Exposure device for flexographic plate production

Abstract

The invention discloses an exposure device for flexographic plate production, and relates to the technical field of printing equipment, the exposure device comprises a first transverse plate, one end of the first transverse plate is fixedly provided with a third transverse plate, the top of the third transverse plate is correspondingly provided with a fourth transverse plate, the side surfaces of the third transverse plate and the fourth transverse plate are jointly provided with a spreading assembly, and the spreading assembly comprises a reference frame and a limiting frame; a scraping plate is slidably mounted in the limiting frame, the bottom face of the scraping plate is flush with the bottom face of the limiting frame, a plurality of cutting strips are arranged at the bottom of the scraping plate at equal intervals in the horizontal direction, the limiting frame is stacked on the top of the reference frame, traditional foam adhesive tape for positioning the transparent film is replaced with the reference frame, and accurate alignment of the transparent film and a resin coating area is achieved. The scraping plate in the limiting frame is matched with the reference frame, liquid resin is synchronously and evenly scraped, it is guaranteed that the thickness of a resin layer is uniform, in the scraping plate scraping process, the bottom cutting strip synchronously punctures and destroys bubbles on the surface of the resin and on the shallow layer, printing plate embossment defects caused by bubble residues are avoided, and the plate making precision and the finished product yield are guaranteed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of printing equipment technology, specifically to an exposure device for flexographic plate production. Background Technology

[0002] Flexographic printing, as one of the four major global printing methods, is hailed as a "green printing technology" due to its core advantages such as strong environmental friendliness, wide printing range, and adaptability to high-speed automated production. It is currently widely used in food packaging, labeling, corrugated boxes, flexible packaging, and other printing fields, especially dominating the packaging printing market, with its industry application scale continuing to expand. Flexographic plate making is a core link that determines the quality, production efficiency, and production cost of flexographic printing. The current mainstream process mainly uses photosensitive resin plates, which are divided into two main categories: solid photosensitive resin plate making and liquid photosensitive resin plate making. Liquid photosensitive resin plates are widely used in small-batch plate making and general-purpose flexographic plate production due to their controllable cost, flexible plate making process, and adaptability to different plate thicknesses. The traditional liquid photosensitive resin flexographic plate making process includes key steps such as resin coating and leveling, exposure and curing, development and rinsing, drying and curing. Its core principle is to use ultraviolet light to selectively irradiate the liquid photosensitive resin, causing the resin in the light-received area to undergo photopolymerization and cross-linking reaction to solidify and form a shape. The resin in the non-light-received area is removed through subsequent processing, ultimately forming an embossed printing plate with raised text and recessed blank areas.

[0003] Currently, traditional liquid resin adhesive leveling processes mostly involve manual scraping. In actual production, workers first prepare the film negative and place it on the exposure device. Then, a transparent film is covered on the film, and the edges are secured with foam tape. Finally, liquid resin adhesive is poured on and leveled. During the leveling process, workers need to use a scraper to smooth the liquid resin adhesive. However, manual operation or simple equipment for leveling lacks reference, easily leading to problems such as uneven thickness, surface ripples, residual bubbles, and edge accumulation. This results in inconsistent relief depth on the printing plate after subsequent exposure, reducing the quality and pass rate of the finished product. In addition, existing exposure equipment uses compression adsorption to recover the liquid resin adhesive on the transparent film after the flexographic plate is made. Because the film is prone to wrinkles, some liquid resin adhesive remains on the film after recovery, which is not thorough and leads to waste of raw materials.

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to invent an exposure device for flexographic plate production to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Technical problems to be solved

[0006] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides an exposure device for flexographic plate production, solving the problem of uneven resin spreading by manual labor or simple equipment.

[0007] Technical solution

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention is implemented through the following technical solution: an exposure device for flexographic plate production, comprising a first horizontal plate, a third horizontal plate disposed at one end of the first horizontal plate, a fourth horizontal plate disposed at the top of the third horizontal plate, and a material spreading assembly disposed on the sides of the third horizontal plate and the fourth horizontal plate.

[0009] The material spreading assembly includes a reference frame and a limiting frame disposed on one side of the third and fourth horizontal plates;

[0010] A scraper is slidably provided inside the limiting frame, and the bottom surface of the scraper is flush with the bottom surface of the limiting frame;

[0011] The bottom of the scraper is provided with cutting strips at equal intervals along the horizontal direction of the scraper;

[0012] The limiting frame is positioned on top of the reference frame and has the same dimensions as the reference frame. By replacing the foam tape originally used for positioning the transparent film with the reference frame, the positioning method of foam tape, which is prone to displacement and has low precision, is eliminated. This achieves precise positioning of the transparent film and the resin coating area. The scraper inside the limiting frame works in conjunction with the reference frame to simultaneously level the liquid resin, ensuring a consistent resin layer thickness. At the same time, during the process of leveling the liquid resin with the scraper, a cutting strip is used to puncture and destroy any air bubbles remaining on the surface and in the shallow layer of the liquid resin in real time, quickly eliminating the potential danger of air bubbles and avoiding printing plate embossing problems caused by air bubble residue. This improves the leveling quality of the liquid resin, increases the precision of plate making, and enhances the pass rate of the finished product.

[0013] Furthermore, a storage box is provided at the middle of one end of the limiting frame, a discharge port is provided on the lower side of one side of the storage box, a second limiting block is symmetrically provided on one side of the bottom of the storage box, and a baffle is provided on one side of the inside of the storage box.

[0014] Furthermore, the top of the scraper is symmetrically provided with second limiting rods, the two second limiting rods are movably passed through the fifth horizontal plate, the top ends of the two second limiting rods are fixedly connected with pressure blocks, and the outer peripheral surfaces of the two second limiting rods are sleeved with compression springs at both ends that abut against the pressure blocks and the second limiting rods respectively. The two ends of the fifth horizontal plate are symmetrically provided with pulleys.

[0015] Furthermore, a second pad is fixedly connected to the bottom of both ends of the fourth horizontal plate, and the bottom of the second pad is connected to the top of both ends of the third horizontal plate. A third electric slide rail is symmetrically arranged on both sides of the fourth horizontal plate, and a third electric slider is slidably arranged on the two third electric slide rails. A storage box is fixedly connected to the outer side of the two third electric sliders. A cavity is opened inside the storage box, and a first limiting hole is symmetrically opened on the lower side of one side of the storage box. The first limiting hole is inserted into the second limiting block.

[0016] Furthermore, a first micro motor is fixedly installed at the bottom of the storage box. The input end of the first micro motor is connected to the inner cavity of the storage box through a pipe. The output end of the first micro motor is fixedly connected to a liquid outlet. A controller is provided on the upper side of one side of the storage box. A storage battery is provided on the lower side of one side of the storage box. A cover plate is provided on the top of the storage box. A heat pipe is provided at one bottom end of the cover plate.

[0017] Furthermore, a first pad is fixedly connected to the bottom of both ends of the third horizontal plate, and the bottom of the first pad is fixedly connected to the top of the end of the first horizontal plate. A second electric slide rail is symmetrically arranged on both sides of the third horizontal plate, and a second electric slider is slidably arranged on the two second electric slide rails. An assembly block is fixedly connected to the outer side of the two second electric sliders. A first limiting block is symmetrically arranged on the top of one side of the assembly block, and the two first limiting blocks are inserted into the second limiting hole.

[0018] Furthermore, a fixing plate is fixedly installed below one end of the assembly block, and horizontal shafts are movably arranged at both ends of the fixing plate. A thin film is wound around the outer surface of the horizontal shafts, and a handle is provided at one end of the horizontal shafts.

[0019] Furthermore, a crossbeam is fixedly installed below the other end of the assembly block, and first limiting rods are provided at both ends of the crossbeam. A collection box is fixedly connected to the lower middle part of the two crossbeams. A liquid outlet hole is opened at one end of the collection box. The upper surface of the film is slidably connected to the horizontal side of the collection box and to the outer peripheral side of the first limiting rod.

[0020] Furthermore, a second micro pump is provided in the middle of one side of the storage tank. The input end of the second micro pump is connected to the liquid outlet through a pipe, and the output end of the second micro pump is connected to the inner cavity of the storage tank through a pipe.

[0021] Furthermore, a vertical plate is provided at the top center of the first horizontal plate, and a first electric slide rail is provided on one side of the vertical plate. A first electric slider is slidably mounted on the first electric slide rail, and a second horizontal plate is fixedly installed on one side of the first electric slider. An upper exposure box is provided at the bottom center of the second horizontal plate, and a lower exposure box is provided below the bottom of the upper exposure box. Both the upper and lower exposure boxes are equipped with ultraviolet lamps. A transparent panel is provided on the bottom surface of the upper exposure box, and a transparent panel is provided on the top surface of the lower exposure box.

[0022] Beneficial effects

[0023] The present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0024] 1. By using an integrated positioning structure combining a reference frame and a limiting frame, the traditional foam tape positioning method is replaced, achieving precise positioning and reference control. This eliminates the problems of easy displacement, poor adhesion, and low precision associated with foam tape. Instead, a combination of a size-matched reference frame and a limiting frame is used. The plug-in positioning structure ensures precise alignment of the film, thin film, and resin coating area. At the same time, a fixed height reference is formed by the reference frame, solving the problems of resin overflow and uneven thickness in traditional processes. This significantly improves the positioning accuracy in the early stages of resin coating, laying the foundation for high-quality plate making in the future.

[0025] 2. By using a scraper in conjunction with a bottom-equally spaced cutting strip, the system achieves uniform resin spreading and simultaneous elimination of air bubbles. The scraper, with its bottom surface flush with the limiting frame, moves smoothly and linearly with pulleys to evenly spread the liquid resin, ensuring consistent resin thickness across the entire plate and a smooth, ripple-free surface without accumulation. Simultaneously, the equally spaced cutting strips at the bottom of the scraper work in sync with the spreading action, thoroughly puncturing and destroying surface and shallow air bubbles in the resin. This avoids quality defects such as embossed defects in the printing plate caused by residual air bubbles. Compared to traditional manual coating and simple equipment, this system improves resin spreading quality and exposure molding accuracy, optimizing the overall molding effect of the printing plate.

[0026] 3. By using a closed-loop recycling structure with a collection box and a micro pump, the residual resin can be fully collected and reused. Relying on the collection box that is attached to the film, the residual resin on the surface is completely scraped off and collected during the film winding process. The micro pump then smoothly returns the collected uncured resin to the storage tank, realizing the closed-loop recycling of residual resin. This solves the problems of raw material waste and high production costs caused by the direct disposal of residual resin in traditional processes, improves the utilization rate of photosensitive resin, and reduces the unit plate-making cost.

[0027] Of course, any product implementing this invention does not necessarily need to achieve all of the advantages described above at the same time. Attached Figure Description

[0028] Figure 1 This is a top view of the overall structure of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall side view structure of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 3 This is a partial structural diagram of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the exposure chamber of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 5 This is a top view of the material laying component of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 6 This is a bottom view of the material laying component of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 7 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of the material laying component of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 8 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of the assembly block of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the storage box of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 10 This is a cross-sectional view of the storage box of the present invention.

[0038] In the picture:

[0039] 1. First horizontal plate; 2. Vertical plate; 3. First electric slide rail; 4. First electric slider; 5. Second horizontal plate; 6. Upper exposure box; 7. Lower exposure box; 8. First pad; 9. Third horizontal plate; 10. Second electric slide rail; 11. Second electric slider;

[0040] 12. Assembly block; 1201. First limiting block; 1202. Horizontal frame; 1203. First limiting rod; 1204. Collection box; 1205. Liquid outlet;

[0041] 13. Fixed plate; 14. Horizontal shaft; 1401. Handle; 15. Membrane; 16. Second pad; 17. Fourth horizontal plate; 18. Third electric slide rail; 19. Third electric slider;

[0042] 20. Storage tank; 2001. First limiting hole; 2002. First micro motor; 2003. Liquid outlet; 21. Cover plate; 2101. Heat pipe; 22. Controller; 23. Battery; 24. Second micro pump;

[0043] 25. Reference frame; 2501. Second limiting hole;

[0044] 26. Limiting frame; 2601. Storage box; 2602. Discharge port; 2603. Second limiting block; 2604. Baffle; 2605. Fifth horizontal plate; 2606. Pulley; 2607. Second limiting rod; 2608. Pressure block; 2609. Scraper; 2670. Cutting strip; 2671. Compression spring. Detailed Implementation

[0045] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0046] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "opening", "upper", "lower", "thickness", "top", "middle", "length", "inner", "around", etc., which indicate orientation or positional relationship, are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the components or elements referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as limiting this invention.

[0047] Please see Figures 1-10 This invention provides a technical solution: an exposure device for flexible plate production, including a first horizontal plate 1, which serves as the bottom support base of the entire device. A third horizontal plate 9 is provided at one end of the first horizontal plate 1, serving as the bottom support bracket for the material spreading assembly, providing a stable mounting carrier for the lower transparent film spreading and residual resin collection structure. A fourth horizontal plate 17 is provided at the top of the third horizontal plate 9, supporting the liquid resin feeding and moving assembly to achieve stable displacement of the feeding structure. Material spreading assemblies are provided on the sides of the third horizontal plate 9 and the fourth horizontal plate 17. The material spreading assembly includes a reference frame 25 and a limiting frame 26 provided on one side of the third horizontal plate 9 and the fourth horizontal plate 17. The reference frame 25 serves as the height reference and positioning carrier for resin coating, replacing traditional auxiliary consumables. The limiting frame 26 limits the planar range of resin coating. The two work together to form a regular closed resin spreading area, thereby preventing liquid resin overflow and uneven edge thickness.

[0048] A scraper 2609 is slidably installed inside the limiting frame 26. The scraper 2609 adopts a sliding design that fits against the inner wall of the limiting frame 26. During operation, it is subjected to uniform force and moves smoothly, achieving linear and uniform scraping and avoiding local resin accumulation. The bottom surface of the scraper 2609 is flush with the bottom surface of the limiting frame 26. This flush design can accurately control the uniform thickness of the resin layer, ensuring that the resin height of the entire plate is consistent after scraping, and eliminating exposure defects caused by height differences. Cutting strips 2670 are equidistantly arranged at the bottom of the scraper 2609 along the horizontal direction of the scraper 2609. The equidistantly arranged cutting strips 2670 can fully cover the scraper's movement path and work simultaneously during the scraping process to accurately puncture tiny air bubbles inside and on the surface of the liquid resin, preventing quality problems such as relief defects caused by residual air bubbles after curing.

[0049] The limiting frame 26 is set on top of the reference frame 25 and has the same size as the reference frame 25. The reference frame 25 replaces the foam tape originally used for positioning the transparent film, thus eliminating the foam tape positioning method which is prone to displacement, has low precision, and poor adhesion. It avoids the coating misalignment problem caused by tape falling off or shifting, and achieves precise positioning of the transparent film and the resin coating area. The scraper 2609 in the limiting frame 26 works in conjunction with the reference frame 25 to simultaneously level the liquid resin. Relying on the fixed height reference of the reference frame 25, it ensures that the resin layer thickness is uniform and the surface is flat and smooth. At the same time, during the process of the scraper 2609 leveling the liquid resin, the cutting strip 2670 is used to puncture and destroy the air bubbles on the surface and shallow layer of the liquid resin in real time, quickly eliminating the risk of air bubbles, thereby comprehensively improving the leveling quality of the liquid resin and ensuring the precision and stability of subsequent exposure processes.

[0050] A storage box 2601 is provided at the middle of one end of the limiting frame 26. The storage box 2601 is used to temporarily store the liquid resin to be coated. A discharge port 2602 is provided on the lower side of one side of the storage box 2601. The discharge port 2602 adopts a narrow slit discharge design, which allows the resin to flow evenly and slowly into the reference frame 25 and the limiting frame 26, so as to achieve uniform distribution. A second limiting block 2603 is symmetrically provided on one side of the bottom of the storage box 2601. The second limiting block 2603 is used for precise docking and positioning of the storage box 2601 and the feeding structure. A baffle 2604 is provided on one side of the inside of the storage box 2601. The baffle 2604 can control the resin discharge. A second limiting rod 2607 is symmetrically provided on the top of the scraper 2609. 07 serves as a vertical guide. Two second limiting rods 2607 are movably connected through a fifth horizontal plate 2605. The fifth horizontal plate 2605 acts as a top linkage support for the scraper 2609, enabling simultaneous force application on both sides. A pressure block 2608 is fixedly connected to the top of each of the two second limiting rods 2607. A compression spring 2671 is fitted on the outer circumferential surface of each of the two second limiting rods 2607, with its two ends respectively abutting against the pressure block 2608 and the second limiting rod 2607. The compression spring 2671 can achieve a reset function through its own elasticity. Pulleys 2606 are symmetrically arranged at both ends of the fifth horizontal plate 2605. The pulleys 2606 reduce the friction during the movement of the scraper 2609, achieving smooth linear movement and avoiding jamming that could cause resin ripples.

[0051] The bottom ends of the fourth horizontal plate 17 are fixedly connected to second pads 16. The second pads 16 serve to elevate and support the fourth horizontal plate 17, ensuring its levelness and providing space for component installation and movement to avoid interference between parts. The bottom of the second pads 16 is connected to the top ends of the third horizontal plate 9. The fourth horizontal plate 17 is symmetrically equipped with third electric slide rails 18 on both sides. The two third electric slide rails 18 are slidably connected to third electric sliders 19. The third electric slide rails 18 cooperate with the third electric sliders 19 to realize the automated production line of the storage box 20. The two third electric sliders 19 are fixedly connected to the outer sides of the storage box 20. The storage box 20 serves as a container for liquid resin, meeting the material supply requirements for large-scale continuous plate making and reducing the frequent material feeding process. The storage box 20 has an internal cavity for storing sufficient resin. A first limiting hole 2001 is symmetrically provided on the lower side of one side of the storage box 20. The first limiting hole 2001 is inserted into the second limiting block 2603. The insertion positioning achieves rapid and accurate docking and positioning of the storage box 20 and the storage box 2601.

[0052] A first micro motor 2002 is fixedly installed at the bottom of the storage tank 20. The first micro motor 2002 serves as the power source for resin delivery, providing stable and controllable delivery pressure. The input end of the first micro motor 2002 is connected to the inner cavity of the storage tank 20 via a pipe, and the output end of the first micro motor 2002 is fixedly connected to an outlet 2003. Through the quantitative delivery of the first micro motor 2002, the resin in the storage tank is smoothly delivered to the storage box 2601, achieving quantitative feeding and avoiding excessive or insufficient feeding that could affect the leveling effect. A controller 2 is installed on the upper side of one side of the storage tank 20. 2. The controller 22 is used to uniformly control all electric components in the device. A storage battery 23 is installed on one side of the storage tank 20. The storage battery 23 provides independent power supply for small electrical components in the device. A cover plate 21 is installed on the top of the storage tank 20. The cover plate 21 serves to seal and prevent dust and impurities from falling into the resin and affecting the printing plate quality. A heat pipe 2101 is installed at the bottom end of the cover plate 21. The heat pipe 2101 can control the temperature of the resin in the storage tank 20, maintain the fluidity and viscosity of the liquid resin, and prevent temperature changes from causing abnormal resin consistency, which would affect the leveling and exposure effects.

[0053] First pads 8 are fixedly connected to the bottom of both ends of the third horizontal plate 9. The first pads 8 support the third horizontal plate 9 to ensure its horizontal stability and adjust the overall height of the device. The bottom of the first pads 8 is fixedly connected to the top of the end of the first horizontal plate 1. Second electric slide rails 10 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the third horizontal plate 9. Second electric sliders 11 are slidably arranged on the two second electric slide rails 10. The second electric slide rails 10 and the second electric sliders 11 cooperate to realize the smooth movement of the assembly block 12. The assembly block 12 is fixedly connected to the outer side of the two second electric sliders 11. First limit blocks 1201 are symmetrically arranged on the top of one side of the assembly block 12. The assembly block 12 is inserted into the second limiting hole 2501 to achieve precise positioning of the assembly block 12 and the reference frame 25, ensuring that the film 15 is aligned with the resin coating area. A fixing plate 13 is fixedly installed at one end of the assembly block 12. A horizontal shaft 14 is movably set at both ends of the fixing plate 13. The horizontal shaft 14 can rotate flexibly to achieve smooth unwinding and rewinding of the film 15. The film 15 is wound around the outer surface of the horizontal shaft 14. The film 15 serves as the bottom carrier for resin coating, ensuring light transmission during exposure and not affecting the curing effect. A handle 1401 is set at one end of the horizontal shaft 14. The handle 1401 facilitates manual assistance in unwinding and rewinding the film 15, improving the ease of operation.

[0054] A crossbeam 1202 is fixedly installed at the lower end of the other end of the assembly block 12. The two ends of the crossbeam 1202 are provided with first limiting rods 1203. The first limiting rods 1203 guide and tension the film 15 to ensure that the surface of the film 15 is flat and wrinkle-free, and to avoid wrinkles affecting the resin leveling effect. A collection box 1204 is fixedly connected to the lower middle part of the two crossbeams 1202. The collection box 1204 is specifically used to collect excess resin overflowing during the scraping process of the scraper 2609 and uncured resin remaining on the surface of the film 15, so as to achieve full collection of residual material. One end of the collection box 1204 is provided with a liquid outlet hole 1205, which serves as a channel for the discharge of residual resin, facilitating subsequent recycling and transportation. The upper surface of the film 15 is slidably connected to the horizontal side of the collection box 1204 and to the outer peripheral side of the first limiting rod 1203. The close-fitting sliding design can scrape off the residual resin on the surface of the film 15, maximize the recycling of residual material, and reduce raw material waste.

[0055] A second micro pump 24 is installed in the middle of one side of the storage tank 20. The second micro pump 24 serves as a dedicated power component for resin recycling and transportation, providing gentle suction pressure. The input end of the second micro pump 24 is connected to the liquid outlet 1205 through a pipe, and the output end of the second micro pump 24 is connected to the inner cavity of the storage tank 20 through a pipe. The uncured residual resin in the collection box 1204 is smoothly returned to the storage tank 20 through the second micro pump 24, which can be directly recycled and reused, greatly reducing the loss of photosensitive resin raw materials, reducing production costs, and achieving the requirement of zero waste discharge.

[0056] A vertical plate 2 is located at the top center of the first horizontal plate 1, providing vertical support for the exposure assembly. A first electric slide rail 3 is mounted on one side of the vertical plate 2, and a first electric slider 4 is slidably mounted on the first electric slide rail 3. The first electric slide rail 3 and the first electric slider 4 cooperate to adjust the vertical height of the upper exposure box 6, adapting to the exposure requirements of resin plates of different thicknesses. Simultaneously, the distance between the upper and lower exposure boxes 7 is adjusted to ensure precise and controllable exposure distance. A second horizontal plate 5 is fixedly mounted on one side of each of the two first electric sliders 4. The second horizontal plate 5 supports the upper exposure box 6, ensuring its horizontal stability and preventing exposure light deviation. The upper exposure box 6 is located at the bottom center of the second horizontal plate 5. The lower exposure chamber 7 is located at the bottom of the light box 6. The upper exposure chamber 6 and the lower exposure chamber 7 adopt a double-sided synchronous exposure design to improve the resin curing efficiency and curing uniformity, and avoid the problem of incomplete curing at the bottom caused by single-sided exposure. Both the upper exposure chamber 6 and the lower exposure chamber 7 are equipped with ultraviolet lamps. The ultraviolet lamps emit ultraviolet light of a specific wavelength to trigger the photopolymerization reaction and achieve precise curing of resin in the image area. The bottom surface of the upper exposure chamber 6 is equipped with a transparent panel, and the top surface of the lower exposure chamber 7 is equipped with a transparent panel. The transparent panels ensure uniform and transparent ultraviolet light, while isolating the resin from the lamps to prevent contamination of the lamps, ensuring stable exposure light, and improving the accuracy of plate relief forming.

[0057] The working principle of this invention:

[0058] First, select the corresponding reference frame 25 and limiting frame 26 according to the size of the film negative. Then, perform pre-plate-making positioning and substrate laying preparation work. Place the film negative with printed images flat on the transparent panel on the top surface of the lower exposure box 7. After accurately aligning the exposure area, activate the second electric slide rail 10 and the second electric slider 11 to drive the assembly block 12 to move smoothly to the corresponding position. The first limiting block 1201 is inserted and positioned into the second limiting hole 2501 on the side of the reference frame 25, completing the installation of the reference frame 25. Positioning is then performed, followed by rotating the handle 1401 at one end of the horizontal shaft 14 to smoothly unfold the film 15 wound on the horizontal shaft 14. The film 15 is guided and tensioned by the first limiting rod 1203 to keep the surface wrinkle-free and slack-free, and flatly cover the bottom area of ​​the reference frame 25 while covering the film. Relying on the reference frame 25 to replace the traditional foam tape, the film 15 and the film are precisely aligned, avoiding displacement and misalignment. At the same time, the film 15 serves as the bottom isolation carrier for liquid resin coating and will not affect the subsequent ultraviolet light transmission curing.

[0059] After the laying is completed, the liquid resin quantitative feeding and reference limiting positioning stage begins. The first limiting hole 2001 on the side of the storage tank 20 is precisely inserted into the second limiting block 2603 at the bottom of the storage box 2601, completing the docking and positioning of the feeding structure and the storage box 2601. The limiting frame 26 is then stably placed on top of the reference frame 25. The controller 22 activates the third electric slide rail 18, driving the third electric slider 19 to move smoothly with the storage tank 20. Thanks to the perfect size match between the limiting frame 26 and the reference frame 25, rapid and seamless operation is achieved. The seams are joined together to form a resin coating cavity, limiting the coating range and thickness of the resin, preventing liquid resin overflow and uneven thickness at the edges. Then, the first micro motor 2002 is activated to quantitatively deliver the liquid photosensitive resin stored at a constant temperature in the storage tank 20 to the storage box 2601 through the liquid outlet 2003. After the resin is slowed and controlled by the baffle 2604 inside the storage box 2601, it flows evenly and slowly into the cavity formed by the reference frame 25 and the limiting frame 26 from the narrow slit outlet 2602, achieving uniform material distribution.

[0060] After the resin fabric is applied, the fifth horizontal plate 2605 is pushed, and with the help of the pulleys 2606 at both ends, the scraper 2609 slides linearly and uniformly along the inner wall of the limiting frame 26. The bottom surface of the scraper 2609 is flush with the bottom surface of the limiting frame 26. With the fixed height reference of the reference frame 25, the liquid resin in the cavity is evenly scraped and leveled to ensure that the resin thickness of the entire plate is completely consistent and the surface is smooth and without ripples. During the sliding of the scraper 2609, the cutting strips 2670 arranged at equal intervals at the bottom work simultaneously to fully cover the resin surface and shallow area, accurately puncture and destroy the residual micro air bubbles, and eliminate the printing plate relief problem caused by air bubbles.

[0061] After the resin is laid out to the required standard, the controller 22 starts the third electric slide rail 18, which drives the third electric slider 19 and the storage box 20 to move smoothly, thereby causing the limit frame 26 to separate from the reference frame 25. Then, the height of the upper exposure box 6 is adjusted by the first electric slide rail 3 to form a matching distance with the lower exposure box 7. The internal ultraviolet lamp is started to perform synchronous exposure on both sides, so that the resin in the image area undergoes photopolymerization reaction and solidifies into shape, and finally the high-precision flexible plate making operation is completed.

[0062] After the final plate making is completed, the flexographic plate is removed, and the film 15 is wound up by turning the handle 1401. During the winding process, the film 15 is attached to the side of the collection box 1204. During the movement of the film 15, the resin remaining on the surface of the film 15 is fully collected by the collection box 1204, and then sucked by the second micro pump 24. It is then sent back to the storage tank 20 for recycling through the liquid outlet 1205 and the pipeline.

[0063] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.

[0064] The preferred embodiments of the present invention disclosed above are merely illustrative of the invention. These preferred embodiments do not exhaustively describe all details, nor do they limit the invention to the specific implementations described. Clearly, many modifications and variations can be made based on the content of this specification. This specification selects and specifically describes these embodiments to better explain the principles and practical applications of the invention, thereby enabling those skilled in the art to better understand and utilize the invention. The invention is limited only by the claims and their full scope and equivalents.

Claims

1. An exposure apparatus for flexographic plate production, comprising a first horizontal plate (1), characterized in that: A third horizontal plate (9) is provided at one end of the first horizontal plate (1), a fourth horizontal plate (17) is provided at the top of the third horizontal plate (9), and a material spreading assembly is provided on the sides of the third horizontal plate (9) and the fourth horizontal plate (17). The material laying assembly includes a reference frame (25) and a limiting frame (26) disposed on one side of the third horizontal plate (9) and the fourth horizontal plate (17). The limiting frame (26) is equipped with a scraper (2609) that slides inside, and the bottom surface of the scraper (2609) is flush with the bottom surface of the limiting frame (26). The bottom of the scraper (2609) is provided with cutting strips (2670) at equal intervals along the horizontal direction of the scraper (2609). The limiting frame (26) is set on top of the reference frame (25) and has the same size as the reference frame (25). The reference frame (25) replaces the foam tape originally used for positioning the transparent film, thereby eliminating the foam tape positioning method which is easy to shift and has low precision. This achieves precise positioning of the transparent film and the resin coating area. The scraper (2609) in the limiting frame (26) works in conjunction with the reference frame (25) to simultaneously level the liquid resin, ensuring that the resin layer thickness is consistent. At the same time, during the process of the scraper (2609) leveling the liquid resin, the cutting strip (2670) is used to puncture and destroy the air bubbles on the surface and shallow layer of the liquid resin in real time, quickly eliminating the hidden danger of air bubbles and avoiding the printing plate relief problem caused by air bubble residue, thereby improving the leveling quality of the liquid resin, improving the precision of plate making and the pass rate of the finished product.

2. The exposure apparatus for flexographic plate production according to claim 1, characterized in that: A storage box (2601) is provided at the middle of one end of the limiting frame (26). A discharge port (2602) is provided on the lower side of one side of the storage box (2601). A second limiting block (2603) is symmetrically provided on one side of the bottom of the storage box (2601). A baffle (2604) is provided on one side of the inside of the storage box (2601).

3. The exposure apparatus for flexographic plate production according to claim 2, characterized in that: The scraper (2609) is symmetrically provided with second limiting rods (2607) at its top. The two second limiting rods (2607) are movably connected through the fifth horizontal plate (2605). The top ends of the two second limiting rods (2607) are fixedly connected with pressure blocks (2608). The outer peripheral surfaces of the two second limiting rods (2607) are fitted with compression springs (2671) with their two ends respectively abutting against the pressure blocks (2608) and the second limiting rods (2607). The two ends of the fifth horizontal plate (2605) are symmetrically provided with pulleys (2606).

4. The exposure apparatus for flexographic plate production according to claim 3, characterized in that: The bottom of both ends of the fourth horizontal plate (17) is fixedly connected to the second pad (16), the bottom of the second pad (16) is connected to the top of both ends of the third horizontal plate (9), the second horizontal plate (17) is symmetrically provided with the third electric slide rail (18) on both sides, the two third electric slide rails (18) are slidably provided with the third electric slider (19), the outer side of the two third electric sliders (19) is fixedly connected with the storage box (20), the storage box (20) has a cavity inside, the storage box (20) has a first limiting hole (2001) symmetrically provided on the lower side of one side of the storage box (20), the first limiting hole (2001) is inserted into the second limiting block (2603).

5. The exposure apparatus for flexographic plate production according to claim 4, characterized in that: A first micro motor (2002) is fixedly installed at the bottom of the storage tank (20). The input end of the first micro motor (2002) is connected to the inner cavity of the storage tank (20) through a pipe. The output end of the first micro motor (2002) is fixedly connected to an outlet (2003). A controller (22) is provided on the upper side of one side of the storage tank (20). A storage battery (23) is provided on the lower side of one side of the storage tank (20). A cover plate (21) is provided on the top of the storage tank (20). A heat pipe (2101) is provided at one bottom end of the cover plate (21).

6. The exposure apparatus for flexographic plate production according to claim 2, characterized in that: The bottom of both ends of the third horizontal plate (9) is fixedly connected to a first pad (8). The bottom of the first pad (8) is fixedly connected to the top of the end of the first horizontal plate (1). The two sides of the third horizontal plate (9) are symmetrically provided with second electric slide rails (10). The two second electric slide rails (10) are slidably provided with second electric sliders (11). The outer sides of the two second electric sliders (11) are fixedly connected with assembly blocks (12). The top of one side of the assembly block (12) is symmetrically provided with first limiting blocks (1201). The two first limiting blocks (1201) are inserted into the second limiting holes (2501).

7. The exposure apparatus for flexographic plate production according to claim 6, characterized in that: A fixing plate (13) is fixedly installed below one end of the assembly block (12). A horizontal shaft (14) is movably arranged at both ends of the fixing plate (13). A thin film (15) is wound around the outer surface of the horizontal shaft (14). A handle (1401) is provided at one end of the horizontal shaft (14).

8. The exposure apparatus for flexographic plate production according to claim 7, characterized in that: A crossbeam (1202) is fixedly installed below the other end of the assembly block (12). A first limiting rod (1203) is provided at both ends of the crossbeam (1202). A collection box (1204) is fixedly connected to the lower middle part of the two crossbeams (1202). A liquid outlet hole (1205) is opened at one end of the collection box (1204). The upper surface of the membrane (15) is slidably connected to the horizontal side of the collection box (1204) and slidably connected to the outer peripheral side of the first limiting rod (1203).

9. The exposure apparatus for flexographic plate production according to claim 4, characterized in that: A second micro pump (24) is provided in the middle of one side of the storage tank (20). The input end of the second micro pump (24) is connected to the liquid outlet (1205) through a pipe, and the output end of the second micro pump (24) is connected to the inner cavity of the storage tank (20) through a pipe.

10. The exposure apparatus for flexographic plate production according to claim 1, characterized in that: A vertical plate (2) is provided at the top center of the first horizontal plate (1). A first electric slide rail (3) is provided on one side of the vertical plate (2). A first electric slider (4) is slidably provided on the first electric slide rail (3). A second horizontal plate (5) is fixedly installed on one side of the first electric slider (4). An upper exposure box (6) is provided at the bottom center of the second horizontal plate (5). A lower exposure box (7) is provided below the bottom of the upper exposure box (6). Both the upper exposure box (6) and the lower exposure box (7) are equipped with ultraviolet lamps. A transparent panel is provided on the bottom surface of the upper exposure box (6). A transparent panel is provided on the top surface of the lower exposure box (7).

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