figure 3 ​System 1 is shown which performs a respective bending process using a rotating device 32. Similarly, the exposed printing plate 2 is transferred from the exposure module 20 in the output direction 71 to the bending module 30. However, here, the printing plate 2 is rotated by 90° by the rotating device 32, so that the front edge 2a of the printing plate 2 is oriented parallel to the device 31a for bending the printing plate 2. After bending, the printing plate 2 can be output or transferred to a subsequent module in the existing orientation; alternatively, the printing plate 2 can be rotated back by 90° and then output or transferred to a subsequent module (these two alternative scenarios are shown in a superimposed manner).

[0048] Comparison Figure 2 and Figure 3 It can be seen that in the shown system 1, the bending module is either parallel to the output direction 71 or transverse to the output direction 71. In order to convey the exposed and to-be-bent printing plate 2 through the bending module 30 or convey it in the bending module 30, corresponding conveying rollers or conveyor belts can be provided in the bending module 30, for example.

[0049] List of reference numerals:

[0050] 1 System

[0051] 2 One or more printing plates

[0052] 2a Front edge of the printing plate

[0053] 2b Bending

[0054] 2c Registration die-cutting part

[0055] 3 Interleaving paper

[0056] 10 Loading module

[0057] 10a Other loading module

[0058] 11 Device for storing and supplying printing plates

[0059] 12 Device for separating interleaving paper

[0060] 13 Box

[0061] 14 Tray

[0062] 20 Exposure module

[0063] 21 Device for exposing printing plates

[0064] 22 Cylinder

[0065] 22a Rotation direction

[0066] 23 Exposure head

[0067] 24 Die-cutting device

[0068] 30 Bending Module

[0069] 31 Device for bending a printing plate, in the transverse direction

[0070] 31a Device for bending a printing plate, alternatively in the longitudinal direction

[0071] 32 Rotating Device

[0072] 33 Vertical Axis of Rotation

[0073] 40 Combined Module

[0074] 50 One or More Subsequent Modules

[0075] 51 Sorting Module

[0076] 52 One or More Storage Modules

[0077] 53 Device for Storing Printing Plates

[0078] 54 Insertion Device

[0079] 60 One or More Transfer Points, One or More Transfer Devices

[0080] 61 Floor Area of the Combined Module

[0081] 62 Floor Area of the System

[0082] 70 Supply Direction

[0083] 71 Output Direction.

Claims

1. A system for providing exposed and bent printing plates, the system comprising the following modules: at least one loading module (10), the loading module comprising a device (11) for storing and supplying unexposed printing plates (2); an exposure module (20), the exposure module comprising a device (21) for exposing the supplied printing plates (2); and a bending module (30), the bending module comprising a device (31) for bending the exposed printing plates (2), characterized in that The bending module (30) and the loading module (10) or one of the loading modules (10) are combined into a combined module (40), so that the device (31) for bending the exposed printing plate (2) is arranged on the device (11) for storing and supplying unexposed printing plates (2).

2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that Unexposed printing plates (2) are fed from the loading module (10) to the exposure module (20) along a feed direction (70).

3. The system according to claim 2, characterized in that The exposed printing plate (2) is output from the exposure module (20) along an output direction (71).

4. The system according to claim 3, characterized in that The discharge direction (71) is oriented opposite to the supply direction (70).

5. System according to any one of the preceding claims 3 or 4, characterized in that The device (31) for bending the exposed printing plate (2) is arranged transversely to the output direction (71), so that the front edge (2a) of the correspondingly output printing plate (2) is bent.

6. System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The loading module (10) or one of the loading modules (10) or the bending module (30) comprises a rotating device (32) which is designed as a device (32) for rotating the exposed printing plate (2) around an axis (33) perpendicular to the printing plate plane.

7. System according to any one of the preceding claims 3 to 6, characterized in that The device (31) for bending the exposed printing plate (2) is arranged parallel to the output direction (71), so that the front edge (2a) of the printing plate (2) outputted and rotated by 90° is bent accordingly.

8. The system according to claim 7, characterized in that The printing plate (2) rotated by 90° and bent is transported to a subsequent module (50).

9. The system according to claim 7, characterized in that The printing plate (2) rotated by 90° and bent is rotated back by 90° and transported to a subsequent module (50).

10. System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The device (11) for storing and supplying unexposed printing plates (2) stores a plurality of unprocessed printing plates (2) and supplies them individually.

11. System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The system (1) has at least one storage module (52) which includes a device (53) for storing exposed and bent printing plates (2).

12. System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The system (1) comprises a sorting module (52) which distributes exposed and bent printing plates (2) to a plurality of storage modules (52) according to a sorting specification.

13. System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The system (1) comprises the following modules in functional order: An exposure module (20), a combination module (40); or An exposure module (20), a combination module (40), a storage module (52); or An exposure module (20), a combination module (40), a sorting module (51), and a storage module (52); or A loading module (10), an exposure module (20), a combination module (40), a storage module (52); or A loading module (10), an exposure module (20), a combination module (40), a sorting module (51), Storage module (52).

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