Method for controlling a relief plate production system with multiple production units and associated relief plate production system

Abstract

A method for controlling a relief plate production system (10) comprising a plurality of production units, the method comprising the steps of: each of the plurality of production units (100, 100', 200) receiving job instructions from a central control means (50) and storing said job instructions in a list of job instructions, said job instructions including at least an identifier of a relief plate (14) to be produced from a relief precursor (12); and after the plurality of production units have received the job instructions, one of the plurality of production units receiving a relief precursor (12) and an indication of the identifier of said relief precursor (12) and processing the relief precursor (12) in accordance with the received job instructions.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The field of the invention relates to relief plate production systems. Various embodiments herein relate to methods for controlling a relief plate production system, as well as associated relief plate production systems, production units and central control means. [Background technology]

[0002] Known methods of controlling a relief plate production system require that specific commands be entered into various production units in the production system in order to produce a particular relief printing plate, typically by an operator bringing a precursor to the production unit and entering, for example, the precursor type and optionally selecting other settings.

[0003] The process can be made more autonomous using a central control means in communication with one or more production units. The central control means typically sends job instructions to the first production unit in a production line, and the job is then executed by the first production unit. The central control means can further coordinate the operation of the production units. The production units passively receive control signals from the central control means and perform the steps indicated in the control signals from the central control means.

[0004] Additionally, in some known methods of controlling relief plate production systems, all control sent to all production units comes from a central control means. The system is therefore highly dependent on the proper functioning of the central control means. Also, once production units are selected by the central control means, those production units are used for plate production. Once commands are given by the central control means, there is little possibility of switching production units.

[0005] Furthermore, some known methods of controlling a relief plate production system require that an additional production unit be added to the relief plate production system. However, this additional production unit may not be manufactured by the same company as the production units already in the system. Therefore, any additional production unit may not be compatible with the units already in the system, and the additional production unit may not be able to receive or understand any control signals that are normally received by the existing production units. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Some embodiments of the present disclosure enable the production unit to generate parameters for processing the relief precursors not only based on signals coming from a central control means, but also adaptively based on information of each received relief precursor.

[0007] Some embodiments of the present disclosure aim to avoid disruptions in the event that one production unit is defective.

[0008] Some embodiments of the present disclosure reduce the dependency of the entire production system on a single central control means. Some embodiments of the present disclosure allow for the progressive selection of particular production units according to the state of production, for example, through selecting a production unit that is better suited to continue processing a relief precursor after it has been processed by an upstream production unit.

[0009] Some embodiments of the present disclosure allow production units that were not previously part of a production system and are not compatible with existing production units to still receive commands from the central control means and / or interact with existing production units.

[0010] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method of controlling a relief plate production system comprising a plurality of production units, the method comprising: - each of a plurality of production units receiving job instructions from a central control means and storing said job instructions in a list of job instructions, said job instructions including at least an identifier of a relief plate to be produced from the relief precursor; after the plurality of production units receive the job instructions, one production unit of the plurality of production units receives the relief precursor and an indication of an identifier of the relief precursor and processes the relief precursor in accordance with the received job instructions; Includes:

[0011] Thanks to these steps, the production units are able to identify each relief precursor according to the identifier. In this way, the decision on how to process the relief precursor is at least partly distributed between the production units. The burden on the central control means is relieved. Each production unit can then flexibly choose how best to process the relief precursor based on its own processing characteristics. An identifier is assigned to the relief precursor at the start of the process and serves as an identifier throughout the process and for the resulting relief plate.

[0012] In addition, the central control means transmits job instructions to each production unit. In this way, it is no longer necessary to adapt the job instructions to each production unit. Instead, it is up to the production units to determine the parameters for processing the relief precursor based on the job instructions from the central control means plus the identifier of the relief precursor.

[0013] Sending the job instructions can be accomplished via wires, wireless, electromagnetic radiation, local or non-local networks, or a combination thereof. More particularly, any short-range or long-range communication means can be used between the central control means and the production units, and / or between the production units themselves, such as WiFi, cellular, Zigbee, etc.

[0014] It is further noted that the central control means can be provided in a distributed manner in the cloud and / or can be provided in a local device.

[0015] Typically, the identifier comprises a unique identifier such as a timestamp or a steadily increasing number, which may comprise an object identifier as described in ITU-TRec X.667 or ISO / IEC 9834-8:2005.

[0016] Preferably, the job instructions further include one or more plate-related parameters, such as plate type, plate thickness, or plate size, etc. Using such plate-related parameters, the production units can select appropriate configuration settings for processing by the respective production units.

[0017] Optionally, the job instructions can further include a customer identifier, in which case the production unit can select configuration settings according to the needs of a particular customer. For example, for a first plate type, separate configuration settings can be selected for a first and a second customer. To this end, the production unit typically stores configuration settings for different types of plates and for different customers.

[0018] Optionally, the job instructions may further include an image of the job, which allows an operator to easily recognize and / or select the job instructions from a list of job instructions stored in the production unit.

[0019] The first aspect of the present disclosure may include any one of the following features or any technically possible combination.

[0020] The method further includes a step in which, after or before one production unit processes the relief precursor, another production unit of the plurality of production units receives the relief precursor and an indication of an identifier of the relief precursor and processes the relief precursor in accordance with the received job instructions.

[0021] Using these features, the relief plate production system is capable of simultaneously processing at least two relief precursors based on received job instructions.

[0022] The method further includes the step of broadcasting job instructions to the plurality of production units by the central control means.

[0023] Broadcasting here means sending the same job instructions to all destinations (multiple production units, or all production units that are able to receive job instructions from the central control means). With this feature, the burden on the central control means is further reduced, since the central control means does not distinguish between the job instructions or the destinations of the job instructions. Instead, it is the responsibility of the production unit to analyze the job instructions when the relief precursor arrives at the production unit. In addition, by sending identical job instructions to each other, the production units do not have to make decisions already when the job instructions are sent from the central control means. Instead, the configuration settings for the production units can be selected by the production units based on, for example, plate-related parameters included in the job instructions.

[0024] Instead of broadcasting the same job instructions to all units, the job instructions can be unicast or multicast to subsets of the production units. In this way, different job instructions can be sent to different subsets (e.g., a first multicast to all imagers, a second multicast to all exposure units, etc.).

[0025] The method further includes sending job instructions by the central control means in response to a request from one of the plurality of production units and / or when one of the plurality of production units is switched on or reactivated (such as when transitioning from a sleep mode to an active mode).

[0026] Under this possibility, the central control means does not send out job instructions indiscriminately, but instead sends out job instructions only when a particular condition(s) of the production unit is / are met (here, in response to a request and / or switching on).

[0027] According to some embodiments, at least one production unit requests a list of job identifiers of all available jobs from the central control means 50. The at least one production unit then compares the list of job identifiers of the requesting production unit with the list of job identifiers of all available jobs received from the central control means 50. The at least one production unit then requests job instructions for at least one job having a job identifier that is on the list of job identifiers of all available jobs but that is missing from the list of job identifiers of the requesting production unit.

[0028] With these features, it may not be necessary to create job instructions at the production units. Job instructions can be created partly or entirely centrally on the central control means and / or partly or entirely by external software means and provided to the central control means. For example, job allocation can be performed using an external software package and production unit settings can be added to the job instructions by the central control means. In further embodiments, it is also possible that job instructions are created partly by the central control means and partly by the production units.

[0029] Furthermore, instead of requesting the complete job instructions from the central control means, the production units only need to request the job identifiers from the central control means to see which job instructions they do not yet have. In this way, the computational costs of the production units and / or the central control means are reduced.

[0030] The requests are made periodically, for example, by a production unit.

[0031] According to some embodiments, at least one production unit compares the list of job identifiers of the requesting production unit with the list of job identifiers of all available jobs received from the central control means 50. If the production unit notices that there is a job for which the production unit has a job instruction whose corresponding job identifier is not on the list of job identifiers received from the central control means 50, the production unit removes the job instruction having a job identifier that is not on the list of job instructions received from the central control means 50. In this manner, the job instructions on the production unit are synchronized with the job instructions available in the central control means 50.

[0032] The plurality of production units includes a set of production units, one production unit being one of the set of production units, preferably the production units in the set performing substantially the same function in plate production, and the method further includes a step of removing the job instruction from a list of job instructions stored in any other production unit of the set of production units that has not received the relief precursor.

[0033] Removal of job instructions from other production units of the set ensures that the relief precursor will not be processed again by another production unit in the same set, and avoids jobs remaining unnecessarily stored in the production unit. This is particularly advantageous when production units in a set perform substantially the same functions: production units in the same set are at the same level in the production process, and processing a relief precursor by one production unit will not result in this relief precursor being processed again in the same way by another production unit in the same set.

[0034] The method includes a step of sending a message M1 by one production unit to any other production unit of the set, either directly or through a central control means, to indicate that the one production unit has processed a relief precursor, has started to process a relief precursor, or has received a relief precursor.

[0035] This message M1 informs the other production units in the set that a relief precursor is under the responsibility of one production unit. This message M1 informs, for example, the other production units in the set that this relief precursor will not be under the responsibility of those other production units in processing. This message M1 can include instructions that instruct the other production units in the set to delete their job orders.

[0036] The method further includes a step of sending a message M2 by one production unit to the other production units, either directly or through a central control means, to indicate that the relief precursor processed by the one production unit is ready to be processed by the other production units, and optionally displaying job instructions for the relief precursor on a display of the other production unit.

[0037] Using these features, one production unit can communicate with other production units, who are informed that processing by one production unit has finished or will finish in the near future, and the other production units can then take any appropriate action, such as displaying the job on the displays of the other production units so that operators can easily select it, including the job in their time schedules, etc.

[0038] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is a method of controlling a relief plate production system comprising a plurality of production units including at least a first production unit and a set of second production units immediately downstream of the first production unit, preferably wherein the second production units in the set perform substantially the same function in plate production, the method comprising: - receiving a job instruction in a first production unit and storing said job instruction in a list of job instructions, said job instruction including at least an identifier of a relief plate to be produced from the relief precursor; receiving a relief precursor and an indication of an identifier in a first production unit and processing said relief precursor according to the received instructions; removing the job instruction from the first production unit; sending, by the first production unit, second job instructions to a set of second production units, the second job instructions including at least one identifier; receiving the processed relief precursor in one of a second set of production units and further processing said relief precursor according to the received second job instructions; removing the second job instruction from the production unit; Includes:

[0039] Thanks to these features, job instructions are transmitted from the first production unit to the second production unit. It is therefore possible for the first production unit to provide information about the status of plate production to the second production unit. Compared to a situation in which the second production unit simply follows instructions it received before the first production unit completed processing the relief precursor, under the second aspect, the job instructions to the second production unit are more closely adapted to the current plate production progress. An identifier is assigned to the relief precursor at the start of the process and serves as an identifier throughout the process and for the resulting relief plate.

[0040] The second aspect of the present disclosure may include any one of the following features, or any technically possible combination.

[0041] The transmitting step may include transmitting the job instructions by the first production unit to all production units downstream of the first production unit or to only a second set of production units immediately downstream of the first production unit.

[0042] If a first production unit sends job instructions to all production units downstream of the first production unit, the first production unit plays a central role in controlling the plate production system. If the first production unit sends instructions only to the second production unit immediately downstream of the first production unit, the total number of possible job instructions sent by the first production unit is reduced, reducing the resource requirements for the first production unit. In addition, this leaves open the possibility that one of the second production units can send its own job instructions to several production units further downstream of the second production unit.

[0043] The method further includes a step of sending a message M1 by one second production unit to any other second production unit of the set to remove the second job instruction when the one second production unit has processed the relief precursor, started processing the relief precursor, or received the relief precursor, and the other second production unit then removes the second job instruction from its list of job instructions.

[0044] These features allow one secondary production unit receiving a job command to inform the other secondary production units in the set that it is responsible for the processing of this set and that the other secondary production units are not required to process this particular relief precursor, providing certainty to the other secondary production units and also freeing up computing resources in the other secondary production units.

[0045] The method further comprises, after receiving the relief precursor at the one second production unit, reading an indication of the identifier by the one second production unit and retrieving the second job instructions from a memory of the one second production unit based on the read indication, wherein the memory of the second production unit can be located at the second production unit or can be located on a different device or in the cloud.

[0046] With these features, the second job instructions are stored locally in the memory of the second production unit. The second job instructions do not come entirely from an external entity (neither entirely from the first production unit nor entirely from the central control means). Thus, the amount of information transmitted to the second production unit is reduced. Additionally, by reading the identifier indication, the second production unit can independently determine the parameters to be used to process the relief precursor without relying entirely on externally received information.

[0047] The first production unit is part of a set of first production units, and preferably the first production units in the set perform substantially the same function in plate production. receiving job instructions at all first production units of the set; sending a message by the first production unit to any other first production unit of the set to remove the job instruction when the first production unit has processed the relief precursor or has started to process the relief precursor or has received the relief precursor, and the other first production unit then removes the job instruction from its list of job instructions; Includes:

[0048] Under these features, the first production unit issuing the command can also inform the other first production units that it is in charge of processing the relief precursor and that the other first production units will not be required in processing this particular relief precursor, which frees up computational resources in the other first production units.

[0049] According to some embodiments, the first production unit is an exposure unit and the second set of production units is a set of development units.

[0050] Job instructions are received at the first production unit from the imaging unit or from a central control means.

[0051] Under this feature, the first production unit is controlled either by another unit in the plate production process upstream of the first production unit, or by a central control means that is not a production unit in the plate production process.

[0052] The imaging unit is part of a set of imaging units and the method includes receiving job instructions from a central control means at the set of imaging units, which imaging unit is then capable of transmitting the job instructions to the first production unit.

[0053] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method of controlling a relief plate production system, the relief plate production system comprising: a plurality of production units, including at least one connected production unit and at least one unconnected production unit, wherein the at least one connected production unit is configured to communicate with the central control means and / or with another connected production unit, and the at least one unconnected production unit is unable to communicate with the central control means and / or with the at least one connected production unit; a mobile device configured to communicate with a central control means and / or with at least one connected production unit; Equipped with This method is receiving a job instruction by a mobile device, said job instruction including at least an identifier of a relief plate to be produced from the relief precursor; receiving, by an unconnected production unit of the at least one unconnected production unit, the relief precursor and an indication of an identifier of the relief precursor, and processing the relief precursor according to the received job instructions; - sending a message by the mobile device to the central control means and / or to one of the at least one connected production units, said message indicating that a relief precursor has been or will be processed by one unconnected production unit; Includes:

[0054] Thanks to these features, other production units and / or the central control means can send job instructions to the mobile device. If an unconnected production unit needs to be included in an existing production system, it is no longer necessary to perform a complex integration of this unconnected production unit. Instead, it is sufficient to use the mobile device, which emulates an unconnected production device in the production system. This simplifies the inclusion of any production unit into the existing production system that was previously unknown to the existing production system.

[0055] The third aspect of the present disclosure may include any one of the following features, or any technically possible combination.

[0056] The relief plate production system comprises at least two connected production units, which are capable of communicating with each other either directly or through a central control means.

[0057] The method further includes inputting, by an operator, input obtained from the job instructions received at the mobile device into the disconnected production unit.

[0058] Under this feature, the operator acts as an intermediary between the disconnected production units and the mobile device, which reduces the need to modify connected production units already in the system to accommodate the disconnected production units, which also reduces the need to modify the disconnected production units to be integrated into the existing system.

[0059] The method further includes the step of inputting, by an operator, an input into the mobile device to indicate that the relief precursor has been or will be processed by an unconnected production unit.

[0060] The mobile device can then communicate this input to other connected production units and / or to a central control means (if present), which in this way can be informed of the status of the non-connected production unit.

[0061] The relief plate production system comprises a central control means for transmitting job instructions to the mobile device and transmitting the job instructions directly to at least one connected production unit without the intermediation of the mobile device.

[0062] The method further includes transmitting, by the mobile device, a job instruction to at least one connected production unit of the at least one connected production unit downstream of the unconnected production unit.

[0063] Under these features, the mobile device not only receives job instructions, but also provides job instructions to at least one connected production unit. In particular, by sending job instructions to connected production units downstream of an unconnected production unit, the mobile device enables the status of an unconnected production unit to affect downstream processing of the unconnected production unit, even if the unconnected production unit itself is not able to communicate with the connected production unit.

[0064] Each of the first, second, and third aspects of the present disclosure may include any one of the following features, or any technically possible combination.

[0065] The job instruction includes one or more lookup parameters for retrieving one or more configuration parameters stored in the production unit, and the one or more lookup parameters may include at least one of a precursor type, a precursor thickness, information about a precursor size, and a client identifier.

[0066] Such one or more lookup parameters allow the production unit to retrieve the appropriate configuration settings for running a job.

[0067] The job instructions include a reference to or a preview image.

[0068] The method preferably further comprises the step of receiving a preview image at each production unit prior to receipt of the job instructions at each production unit, and displaying the preview image together with the job instructions at each production unit.

[0069] In this way, a preview image can be displayed on the production unit's display, allowing the operator to more easily identify and / or select the job.

[0070] The job instructions include references to one or more image files to be used by a production unit, such as an imaging unit, and / or imaging settings to be used by the imaging unit.

[0071] The plurality of production units includes an imaging unit.The method further includes receiving one or more image files at the imaging unit, preferably prior to receiving the job instructions at the imaging unit.

[0072] Image files can be relatively large in size. By sending image files only to the imaging unit rather than to all production units, fewer connection and / or storage resources are used.

[0073] The job instructions include, for example, in the file name, a timestamp (eg, including the date and time), and optionally a name chosen by the creator of the file.

[0074] The method further includes the step of the production units displaying the sets of job instructions received at the respective production units in an ordered manner based on timestamps of the sets of job instructions.

[0075] The plurality of production units includes an imaging unit, wherein the representation of the identifier is generated in the relief precursor by the imaging unit.

[0076] With these features, the imaging unit creates a display, optionally based on information entered by an operator or on information from a central control means. The display has the advantage of being robust, so that it can remain fully readable even after several processes in various production units.

[0077] The plurality of production units includes at least a first set of production units upstream of a second set of production units, with production units of the same set preferably having substantially the same functionality.

[0078] The multiple production units include any one of a transport unit, a pre-processing unit, an imaging unit, an exposure unit, a development unit (such as a washer or a thermal development unit), a post-processing unit (such as a dryer), a post-exposure unit (such as a cutting unit configured to cut the plate), a mounting unit configured to mount the relief precursor onto a sleeve or another substrate, and a storage unit.

[0079] The method further includes the step of an operator reading the identifier display and selecting a corresponding job from a list of jobs stored in one of the multiple production units receiving the relief precursor.

[0080] The method further includes the step of the production unit reading the identifier indication and selecting a corresponding job from a list of jobs stored in one of the multiple production units receiving the relief precursor.

[0081] By having the operator and / or production unit select a job based on the display of the identifier, the production unit can use the most appropriate parameters for processing the relief precursors passing through it. Additionally, the order of jobs may be influenced, for example to process certain jobs with higher priority.

[0082] The identifier is attached to or integrated into the relief precursor or into a carrier, such as a carriage, that transports the relief precursor.

[0083] One of the multiple production units has a display, and the method further includes displaying a subset of job instructions received at the production unit, the subset corresponding to jobs that have been processed or are being processed by and can be executed by a production unit immediately downstream of the production unit.

[0084] Thanks to these features, only jobs that can be performed or are in the process of being performed by the production unit are displayed: the display does not show jobs that cannot be performed by the production unit in question, thereby preventing the selection of jobs that cannot be performed by this production unit.

[0085] The subset includes jobs immediately downstream of the respective production unit for which a message (M2) has been received from the downstream production unit indicating that a relief precursor has been or will be processed by that downstream production unit.

[0086] With these features, whether a received job instruction will be displayed depends not only on the production unit receiving the job instruction, but also on downstream production units downstream of that production unit.

[0087] The plurality of production units includes at least a set of production units having substantially the same primary functions but different optional functions, and the received job instructions are displayed only on the production units having the appropriate optional functions.

[0088] These features ensure that if a received job instruction requires some optional feature that is present only in some production units, only production units that have the optional feature will be instructed to execute the job instruction.

[0089] Any feature of any one aspect of the present disclosure may be combined with any feature of any other aspect(s) of the present disclosure.

[0090] The present disclosure also relates to a central control means configured to control a relief plate production system, preferably for use in the method described above, comprising a plurality of production units, the central control means being configured to transmit job instructions to each of the plurality of production units, said job instructions including at least an identifier of a relief plate to be produced from a relief precursor.

[0091] This central control means may comprise any one of the following features, or any technically possible combination:

[0092] Transmitting includes broadcasting the job instructions.

[0093] Transmitting includes transmitting the job instructions upon receiving a request for one of the plurality of production units and / or upon detecting that one of the plurality of production units is being turned on or reactivated.

[0094] The central control means is adapted to receive a message when each production unit of the plurality of production units is to start, has started, or has finished a job corresponding to the job instruction, and in response thereto: notifying at least one other production unit that no longer needs to perform the job to remove the job instruction; each production unit notifying at least one other production unit downstream of the respective production unit that the respective production unit will start, has started, or has finished a job corresponding to the job instruction; The device is further configured to perform at least one of the following:

[0095] The job instruction includes one or more lookup parameters for searching for one or more configuration parameters stored in the production unit, and preferably the one or more lookup parameters include at least one of the type of precursor, the thickness of the precursor, information about the size of the precursor, and a client identifier.

[0096] The job instructions include a reference to a preview image, and the central control means is preferably arranged to transmit the preview image prior to transmission of the job instructions.

[0097] The job instructions include references to one or more image files to be used by a production unit, such as an imaging unit, and / or imaging settings to be used by the imaging unit, and the central control means is configured to transmit the one or more image files to the imaging unit, preferably prior to transmission of the job instructions.

[0098] The central control means is configured to generate job instructions whereby the job instructions include, for example, in their file names, a timestamp (e.g., including the date and time) and, optionally, a name selected by the creator of the file.

[0099] The central control means is configured to keep track of job instructions and corresponding jobs transmitted to the plurality of production units, and maintains a database storing, for each job instruction, which one or more production units have performed the job and / or are scheduled to perform the job, optionally together with time data relating to when the job was performed or when the job is scheduled to be performed.

[0100] The present disclosure also relates to a production unit of a relief plate production system, preferably for use in a method according to any one of the preceding claims, said production unit being configured to receive job instructions including at least an identifier of a relief plate to be produced from a relief precursor, to store the job instructions in a list of job instructions, to receive a representation of the relief precursor and its identifier, and to process the relief precursor according to the received job instructions, wherein the identifier is assigned to the relief precursor at the start of the process and serves as an identifier throughout the process and for the resulting relief plate.

[0101] This production unit may comprise any one of the following features, or any technically possible combination:

[0102] The production unit is further configured to send a request to the central control means to receive job instructions potentially intended for the production unit, and in response thereto receive said job instructions from the central control means and store those job instructions; and / or the production unit is configured to signal to the central control means that the production unit is being switched on or reactivated, and in response thereto receive said job instructions and store those job instructions.

[0103] When the production unit is about to start, has started, or has finished a job corresponding to the job instruction, a message for informing at least one other production unit that no longer needs to execute the job to remove the job instruction; A message for informing at least one other production unit downstream of this production unit that this production unit will start, has started, or has finished a job corresponding to the job instruction; The device is further configured to transmit at least one of:

[0104] The job instructions include one or more lookup parameters for searching for one or more configuration parameters stored in the production unit, preferably the one or more lookup parameters include at least one of the following: plate type, plate thickness, information about plate size, client identifier, and the production unit is configured to set the one or more configuration parameters based on the one or more lookup parameters.

[0105] The job instructions include a reference to or a preview image, and the production unit is configured to receive the preview image, preferably prior to receiving the job instructions, and to display the preview image together with the job instructions.

[0106] The production unit is an imaging unit, the job instructions include references to one or more image files to be used by the imaging unit and / or imaging settings to be used by the imaging unit, and the imaging unit is configured to receive the one or more image files, preferably prior to receiving the job instructions.

[0107] The imaging unit is preferably configured to image to generate a representation of the identifier in the relief precursor based on the received job instructions.

[0108] The job instructions include, for example in their file names, a timestamp (e.g., including date and time) and, optionally, a name chosen by the creator of the file, and the production unit is configured to display a list of received job instructions in an orderly manner based on the timestamps of the job instructions.

[0109] The production unit is further configured to transmit the received job instructions to one or more other production units downstream from the production unit.

[0110] The production unit is or includes any one of a transport unit, a pre-processing unit, an imaging unit, an exposure unit, a development unit (such as a washer or a thermal development unit), a post-processing unit (such as a dryer), a post-exposure unit (such as a cutting unit configured to cut the plate), a mounting unit configured to mount the relief precursor onto a sleeve or another substrate, and a storage unit.

[0111] The production unit is further configured to read an identifier indicia on the received relief precursor and to select a corresponding job from a list of jobs stored in the production unit.

[0112] The production unit further comprises a display and is further configured to display a subset of job instructions received at the production unit, the subset corresponding to jobs that have been processed or are being processed by another production unit immediately downstream of the production unit and that can be executed by the production unit.

[0113] The subset includes jobs for which a message (M2) has been received from another production unit immediately downstream of the production unit to indicate that a relief precursor has been or will be processed by the downstream production unit.

[0114] The present disclosure also relates to a relief plate production system comprising a central control means as described above and a plurality of production units as described above.

[0115] The above and further aspects of the present disclosure will be explained in more detail hereinafter based on several embodiments, which will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0116] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates a basic embodiment according to a first aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 shows a more complete embodiment according to a first aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] 3 shows another embodiment according to the first aspect of the present disclosure, the embodiment in FIG. 3 having fewer production units than the embodiment in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 4 shows another embodiment according to the first aspect of the present disclosure, the embodiment in FIG. 4 having fewer production units than the embodiment in FIG. 3. [Figure 5] 5 illustrates an embodiment according to a first aspect of the present disclosure, showing the removal of some job instructions from a particular production unit. FIG. 5 also illustrates communication between a particular production unit and production units downstream of that particular production unit. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 shows an embodiment similar to that in FIG. 5, in which removal of some job instructions is performed via a central control means. [Figure 7]FIG. 10 illustrates an embodiment according to a second aspect of the present disclosure, in which the most upstream production unit sends job instructions to all downstream production units. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 illustrates an embodiment similar to that in FIG. 7, having two most upstream production units receiving job instructions from a central control means, with one of the most upstream production units then transmitting job instructions to its downstream production units. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 illustrates an embodiment according to a second aspect of the present disclosure, in which an upstream production unit sends job instructions to a production unit immediately downstream of the upstream production unit. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment according to a third aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 illustrates a variation on the embodiment in FIG. 10, in which a mobile device sends job instructions to a production unit downstream of an unconnected production unit. [Figure 12] 10A to 10C are diagrams showing some examples of the contents of job instructions. [Figure 13-1] 10 is a flow chart for when a production unit displays only a subset of received job instructions corresponding to jobs that can or are ready to be executed by the production unit. [Figure 13-2] 10 is a flow chart for when a production unit displays only a subset of received job instructions corresponding to jobs that can or are ready to be executed by the production unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0117] Flexography or letterpress printing is a commonly used technique for high volume printing. A flexographic or letterpress printing plate is a relief plate with printing elements, typically called reliefs or dots, protruding above the non-printing elements to produce an image on a recording medium such as paper, cardboard, film, foil, laminate, etc. Cylindrical shaped printing plates or sleeves can also be used.

[0118] There are various methods for preparing flexographic printing plate precursors. According to conventional methods, flexographic printing plate precursors are prepared from a multilayer substrate including a backing layer and one or more photohardening layers (also called photosensitive layers). These photohardening layers are imaged to obtain a relief plate by exposure to electromagnetic radiation through a mask layer containing image information or by direct selective exposure to light, for example by scanning the plate to transfer the image information.

[0119] The relief precursor comprises, for example, a mask layer, a substrate layer, and a photosensitive layer disposed between the mask layer and the substrate layer. The relief precursor is an imaged relief precursor prior to exposure of the relief precursor to electromagnetic radiation that hardens a portion of the photosensitive layer. The relief precursor is, for example, a digital relief precursor or an analog relief precursor. In the case of a digital relief precursor, the mask layer is an integral layer of the precursor, and imaging of the mask layer results in an ablated layer, while in the case of an analog relief precursor, the mask layer is typically a separate layer, such as a film, that comprises areas that are transparent to the radiation and areas that are not transparent to the radiation, and that is attached to the relief precursor prior to exposure to the electromagnetic radiation. For example, a non-transparent ablatable layer on the substrate layer can be used, and structures can be generated by ablation, or the transmittance of a layer of a film can be modified by exposure to a laser.

[0120] 1 to 4 show several embodiments according to a first aspect of the present disclosure.

[0121] FIG. 1 illustrates one of the most basic embodiments under the first aspect of the present disclosure. FIG. 1 shows a relief plate production system 10. The relief plate production system 10 comprises a plurality of production units 100, 100′, 200. The plate production system 10 also comprises at least a central control means 50 configured to control the plurality of production units 100, 100′, 200. According to the first aspect of the present disclosure, initially, each of the plurality of production units 100, 100′, 200 receives a job instruction from the central control means 50. The job instruction includes at least an identifier of a relief plate 14 to be produced from a relief precursor 12. The content of the job instruction will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 12.

[0122] After the multiple production units 100, 100', 200 receive the job instructions, one production unit 100 of the multiple production units 100, 100', 200 receives the relief precursor 12 and an indication of the identifier of the relief precursor 12. The one production unit 100 then processes the relief precursor 12 according to the received job instructions. After processing by the one production unit 100, the relief precursor 12 may already be a relief plate 14, or the relief precursor 12 may require further processing before becoming a relief plate 14.

[0123] 1 shows that the production unit 100 receives the relief precursor 12 and performs processing according to the received job instructions, it is equally possible that the relief precursor 12 is received by the production unit 100′ or the production unit 200 instead of or in addition to the production unit 100. For example, after or before one production unit 100 processes the relief precursor 12, another production unit 100′, 200 of the plurality of production units 100, 100′, 200 receives the relief precursor 12 and an indication of the identifier of the relief precursor 12. The other production unit 100′, 200 then processes the relief precursor 12 according to the received job instructions. The job instructions received by the other production unit 100′, 200 may be the same as or different from the job instructions received by the one production unit 100.

[0124] According to some embodiments, the indications of the identifiers may be received by different production units at different moments, but all before the start of any processing by any production unit.

[0125] Generally, in the figures of the present application, the production units that receive the relief precursor 12 are shaded.

[0126] The multiple production units 100, 100', 200 may perform substantially the same process on the relief precursor 12. Alternatively, at least one of the production units 100, 100', 200 may perform a process that is different from the process performed by the other production units.

[0127] According to some embodiments, such as those shown in Figures 1-4 and 10, the method includes broadcasting job instructions by the central control means 50 to the plurality of production units 100, 100', 200. Broadcasting here means sending the job instructions to all production units, and preferably means sending the same job instructions to all production units.

[0128] According to some embodiments, the broadcasted job instructions are not displayed on the production unit.

[0129] According to some embodiments, the method further comprises the step of sending job instructions by the central control means 50 upon request of a production unit 100 of the plurality of production units 100, 100', 200 and / or when a production unit 100 of the plurality of production units 100, 100', 200 is switched on or reactivated. For the latter case, when the production unit is switched on, the production unit can send a message to the central control means 50 to inform the central control means 50. Alternatively, the central control means 50 detects when the production unit 100 is available without any message from the production unit 100. According to some embodiments, if at least one production unit requests job instructions from the central control means 50, the job instructions sent to the at least one production unit are identical. According to some embodiments, if at least two production units request job instructions from the central control means 50, the job instructions are sent simultaneously.

[0130] The embodiments in FIGS. 2 to 4 show that the plurality of production units includes at least a set of production units 200, 200′, 300, 300′, 400, 400′, 400″. One production unit 200, 300′, 400 is one of the set of production units 200, 200′, 300, 300′, 400, 400′, 400″. Preferably, the production units in the same set perform substantially the same function in plate production. According to the embodiment in FIG. 4, the set of production units includes a set of development units 300, 300′ and a set of post-processing units 400, 400′, 400″ downstream of the set of development units 300, 300′. According to the embodiment in FIG. 3, the set of production units further includes a set of exposure units 200, 200′ upstream of the set of development units 300, 300′, in addition to the set in FIG. 4. According to the embodiment in FIG. 2, the production system 10 further comprises, in addition to the set in FIG. 3, a set of imaging units 100, 100' upstream of the set of exposure units 200, 200'.

[0131] The imaging units 100, 100' are configured to image the mask layer and are, for example, imagers comprising means for generating and controlling at least one beam of electromagnetic radiation. The imagers can be flatbed devices or internal or external drum devices, the latter of which can comprise a rotating drum. The imaging units 100, 100' are configured to image the mask layer on the precursor 12 using converted image files and / or imaging instructions generated by a control module, for example by the central control means 50.

[0132] According to various aspects of the present disclosure, a representation of the identifier is generated in the relief precursor 12 by the imaging unit 100, 100′. The content of the identifier will be explained below with reference to Figure 12. According to some embodiments, the identifier is already visible to the human eye even before the relief precursor 12 is exposed by the exposure unit 200, 200′.

[0133] The identifier is, for example, attached to or integrated into the relief precursor 12. Alternatively, the identifier is attached to or integrated into a carrier, such as a carriage, that transports the relief precursor. The carrier is, for example, wirelessly linked to the production unit. Alternatively, the carriage can have multiple screws, each of which can occupy at least two positions. Through the combination of the screw positions, information about the precursor type on the carriage can be obtained. For example, there are three screws on the carriage, each of which has two positions. In this configuration, the screws can have a total of eight possible combinations, which can represent eight plate types. According to some embodiments, the carriage can be identified, for example, by an RFID tag.

[0134] The exposure unit 200, 200' is configured to expose the precursor 12 to electromagnetic radiation, thereby curing portions of the photosensitive layer. The electromagnetic radiation can have a wavelength in the range of 200-2000 nm, and is preferably ultraviolet (UV) radiation having a wavelength in the range of 200-450 nm. The electromagnetic radiation changes the properties of the exposed portions of the photosensitive layer, such that in a subsequent development unit 300, 300', the unexposed portions of the photosensitive layer are removed by the development unit. Flat or cylindrical relief printing plates can be formed.

[0135] The developing units 300, 300′ are configured to develop the exposed relief precursor by removing portions of the photosensitive layer that were not exposed to electromagnetic radiation and therefore not hardened. Those skilled in the art are familiar with various methods of exposing the relief precursor 12 to electromagnetic radiation and developing the exposed relief precursor, including wet processes using water, aqueous solutions, or solvents, or dry processes using thermal treatment and removal of liquefied materials by suction, spraying, particle beam, adsorption or absorption into the developing material.

[0136] The post-treatment units 400, 400', 400'' are configured to perform treatments after the relief plate has been developed by the development units 300, 300'. Such post-treatments can be exposure to electromagnetic radiation (e.g., UV light), to a liquid, or to a gas, or a combination thereof.

[0137] More generally, the plurality of production units include any one of a transfer unit, a pre-treatment unit, an imaging unit, an exposure unit, a development unit (such as a washer or a thermal development unit), a post-treatment unit (such as a dryer), a post-exposure unit (such as a cutting unit configured to cut the plate), a mounting unit configured to mount the relief precursor onto a sleeve or another substrate, and a storage unit. The pre-treatment unit can include any production unit that performs processing before imaging and / or exposure. The post-treatment unit can include any production unit that performs processing after development of the relief plate.

[0138] According to some embodiments, the production units 100, 100', 200, 200', 300, 300', 400, 400', 400'' can locally store the job instructions they receive in their memory. Additionally or alternatively, the production units 100, 100', 200, 200', 300, 300', 400, 400', 400'' can store a list of jobs that can be executed by the production unit. Each job on the list corresponds, for example, to at least one processing parameter that the production unit can provide to the relief precursor 12. The processing parameters may include imaging resolution, size of the imaging area, size of the imaging beam, shape of the imaging beam, intensity of the imaging beam, number of beams, imaging speed (rotation speed), presence and / or location and / or type of surface screening, vacuum level, focus information such as in focus or out of focus, partial exposure (e.g., only a portion of the image file is imaged), transport means (e.g., carrier, dolly, endless belt, robotic arm), transport direction, start and / or end of transport, transport speed, transport orientation, exposure time, exposure intensity, exposure speed, exposure The parameters can be one or more of the following and can be combined in any possible combination: size of the area to be exposed, exposure cycle, exposure profile, wavelength of electromagnetic radiation for exposure, exposure dose, distance from precursor to light source, type of development (e.g., solvent water or heat), development conditions, relief depth, bed height, development time, development speed, development temperature, developer, developer material, development cycle, drying method, drying time, drying temperature, drying location, post-exposure wavelength, post-exposure time, post-exposure intensity, post-exposure location, storage location, storage time, storage temperature, cutting information, cutting marks, cutting lines, registration marks.

[0139] As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the central control means 50 is capable of sending job instructions to all of the developing units 300, 300′. The central control means 50 is capable of sending job instructions to all of the post-processing units 400, 400′, 400″. The central control means 50 is capable of sending job instructions to all of the exposure units 200, 200′. The central control means 50 is capable of sending job instructions to all of the imaging units 100, 100′.

[0140] According to some embodiments, the central control means 50 unicasts / multicasts different job instructions to different sets of production units. For example, the central control means 50 multicasts a first job instruction to one or all of the imaging units 100, 100'. For example, the central control means 50 multicasts a second job instruction to one or all of the exposure units 200, 200'. For example, the central control means 50 multicasts a third job instruction to one or all of the development units 300, 300'.

[0141] According to some embodiments, the image files can be unicast / multicast only to the imaging unit(s) 100, 100', rather than to all production units.

[0142] Preferably, the relief precursor 12 can be moved from any one of the production units in one set of production units to any one of the production units in another set of production units. For example, the relief precursor 12 can be moved from any imaging unit in the set of imaging units 100, 100′ to any exposure unit in the set of exposure units 200, 200′. For example, the relief precursor 12 can be moved from any exposure unit in the set of exposure units 200, 200′ to any development unit in the set of development units 300, 300′. For example, the relief precursor 12 can be moved from any development unit in the set of development units 300, 300′ to any post-treatment unit in the set of post-treatment units 400, 400′, 400″. In the figures, solid open arrows represent paths actually taken by the relief precursor 12, while dashed open arrows represent paths that the relief precursor 12 could have taken but did not actually take.

[0143] According to some embodiments, such as represented in Figures 5 and 6, the method further comprises the step of removing job instructions from any other production units of the set of production units that have not received the relief precursor 12. As presented in Figure 5, the upper exposure unit 200 of the set of exposure units 200, 200' has received the relief precursor 12. Job instructions sent to the lower exposure unit 200' of the set of exposure units 200, 200' that has not received the relief precursor 12 are removed. Similarly, the lower developer unit 300' of the set of developer units 300, 300' has received the relief precursor 12. Job instructions sent to the upper developer unit 300 of the set of developer units 300, 300' that has not received the relief precursor 12 are removed. The upper post-processing unit 400 has received the relief precursor 12. Job instructions sent to other post-processing units 400', 400'' of the set of post-processing units 400, 400', 400'' that have not received a relief precursor 12 are removed.

[0144] According to some embodiments, the method comprises a step of sending a message M1 (indicated by a dotted arrow) by one production unit to any other production unit of the set, either directly (as is the case in FIG. 5) or via the central control means 50 (as is the case in FIG. 6). The message M1 indicates that one production unit of the set has processed a relief precursor 12, or has started to process a relief precursor 12, or has received a relief precursor 12. Directly in this context means sending the message M1 between the production units of the set without going via the central control means. The message M1 is preferably sent by the production unit that has received the relief precursor 12. The message M1 contains, for example, an instruction to the other production units of the set to remove the job instructions that they have received.

[0145] According to some embodiments, such as the embodiment shown in FIG. 5 , the method further comprises a step of sending a message M2 (indicated by a dashed arrow) by one production unit to the other production units, either directly or via the central control means 50. The message M2 indicates that the relief precursor processed by one production unit is ready to be processed by the other production units. The one production unit here does not have to belong to the same set as the other production units. The message M2 is preferably sent from the production unit that has received the relief precursor 12. For example, the message M2 is sent from a production unit to another production unit downstream of the production unit. According to some embodiments, the message M2 is sent from a production unit to some or all of the production units downstream of the production unit. According to some embodiments, the message M2 is sent to the destination of the message M2 via the central control means 50. In the embodiment in FIG. 5 , the message M2 is sent from the exposure unit 200 to the development unit 300, 300′. Alternatively or additionally, message M2 can be sent from the exposure unit to one or some or all of the post-processing units 400, 400', 400". Optionally, the method also comprises displaying job instructions for the relief precursor on a display of the other production unit. Message M2 for example comprises a command for displaying the job instructions on a display of the other production unit.

[0146] 7-9 illustrate several embodiments under the second aspect of the present disclosure. The plate production system 10 comprises a plurality of production units. The plurality of production units includes at least a first production unit 100, 100′ and a set of second production units 200, 200′, 300, 300′, 400, 400′, 400″ immediately downstream of the first production unit 100, 100′. According to the embodiment in FIGS. 7-9, the plurality of production units includes the set of first production units 200, 200′. Preferably, the first and / or second production units in the set perform substantially the same function in the plate production process.

[0147] According to some embodiments, the first production unit 200, 200' is an exposure unit. According to some embodiments, the second production unit 300, 300' is a development unit.

[0148] According to the embodiment in Figures 7-9, the plate production system 10 also comprises at least an imaging unit 100 upstream of the first production unit 200, 200'. The plate production system 10 can comprise a single imaging unit 100 (Figures 7 and 9) or a set of imaging units 100, 100' (Figure 8). Preferably, the imaging units in a set perform substantially the same functions in the plate production process.

[0149] Under a second aspect of the present disclosure, the method first includes receiving a job instruction at a first production unit 200, 200′, the job instruction including at least an identifier of a relief plate 14 to be produced from a relief precursor 12.

[0150] The relief precursor 12 and a representation of the relief plate's identifier are then received in a first production unit 200, 200', which then processes said relief precursor 12 according to the received instructions.

[0151] The job order is then removed from the first production unit 200, 200'.

[0152] According to some embodiments, such as those shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the first production unit is part of a set of first production units 100, 100′, 200, 200′. Preferably, the first production units in the set perform substantially the same function in the plate production process. The method includes, for example, receiving a job instruction at all first production units of the set. The method then includes sending a message M1 by the first production unit 100′, 200′ to any other first production unit 100, 200 of the set to remove the job instruction when the first production unit 100′, 200′ has processed, started to process, or received a relief precursor 12. Upon receiving the message M1, the other first production unit 100, 200 removes the job instruction from its list of job instructions. In these embodiments, the first production unit can be an imaging unit 100, 100' and / or an exposure unit 200, 200' and / or a development unit 300, 300'.

[0153] According to some embodiments, message M1 can be sent to the central control means 50, and the removal of job instructions from any other production unit of the set is performed centrally by the central control means 50. In these embodiments, even if there is no message M1 by one production unit to any other production unit of the set, the job instructions of any other production unit of the set can still be removed.

[0154] The job instructions are received at the first production unit 200, 200′ from the imaging unit 100, 100′ or from the central control means 50. According to some embodiments, such as the embodiment shown in Figure 8, the imaging unit 100′ is part of a set of imaging units. The method includes receiving the job instructions from the central control means 50 at the set of imaging units 100, 100′.

[0155] The first production unit 200' then transmits a second job instruction to the set of second production units 300, 300', said second job instruction including at least an identifier.

[0156] According to some embodiments, such as those in Figures 7 and 8, the transmitting includes transmitting the job instructions by the first production unit 100, 100' to all production units 200, 200', 300, 300' downstream of the first production unit 100, 100'. Alternatively, as shown, for example, in Figure 9, the first production unit 100 transmits the job instructions only to a set of second production units 200, 200' immediately downstream of the first production unit 100. Under this embodiment, the method preferably further includes transmitting a third job instruction by the second production unit 200 to a third production unit 300 immediately downstream of the second production unit 200 or to a set of third production units 300, 300' immediately downstream of the second production unit 200. More generally, according to some embodiments under the second aspect of the present disclosure, each production unit only transmits the job instructions to the production unit(s) immediately downstream of that production unit. The downstream production unit(s) then in turn send further job instructions to the further and immediately downstream production units of the downstream production unit(s). An example of these embodiments is shown in Figure 9.

[0157] If the second production units 300, 300' have successfully received job instructions from the first production unit 200, according to some embodiments, at least one of the second production units 300, 300' may ask the central control means 50 for instructions in the absence of instructions coming from the first production unit 200. More generally, a production unit may ask the central control means 50 for instructions in the absence of job instructions coming from a production unit upstream or immediately upstream of that production unit.

[0158] According to some embodiments, the first production unit 200, 200' is an exposure unit and the set of second production units 300, 300' is a set of developing units. Alternatively, the first production unit is an imaging unit 100, 100' and the second production unit is an exposure unit 200, 200' or a developing unit 300, 300'. Alternatively, the first production unit is an imaging unit 100, 100', the second production unit is an exposure unit 200, 200' and the third production unit is a developing unit 300, 300'.

[0159] The processed relief precursor is then received in one of a set of second production units 300, 300′, and said relief precursor is then processed by the one second production unit 300, 300′ according to the received second job instruction.

[0160] According to some embodiments, after receiving the relief precursor at the one second production unit 300, 300′, the one second production unit reads the indication of the identifier, and then retrieves the second job instructions from the memory of the one second production unit based on the read indication.

[0161] According to some embodiments, at least one of the production units, and possibly all of the production units, only receives the identifier, and the job instructions are stored in a memory of at least one of the production units, and possibly all of the production units.

[0162] Finally, the second job instruction is removed from all second production units 300, 300' of the set. According to some embodiments, this step comprises sending a message M1 by one second production unit 300 to any other second production unit 300' of the set to remove the second job instruction when that one second production unit 300 has processed, or started processing, or received a relief precursor 12. Upon receiving message M1, the other second production unit 300' removes the second job instruction from its list of job instructions.

[0163] According to some embodiments, the status of at least one, preferably all, production units in the relief plate production system 10, such as whether a job has started on a production unit or whether a job has finished on a production unit, is updated in real time to the central control means 50. In this way, the central control means 50 is able to keep accurate track of jobs corresponding to transmitted job instructions.

[0164] According to some embodiments, after a production unit has received the relief plate precursor 12 and an indication of the identifier of this relief plate precursor 12, this production unit asks the central control means 50 whether it is allowed to start processing the relief plate precursor 12 according to the received job instructions. According to one embodiment, if two operators select the same job in two production units, the central control means 50 instructs the production unit whose job is selected earlier to start the job and asks the production unit whose job is selected later not to start the job.

[0165] According to some embodiments, after the relief plate production system 10 has finished processing the relief plate precursor, at least parameters of the relief plate are measured, such as the relief depth and / or dot characteristics of at least an area of ​​the relief plate. The measured parameters are then transmitted to the central control means 50. In this manner, the central control means 50 is able to record the properties of the relief plate produced by the relief plate production system 10. The measurements are performed, for example, by the production unit that processed the relief plate precursor and / or by a measurement unit separate from at least one of the production units.

[0166] The measurement data preferably includes data regarding the physical properties of the processed relief plate precursor, such as the plate thickness and / or the bed thickness of the processed relief plate precursor, and / or measurement data based on the measured printing results, such as the lowest stable tone value produced in the relief plate and / or dot gain. The lowest stable tone value is determined, for example, through visual inspection using a microscope on a printed test image including fields with distinct tone values. The dot gain is determined, for example, by using a color densitometer on the printed test image. Using these measurement data, the relief plate report can provide an accurate representation of the results of the processing performed on the relief plate precursor, which can be useful in pinpointing the cause of any potential problems on the relief plate.

[0167] Further measurement data relating to the properties of the relief precursor or the relief are selected from the group of precursor thickness, finished plate thickness, bed thickness, relief depth, minimum tone value, tone value curve, dot gain curve, size of separated dots, negative line depth, positive line width, line straightness, negative dot depth, dot shape, shoulder angle, dot roundness (assessed on a scale from round top to flat top), mid-depth of tone value field, hardness, surface energy of the bed and / or printing features (e.g. using contact angle measurements), elasticity, modulus of elasticity, curl tendency, anisotropy, roughness, resilience or combinations thereof.

[0168] Optionally, the measurement data includes production unit-related data and / or data related to the environment surrounding the production unit, such as the temperature of the relief plate precursor before and / or during and / or after processing, and / or the temperature within at least one production unit. Such production unit and / or environmental data can further assist in analyzing and optimizing the relief plate manufacturing process. For example, if the quality of the printing result is reduced or increased without any changes to the manufacturing process, such parameters can assist in understanding where the manufacturing process should be adjusted or better controlled.

[0169] Optionally, the measurement data includes data based on the results of printing with the processed plates, and optionally further includes printing-related data such as type of ink, type of print medium, etc. For example, a client performing a printing process can provide feedback on the quality of the print results obtained with a particular type of ink and print medium, so that it can be more directly derived whether any potential problems come from the manufacturing of the relief plate itself or from a step in the printing process.

[0170] The measurements can be performed when the plates are finished, but can also be performed between different processing steps in different production units. For example, the method can include performing measurements on plates processed in one production unit of the plurality of production units and transmitting the results of the measurements to a central control means by the production unit and / or by a computer terminal, preferably a mobile terminal. The measurements can be performed in the production unit and / or in a separate measurement unit. The measurements can also be performed by an operator and entered by the operator into a computer terminal, which transmits the measurement results to the central control means.

[0171] 10 and 11 show some embodiments under the third aspect of the present disclosure. The relief plate production system 10 comprises a plurality of production units. The plurality of production units includes at least one connected production unit 100, 100', 200', 300, 300', 400, 400', 400'' configured to communicate with a central control means 50 and / or with another connected production unit. The plurality of production units also includes at least one unconnected production unit 600 that is unable to communicate with the central control means 50 and / or with at least one connected production unit. The production system also comprises a mobile device 500 configured to communicate with the central control means 50 and / or with at least one connected production unit. The mobile device 500 is, for example, a tablet.

[0172] According to some embodiments, at least one unconnected production unit 600 does not understand commands from the central control means 50. According to some embodiments, at least one unconnected production unit 600 is controlled by manual input from an operator.

[0173] According to some embodiments, such as the embodiment shown in FIG. 10, the relief plate production system 10 comprises a central control means 50 .

[0174] According to some embodiments, the central control means 50 sends the job instructions to the mobile device 500. According to some embodiments, the central control means 50 sends the job instructions directly to at least one connected production unit, for example, directly to all connected production units (see, for example, FIG. 10 ), or to all connected production units downstream or upstream of the mobile device 500, without the mediation of the mobile device 500. Alternatively or additionally, as shown in FIG. 11 , the central control means 50 only sends the job instructions to one or several production units upstream of the mobile device 500 (the imaging unit 100 in FIG. 11 ), but not to production units downstream of the mobile device 500 and / or at the same production level as the mobile device 500. The imaging unit 100 then sends the job instructions to the mobile device 500 and to one or several connected production units.

[0175] According to some embodiments, the mobile device 500 transmits job instructions to at least one connected production unit 300, 300′, 400, 400′, 400″ downstream of the unconnected production unit 600, e.g., to all connected production units downstream of the unconnected production unit 600.

[0176] According to some embodiments, the unconnected production unit 600 performs substantially the same function in plate production as another connected production unit. In the embodiment shown in Figures 10 and 11, the unconnected production unit 600 performs substantially the same function in plate production as the exposure unit 200'. Preferably, when the unconnected production unit 600 has processed a relief precursor 12, has started to process a relief precursor 12, or has received a relief precursor 12, the mobile device 500 sends a message M1 to any other connected production unit that performs substantially the same function as the unconnected production unit 600 to remove the job instruction. Upon receiving the message M1, the connected production unit 200' removes the job instruction from its list of job instructions.

[0177] According to some embodiments, the relief plate production system 10 comprises at least two connected production units. Preferably, the at least two connected production units are able to communicate with each other, either directly or through the central control means 50. More generally, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, there is no direct communication between the production units. All communication between the production units is carried out through the central control means 50. According to some embodiments, some of the at least two connected production units belong to a set of production units, and production units in the same set have substantially the same function. Alternatively or additionally, the at least two connected production units have different functions and are configured to perform different functions in the relief plate production.

[0178] Under the third aspect of the present disclosure, first the mobile device 500 receives a job instruction, said job instruction including at least an identifier of the relief plate 14 to be produced from the relief precursor 12.

[0179] An unconnected production unit 600 of the at least one unconnected production unit then receives the relief precursor 12 and an indication of the identifier of this relief precursor 12. The unconnected production unit 600 then processes the relief precursor 12 according to the received job instructions.

[0180] According to some embodiments, an operator enters input to the unconnected production unit 600 derived from job instructions received by the mobile device 500. The input is a command understandable to the unconnected production unit 600. Alternatively, the mobile device 500 transmits job instructions to the unconnected production unit 600 without the involvement of a human operator. The mobile device 500 transmits job instructions to the unconnected production unit 600 automatically or in response to a request from the unconnected production unit 600, for example, when the unconnected production unit 600 informs the mobile device 500 that it is ready to receive instructions.

[0181] According to some embodiments, an operator enters an input into the mobile device 500 indicating that the relief precursor 12 has been or will be processed by an unconnected production unit 600.

[0182] According to some embodiments, the mobile device 500 sends a message to the central control means 50 and / or to a connected production unit 200′ of the at least one connected production unit 100, 200, 300, 400, indicating that a relief precursor 12 has been or will be processed by an unconnected production unit 600. More generally, the status of the unconnected production unit 600 can be made known to the central control means 50 and / or to at least one connected production unit via the mobile device 500. For example, the mobile device 500 is equivalent to an unconnected production unit 600 in the relief plate production system 10. An operator inputs data into the unconnected production unit 600. Additionally or alternatively, the operator inputs data relating to the unconnected production unit 600 into the mobile device 500, which then transmits the data to the central control means 50 and / or to the connected production unit.

[0183] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, an operator can enter inputs into a machine that has access to the central control means 50, which machine is separate from at least one production unit. The inputs are then transmitted to the central control means 50. In this way, the operator does not need to enter the inputs into the production unit. This provides the operator with more flexibility.

[0184] As shown in Figures 10 and 11, production system 10 can include at least a set of connected production units. Preferably, production units in the same set have substantially the same functions in the plate production process. In the embodiment shown in Figure 11, production system 10 includes a set of development units 300, 300'. In the embodiment shown in Figure 10, production system 10 includes a set of imaging units 100, 100', a set of development units 300, 300', and a set of post-processing units 400, 400', 400''.

[0185] According to some embodiments, at least a portion of the job instructions are created outside of the central control means 50, such as by layout software configured to place at least one raster image file, such as a tiff file, in an area corresponding to the relief plate precursor. According to some embodiments, the remainder of the job instructions are completed by the central control means 50, and optionally further completed by a production unit receiving that portion of the job instructions.

[0186] 12 shows some embodiments of the content of a job instruction. According to some embodiments, the job instruction comprises a name. The name comprises, for example, a timestamp. However, the timestamp can also be included in the job instruction message itself. The timestamp can indicate the moment when the job is created and is no longer in preparation. Alternatively, the timestamp indicates the moment when the job instruction(s) are sent from the central control means 50. In some embodiments, the timestamp can serve as an identifier of the relief precursor, although typically a separate identifier of the relief precursor is added. See below.

[0187] In some embodiments, the method further includes the production units displaying the set of job instructions received at each production unit in an ordered manner based on the timestamps of the set of job instructions.

[0188] In some embodiments, the job instructions may include a priority indication, in which case the priority indication may also be taken into consideration when displaying the list of job instructions. This may be particularly interesting when the production unit is an imaging unit, since this is typically the first production unit that primarily determines the time schedule.

[0189] The job instructions may also include in the name or in the message itself one or more of the following: producer name, production location, precursor production date, lot number, expiration information regarding the total number of copies printed or run length, color information about the color the relief plate will be printed in, ink information about the type or name of the ink that will be used for printing, press information such as the type or name or technology of the press that will be used, orientation information (e.g. indicating the printing direction or registration marks), cutting information (cutting marks or instructions), software information (e.g. type and release of software used to generate the image file), raster image processing conditions, operator name, quality information, information about resolution, information about surface screening applied.

[0190] The job instructions may also include an identifier, typically a unique identifier, for the relief precursor. Each job instruction has its own unique identifier that is different from the identifiers of any other job instructions. The unique identifier, according to some embodiments, is a universally unique identifier (UUID). UUIDs can be created using specific software, for example the Win32 API function UuidCreate, provided by Microsoft as part of the Windows API.

[0191] Each job preferably has a unique job identifier.

[0192] The job instructions may also include at least one lookup parameter configured to enable the production unit to determine configuration settings to be used to process the relief precursor 12. The lookup parameter may include information about the type of relief precursor 12. Alternatively, or additionally, the lookup parameter may include information about the size of the relief precursor 12. Alternatively, or additionally, the lookup parameter may include information about the thickness of the relief precursor 12. Alternatively, or additionally, the lookup parameter may include information about different processing options for the same type of relief precursor 12. For example, for one type of relief precursor 12, it may be desirable to enable plates to be processed under different parameters to meet different customer needs. For example, for plate type A with customer requirement C1, the job instructions include a first series of lookup parameters that enable the production unit to process the relief precursor 12 using setting 1. For plate type A with customer requirement C2, the job instructions include a second series of lookup parameters that enable the production unit to process the relief precursor 12 using setting 1′. For plate type B with customer requirement C1, the job instructions include a third series of lookup parameters that enable the production unit to process the relief precursor 12 using setting 2.

[0193] According to some embodiments, the job instructions include a reference to or a preview file of the relief plate 14 to be created. The preview file is, for example, a low-resolution image of the image file. The preview image is, for example, human-readable and / or understandable. The preview image includes, for example, at least one object in the image file or a lower-resolution version thereof.

[0194] According to some embodiments, the preview file includes a representation of the identifier of the relief precursor 12, for example a barcode.

[0195] According to some embodiments, the job instructions may optionally include a reference to an image file, for example a tiff file, used to image the mask layer of the relief precursor 12 .

[0196] Imaging the relief precursor 12 may require several tiff files. For example, the relief plate 14 may contain images from at least two image files. This corresponds, for example, to a situation where the print medium has two images obtained from two different image files. In this case, the job instructions include references to at least two image files.

[0197] Given the relatively large size of tiff files, it is preferred that these tiff files are sent only to the imaging units 100, 100'. Preview files are sent to all production units, such as imaging units, exposure units, and / or development units, and / or post-processing units.

[0198] According to some embodiments, the job instructions can include imaging settings for producing the relief precursor 12. The imaging settings include, for example, ablation settings for the imaging units 100, 100′ and / or exposure settings for the exposure units 200, 200′. According to embodiments in which the job instructions include references to at least two image files, the job instructions can include imaging settings for each of those image files. For example, the job instructions can include a first exposure setting for exposing a first portion of the relief precursor 12 imaged with the first image file at a lower intensity and a second exposure setting for exposing a second portion of the relief precursor 12 imaged with the second image file at a higher intensity.

[0199] Optionally, the job instructions may include commands calling for several different relief plates 14 to be produced.

[0200] According to some embodiments, the identifier and / or precursor type are alphanumeric characters inscribed on the relief precursor 12. Alternatively, the identifier and / or precursor type can be included in a barcode or QR code inscribed on the relief precursor 12.

[0201] Additionally, each image file includes a representation of an identifier and / or registration and / or cutting marks. The identifier, cutting marks, or registration marks can be inside or outside the image area. They can be included to form a printable or non-printable relief. The reliefs can be on or under the floor of the plate. The identifier can be in the form of a machine-readable code, such as a barcode, QR code, microdot, sparse mark code, multi-bit code, or a human-recognizable code, such as a graphic or alphanumeric code. The barcode can be, for example, a hash of a UUID. The identifier in this disclosure can be one or more of the identifiers described in WO 2022 / 026847 A1, which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0202] According to some embodiments, the indicia of the identifier and how the indicia are produced are those described in WO 2022 / 112342 A1, or WO 2021 / 069489 A1, or WO 2020 / 156692 A1, or WO 2020 / 043875 A1, which international publications are incorporated herein by reference.

[0203] According to some embodiments, for jobs that were created at different times and are no longer in preparation, and / or for job instructions that are submitted at different times, the job instructions have their own timestamps.

[0204] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, an operator reads the identifier display. The operator reads, for example, the plate type and / or customer requirements. The operator can also view a timestamp. The operator can also view an image of the file, for example, a thumbnail of the mask layer or an image of the relief plate to be produced. The operator then selects the corresponding job from a list of jobs stored in the production unit receiving the relief precursor 12. For example, the operator compares the received relief precursor 12 with the image of the relief plate on the display and selects the relief plate that corresponds to the received relief precursor.

[0205] According to some embodiments, at least one, and preferably each, of the production units has a display, in which case an operator selects the corresponding job, for example from a list, via the display.

[0206] According to some embodiments, the method further comprises storing all received job instructions in a list. The method may comprise displaying a subset of the received job instructions, the subset comprising jobs that are ready and / or available to be executed by the production unit. Figures 13-1 and 13-2 are flow charts illustrating steps performed by the production unit to display only the subset of received job instructions.

[0207] As shown in FIGS. 13-1 and 13-2, first, in step 1310, the production unit receives job instructions. In step 1310, the production unit also stores those job instructions in a list. Next, in step 1320, the production unit determines whether the production unit has received message M1 for one of the job instructions. If the production unit has received message M1, then in step 1330, the production unit removes that job instruction from the list of job instructions. Alternatively, if the production unit determines that it has not received message M1 for one of the job instructions, the production unit moves to step 1340 to determine whether the production unit is suitable for the job. According to some embodiments, the production unit skips steps 1320 and 1330 and proceeds directly from step 1310 to step 1340.

[0208] If the production unit determines in step 1340 that the production unit is suitable for the job, then the production unit proceeds to step 1350 to determine whether the production unit has received message M2 for one of the job instructions. If the production unit determines that the production unit has received message M2, the production unit adds this job instruction to the subset of received job instructions in step 1360. The subset corresponds to jobs that are capable of or ready to be executed by the production unit. The production unit then displays the received subset of job instructions in step 1370.

[0209] If the production unit receives the relief precursor 12 and has attached an indication of the identifier of that relief precursor 12 (step 1380), the production unit reads the indication of the identifier. A corresponding job is then selected from the list of jobs corresponding to the subset stored in the production unit in step 1390. The production unit then processes the relief precursor 12 in accordance with the received job instructions in step 13100.

[0210] According to some embodiments, the subset includes jobs for which a message M2 has been received from a downstream production unit immediately downstream of the respective production unit to indicate that the relief precursor has been or will be processed by that downstream production unit. For example, with reference to Figure 5, the exposure unit 200 receiving the relief precursor 12 receives a message M2 from one of the development units 300, 300' immediately downstream of the exposure unit 200.

[0211] Alternatively or additionally, when the production unit receives a plate, the production unit reads the identifier indication. The production unit reads, for example, a timestamp and corresponding indication. The production unit then selects a corresponding job from a list of jobs stored in the production unit based on the indication. The production unit then obtains plate type and / or customer identification information from the selected job.

[0212] Alternatively or additionally, the plurality of production units includes at least a set of production units having substantially the same primary functionality but different optional features. According to this embodiment, the received job instructions can be displayed only on the production units having the appropriate optional features. The optional features can be higher exposure intensity or whether a particular type of developer required to develop a particular type of exposed relief precursor is available in the development unit.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a relief plate production system (10), The aforementioned relief plate production system (10) A central control means (50) and at least one connected production unit (100, 100', 200', 300, 300', 400, 400', 400'') configured to communicate with at least one of the other connected production units, and, The central control means (50) and at least one unconnected production unit (600) which is incapable of communicating with at least one of the at least one of the connected production units, A plurality of production units including, Transfer unit, pre-processing unit, imaging unit, exposure unit, developing unit (washing machine or thermal developing unit, etc.), post-processing unit (dryer, etc.), post-exposure unit (cutting unit configured to cut the plate, etc.), mounting unit configured to mount the relief precursor onto a substrate such as a sleeve, storage unit, The plurality of production units, including one of the following: The central control means (50) and a mobile device (500) configured to communicate with at least one of the at least one connected production unit, Equipped with, The method described above is The step of the mobile device (500) receiving a job order, wherein the job order includes at least an identifier for a relief plate to be produced from a relief precursor, The steps include: one of the at least one unconnected production units (600) receiving the relief precursor and the identifier of the relief precursor, and processing the relief precursor in accordance with the received job command; The steps include: the mobile device (500) sending a message to at least one of the at least one connected production unit and the central control means (50), wherein the message indicates that the relief precursor has been or will be processed by the one unconnected production unit (600); Methods that include...

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the relief plate production system (10) comprises at least two connected production units, and the at least two connected production units are capable of communicating with each other directly or via a central control means (50).

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising the step of having an operator input the input obtained from the job command received by the mobile device (500) to the unconnected production unit (600).

4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising the step of having an operator input to the mobile device (500) an input indicating that the relief precursor has been or will be processed by the unconnected production unit (600).

5. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the relief plate production system (10) comprises a central control means (50), the central control means (50) transmits the job command to the mobile device (500), and transmits the job command directly to the at least one connected production unit without the mediation of the mobile device (500).

6. The method according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising the step of transmitting the job command by the mobile device (500) to at least one connected production unit (300, 300', 400, 400', 400'') of the at least one connected production unit downstream of the unconnected production unit (600).

7. A method for controlling a relief plate production system (10) comprising multiple production units, using a central control means (50) configured to control the relief plate production system (10), Each of the plurality of production units (100, 100', 200) receives a job order from the central control means (50) and stores the job order in a list of job orders, wherein the job order includes at least an identifier for a relief plate (14) to be produced from the relief precursor (12), and the identifier includes a unique identifier. After the plurality of production units receive the job instruction, one of the plurality of production units receives the relief precursor (12) and the identifier of the relief precursor (12), and processes the relief precursor (12) in accordance with the job instruction. Methods that include...

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising the step of having another production unit among the plurality of production units receive the relief precursor (12) and the identifier of the relief precursor (12) after or before the one production unit has processed the relief precursor (12), and processing the relief precursor (12) in accordance with the job instruction.

9. The method according to claim 7 or 8, further comprising the step of broadcasting the job command to the plurality of production units by the central control means (50).

10. The method according to claim 7 or 8, further comprising the step of transmitting the job command by the central control means (50) when a request is received from one of the plurality of production units, and when one of the plurality of production units is switched on or reactivated.

11. Each job has a unique job identifier. The aforementioned method, The steps include: at least one production unit requests the central control means (50) for a list of job identifiers for all available jobs; comparing the list of job identifiers of the production unit making the request with the list of job identifiers for all available jobs received from the central control means (50); and requesting the job command for at least one job having a job identifier that is on the list of job identifiers for all available jobs but is missing from the list of job identifiers of the production unit making the request; The method according to claim 7 or 8, further comprising:

12. The plurality of production units include a set of production units (200, 200', 300, 300', 400, 400', 400''), and the one production unit is one of the sets of production units (200, 200', 300, 300', 400, 400', 400''), preferably the production units in the set perform substantially the same function in plate production. The method described above is The step of removing the job instruction from the list of job instructions stored in any other production unit in the set of production units that have not received the relief precursor, The method according to claim 7 or 8, further comprising:

13. The method according to claim 12, comprising the step of transmitting a message (M1) from one of the production units to any other production unit in the set, either directly or via the central control means (50), to indicate that one of the production units has processed the relief precursor, started processing the relief precursor, or received the relief precursor.

14. The plurality of production units include a set of production units (200, 200', 300, 300', 400, 400', 400''), and the one production unit is one of the sets of production units (200, 200', 300, 300', 400, 400', 400''), preferably the production units in the set perform substantially the same function in plate production. The method described above is The steps of removing the job instruction from the list of job instructions stored in any other production unit in the set of production units that have not received the relief precursor, The process involves one production unit transmitting a message (M2) to the other production unit, either directly or via the central control means (50), indicating that the relief precursor processed by the one production unit is ready to be processed by the other production unit. Optionally, the step of displaying the job instruction relating to the relief precursor on the display of the other production unit, The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

15. A method for controlling a relief plate production system (10) comprising a plurality of production units, including at least a first production unit and a set of second production units immediately downstream of the first production unit, wherein the second production units in the set perform substantially the same function in plate production. The method described above is The first production unit receives a job order and stores the job order in a list of job orders, wherein the job order includes at least an identifier for a relief plate to be produced from a relief precursor. The first production unit receives the relief precursor and the display of the identifier, and processes the relief precursor in accordance with the job instruction. The steps of removing the job instruction from the first production unit, The first production unit transmits a second job instruction to the set of the second production unit, wherein the second job instruction includes at least one identifier. The steps include receiving the processed relief precursor in one of the sets of the second production unit and further processing the relief precursor in accordance with the second job instruction, The steps include removing the second job instructions from all second production units of the set, Methods that include...

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the transmitting step includes transmitting the job instruction by the first production unit to all production units downstream of the first production unit, or only to the set of the second production unit immediately downstream of the first production unit.

17. When one of the second production units has processed the relief precursor, started processing the relief precursor, or received the relief precursor, the first second production unit sends a message (M1) to any other second production unit in the set in order to remove the second job order, and the other second production unit removes the second job order from the list of job orders. The method according to claim 15 or 16, further comprising:

18. After receiving the relief precursor in the first second production unit, the first second production unit reads the display of the identifier, and retrieves the second job instruction from the memory of the first second production unit based on the read display. The method according to claim 15 or 16, further comprising:

19. The first production unit is part of a set of first production units, and preferably, the first production units in the set perform substantially the same function in plate production. The method described above is The steps include receiving the job instruction in all first production units of the set, When the first production unit has processed the relief precursor, started processing the relief precursor, or received the relief precursor, the first production unit sends a message (M1) to any other first production unit in the set in order to remove the job order, and the other first production unit removes the job order from the list of job orders. The method according to claim 15 or 16, including the method described in claim 15 or 16.

20. The method according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the first production unit is an exposure unit, and the set of the second production unit is a set of developing units.

21. The method according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the job command is received in the first production unit from an imaging unit (100, 100') or from a central control means (50).

22. The aforementioned imaging unit is part of a set of imaging units (100, 100'), The method described above is The set of imaging units (100, 100') receives the job command from the central control means (50), The method according to claim 21, including the method described in claim 21.

23. The method according to any one of claims 1, 2, 7, 8, 15, or 16, wherein the job instruction includes one or more lookup parameters for retrieving one or more configuration parameters stored in the production unit.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the one or more lookup parameters include at least one of the following: the type of precursor, the thickness of the precursor, information about the size of the precursor, and a client identifier.

25. The method according to any one of claims 1, 2, 7, 8, 15, or 16, wherein the job instruction includes a reference to or a preview image.

26. Preferably, before receiving the job instruction in each production unit, each production unit receives the preview image and displays the preview image together with the job instruction in each production unit. The method according to claim 25, further comprising:

27. The aforementioned job instruction, References to one or more image files that will be used by production units, such as imaging units, and The imaging settings to be used by the imaging unit, The method according to any one of claims 1, 2, 7, 8, 15, or 16, comprising at least one of the above.

28. The aforementioned plurality of production units include an imaging unit (100), The method described above is Preferably, the imaging unit receives the one or more image files before the job command is received by the imaging unit. The method according to claim 27, further comprising:

29. The method according to any one of claims 1, 2, 7, 8, 15, or 16, wherein the job instruction includes in the file name a timestamp (including, for example, a date and time), and optionally a name selected by the creator of the file.

30. The production unit displays the set of job instructions received in each of the production units in an ordered format based on the timestamp of the set of job instructions. The method according to claim 29, further comprising:

31. The method according to any one of claims 1, 2, 7, 8, 15, or 16, wherein the plurality of production units include an imaging unit (100), and the representation of the identifier is generated in the relief precursor by the imaging unit (100).

32. The method according to any one of claims 1, 2, 7, 8, 15, or 16, wherein the plurality of production units include at least a first set of production units upstream of a second set of production units, and the production units of the same set preferably have substantially the same function.

33. The operator reads the display of the identifier and selects a corresponding job from the list of jobs stored in one of the multiple production units that have received the relief precursor. The method according to any one of claims 1, 2, 7, 8, 15, or 16, further comprising:

34. The production unit reads the display of the identifier and selects a corresponding job from the list of jobs stored in one of the multiple production units that has received the relief precursor. The method according to any one of claims 1, 2, 7, 8, 15, or 16, further comprising:

35. The method according to any one of claims 1, 2, 7, 8, 15, or 16, wherein the identifier is attached to or integrated with the relief precursor or with a carrier such as a trolley that transports the relief precursor.

36. One of the aforementioned plurality of production units has a display, The method further includes the step of displaying a subset of the job instructions received in the production unit, The method according to any one of claims 1, 2, 7, 8, 15, or 16, wherein the subset corresponds to jobs that have been processed or are being processed by a production unit immediately downstream of the production unit and that can be executed by the production unit.

37. The method according to claim 36, wherein the subset includes jobs, and for the jobs, a message (M2) is received from the downstream production unit to indicate that the relief precursor has been or will be processed by the production unit immediately downstream of each of the production units.

38. The plurality of production units include at least a set of production units having substantially the same main function while having separate optional functions, The method according to any one of claims 1, 2, 7, 8, 15, or 16, wherein received job orders are displayed only on production units having appropriate optional functions.

39. The steps include: performing a measurement on a plate processed in one of the plurality of production units; and transmitting the measurement result to the central control means by at least one of the production unit, the measurement unit, and a computer terminal, preferably a mobile terminal; The method according to any one of claims 1, 2, 7, 8, 15, or 16, further comprising:

40. A central control means configured for use in the method according to any one of claims 1, 2, 7, 8, 15, or 16, to control a relief plate production system (10), A central control means comprising multiple production units and configured to transmit job commands to each of the multiple production units (100, 100', 200), wherein the job command includes at least an identifier for a relief plate (14) to be produced from a relief precursor (12), and the identifier includes a unique identifier.

41. The central control means according to claim 40, wherein the transmission includes broadcasting the job instruction.

42. The aforementioned transmission is, Transmitting the job command at least when a request is received from one of the multiple production units, and when it is detected that one of the multiple production units has been switched on or reactivated. The central control means according to claim 40, including the central control means according to claim 40.

43. Each of the aforementioned multiple production units is: It is configured to receive messages when a job command and the corresponding job are to be started, started, or finished. In response to the aforementioned message, To inform at least one other production unit that no longer needs to execute the job to remove the job instruction, Each of the production units shall inform at least one other production unit downstream of it that it is about to start, has started, or has finished the job corresponding to the job instruction. It is configured to do at least one of the following: The central control means according to claim 40.

44. The central control means according to claim 40, wherein the job instruction includes one or more lookup parameters for retrieving one or more configuration parameters stored in the production unit, preferably the one or more lookup parameters include at least one of the following: the type of the precursor, the thickness of the precursor, information about the size of the precursor, and a client identifier.

45. The central control means according to claim 40, wherein the job command includes a reference to a preview image, and the central control means is configured to transmit the preview image, preferably before the transmission of the job command.

46. The aforementioned job instruction, References to one or more image files that will be used by production units such as imaging units, and The imaging settings to be used by the imaging unit, Including at least one of the following, The central control means according to claim 40, wherein the central control means is preferably configured to transmit the one or more image files to the imaging unit before the transmission of the job command.

47. The central control means according to claim 40, wherein the central control means is configured to generate the job command, and the job command includes in its file name a timestamp (including, for example, a date and time), and optionally a name selected by the creator of the file.

48. The central control means is It is configured to track job instructions transmitted to the aforementioned multiple production units and the corresponding jobs, For each job instruction, a database is maintained that stores at least one of the following: which one or more production units executed the job, and which are scheduled to execute the job, along with time data corresponding to when the job was executed or when it was scheduled to execute. The central control means according to claim 40.

49. A production unit for a relief plate production system (10) for use in the method according to any one of claims 1, 2, 7, 8, 15, or 16, at least, Receiving a job instruction that includes an identifier for a relief plate (14) to be produced from a relief precursor (12), The aforementioned job instruction is stored in a list of job instructions. To receive the relief precursor (12) and the identifier of the relief precursor (12), and To process the relief precursor (12) according to the received job instruction, A production unit configured to perform the following, wherein the identifier includes a unique identifier.

50. The production unit is further configured to transmit a request to a central control means to receive job instructions potentially intended for the production unit, to receive the job instructions from the central control means in response, and to store those job instructions, and / or The production unit is configured to signal to the central control means that the production unit has been switched on or reactivated, and to receive and store the job command in response to that signal. The production unit according to claim 49.

51. When the production unit is about to start, has started, or has finished a job corresponding to a job instruction, A message to inform at least one other production unit that no longer needs to execute the job to remove the job instruction, and A message to inform at least one other production unit downstream of the production unit that the production unit is about to start, has started, or has finished the job corresponding to the job instruction. The production unit according to claim 49, further configured to transmit at least one of the following.

52. The job instruction includes one or more lookup parameters for retrieving one or more configuration parameters stored in the production unit, preferably the one or more lookup parameters include at least one of the following: the type of plate, the thickness of the plate, the size of the plate, and a client identifier. The production unit according to claim 49, wherein the production unit is configured to set one or more configuration parameters based on the one or more lookup parameters.

53. The production unit according to claim 49, wherein the job instruction includes a reference to or a preview image, and the production unit is configured to preferably receive the preview image and display the preview image together with the job instruction, prior to the receipt of the job instruction.

54. The production unit according to claim 49, wherein the production unit is an imaging unit, and the job command includes at least one of a reference to one or more image files to be used by the imaging unit and imaging settings to be used by the imaging unit, and the imaging unit is preferably configured to receive the one or more image files before receiving the job command.

55. The production unit according to claim 54, wherein the imaging unit is preferably configured to image the relief precursor to generate the representation of the identifier based on the received job command.

56. The job instruction includes in its file name a timestamp (including, for example, the date and time), and optionally a name selected by the creator of the file. The production unit according to claim 49, wherein the production unit is configured to display the list of received job instructions in an orderly manner based on the timestamp of the job instructions.

57. The production unit according to claim 49, further configured to transmit the received job instructions to one or more other production units downstream of the production unit.

58. The production unit according to claim 49, wherein the production unit is one of the following: a transfer unit, a pre-processing unit, an imaging unit, an exposure unit, a developing unit (such as a washing machine or a thermal developing unit), a post-processing unit (such as a dryer), a post-exposure unit (such as a cutting unit configured to cut the plate), a mounting unit configured to mount the relief precursor onto a substrate such as a sleeve, or a storage unit, or includes one of these.

59. The production unit according to claim 49, further configured to read the display of the identifier of a received relief precursor and to select a corresponding job from the list of jobs stored in the production unit.

60. The production unit further includes a display, which is further configured to display a subset of the job instructions received in the production unit. The production unit according to claim 49, wherein the subset corresponds to jobs that have been processed or are in the process of being processed by another production unit immediately downstream of the production unit and that can be executed by the production unit.

61. The subset includes jobs, The production unit according to claim 60, wherein the job receives a message (M2) from another production unit immediately downstream of the production unit to indicate that the relief precursor has been or will be processed by a downstream production unit.

62. The central control means described in claim 40, A plurality of production units according to claim 49, A relief plate production system equipped with [features / equipment].

Images