Washing apparatus and washing method

Abstract

This invention provides a washing apparatus and washing method that achieve both uniform development and prevention of residue adhesion. [Solution] This is a washing device for developing a flexographic printing plate after image exposure using a washing solution. The washing device has a developing unit that develops the flexographic printing plate, and the developing unit has a brush used for development and a drive unit that controls the rotation of the brush around its axis of rotation, and the brush removes the unexposed parts of the flexographic printing plate for development, and the brush has one axis of rotation at its center and is equipped with bristles, and when the orbital radius of the outer circumference of the brush is R and the distance from the center of the axis of rotation to the bristles closest to it is 0.05

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a washing-out apparatus and a washing-out method for developing a flexographic printing plate precursor after imagewise exposure using a washing-out liquid, and particularly relates to a washing-out apparatus and a washing-out method that define the range where the bristles of a brush used for development are provided.

Background Art

[0002] Various methods are known as development methods for printing plates using photosensitive resin plates. For example, in a development method that performs development using an aqueous developer containing water as the main component, development is carried out by washing out the uncured resin that is the unexposed portion with a brush or the like while applying the aqueous developer to the photosensitive resin plate after imagewise exposure.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a photosensitive resin plate developing apparatus in which an exposed photosensitive resin plate is immersed in a developer or sprayed with a developer to remove the unexposed portion of the resin material with a brush, the developing apparatus comprising a mechanism for causing the photosensitive resin plate and / or the brush to perform a circular motion, and a mechanism for causing the central axis of the circular motion to further perform a circular motion.

[0004] Patent Document 2 describes a plate-making apparatus for photosensitive resin plates, which has an apparatus main body composed of an upper part and a lower part pivotally attached to each other so as to be openable and closable, the lower part is provided with a fixing base for fixing the photosensitive resin plate, the upper part is provided with a cleaning brush and a drive mechanism for driving the cleaning brush, the drive mechanism is composed of a circular motion generating mechanism and a linear reciprocating motion generating mechanism that causes the circular motion generating mechanism to generate linear reciprocating motion, and the cleaning brush is arranged with its bristle tips facing downward.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

[0006] In both the developing device for a photosensitive resin plate of Patent Document 1 and the plate-making apparatus for a photosensitive resin plate of Patent Document 2, development is performed with the development target fixed, and development is carried out using a brush having a larger area than the photosensitive resin plate. When such a brush having a larger area than the resin plate is used, the in-plane pressure becomes non-uniform, resulting in portions that are developed with a strong force and portions that are not developed due to a weak force. For this reason, uniform development cannot always be achieved. When development cannot be made uniform, that is, in a portion that is developed with a strong force and has poor development uniformity, for example, the reproducibility of independent small dots deteriorates. Furthermore, during development, if a brush having a larger area than the photosensitive resin plate is used, development scum adheres and the development scum cannot be discharged from the brush, so that the development scum may adhere to the photosensitive resin plate. Adhesion of development scum to the photosensitive resin plate is not preferable because an image cannot be formed at the scum-adhered portion during printing, which causes a printing failure. However, in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, no countermeasures are taken against the adhesion of development scum. For this reason, when development scum adheres to the brush, it is difficult to remove the development scum. An object of the present invention is to provide a developing apparatus and a developing method that achieve both development uniformity and prevention of scum adhesion. MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEMS

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the invention [1] is a developing apparatus for developing a flexographic printing plate precursor after imagewise exposure using a developing solution, the apparatus comprising a developing unit configured to develop the flexographic printing plate precursor, wherein the developing unit has a brush used for development and a drive unit configured to control rotation of the brush around a rotation axis, the brush is configured to remove unexposed portions of the flexographic printing plate precursor to perform development, the brush has one rotation axis at the center of the brush and is provided with bristles, and when a trajectory radius of the outer peripheral portion of the brush is R, and a distance from the center of the rotation axis to the bristle located at the closest position is r, the relationship 0.05<r / R is satisfied. Invention [2] is the washing device described in Invention [1], wherein the drive unit controls the movement of the brush. Invention [3] is a washing device according to Invention [1] or [2], wherein the brush has a diameter of 30 to 500 mm of the rotational trajectory of the outer circumference of the brush. Invention [4] is a washing device according to any one of Inventions [1] to [3], wherein the brush has bristles with a length of 5 to 30 mm.

[0008] Invention [5] is a washing device according to any one of Inventions [1] to [4], wherein the material of the bristles is nylon 612 or nylon 610. Invention [6] is a washing device according to any one of Inventions [1] to [5], wherein the developing unit develops a flexographic printing plate by immersing it in a washing solution or by supplying a washing solution to the flexographic printing plate. Invention [7] is a washing device according to any one of Inventions [1] to [6], wherein the area of ​​the brush projected onto the surface of the flexographic printing plate is smaller than the surface area of ​​the flexographic printing plate.

[0009] Invention [8] is a washing device according to any one of Inventions [1] to [7], wherein the drive unit moves the brush in two directions perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the brush. The invention [9] is a washing device according to any one of the inventions [1] to [8], which develops by delivering a washing solution through the rotation axis of the brush to the center of the brush. Invention

[10] is a washing device according to any one of Inventions [1] to [9], wherein the drive unit has a rotating drive shaft, and the brush has a rotating shaft with a rotating axis as its central axis, and the drive unit has a drive shaft and a rotating shaft that connects the drive shaft and the rotating shaft of the brush so as to transmit the rotational force of the drive shaft of the drive unit to the rotating shaft of the brush, and has a shaft coupling that adjusts the inclination of the rotating shaft of the brush with respect to the surface of the flexographic printing plate, the inclination of the rotating shaft of the brush is adjusted by the shaft coupling, and the tip surface of the brush is positioned parallel to the surface of the flexographic printing plate. Invention

[11] is the washing-out apparatus according to any one of Inventions [1] to [9], comprising a conveying unit that conveys a flexographic printing original plate along a predetermined conveying path, wherein the conveying unit uses at least one of a belt conveying system, a roller conveying system, a gear conveying system, and a guide conveying system.

[0010] Invention

[12] is a washing-out method for developing an imagewise exposed flexographic printing original plate using a washing-out liquid, comprising a developing step of developing the flexographic printing original plate using a brush, wherein the brush removes the unexposed portion of the flexographic printing original plate to perform development, the brush has one rotating shaft at the center of the brush and is provided with bristles, and when the orbital radius of the outer peripheral portion of the brush is R and the distance from the center of the rotating shaft to the bristle located at the closest position is r, 0.05<r / R is satisfied. Invention

[13] is the washing-out method according to Invention

[12] , wherein development is performed by immersing the flexographic printing original plate in a washing-out liquid or supplying a washing-out liquid to the flexographic printing original plate. Invention

[14] is the washing-out method according to Invention

[12] or

[13] , wherein in the developing step, the inclination of the rotating shaft of the brush relative to the surface of the flexographic printing original plate is adjusted, and the tip end surface of the brush is arranged parallel to the surface of the flexographic printing original plate.

[0011] Invention

[15] is the washing-out method according to any one of Inventions

[12] to

[14] , wherein the brush has a rotation orbit diameter of the outer peripheral portion of the brush of 30 to 500 mm. Invention

[16] is the washing-out method according to any one of Inventions

[12] to

[15] , wherein the bristles of the brush have a length of 5 to 30 mm. Invention

[17] is the washing-out method according to any one of Inventions

[12] to

[16] , wherein the material of the bristles is nylon 612 or nylon 610. Invention

[18] is the washing-out method according to any one of Inventions

[12] to

[17] , wherein the area of the brush projected onto the surface of the flexographic printing original plate is smaller than the area of the surface of the flexographic printing original plate.

[0012] Invention

[19] is the washing method according to any one of Inventions

[12] to

[18] , wherein in the developing step, the brush is moved in two directions perpendicular to the rotation axis of the brush. Invention

[20] is the washing method according to any one of Inventions

[12] to

[19] , wherein in the developing step, a washing liquid is fed through the rotation axis of the brush to the center of the brush to perform development. Invention

[21] is the washing method according to any one of Inventions

[12] to

[20] , wherein the flexographic printing original plate is transported using at least one of a belt transport system, a roller transport system, a gear transport system, and a guide transport system. Effects of the Invention

[0013] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a washing apparatus and a washing method that achieve both uniform development and prevention of residue adhesion. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0014] [Figure 1] It is a schematic side cross-sectional view showing an example of the washing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a schematic plan view showing an example of the washing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] It is a schematic view showing an example of position adjustment of the flexographic printing original plate of the washing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] It is a schematic plan view showing the transport mode of the flexographic printing original plate according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] It is a schematic view showing an example of mounting of the flexographic printing original plate by the punching part of the washing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] It is a schematic view showing an example of the arrangement of brushes of the washing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] It is a side view showing an example of the brush of the washing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] It is a plan view showing an example of the brush of the washing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9]This is a schematic side cross-sectional view illustrating a development process using an example of a washing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] This is a flowchart showing a method for manufacturing a flexographic printing plate according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] This is a schematic side cross-sectional view showing another example of a washout apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] This is a schematic plan view showing another example of a washout apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] This is a schematic diagram showing the rear end pressing portion of a flexographic printing plate master in another example of the washing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] This is a schematic diagram showing another example of the rear end pressing portion of a flexographic printing plate master, which is another example of a washing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] This is a plan view showing another example of the brushes of the washing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] This is a plan view showing another example of the brushes of the washing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] This is a plan view showing another example of the brushes of the washing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 18] This is a plan view showing another example of the brushes of the washing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 19] This is a schematic diagram showing a first example of the configuration of the developing unit of a washing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 20] This is a schematic diagram showing a second example of the configuration of the developing unit of the washing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 21] This is a schematic diagram showing a third example of the configuration of the developing unit of the washing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 22] This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a method for supplying wash solution to the brush of the developing unit of a wash apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0015] The washing apparatus and washing method of the present invention will be described in detail below based on preferred embodiments shown in the attached drawings. The figures described below are illustrative examples for illustrating the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the figures shown below. In the following, the "~" indicating a numerical range includes the numbers written on both sides. For example, ε is the numerical value ε α ~Value ε β Therefore, the range of ε is the numerical value ε α and the numerical value ε β This range includes ε α ≦ε≦ε β That is the case. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, "orthogonal," "parallel," and specific angles include generally acceptable error ranges in the relevant technical field. Additionally, unless otherwise specified, numerical values ​​include generally acceptable error ranges in the relevant technical field.

[0016] [Example of a washout device] Figure 1 is a schematic side cross-sectional view showing an example of a washing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a schematic plan view showing an example of a washing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. In Figure 2, the components of the control unit 48 and other parts shown in Figure 1 are omitted. Furthermore, the developing unit 50 including the brush 51 is also omitted. The washing apparatus 10 shown in Figure 1 develops the flexographic printing plate 60 after image exposure using a washing solution Q. The following parts of the washing apparatus 10 are controlled by the control unit 48. The washing and unwashing apparatus 10 consists of a station 12, a developing tank 13, and a discharge station 14, all arranged in a continuous line. For example, the surface 12a of station 12 and the surface 14a of discharge station 14 are on the same plane. The bottom surface 13b of developing tank 13 is flat and parallel to the surface 12a of station 12. The bottom surface 13b of developing tank 13 is lower than the surface 12a of station 12 and the surface 14a of discharge station 14. Furthermore, the washing device 10 has a transport unit 16 for transporting the flexographic printing plate original 60.

[0017] On the surface 12a of station 12, the flexographic printing plate 60, after image exposure, is placed. The measuring unit 25 measures at least one of the size and thickness of the flexographic printing plate 60, as well as the position of the flexographic printing plate 60 on station 12. Station 12 is where the flexographic printing plate 60 is attached, for example, to the tip reader 30. Although not shown in the diagram, station 12 can be, for example, a belt conveyor or a roller conveyor, and a general configuration of the belt conveyor or roller conveyor can be used. In the case of a belt conveyor, the surface 12a of station 12 is the surface of the conveyor belt. In the case of a roller conveyor, the surface 12a of station 12 is the surface that contacts the multiple rollers.

[0018] Image-like exposure to the surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60 is performed using an exposure apparatus (not shown). In the flexographic printing plate 60, the exposed areas (not shown) harden and exist as hardened areas, while the unexposed areas (not shown) remain unhardened and exist as uncured areas. After the development process, the exposed areas become image areas, and the unexposed areas become non-image areas.

[0019] The developing tank 13 is where the flexographic printing plate 60 is developed. For example, a support stand 15 for supporting the flexographic printing plate 60 is placed on the bottom surface 13b of the developing tank 13. The flexographic printing plate 60 is placed and supported on the surface 15a of the support stand 15. In addition, a wash solution Q is stored in the developing tank 13.

[0020] The unloading station 14 is where the developed flexographic printing plates 60 are unloaded from the developing tank 13 and placed. At the unloading station 14, the surface shape of the developed flexographic printing plates 60 is measured and the development condition is inspected. The unloading station 14 is also where the developed flexographic printing plates 60 are dried. The discharge station 14, although not shown in the diagram, can be, for example, a belt conveyor or a roller conveyor, and a general configuration of the belt conveyor or roller conveyor can be used. In the case of a belt conveyor, the surface 14a of the discharge station 14 is the surface of the conveyor belt. In the case of a roller conveyor, the surface 14a of the discharge station 14 is the surface that contacts the multiple rollers.

[0021] The transport unit 16 transports the flexographic printing plate 60 along a predetermined transport path. The transport unit 16 transports the flexographic printing plate 60 in the transport direction D and the reverse direction DL. The transport unit 16 can move the flexographic printing plate 60 to any position in the station 12, developing tank 13, and unloading station 14. The transport direction D is the direction from station 12 towards developing tank 13. The reverse direction DL of transport direction D is the direction from discharge station 14 towards developing tank 13. In the washing device 10, the flexographic printing plate master 60 is transported in the transport direction D with its surface 60a facing the frame 20, which will be described later. This transport of the flexographic printing plate master 60 is called horizontal transport.

[0022] The transport unit 16 includes, for example, a frame 20, a guide rail 21, a ball screw 22, and a drive control unit 24. As shown in Figure 2, the frame 20 has two linear members 20a and 20b. The two linear members 20a and 20b are arranged parallel to each other and are positioned above the station 12, the developing tank 13, and the unloading station 14, along the direction in which the station 12, the developing tank 13, and the unloading station 14 are located.

[0023] Guide rails 21 are provided on two linear members 20a and 20b of the frame 20, respectively, along the direction in which the linear members 20a and 20b extend. A ball screw 22 is provided on a guide rail 21 of a linear member 20a, along the direction of extension of the linear member 20a. A ball screw 22 is also provided on a guide rail 21 of a linear member 20b, along the direction of extension of the linear member 20b. The housing 30a of the tip leader 30, described later, is screwed onto the ball screw 22. When the ball screw 22 is rotated by the drive control unit 24, the tip leader 30 moves in the transport direction D or the reverse direction DL depending on the direction of rotation. As a result, the flexographic printing plate master 60 is transported in the transport direction D and the reverse direction DL. Furthermore, if the drive control unit 24 is a servo motor equipped with an encoder, the encoder identifies the position of the member screwed onto the ball screw 22, that is, the position of the tip leader 30 and the flexographic printing plate master 60 in the transport direction. The position of the tip leader 30 and the flexographic printing plate master 60 in the transport direction can also be identified by providing a linear encoder on the member screwed onto the ball screw 22 instead of the drive control unit 24. Information regarding the positions of the tip leader 30 and the flexographic printing plate 60 in the transport direction is output from the drive control unit 24 to the control unit 48, where the control unit 48 determines the positions of the tip leader 30 and the flexographic printing plate 60 in the transport direction.

[0024] While it is preferable to provide the ball screw 22 on two linear members 20a and 20b, the configuration is not limited to this. The ball screw 22 may be located on only one of the two linear members 20a and 20b. Furthermore, the washing device 10 may be configured to have one ball screw 22 positioned midway between two linear members 20a and 20b in a direction Dw perpendicular to the conveying direction D on the station 12. When one ball screw 22 is provided between two linear members 20a and 20b in a direction Dw perpendicular to the conveying direction D on the station 12, its position is not particularly limited. During development, the transport unit 16 positions the transport position of the flexographic printing plate 60 within the developing tank 13 at a predetermined position in the transport direction D of the flexographic printing plate 60. As described later, during development, the transport unit 16 positions the flexographic printing plate 60 at transport positions P1 and P2 (see Figure 9).

[0025] As shown in Figure 1, the washing device 10 has a measuring unit 25. The measuring unit 25 is located above the station 12. The measuring unit 25 is also provided with, for example, an adjustment unit 26. The measuring unit 25 measures at least one of the following: the size and thickness of the flexographic printing plate 60, and the position of the flexographic printing plate 60 on the station 12. The measuring unit 25 determines the position of the flexographic printing plate 60 on the station 12. This determines the position of the flexographic printing plate 60, including its tilt on the station 12. The size of the flexographic printing plate 60 is also determined. The position of the flexographic printing plate master 60 on the station 12 includes the inclination with respect to a reference line (not shown) parallel to a line (not shown) perpendicular to the transport direction D on the station 12 in the direction Dw, and the position of the corner 60e (see Figure 3) on the transport direction D side of the flexographic printing plate master 60 in the direction Dw. For example, the inclination and the position of the corner 60e (see Figure 3) in the direction Dw can be determined by extracting the contour of the flexographic printing plate master 60 and using known image processing techniques or known image pattern matching from the contour information. For image pattern matching, machine learning models of flexographic printing plate masters 60 of various sizes and thicknesses can also be used. The size and thickness of the flexographic printing plate 60 obtained by the measurement unit 25, as well as the position of the flexographic printing plate 60 on the station 12, are stored, for example, in the memory 49. The information regarding the position of the flexographic printing plate 60 on the station 12 is also simply referred to as the position information of the flexographic printing plate 60.

[0026] The size and thickness of the flexographic printing plate 60, as well as the position of the flexographic printing plate 60, stored in the memory 49, are read by the control unit 48 from the memory 49 when the flexographic printing plate 60 is being transported. This information is used to adjust the position of the flexographic printing plate 60 and to position the transport position P1 and P2 (see Figure 9) of the flexographic printing plate 60 by the transport unit 16. Furthermore, the size and thickness of the flexographic printing plate 60, as well as the position of the flexographic printing plate 60, stored in the memory 49, are read by the control unit 48 from the memory 49 during development of the flexographic printing plate 60 and used to adjust the position of the brush 51 during development. From the size information of the flexographic printing plate 60, information on the length of the flexographic printing plate 60 in the transport direction D and information on the length of the flexographic printing plate 60 in direction Dw can be obtained.

[0027] The measurement unit 25 is not particularly limited as long as it can measure at least one of the size and thickness of the flexographic printing plate 60 and the position of the flexographic printing plate 60 on the station 12, as described above. The measurement unit 25 can be, for example, a measuring device equipped with a camera that images the flexographic printing plate 60, a three-dimensional measuring device using two cameras, or a three-dimensional scanner using laser light or ultrasound. The camera that images the flexographic printing plate 60 is, for example, a camera that images the flexographic printing plate 60 from above the station 12. The camera is not particularly limited as long as it can image the flexographic printing plate 60, and for example, a camera with a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) image sensor can be used. It is preferable to use a three-dimensional measuring device or a three-dimensional scanner in the measuring unit 25, as this allows for the acquisition of information regarding the size and thickness of the flexographic printing plate 60, as well as the position of the flexographic printing plate 60. For the three-dimensional measuring device, for example, those manufactured by Keyence Corporation or Mech-Mind Corporation can be used. For the three-dimensional scanner, one manufactured by Keyence Corporation can be used. Furthermore, a handheld 3D scanner can also be used. In addition, a handheld 3D scanner can be attached to a multi-axis robot, and the multi-axis robot can operate the handheld 3D scanner to acquire information on the size and thickness of the flexographic printing plate 60, as well as the position of the flexographic printing plate 60.

[0028] The adjustment unit 26 adjusts the position of the measurement unit 25. If the measurement unit 25 has, for example, a camera, a 3D measuring device, or a 3D scanner, the adjustment unit 26 changes the distance between the camera, 3D measuring device, or 3D scanner and the surface 12a of the station 12. In other words, the adjustment unit 26 adjusts the height position of the measurement unit 25 relative to the surface 12a of the station 12. The adjustment unit 26 may also change the position of the measurement unit 25 in the transport direction D. Furthermore, the adjustment unit 26 may be used to adjust the orientation of the camera, 3D measuring device, or 3D scanner, for example. The configuration of the adjustment unit 26 is not particularly limited, as long as it can change the distance between the measuring unit 25 and the surface 12a of the station 12. The adjustment unit 26 allows the measurement unit 25 to be positioned according to its measurement range.

[0029] The washing device 10 has a plate position adjustment unit 27. The plate position adjustment unit 27 changes the position of the flexographic printing plate 60 on the station 12 based on at least one of the size and thickness of the flexographic printing plate 60 measured by the measuring unit 25, and information on the position of the flexographic printing plate 60. The plate position adjustment unit 27 is, for example, a multi-axis robot. If the plate position adjustment unit 27 is a multi-axis robot, for example, when the flexographic printing plate 60 is positioned at an angle as shown in Figure 3, the plate position adjustment unit 27 uses a pair of arms 27a to grip the opposing sides 60c of the flexographic printing plate 60, and then rotates the flexographic printing plate 60 to correct its position, for example, based on the size of the flexographic printing plate 60 and its position on the station 12. In this case, for example, the pair of arms 27a are used to rotate the flexographic printing plate 60 so that the leading edge 60d on the transport direction D side of the flexographic printing plate 60 is parallel to the direction Dw perpendicular to the transport direction D within the surface 12a of the station 12. The control unit 48 may, after adjusting the position of the flexographic printing plate 60 with the plate position adjustment unit 27, have the measurement unit 25 measure the position of the flexographic printing plate 60. This makes it possible to determine the position of the flexographic printing plate 60 on the station 12 after position adjustment.

[0030] The control unit 48 may be configured to determine whether the position of the flexographic printing plate 60 on the station 12 is appropriate based on the size and thickness of the flexographic printing plate 60 and the position of the flexographic printing plate 60 obtained by the measurement unit 25. For example, the appropriate position of the flexographic printing plate 60 on the station 12, including its inclination, is predetermined, and a threshold is set for the appropriate position. If this threshold is exceeded, the position of the flexographic printing plate 60 on the station 12 is changed. The appropriate position and the threshold for the appropriate position are stored, for example, in the memory 49. The threshold is set, for example, for the position of the corner 60e on the transport direction D side of the flexographic printing plate 60 in direction Dw, and for the inclination of the leading edge 60d with respect to direction Dw. Furthermore, the control unit 48 may, after correcting the position of the flexographic printing plate master 60, measure the size and thickness of the flexographic printing plate master 60, as well as the position of the flexographic printing plate master 60, using the measurement unit 25 to determine whether the position of the flexographic printing plate master 60 on the station 12 is correct.

[0031] The plate position adjustment unit 27 is not limited to a multi-axis robot. For example, it may be a rotary table installed on the station 12. The tilt of the flexographic printing plate 60 may be adjusted by rotating the rotary table. Alternatively, multiple belt conveyors may be arranged at station 12, and the direction of transport of the belt conveyors may be adjusted to adjust the tilt of the flexographic printing plate 60. As described above, after adjusting the position of the flexographic printing plate 60 using a multi-axis robot, the flexographic printing plate 60 is transported to the punching section 40 of the tip leader 30 using the multi-axis robot. The transport method is not limited to a multi-axis robot; a belt conveyor, roller conveyor, or vacuum suction pad may also be used.

[0032] The flexographic printing plate master 60 is transported by the transport unit 16 using the tip leader 30. The transport unit 16 transports the tip leader 30 from the starting position Ps to position Pe. The tip leader 30 has a housing 30a that is screwed onto the ball screw 22 described above, an arm 30b provided on the housing 30a, and a support part 30c that extends and retracts relative to the arm 30b. The drive control unit 24 rotates the ball screw 22, causing the housing 30a to move in the transport direction D, and the tip leader 30 to move in the transport direction D. The tip leader 30 has a support portion 30c that extends and retracts relative to the arm 30b, and the tip leader 30 extends and retracts in a direction perpendicular to the surface 12a of the station 12. The arm 30b and support portion 30c extend from the frame 20 toward the surface 12a of the station 12. A plate fixing portion 32 is provided at the end of the support portion 30c opposite to the arm 30b. The housing 30a, arm 30b, and support portion 30c are arranged opposite each other on both sides in the direction Dw of the plate fixing portion 32. The plate fixing section 32, for example as shown in Figure 4, has a long base 32a and a plurality of pins 32b provided at equal intervals along the longitudinal direction of the base 32a. As shown in Figure 4, the flexographic printing plate original 60 is fixed to the tip leader 30 using the pins 32b. The longitudinal direction of the base 32a is parallel to the direction Dw which is perpendicular to the transport direction D (see Figure 4).

[0033] The tip leader 30 of the flexographic printing plate 60 is configured to fix the flexographic printing plate 60 using pins 32b, but the shape, number, and spacing of the pins 32b are not particularly limited. It is preferable to arrange the pins 32b with gaps between them for the convenience of removing the flexographic printing plate 60. Furthermore, it is preferable that the pins 32b do not generate any residue or other debris when fixing the flexographic printing plate 60, in order to avoid contaminating the exposure surface of the flexographic printing plate 60, i.e., the surface 60a, or the wash solution Q in the developing tank 13.

[0034] The pin 32b has, for example, a barb. The barb makes it difficult for the flexographic printing plate 60 to come out of the pin 32b, and securely fixes the flexographic printing plate 60. For this reason, it is preferable for the pin 32b to have a barb. The barb is the part of the pin 32b that protrudes beyond the base 33a (see Figure 5). The flexographic printing plate 60 is fixed at the base 33a, but the barb 33b protrudes beyond the base 33a, restricting the movement of the flexographic printing plate 60 toward the tip of the pin 32b. In this way, the barb makes it difficult for the flexographic printing plate 60 to come out of the pin 32b. As described above, once the pin 32b penetrates the flexographic printing plate 60, the barb 33b makes it difficult for it to come out of the pin 32b, and securely fixes it. Furthermore, it is preferable that at least the surface of the pin 32b that contacts the flexographic printing plate 60 has a resin layer, a plating layer, or a DLC layer (diamond-like carbon layer), or that a plurality of irregularities are formed on the surface that contacts the flexographic printing plate 60. A hard chrome plating layer is preferred as the plating layer. In addition, a surface treatment such as titanium nitride (TiN) may be applied to the surface of the pin 32b that comes into contact with the flexographic printing plate 60. This reduces friction between the pin 32b and the flexographic printing plate 60, making it easier for the pin 32b to penetrate the flexographic printing plate 60, further improving the durability of the pin 32b, allowing the pin 32b to be reused repeatedly, and consequently improving the durability of the tip leader 30. At pin 32b, the multiple irregularities on the surface in contact with the flexographic printing plate 60 are formed, for example, by embossing.

[0035] The flexographic printing plate 60 has a punching section 40 for punching out the leading edge 60f of the flexographic printing plate 60 in order to fix it to the tip leader 30 with a pin 32b. For example, a punching section 40 is provided for each pin 32b. Therefore, if there are multiple pins 32b, multiple punching sections 40 are provided according to the number of pins. The punching unit 40 shown in Figure 5 has a drive unit 41 and a pressing unit 42. The pressing unit 42 has a recess 43. Since the recess 43 fits onto the pin 32b, it is preferable that the inner diameter of the recess 43 is larger than the maximum outer diameter of the pin 32b. This allows the pin 32b to penetrate the flexographic printing plate 60 more reliably. Here, the leading edge 60f of the flexographic printing plate 60 is the end of the flexographic printing plate 60 on the side that is advancing in the transport direction D. Punching means to pierce through the flexographic printing plate 60.

[0036] The drive unit 41 is not particularly limited in its configuration as long as it can move the push-in part 42 from its initial position toward the pin 32b and return it to its initial position; for example, an air cylinder can be used. The initial position is the installation position of the push-in part 42, and this initial position is also called the initial position. The pressing portion 42 is used to punch out the flexographic printing plate 60 with the pin 32b, allowing the pin 32b to penetrate it. Therefore, it is preferable that the pressing portion 42 has sufficient strength to prevent deformation, and is made of, for example, metal. The indentation portion 42 is preferably made of martensitic stainless steel or austenitic stainless steel, which are rust-resistant stainless steels and are also highly resistant to wear when punching holes in the flexographic printing plate 60, and are also hardenable. Examples of martensitic and austenitic stainless steels include original brand stainless steels developed for cutting tools, such as SUS (stainless steel) 410, SUS420J1, and SUS420J2, as well as SUS304 and SUS316. Other materials that may be used for the indentation portion 42 include carbon tool steel, alloy tool steel, high-speed tool steel, and cemented carbide.

[0037] The flexographic printing plate 60 is positioned with its back surface 60b facing the pins 32b of the tip leader 30. The pressing section 42 is positioned on the front surface 60a side of the flexographic printing plate 60. The recess 43 of the punching section 40 and the position of the pin 32b of the tip leader 30 are aligned, and the drive unit 41 pushes the pressing section 42, which is in its initial position, toward the pin 32b. This pushes the flexographic printing plate 60 toward the pin 32b, causing the pin 32b to punch out the flexographic printing plate 60, and fixing the flexographic printing plate 60 to the tip leader 30. At this time, the pin 32b fits into the recess 43. Then, the drive unit 41 returns the pressing section 42 to its initial position. The size information of the flexographic printing plate 60 obtained by the measurement unit 25 determines the length of the direction Dw (see Figure 2) perpendicular to the transport direction D (see Figure 2) of the flexographic printing plate 60. It is preferable to identify the pins 32b to be punched out according to this length and the position information of the flexographic printing plate 60. This eliminates the need to operate the punching unit 40 on pins 32b where the flexographic printing plate 60 is not positioned, thereby improving work efficiency. The length of the flexographic printing plate 60 in direction Dw (see Figure 2) is generally called the width.

[0038] The punching section 40 attaches the tip leader 30 to the flexographic printing plate 60 and also serves as the plate attachment section 44. The tip 60f of the flexographic printing plate 60 is placed on the pin 32b. Then, the punching section 40 punches out the flexographic printing plate 60, and the flexographic printing plate 60 is fixed to the tip leader 30. If the plate position adjustment unit 27 described above is a multi-axis robot, the leading edge 60f of the flexographic printing plate original 60 can be positioned on the pin 32b by the multi-axis robot. Furthermore, although the punching section 40 also serves as the plate-setting section 44, the configuration is not limited to this. For example, the punching section 40 and the plate-setting section 44 may be separate, and after forming a through hole (not shown) in the flexographic printing plate 60 with the punching section 40 for attachment to the tip leader 30, the tip leader 30 may be attached to the flexographic printing plate 60 by passing a pin 32b through the through hole in the tip portion 60f of the flexographic printing plate 60.

[0039] The configuration of the tip leader 30 is not particularly limited, as long as the support portion 30c can extend and retract relative to the arm 30b. Examples of configurations in which the support portion 30c extends and retracts relative to the arm 30b include those that utilize an elastic body such as a spring or rubber, those that utilize air pressure, and those that utilize hydraulics.

[0040] The washing device 10 has a developing unit 50 that uses a washing solution Q to remove unexposed areas (not shown) of the flexographic printing plate 60 and develops it. The developing unit 50 is located above the developing tank 13. The developing unit 50 has a brush 51 used for developing and a drive unit 52 that controls the rotation of the brush 51 around its rotation axis C (see Figure 7) and the movement of the brush 51. The drive unit 52 only needs to be able to perform developing by the brush 51 and rotate the brush 51 around its rotation axis C (see Figure 7).

[0041] For example, the brush 51 is positioned between the arms 30b and support parts 30c, which are arranged opposite each other on both sides of the plate fixing part 32 in the direction Dw described above, in the direction Dw. Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the arrangement of brushes in a washing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 is a view of the washing device 10 from the side of members 20a and 20b. As shown in Figure 6, for example, on the surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60, multiple brushes 51 are arranged such that the number of brushes in direction Dw is the same, but adjacent brushes 51 in the transport direction D are positioned differently in direction Dw of the rotation axis C. The brushes 51 are arranged in a so-called staggered pattern. Brush 51 is connected to a drive unit 52 (not shown) that rotates the brush 51 around a rotation axis C (see Figure 7) during development. Unless otherwise specified, the rotation of brush 51 is controlled by the drive unit 52. The multiple brushes 51 shown in Figure 6 are rotated by the drive unit 52 during development and oscillate in direction Dw by the diameter of the rotation trajectory of the brush 51. Development is performed in this manner. The oscillating of the brushes 51 can be achieved, for example, by arranging the multiple brushes 51 on a frame (not shown) and oscillating the frame in direction Dw using a motor (not shown) or the like, thereby causing the multiple brushes 51 to oscillate in direction Dw. Furthermore, as long as multiple brushes 51 can be oscillated or otherwise controlled, the frame is not limited to a configuration using a motor (not shown) or the like. Note that the arrangement of the brushes 51 is not particularly limited to the arrangement shown in Figure 6.

[0042] The drive unit 52 may move the brush 51 in two directions perpendicular to the rotation axis C of the brush 51. In this case, for example, the brush 51 can be moved in two directions perpendicular to the rotation axis C to perform development. The two perpendicular directions are not particularly limited, but for example, they could be direction Dw and the transport direction D. The drive unit 52, for example, moves the brush 51 in the transport direction D by adding an oscillation in the direction Dw. In this case, by moving the frame in the transport direction D, multiple brushes 51 are moved in the transport direction D. The movement of the brush 51 may also be an oscillation in the transport direction D and the opposite direction DL. In this case, the amount of oscillation of the brush 51 is appropriately determined by the size of the brush 51 and the size of the flexographic printing plate 60.

[0043] Furthermore, a height position adjustment unit 53 is provided in the developing unit 50 to adjust the position of the brush 51 relative to the developing tank 13. The height position adjustment unit 53 determines the distance between the brush 51 and the bottom surface 13b of the developing tank 13. The height position adjustment unit 53 allows the position of the brush 51 relative to the bottom surface 13b of the developing tank 13 to be changed. The height position adjustment unit 53 also allows the pressure of the brush 51 against the surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60 to be adjusted. This allows the pressure of the brush 51 to be increased, and the developing speed can be improved. When increasing the pressure of the brush 51, it is preferable to adjust the material, length, and thickness of the brush bristles according to the pressure. The thickness of the bristles or the density of the bristles may be changed within a single brush 51. Furthermore, the height adjustment unit 53 allows the brush 51 to be separated from the surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60, thereby lifting the brush 51 away from the surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60. This allows the developer residue to be removed from the brush 51 if it adheres to it. Retracting the brush 51 from the flexographic printing plate 60 is preferable because it suppresses the adhesion of developer residue. The configuration of the height adjustment unit 53 is not particularly limited as long as it can change the position of the brush 51 relative to the bottom surface 13b of the developing tank 13.

[0044] Here, Figure 7 is a side view showing an example of a brush for a washing device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 8 is a plan view showing an example of a brush for a washing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 8 is a view of the brush 51 of Figure 7 from the tip surface 51e side of the bristles 51b. Brush 51 uses what is called a cup brush. The brush 51 is, for example, a brush in which bristles 51b are bundled perpendicularly to a circular base 51a in plan view. The shape of the base 51a is the shape of the brush 51. The shape of the base 51a is not limited to a circular shape in plan view. The bristles 51b of the brush 51 rub against the surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60 to remove unexposed areas (not shown) of the flexographic printing plate 60 for development. It is preferable to use the brush 51 with the bristles 51b applied approximately perpendicularly to the surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60.

[0045] The rotation of the brush 51 around the rotation axis C mentioned above refers to the rotation of the brush 51 with the rotation axis C as its center of rotation. The rotation axis C is a fixed axis passing through a single point within the brush 51. The brush 51 has one rotation axis C at its center and rotates on its axis. The brush center is the geometric center of the base body 51a when viewed from the tip surface 51e side of the base body 51a. The brush 51 is provided with a rotating shaft portion 51c, and the central axis of this rotating shaft portion 51c is the rotation axis C. The rotation axis C is the rotation center of the brush 51. The rotating shaft portion 51c functions as a rotational drive shaft that is rotated by power transmitted from the drive unit 52, and by rotating the rotating shaft portion 51c, the brush 51 rotates on its own axis, for example in the direction of rotation (not shown).

[0046] The brush 51 is rotated, for example, with its axis of rotation C passing over the surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60. The state in which the rotation axis C of the brush 51 passes through the surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60 means that the rotation axis C, or when the rotation axis C is extended, passes through the surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60, or an extended surface of the surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60, and indicates the arrangement relationship between the brush 51 and the flexographic printing plate 60. Therefore, depending on the inclination of the rotation axis C, the rotation axis C of the brush 51 may not pass over the surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60. However, as described above, the rotation axis C of the brush 51 is not limited to actually passing over the surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60. The position of the brush 51 relative to the surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60 may be fixed.

[0047] In the brush having the above configuration, the rotational speed differs between the rotating shaft and the outer peripheral portion. The rotating shaft has an extremely low rotational speed, which increases the coefficient of friction applied to the flexographic printing plate precursor, leading to excessive development and falling off of independent small dots that affect printing performance. In addition, since the rotating shaft rotates at a low speed, developed residue is not discharged and accumulates. Therefore, it is necessary to avoid providing bristles near the rotating shaft. As shown in Figure 8, the base 51a of the brush 51 has a region 51d where bristles 51b are not provided. In the brush 51 shown in Figure 8, the outer shape of the brush outer peripheral portion 51f is circular, and the outer shape of the region 51d where bristles 51b are not provided on the base 51a of the brush 51 is circular. The region where the bristles 51b are provided satisfies 0.05<r / R, where R is the trajectory radius of the brush outer peripheral portion 51f, and r is the distance from the center of the rotating shaft C to the bristle 51b of the brush 51 at the closest position. If 0.05<r / R is not satisfied, the development uniformity deteriorates.

[0048] Here, regarding the mechanism of development residue adhesion, it is presumed that during development, the residue accumulates inside the brush and is transferred to the flexographic printing plate precursor 60 at some timing, causing the development residue to adhere. For this reason, the development residue needs to be efficiently discharged from the inside of the brush 51 to the outside of the brush 51. When the brush satisfies 0.05<r / R, the development residue is discharged from the brush and does not accumulate, and as a result, adhesion of the development residue to the surface of the flexographic printing plate precursor is suppressed. On the other hand, when the brush does not satisfy 0.05<r / R, the development residue is not discharged from the brush and accumulates, and as a result, the development residue adheres to the surface of the flexographic printing plate precursor. In the brush, 0.1≦r / R is preferred, 0.2≦r / R≦0.5 is more preferred, and 0.3≦r / R≦0.5 is even more preferred. Note that when the value of r / R increases, the number of brush bristles decreases and the development rate decreases, but a sufficient development rate can be obtained when r / R is 0.8. For this reason, the upper limit of r / R is 0.8. The above-mentioned orbital radius R is the radius of the circumscribed circle Cc of the outer circumference 51f of the brush. Note that if the outer circumference 51f of the brush is circular, the outer shape of the brush circumference 51f is circular, and the radius of the brush circumference 51f and the radius of the circumscribed circle Cc are the same. The orbital radius R is the radius of the rotating orbit described later. The diameter of the rotating orbit is twice the orbital radius R, and is the diameter of the circumscribed circle Cc. The raceway radius R of the outer circumference 51f of the brush can be obtained by determining the circumscribed circle Cc of the outer circumference 51f of the brush and then determining the radius of the circumscribed circle Cc. The distance r from the center of the rotation axis C to the bristles 51b of the brush 51 that are closest to the center of the rotation axis C is obtained by measuring the distance between the rotation axis C and the bristles 51b of the brush 51 that are closest to the center of the rotation axis C, from the tip surface 51e side of the brush 51.

[0049] The area of ​​the brush 51 projected onto the surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60 is smaller than the area of ​​the surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60. Because the brush 51 is small, the brush 51 is moved relative to the flexographic printing plate 60 during development, which allows for uniform pressure on the brush 51 and improves development uniformity. The area projected onto the surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60 by the brush 51 is the area of ​​the region on the surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60 where the base 51a of the brush 51 is projected when the rotation axis C of the brush 51 is positioned perpendicular to the surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60.

[0050] As described above, the operation of the brush 51 involves not only rotation around the rotation axis C (see Figure 7) of the brush 51 but also a rocking motion of the brush 51. However, it is not limited to this, and for example, the brush 51 may also be moved in the transport direction D. Furthermore, the brush 51 may be set to move continuously during development, or it may be set to move only when the flexographic printing plate 60 is transported to the developing tank 13. In this case, for example, a sensor (not shown) for detecting the flexographic printing plate 60 can be provided above the developing tank 13, and the timing and speed of transport of the flexographic printing plate 60 can be used to determine when the plate reaches the brush 51, and the brush 51 can be rotated to perform development.

[0051] For example, after the flexographic printing plate 60 is transported into the developing tank 13, the height position adjustment unit 53 moves the brush 51 toward the flexographic printing plate 60 based on information about the thickness of the flexographic printing plate 60. This allows the brush 51 to be positioned at an appropriate height according to the thickness of the flexographic printing plate 60, enabling proper development. For example, development can be performed with the bristles 51b of the brush 51 in contact with the surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60.

[0052] Furthermore, a distance sensor 54 may be provided to measure the distance between the brush 51 and the surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60 inside the developing tank 13. This allows information on the thickness of the flexographic printing plate 60 to be obtained when the thickness of the flexographic printing plate 60 is not being measured by the measuring unit 25. The distance sensor 54 is not particularly limited as long as it can measure the distance between the brush 51 and the surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60 inside the developing tank 13. For example, the distance sensor 54 can use laser light, millimeter waves, or ultrasound.

[0053] The washing device 10 includes, for example, an inspection unit 56 that measures the surface shape of the flexographic printing plate 60 after development and inspects the development state. The inspection unit 56 is located above the discharge station 14. A reference value and an acceptable range for the surface shape after development are pre-set and stored in memory 49. For example, the inspection unit 56 determines whether the surface shape measurement result after development has been properly developed based on the tolerance range relative to the standard value. As the reference values, for example, the presence or absence of development residue adhesion, the size of independent small dots after development, the presence or absence of brush marks, and the unexposed film thickness after development can be used. The inspection unit 56 is not particularly limited as long as it can measure the surface shape of the flexographic printing plate precursor 60 after development, and similarly to the above-described measurement unit 25, for example, a measurement device using one camera, a three-dimensional measurement device using two cameras, or a three-dimensional scanner using laser light or ultrasonic waves can be used. It is preferable to use a three-dimensional measurement device or a three-dimensional scanner for the inspection unit 56, since three-dimensional information of the surface shape of the flexographic printing plate precursor 60 after development can be acquired.

[0054] Further, similarly to the measurement unit 25, the inspection unit 56 may be provided with an adjustment unit 57 that adjusts the position of the inspection unit 56. When the inspection unit 56 includes, for example, a camera, a three-dimensional measurement device, or a three-dimensional scanner, the adjustment unit 57 changes the distance between the camera, the three-dimensional measurement device, or the three-dimensional scanner, and the surface 12a of the station 12. That is, the adjustment unit 57 adjusts the height position of the inspection unit 56 relative to the surface 14a of the unloading station 14. The adjustment unit 57 may change the position of the inspection unit 56 in the transport direction D. Further, the adjustment unit 57 may perform adjustments such as changing the orientation of the camera, the three-dimensional measurement device, or the three-dimensional scanner. The configuration of the adjustment unit 57 is not particularly limited as long as it can at least change the distance between the inspection unit 56 and the surface 14a of the unloading station 14. The adjustment unit 57 allows the inspection unit 56 to be arranged at a position corresponding to the measurement range of the inspection unit 56.

[0055] By performing development using the above-described brush 51 satisfying 0.05<r / R, the washing-out apparatus 10 prevents development residue from being discharged from the brush and depositing, and as a result, adhesion of development residue to the surface of the flexographic printing plate precursor is suppressed, so that both development uniformity and residue adhesion prevention can be achieved. In addition, the brush 51 is a so-called cup brush, and the occurrence of brush marks due to development is also suppressed. Brush marks are also referred to as brush marks. Furthermore, with the above configuration, the washing device 10 measures at least one of the size and thickness of the flexographic printing plate 60, as well as the position of the flexographic printing plate 60 on the station 12, using the measuring unit 25. This suppresses human errors caused by incorrect input of the size and thickness of the flexographic printing plate 60. As a result, the plate production rate does not decrease, no extra work is added, and transport or development defects do not occur, allowing for proper development. Thus, productivity and work efficiency are excellent. In the washing device 10, the transport section 16 uses a leader transport system with an end leader 30. However, the transport method for the flexographic printing plate master 60 is not limited to this, and at least one of the following methods can be used: belt transport, roller transport, gear transport, and guide transport.

[0056] <Method for manufacturing flexographic printing plates> A method for manufacturing a flexographic printing plate using a washing device 10 will be described. The method for manufacturing a flexographic printing plate includes a washing method in which the flexographic printing plate, after image exposure, is developed using a developing solution. Development is also referred to as washing. Figure 9 is a schematic side cross-sectional view illustrating development using an example of a washing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 10 is a flowchart showing a method for manufacturing a flexographic printing plate according to an embodiment of the present invention. In Figure 9, components identical to those in the washing apparatus 10 shown in Figure 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their detailed descriptions are omitted.

[0057] In the method for manufacturing flexographic printing plates, first, as shown in Figure 9, the flexographic printing plate 60, which has been exposed to an image-like surface 60a, is placed on the surface 12a of the station 12 (step S10). Placing the flexographic printing plate 60 on the surface 12a of the station 12 is also called setting. Next, with the flexographic printing plate master 60 placed on the station 12, the measuring unit 25 is used to measure, for example, the size and thickness of the flexographic printing plate master 60 on the surface 12a of the station 12, and the position of the flexographic printing plate master 60 on the station 12 (step S12). The size and thickness information of the flexographic printing plate 60, obtained by measurement in step S12, and the position information of the flexographic printing plate 60 are stored, for example, in the memory 49. The control unit 48 determines the position of the flexographic printing plate 60 on the station 12 based on the position information and size information of the flexographic printing plate 60. This determines the direction Dw position and the inclination of the flexographic printing plate 60 on the station 12, as described above. The size and thickness of the flexographic printing plate 60 are also determined.

[0058] Next, the control unit 48 determines whether the position of the flexographic printing plate 60 on the station 12 is correct, based on the information regarding the position of the flexographic printing plate 60 on the station 12 (step S14). As mentioned above, for example, the correct position of the flexographic printing plate 60, including its tilt, is determined in advance, and a threshold value is set for that correct position. In step S14, the control unit 48 compares the position of the flexographic printing plate master 60 on the station 12 with the correct position to determine whether it is correct or not. In step S14, if the position of the flexographic printing plate 60 is determined to be correct, the leading edge 60f of the flexographic printing plate 60 is fixed to the leading edge leader 30 (step S16). In step S16, for example, the punching unit 40 shown in Figure 5 is used to punch out the flexographic printing plate 60 with pins 32b, and the flexographic printing plate 60 is attached to the tip leader 30. In this case, the pin 32b to be punched out is determined from among the multiple pins 32b according to the position of the flexographic printing plate 60 and the length of the direction Dw (see Figure 2) perpendicular to the transport direction D (see Figure 2) of the flexographic printing plate 60.

[0059] On the other hand, if in step S14 the position of the flexographic printing plate 60 is determined to be incorrect, the position of the flexographic printing plate 60 is adjusted using the plate position adjustment unit 27, for example, a multi-axis robot (step S15). After that, step S16 described above is executed. Alternatively, after step S15, step S14 may be executed again, and the adjustment of the position of the flexographic printing plate 60 (step S15) may be repeated in step S14 until the position of the flexographic printing plate 60 is determined to be correct.

[0060] After step S16, the flexographic printing plate 60 is transported into the developing tank 13 (step S18). The bottom surface 13b of the developing tank 13 is lower than the surface 12a of the station 12. In this case, the support part 30c extends and retracts relative to the arm 30b, so the flexographic printing plate 60 is transported following the bottom surface 13b of the developing tank 13. Here, at station 12, the length of the flexographic printing plate 60 in the transport direction D (see Figure 9) and the length in direction Dw (see Figure 2) are determined by the size of the flexographic printing plate 60. In step S18, if the reference point for aligning the flexographic printing plate 60 is the rear end of the flexographic printing plate 60, the position of the leading leader 30 during development is changed according to the length of the transport direction D of the flexographic printing plate 60. Depending on the length of the flexographic printing plate 60, for example, the leading leader 30 may be developed at transport position P1 (see Figure 9), as shown in Figure 9. Alternatively, depending on the length of the flexographic printing plate 60, for example, the leading leader 30 may be developed at transport position P2 (see Figure 9).

[0061] The transport positions P1 and P2 are determined based on the length of the flexographic printing plate 60 in the transport direction D. Therefore, the control unit 48 pre-sets the amount of movement of the tip leader 30 by the drive control unit 24 based on the information of the length of the flexographic printing plate 60 in the transport direction D. As a result, the amount of movement of the tip leader 30 by the drive control unit 24 is set based on the information of the length of the flexographic printing plate 60 in the transport direction D obtained by the measurement unit 25. In other words, the amount of movement of the tip leader 30 from the start position Ps is set. The start position Ps is the position where the flexographic printing plate 60 is fixed to the tip leader 30.

[0062] After the flexographic printing plate 60 has been transported into the developing tank 13 according to the length of the transport direction D of the flexographic printing plate 60 (step S18), the height position adjustment unit 53 moves the brush 51 as shown in Figure 9 based on the information of the thickness of the flexographic printing plate 60. The height of the brush 51 relative to the flexographic printing plate 60 is adjusted to position the brush 51 correctly (step S20).

[0063] After adjusting the brush height (step S20), development is performed on the flexographic printing plate 60 using a wash solution Q (see Figure 9) and a brush 51 to remove the unexposed areas of the flexographic printing plate 60 and obtain the exposed areas, which are the image areas (step S22). In this way, after step S22, the exposed areas become the image areas and the unexposed areas become the non-image areas. In step S22 (development process), the flexographic printing plate 60 is transported into the developing tank 13 according to the length of the transport direction D of the flexographic printing plate 60. In this state, for example, the drive unit 52 rotates the brush 51 around the rotation axis C (see Figure 7), causing the brush 51 to oscillate by the diameter of the rotational trajectory to perform development. Development is performed at transport positions P1 and P2 (see Figure 9) of the tip leader 30, corresponding to the length of the flexographic printing plate 60. As described above, in the method for producing a flexographic printing plate precursor, by performing development using the brush 51 satisfying 0.05<r / R described above, development scum is prevented from being discharged from the brush and depositing, and as a result, adhesion of development scum to the surface of the flexographic printing plate precursor is suppressed, so that both development uniformity and scum adhesion prevention can be achieved. Further, as described above, the brush 51 is what is called a cup brush, and the occurrence of brush marks in the development step is also suppressed. Further, in step S22 (development step), the flexographic printing plate precursor 60 may be developed while being conveyed. Note that, as described above, when the brush 51 can be moved in two directions perpendicular to the rotation axis C of the brush 51, in step S22 (development step), the brush 51 can also be moved in two directions perpendicular to the rotation axis C to perform development.

[0064] After step S22 (development step), the flexographic printing plate precursor 60 is conveyed in the conveyance direction D, and the leading end leader 30 is moved to the position Pe to move onto the carry-out station 14. At this time, the surface 14a of the carry-out station 14 is raised relative to the bottom surface 13b of the development tank 13. In this case, since the support portion 30c extends and contracts relative to the arm 30b, the flexographic printing plate precursor 60 is conveyed following the surface 14a of the carry-out station 14. Then, the inspection unit 56 measures the developed surface shape of the flexographic printing plate precursor 60 and inspects the development state (step S24). Note that a reference value and an allowable range for the reference value are set in advance for the developed surface shape. In step S24 (inspection step), inspection is performed using the allowable range for the reference value. In step S24, if the developed surface shape falls within the allowable range for the reference value, it is determined that development has been properly performed. This completes the method for producing the flexographic printing plate precursor 60. On the other hand, in step S24, if the surface shape after development is outside the acceptable range relative to the standard value, it is determined that the development has not been done properly. In this case, for example, the plate is remade. Specifically, a new flexographic printing plate 60 is prepared, with the surface 60a exposed to an image-like exposure, and the process returns to step S10 to perform development again. As described above, if it is determined in step S24 that the development has not been done properly, the flexographic printing plate 60 that has been developed once may be developed again.

[0065] As described above, in the method for manufacturing flexographic printing plates, at least one of the size and thickness of the flexographic printing plate 60, along with the position of the flexographic printing plate 60 on the station 12, is measured. This suppresses human errors caused by incorrect input of the size and thickness of the flexographic printing plate 60. As a result, the plate production rate does not decrease, no extra work is added, and no transport or development defects occur, allowing for proper development. Thus, productivity and work efficiency are excellent.

[0066] [Other examples of washout equipment] Figure 11 is a schematic side cross-sectional view showing another example of the washing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 12 is a schematic plan view showing another example of the washing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 13 is a schematic diagram showing the rear end pressing portion of the flexographic printing plate master in another example of the washing device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 14 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the rear end pressing portion of the flexographic printing plate master in another example of the washing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In Figure 11, the illustration of the flexographic printing plate 60 shown in Figure 12 is omitted. In Figure 12, the illustration of the control unit 48 and other components shown in Figure 11 is omitted, and furthermore, the illustration of the developing unit 50 including the brush 51 is also omitted. Figures 13 and 14 show the rear end retaining portions 70 and 71 as viewed from direction A shown in Figure 12, respectively. Furthermore, in Figures 11 to 14, components identical to those in the washout device 10 shown in Figures 1 and 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their detailed descriptions are omitted.

[0067] The washing device 10a shown in Figures 11 and 12 differs from the washing device 10 shown in Figures 1 and 2 in that it has a rear end pressing part 70 that holds down the rear end 60g of the flexographic printing plate master 60, but the other configurations are the same as those of the washing device 10 shown in Figures 1 and 2. The rear end retaining portion 70 is provided on the developing tank 13. The rear end retaining portion 70 includes a base portion 72, a support portion 73 that extends and retracts relative to the base portion 72 in a direction perpendicular to the surface 15a of the support base 15, and a retaining plate 74 provided at the end of the support portion 73 on the surface 15a side of the support base 15. The base portion 72 is provided on the sides of member 20a and member 20b that face each other. Since the housing 30a of the tip leader 30 passes over the base portion 72, the base portion 72 is positioned so as not to interfere with the housing 30a of the tip leader 30. The support portion 73 extends and retracts relative to the base portion 72 in a direction perpendicular to the surface 15a of the support base 15, using, for example, an air cylinder, hydraulic cylinder, or ball screw as a drive unit (not shown). The support portion 73 can also be retracted relative to the base portion 72 by the drive unit (not shown), so that the end of the support portion 73 can be positioned at a preset location. This allows the retaining plate 74 to be stopped at a preset position perpendicular to the surface 15a of the support base 15. Furthermore, the cross-sectional shape of the support portion 73 in a direction perpendicular to the expansion and contraction direction of the support portion 73 is not particularly limited, and may be circular, triangular, square, or other polygonal shape.

[0068] The presser plate 74 is, for example, a rectangular plate. In this case, the presser plate 74 is positioned with its longitudinal direction aligned with direction Dw. The presser plate 74 is moved by the support portion 73 toward the surface 15a side of the support base 15 and presses the rear end 60g of the flexographic printing plate original 60 in a strip shape in direction Dw. When the reference point for aligning the flexographic printing plate 60 is the rear end 60g of the flexographic printing plate 60, the position of the rear end presser 70 remains fixed. Therefore, during development, the position of the front leader 30 in the transport direction D is changed according to the size of the flexographic printing plate 60. In the rear end pressing section 70, for example, the pressing plate 74 is spaced away from the surface 15a of the support base 15 so that the support section 73 retracts and the pressing plate 74 can pass through until the flexographic printing plate 60 is transported into the developing tank 13 and reaches the rear end pressing section 70.

[0069] As shown in the washing device 10 in Figures 1 and 2 above, the tip leader 30 alone can prevent the flexographic printing plate 60 from curling up and coming off. However, by further providing the rear end pressing part 70, the rear end 60g of the flexographic printing plate 60 is pressed down, thereby further preventing the flexographic printing plate 60 from curling up and coming off. For this reason, it is preferable to have the rear end pressing part 70.

[0070] In the washing device 10a shown in Figures 11 and 12, the flexographic printing plate 60 is transported into the developing tank 13. When the reference point for aligning the position of the flexographic printing plate 60 is the rear end 60g of the flexographic printing plate 60, the tip leader 30 stops at a position in the transport direction D corresponding to the length of the transport direction D of the flexographic printing plate 60. At this time, the press plate 74 is spaced apart from the surface 15a of the support base 15 and is positioned so that the rear end 60g of the flexographic printing plate 60 is accessible. After the tip leader 30 stops, the base 72 of the rear end pressing part 70 extends toward the surface 15a of the support base 15, sandwiching the flexographic printing plate 60 between the pressing plate 74 and the surface 15a of the support base 15, and fixing the rear end 60g of the flexographic printing plate 60. With the rear end 60g of the flexographic printing plate 60 fixed, the development process is carried out. As described above, the development process is carried out without the flexographic printing plate 60 curling up or coming off. After the development process is complete, the base 72 of the rear end presser section 70 retracts, and the presser plate 74 separates from the rear end 60g of the flexographic printing plate 60. Then, the front leader 30 moves in the transport direction D, and the flexographic printing plate 60 is transported to the discharge station 14.

[0071] The configuration of the rear end retaining portion 70 is not limited to a configuration having a retaining plate 74 as shown in Figure 13. For example, a configuration without a retaining plate 74 is also possible, as shown in the rear end retaining portion 71 in Figure 14. In the rear end retaining portion 71 shown in Figure 14, the same reference numerals are used for components identical to those in the rear end retaining portion 70 shown in Figure 13, and their detailed descriptions are omitted. In the rear end pressing section 71, the support section 73 expands and contracts relative to the base section 72 in a direction perpendicular to the surface 15a of the support base 15, similar to the rear end pressing section 70 described above. In addition, the end 73a of the support section 73 on the surface 15a side of the support base 15 is, for example, flat. The rear end 60g of the flexographic printing plate 60 is pressed down by the flat end 73a of the support section 73. In the rear end pressing section 71, the rear end 60g of the flexographic printing plate 60 is pressed down by the two support sections 73, and the flexographic printing plate 60 is pressed down locally. Similar to the press plate 74 described above, the rear end pressing portion 71 is positioned such that, for example, until the flexographic printing plate 60 is transported into the developing tank 13 and reaches the rear end pressing portion 71, the end 73a of the support portion 73 is spaced apart from the surface 15a of the support base 15 so that the support portion 73 retracts and allows the flexographic printing plate 60 to pass through. In the rear end retaining portion 71, the cross-sectional shape of the support portion 73 in the direction perpendicular to the expansion and contraction direction of the support portion 73 is not particularly limited and can be the same as that of the rear end retaining portion 70, for example, it may be circular, triangular, square, or other polygonal shape.

[0072] In the rear end retaining portions 70 and 71, the base portion 72, the support portion 73, and the retaining plate 74 are preferably made of stainless steel with excellent corrosion resistance, and austenitic stainless steel and martensitic stainless steel are particularly preferred. Austenitic and martensitic stainless steels include original brand stainless steels developed by material manufacturers for cutlery, such as SUS410, SUS420J1, SUS420J2, SUS304, and SUS316. The rear end retaining portions 70 and 71 can be made of resin, but in this case, an alkali-resistant resin is preferred, for example, polyvinyl chloride resin can be used.

[0073] The method for manufacturing a flexographic printing plate using the washing device 10a shown in Figures 11 and 12 is the same as the method for manufacturing a flexographic printing plate using the washing device 10 (see Figure 1) shown in Figure 10, except that the following differences apply. In step S18 of Figure 10, the flexographic printing plate 60 is transported into the developing tank 13 according to the length of the transport direction D of the flexographic printing plate 60, and the tip leader 30 stops at transport positions P1 and P2 (see Figure 9). At this time, the press plate 74 is spaced apart from the surface 15a of the support base 15 and positioned so that the rear end 60g of the flexographic printing plate 60 is accessible. After the tip leader 30 stops, the base 72 of the rear end pressing part 70 extends toward the surface 15a of the support base 15, sandwiching the flexographic printing plate 60 between the pressing plate 74 and the surface 15a of the support base 15, and fixing the rear end 60g of the flexographic printing plate 60.

[0074] Next, with the rear end 60g of the flexographic printing plate master 60 fixed, step S20 described above is performed. Next, development is performed to remove the unexposed parts of the flexographic printing plate master 60 and obtain the exposed parts, which are the image parts (step S22). Then, step S24 (inspection step) described above is performed. As described above, in step S24, it is determined whether the plate has been properly developed or not. If it has been properly developed, the manufacturing method of the flexographic printing plate master 60 is completed. On the other hand, if the plates are not properly developed, as described above, for example, re-making the plates or additional development of the flexographic printing plates 60 that have already been developed once may be performed.

[0075] The following describes the components of the washing device. <Brush> The brush 51 removes unexposed areas (not shown) of the flexographic printing plate 60 for development. The brush 51 is, for example, immersed in a wash solution Q and positioned on the surface 60a side of the flexographic printing plate 60 in the transport direction D within the developing tank 13. After the flexographic printing plate 60 is transported into the developing tank 13, the bristles 51b of the brush 51 are brought into contact with the surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60, and the drive unit 52 rotates the brush 51 around the rotation axis C, thereby rubbing the surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60 and removing the unexposed areas (not shown) of the flexographic printing plate 60 for development. Development fatigue solution is generated during this development process. Since the brush 51 is positioned immersed in the wash solution Q, the wash solution Q adhering to the brush 51 does not dry out, and the unexposed areas and other materials removed by the brush 51 do not adhere to the brush 51 as developer residue.

[0076] In the case of the brush 51, if the area projected onto the surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60 is smaller than the area of ​​the surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60, the brush 51 is applied partially to the entire width of the flexographic printing plate 60 for development. During development, because the brush 51 is small, in order for the brush 51 to evenly rub the entire surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60, the brush 51 is oscillated, for example, in direction Dw, as described above, but it may also be configured to move in the transport direction D and direction Dw. In this case, the brush 51 is moved over the flexographic printing plate 60 during development, which allows for uniform pressure on the brush 51 and improves development uniformity. The number of brushes 51 is not particularly limited and is determined as appropriate based on the size of the developing tank 13, the size of the flexographic printing plate 60, and other factors. Furthermore, the movement path of the brush 51 can be predetermined according to the size of the brush 51, the size of the flexographic printing plate 60, and the transport speed. By programming the movement path of the brush 51 into the drive unit 52, the drive unit 52 can move the brush 51 along the movement path based on the program to perform development.

[0077] Here, FIGS. 15 to 18 are plan views showing other examples of the brush of the developing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 15 to 18 are views as seen from the tip end face side of the bristles of the brush. Note that in FIGS. 15 to 18, the same components as those in FIGS. 7 and 8 are assigned the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions thereof are omitted. Like the brush 51 shown in FIG. 15, the outer shape of the brush outer peripheral portion 51f may be a quadrangle. In this case, the outer shape of the region 51d where the bristles 51b are not provided on the base body 51a of the brush 51 is a quadrangle. Like the brush 51 shown in FIG. 16, the outer shape of the brush outer peripheral portion 51f may be a hexagon. In this case, the outer shape of the region 51d where the bristles 51b are not provided on the base body 51a of the brush 51 is a hexagon.

[0078] Like the brush 51 shown in FIG. 17, the outer shape of the brush outer peripheral portion 51f may be an ellipse. In this case, the outer shape of the region 51d where the bristles 51b are not provided on the base body 51a of the brush 51 is an ellipse. Here, the ellipse is a shape generally represented by the following formula (1) in an orthogonal coordinate system of mutually orthogonal x-axis and y-axis with the rotation axis C as the origin. The ellipse satisfies 0<a, b, p=2, q=2 in the following formula (1). In the following formula (1), twice the larger value among a and b is the orbital radius R. In FIG. 17, b<a, and the value of 2a is the orbital radius R. Further, the ellipse also includes a shape called a superellipse. The superellipse is a shape that satisfies the conditions of 0<a, b, 1.00<p (excluding p=2), and 1.00<q (excluding q=2) in the following formula (1).

[0079] [Equation]

[0080] In the brush 51 shown in Figure 8 and Figures 15 to 17, for example, the outer shape of the brush outer peripheral portion 51f and the outer shape of the region 51d where the bristles 51b are not provided on the base body 51a of the brush 51 are geometrically similar. Further, like the brush 51 shown in Figure 18, a linear region 51g extending linearly in the diameter direction of the circular base body 51a may be provided from the region 51d where the bristles 51b are not provided on the circular base body 51a. The linear region 51g passes through the region 51d where the bristles 51b are not provided, and extends perpendicularly through the rotation axis C. Four linear regions 51g are provided at 90° intervals around the rotation axis C. By providing the orthogonal linear regions 51g, the discharge performance of developer residue from the brush 51 is improved. Note that when the linear regions 51g are provided, the area with the bristles 51b is reduced, and the developing speed is slowed. For this reason, the range in which the linear regions 51g are provided is appropriately determined in consideration of the balance between the developing speed and the discharge performance of developer residue. Also in the brush 51 shown in Figures 15 to 18, when the trajectory radius of the brush outer peripheral portion 51f is R, and the distance from the center of the rotation axis C to the bristles 51b of the brush 51 at the closest position is r, the relation 0.05<r / R is satisfied. Thereby, the same effects as those of the brush 51 shown in the above-described Figures 7 and 8 can be obtained.

[0081] The brush 51 is what is called a cup brush as described above. The brush 51 is smaller than the flexographic printing plate precursor 60. As shown in Figure 8, in the base body 51a of the brush 51, the diameter of the rotation trajectory (not shown) of the brush outer peripheral portion 51f is preferably 30 to 500 mm, more preferably 100 to 400 mm, and most preferably 200 to 400 mm. As described above, the diameter of the rotation trajectory is twice the trajectory radius R. Note that the rotation trajectory of the brush outer peripheral portion 51f of the brush 51 is circular regardless of whether the shape of the brush outer peripheral portion is circular, or polygonal as shown in Figures 15 and 16. Even if the shape of the brush outer peripheral portion is elliptical as shown in Figure 17, the rotation trajectory of the brush outer peripheral portion 51f of the brush 51 is circular. Whether the shape of the outer circumference of the brush is polygonal as shown in Figures 15 and 16, or elliptical as shown in Figure 17, the diameter of the circumscribed circle Cc of the outer circumference of the brush 51f is used as the diameter of the rotational trajectory of the outer circumference of the brush 51f.

[0082] Furthermore, the brush 51 rotates around the rotation axis C to develop the material, and the rotation speed of the brush 51 is preferably 10 rpm (revolutions per minute) to 2000 rpm, more preferably 20 to 800 rpm, and even more preferably 30 to 200 rpm. By increasing the rotation speed of brush 51, the development speed can be increased as described above, and the uniformity of development can also be improved. As mentioned above, the mechanism of development residue adhesion is presumed to be that during development, it accumulates in the brush and, at some point, is transferred to the flexographic printing plate 60, causing the development residue to adhere. Therefore, it is necessary to efficiently discharge the development residue from inside the brush 51 to outside the brush 51. Thus, if the rotation speed of the brush 51 is high, the washing solution inside the brush 51 is more easily discharged to the outside of the brush 51 by the rotation, and the development residue inside the brush 51 can be efficiently discharged to the outside of the brush 51. Furthermore, the rotation speed of the brush 51 is not limited to a fixed value; it may be variable. If the rotation speed of the brush 51 is variable, for example, the rotation speed can be predetermined from the beginning to the end of development, and development can be carried out at the predetermined rotation speed.

[0083] The base 51a of the brush 51 holds the bristles 51b, and is, for example, planted in a bundle. The base is not particularly limited as long as it can hold the bristles 51b and does not deteriorate due to the washout solution Q. The bristles 51b of the brush 51 may be arranged at an angle to the surface 51h of the base 51a, but by arranging them perpendicular to the surface 51h of the base 51a, the brushing force is increased, independent small-dot performance is obtained, and the development speed is also increased. For this reason, it is preferable that the bristles 51b of the brush 51 be arranged perpendicular to the surface 51h of the base 51a.

[0084] Furthermore, the material of the bristles 51b of the brush 51 is not particularly limited, and known materials used for developing flexographic printing plates 60, such as nylon 6,6, nylon 610, nylon 612, polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), can be used as appropriate. In addition to the above, any material that can be formed into fibers, such as natural fibers like palm fiber, metal, polyamide, polyester, vinyl chloride, vinylidene chloride, polyimide, and polyacrylonitrile, can be suitably used as the material for the bristles of the brush 51. The bristles of the brush have a fiber diameter of approximately 10μ to 1mm, and may be planted in bundles or individually within a few strands. The planting interval is preferably 1 to 20mm, and if planted in bundles, the diameter of the bundle is preferably 1 to 10mm. Furthermore, the brush bristle length Lb (see Figure 7) is preferably 5 to 30 mm. When the brush bristle length Lb is 5 to 30 mm, the brushing force is increased, independent small-dot performance is achieved, and the development speed is also increased. Moreover, it can pass through the transport tip leader 30. Furthermore, the length of the bristles may differ within a single brush 51, the thickness of the bristles may differ within a single brush 51, and the density of the bristles may differ within a single brush 51. The length of the brush bristles (Lb) is the value measured with a ruler while the bristles are still attached to the brush.

[0085] Furthermore, by using bristles made of nylon thread with fine abrasive materials such as alumina or silicon carbide added, the development speed can be increased in the first half of the development process, shortening the development time. Bristles with added abrasive materials can be wavy rather than straight. The inclusion of abrasive materials also reduces brush wear, extending the brush's lifespan. Examples of commercially available bristle materials include Sangrid (product name) from Asahi Kasei Advance Corporation, Tregrid (product name) from Toray Industries, Inc., and Tynex (product name) from DuPont.

[0086] As described above, the brush 51 is rotated by the drive unit 52 such that its rotation axis C passes over the surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60 (see Figure 7). In this case, as shown in Figure 7, when the angle between the rotation axis C and the surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60 is θ, it is preferable that the angle θ is 30°≦θ≦90°, more preferably 45°≦θ≦90°, and most preferably 60°≦θ≦90°. By setting the angle θ to 60°≦θ≦90°, the brush 51 can be made to make uniform contact with the surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60, and development can be performed even with high pressure on the brush 51. Therefore, it is possible to achieve both development uniformity and development speed. Thus, it is most preferable that the rotation axis C of the brush 51 is perpendicular to the surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60. The angle θ can be obtained as follows. First, an image is obtained showing the brush 51 positioned on the surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60. From this image, a line corresponding to the rotation axis C of the brush 51 and a line corresponding to the surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60 are obtained. Next, the angle between these two lines is determined. This allows the angle θ to be obtained.

[0087] (Developing unit) The configuration of the developing unit 50 is not limited to the configuration described above, and may also be the configuration shown below. Here, Figure 19 is a schematic diagram showing a first example of the configuration of the developing unit of the washing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 20 is a schematic diagram showing a second example of the configuration of the developing unit of the washing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 21 is a schematic diagram showing a third example of the configuration of the developing unit of the washing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Note that in Figures 19 to 21, the same reference numerals are used for components identical to those in the washing apparatus 10 shown in Figure 1, and their detailed descriptions are omitted. In Figures 19 to 21, a single brush 51 configuration is shown, but the developing unit 50 shown in Figures 19 to 21 can be applied to a configuration with multiple brushes 51 as shown in Figure 6 above.

[0088] In the developing unit 50 shown in Figure 19, the drive unit 52 has a drive shaft unit 58. For example, the drive shaft unit 58 is rotatable about the drive shaft Dc as the axis of rotation. The drive shaft unit 58 rotates about the drive shaft Dc as the axis of rotation. The drive unit 52 is connected to the drive shaft 58 via a pulley 59, a transmission belt 59a, and a pulley 59b, as described later. The drive unit 52 has a shaft coupling 80 that connects the drive shaft 58 of the drive unit 52 to the rotation shaft C of the brush 51, so that the rotational force of the drive shaft 58 of the drive unit 52 can be transmitted to the rotation shaft C of the brush 51, and also adjusts the inclination of the rotation shaft C of the brush 51 with respect to the surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60. The shaft coupling 80 adjusts the inclination of the rotation shaft C of the brush 51, so that the tip surface 51e of the brush 51 is positioned parallel to the surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60. A developing unit 50 with this configuration has good plate surface tracking ability of the brush 51 on the flexographic printing plate 60. When using the developing unit 50 with the above configuration, the inclination of the rotation axis C of the brush 51 with respect to the surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60 is adjusted during the developing process, so that the tip surface 51e of the brush 51 is positioned parallel to the surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60 during development.

[0089] The shaft coupling section 80 shown in Figure 19 is called a ball joint. In the shaft coupling section 80, a first member 82 and a second member 84 are connected via a ball 85. The ball 85 allows the first member 82 and the second member 84 to move relative to each other. The first member 82 is connected to the rotating shaft portion 51c of the brush 51. The second member 84 is connected to the drive shaft portion 58. The drive shaft portion 58 has, for example, a pulley 59 on the opposite end of the second member 84. A pulley 59b is positioned opposite to this pulley 59, and a transmission belt 59a is wrapped around the pulley 59 and the pulley 59b. A drive unit 52 is connected to the pulley 59b, and when the drive unit 52 rotates the pulley 59b, the pulley 59 rotates, causing the drive shaft portion 58 to rotate, and the rotational force of the drive shaft portion 58 is transmitted to the rotating shaft portion 51c via the shaft coupling portion 80, causing the brush 51 to rotate. As described above, the ball 85 causes the first member 82 and the second member 84 to move relative to each other, which allows the inclination of the rotation axis C of the rotation axis portion 51c of the brush 51 with respect to the surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60 to be changed. This allows the orientation of the tip surface 51e of the brush 51 to be changed, and the tip surface 51e of the brush 51 to be positioned parallel to the surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60. As a result, the tip surface 51e of the brush 51 can be developed in uniform contact with the surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60, suppressing uneven contact and enabling more efficient and better development. Furthermore, depending on the device configuration, even if the rotation axis C of the brush 51 is tilted, the shaft coupling 80 can make the drive shaft Dc perpendicular to the surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60.

[0090] The shaft coupling section 80 is not limited to the configuration shown in Figure 19; universal joints, flexible couplings, and floating joints may also be used. Alternatively, for example, the shaft coupling section 81 of the developing unit 50 shown in Figure 20 may also be used. In Figure 20, components identical to those shown in Figure 19 are given the same reference numerals, and their detailed descriptions are omitted. The shaft coupling section 81 shown in Figure 20 has the same function as the shaft coupling section 80 shown in Figure 19, except for its different configuration.

[0091] The shaft coupling portion 81 shown in Figure 20 includes, for example, a first flange 86, a second flange 87, and two elastic members 88 and 89. The first flange 86 and the second flange 87 are positioned opposite each other, and the two elastic members 88 and 89 are provided between the first flange 86 and the second flange 87. The two elastic members 88 and 89 are, for example, springs. The first flange 86 and the second flange 87 can move relative to each other due to the displacement of the two elastic members 88 and 89. The first flange 86 is connected to the rotating shaft portion 51c of the brush 51. The second flange 87 is connected to the drive shaft portion 58. As described above, the first flange 86 and the second flange 87 move relative to each other due to the two elastic members 88 and 89, which allows the inclination of the rotation axis C of the rotation axis portion 51c of the brush 51 with respect to the surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60 to be changed. This allows the orientation of the tip surface 51e of the brush 51 to be changed, and the tip surface 51e of the brush 51 to be positioned parallel to the surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60. Development can be performed with the tip surface 51e of the brush 51 in uniform contact with the surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60, suppressing uneven contact and enabling more efficient and better development.

[0092] Furthermore, depending on the device configuration, even if the rotation axis C of the brush 51 is tilted, the shaft coupling 80 can make the drive shaft Dc perpendicular to the surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60. Furthermore, by providing the two elastic members 88 and 89 in a compressed state compared to the state in which no force is applied, for example, the first flange 86 and the second flange 87 are subjected to a force that separates them relative to each other. As a result, the first flange 86 is displaced toward the surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60, allowing the tip surface 51e of the brush 51 to be pressed against the surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60. Note that the two elastic members 88 and 89 are not limited to springs, but may be made of rubber or elastomer, etc. The number of elastic members is not limited to two, but may be one, three or more, and the number of elastic members is appropriately determined according to the force acting on the brush 51, etc.

[0093] Alternatively, the developing unit 50 shown in Figure 21 may have a pressing section 90 that presses the tip surface 51e of the brush 51 against the surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60. In Figure 21, components identical to those shown in Figure 19 are given the same reference numerals, and their detailed descriptions are omitted. The pressing unit 90, for example, presses the drive shaft 58 against the surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60, thereby pressing the tip surface 51e of the brush 51 against the surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60. A transmission belt 59a is wrapped around a pulley 59 provided on the drive shaft 58 and a pulley 59b positioned opposite to the pulley 59. A drive unit 52 is connected to the pulley 59b, and the drive unit 52 rotates the pulley 59b. The pulley 59, the transmission belt 59a, and the pulley 59b are housed in a case 92. An elastic member 94 is provided in the case 92 on the pulley 59b side, for example, in a compressed state compared to when no force is applied. The end of the elastic member 94 opposite to the case 92 is fixed to a fixed wall 95. The elastic member 94 presses the case 92 against the flexographic printing plate 60, and the tip surface 51e of the brush 51 is pressed against the surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60 via the drive shaft 58 and the shaft coupling 80.

[0094] By providing a pressing portion 90 in addition to the shaft coupling portion 80, the tip surface 51e of the brush 51 can be pressed against the surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60 while the tip surface 51e of the brush 51 is positioned parallel to the surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60. This allows the brush 51 to be developed with the tip surface 51e of the brush 51 pressed uniformly against the surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60, enabling more efficient and even better development. In Figure 21, the shaft coupling section 80 shown in Figure 19 is used, but the design is not limited to this. The shaft coupling section 81 shown in Figure 20 can also be used, and as mentioned above, universal joints, flexible couplings, floating joints, etc., can also be used. When using the developing unit 50 shown in Figures 19 to 21, the inclination of the rotating shaft portion 51c of the brush 51 with respect to the surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60 is adjusted during the developing process, so that the tip surface 51e of the brush 51 is positioned parallel to the surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60. With this configuration, the flexographic printing plate 60 can be developed with good conformity of the brush 51 to the plate surface.

[0095] In the washing device 10, the flexographic printing plate 60 was developed while immersed in the washing solution Q. However, development is not limited to this, and development can be performed while supplying the washing solution Q to the brush 51. In this case, the configuration of the brush 51 may be, for example, a brush 51 in which a supply pipe 76 is provided on the rotating shaft portion 51c, as shown in Figure 22. The supply pipe 76 is connected to a supply unit 77 that supplies the washing solution Q. The washing solution Q is supplied from the supply unit 77 through the supply pipe 76 and through the rotating shaft portion 51c to the center of the brush 51, and the washing solution Q is supplied between the brush 51 and the surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60. In the developing process, the wash solution Q is delivered to the center of the brush, passing through the rotating shaft portion 51c of the brush 51, to perform development. Since the brush 51 has a region 51d in the base body 51a where the area near the rotation axis C is not provided with bristles 51b, the wash liquid Q can be efficiently supplied between the brush 51 and the surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60. The supply pipe 76 is not particularly limited as long as it can supply the wash liquid Q to the brush 51, and a flexible tube can be used. The supply unit 77 is not particularly limited as long as it can supply the wash liquid Q, and for example, it may include a tank (not shown) for storing the wash liquid Q and a liquid supply unit (not shown) equipped with a pump and valve for sending the wash liquid Q to the supply pipe 76.

[0096] Furthermore, the developing unit 50 is not limited to a configuration in which the brush 51 is provided so as to cover the entire surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60, as shown in Figure 6. For example, it may also be configured to use one or two brushes 51. In this case, for example, the brush 51 is moved in two directions perpendicular to the rotation axis C to perform development. The movement path of the brush 51 is predetermined according to the size of the brush 51, the size of the flexographic printing plate 60, and the transport speed. By programming the movement path of the brush 51, development can be performed according to the program.

[0097] (Rinse section) The washing device 10 may also have a rinsing section (not shown). The rinsing section removes residual latex and rubber components remaining on the surface 60a of the developed flexographic printing plate 60, which has been removed from the developing tank 13, using a rinsing solution such as a wash solution. The process of removing residual latex and rubber components remaining on the surface 60a of the flexographic printing plate 60 using a rinsing solution such as a wash solution in the rinsing section is called the rinsing process. For example, the developed flexographic printing plate 60 is transported from the developing tank 13 to the outside of the developing tank 13 and processed in the rinsing section.

[0098] The rinsing section includes a rinsing liquid supply section and a liquid draining nozzle. In the rinsing section, for example, rinsing solution is sprayed onto the surface 60a of the developed flexographic printing plate 60 from the rinsing solution supply section, for example, in a spray form, to wash away the aforementioned residues. The developing fatigue solution supplied from the rinsing solution supply section and the washed-away residues accumulate in the developing tank 13, for example. The rinsing section is preferably provided to supply rinsing solution to the liquid film remaining on the developed flexographic printing plate 60 after it has been removed from the developing tank 13. By allowing the used rinsing solution supplied from the rinsing section to flow into the developing tank 13, the overall amount of waste liquid can be reduced. This effect is particularly significant when the transport path is in the vertical direction. For this reason, it is preferable to allow the used rinsing solution to flow into the developing tank 13 even in the rinsing process.

[0099] The washing device 10 shown in Figure 1 is configured to horizontally transport the flexographic printing plate 60 along the transport direction D. However, the configuration of the washing device is not limited to this. For example, it can also be applied to a vertical transport type washing device, as described in International Publication No. 2022 / 024724, in which the flexographic printing plate 60 is transported perpendicular to the surface of the washing solution, and development may be performed while the flexographic printing plate 60 is being transported. Furthermore, it can be applied to devices that develop printing plates by fixing them to a flat plate called a setter with adhesive, and also to washing devices that develop flexographic printing plates while they are wrapped around a rotating drum and fixed in place. In addition to these, it can also be applied to clamshell-type (batch-type) washing devices. In the case of a clamshell-type (batch-type) washing device, for example, the washing device consists of a developing tank 13, a support stand 15, and a developing unit 50.

[0100] (Flexographic printing plate) The flexographic printing plate 60 forms the flexographic printing plate used in flexographic printing, and its composition is not particularly limited. The flexographic printing plate 60 is thin, with a thickness of only a few millimeters, and is flexible. Flexible means that it returns to its original state after being bent by an applied force and then the force is removed. Examples of the dimensions of the flexographic printing plate 60 include 800mm x 1200mm and 1050mm x 1500mm. Flexographic printing plates 60 are, for example, those that can be developed with a water-based wash solution, which is mainly composed of water; these are called water-developable flexographic printing plates. In this case, the wash solution is a water-based wash solution. For the flexographic printing plate 60, any known flexographic printing plate that can be developed with an aqueous wash solution can be used. The flexographic printing plate 60 may also be a CTP (Computer To Plate) compatible flexographic plate material with a black layer coating on its surface.

[0101] The following describes the wash-out solution. The wash-out solution used is appropriate for the flexographic printing plate. <Wash-off solution> A water-based wash solution is used. The water-based wash solution may consist only of water, or it may be an aqueous solution containing 50% or more water by mass, with a water-soluble compound added. Examples of water-soluble compounds include surfactants, acids, alkalis, etc.

[0102] Examples of surfactants include anionic surfactants, nonionic surfactants, cationic surfactants, and amphoteric surfactants, with anionic surfactants being preferred. Examples of anionic surfactants include aliphatic carboxylates such as sodium laurate and sodium oleate; higher alcohol sulfates such as sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium cetyl sulfate, and sodium oleyl sulfate; polyoxyethylene alkyl ether sulfates such as sodium polyoxyethylene lauryl ether sulfate; polyoxyethylene alkyl allyl ether sulfates such as sodium polyoxyethylene octylphenyl ether sulfate and sodium polyoxyethylene nonylphenyl ether sulfate; alkyl sulfonates such as alkyl diphenyl ether disulfonate, sodium dodecyl sulfonate, and sodium dialkyl sulfosuccinate; alkyl allyl sulfonates such as alkyl disulfonate, sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate, sodium dibutylnaphthalene sulfonate, and sodium triisopropylnaphthalene sulfonate; higher alcohol phosphates such as disodium lauryl phosphate and sodium lauryl phosphate; and polyoxyethylene alkyl ether phosphates such as disodium polyoxyethylene lauryl ether phosphate and sodium polyoxyethylene lauryl ether phosphate. These can be used individually or in combination of two or more. While sodium salts were given as a specific example, the effect is not limited to sodium salts; similar effects can be obtained with calcium salts, ammonia salts, etc.

[0103] Nonionic surfactants include, specifically, polyoxyethylene alkyl ethers such as polyoxyethylene oleyl ether or polyoxyethylene lauryl ether, polyoxyethylene alkylphenyl ethers such as polyoxyethylene nonylphenyl ether or polyoxyethylene octylphenyl ether, polyoxyethylene polyoxypropylene glycols, mono and diesters of fatty acids and polyethylene glycol such as polyethylene glycol monostearate or polyethylene glycol monooleate or polyethylene glycol dilaurate, esters of fatty acids and sorbitan such as sorbitan monolaurate or sorbitan monooleate, and polyoxyethylene sorbitan polyoxyethylenes such as polyoxyethylene sorbitan monolaurate or polyoxyethylene sorbitan monosiderate or polyoxyethylene sorbitan trilaurate. Examples include esters of sorbitol adducts and fatty acids, esters of fatty acids such as sorbitol monopalmitate or sorbitol dilaurate and sorbitol, esters of polyoxyethylene adducts of sorbitol such as polyoxyethylene sorbitol monostearate or polyoxyethylene sorbitol diolate and fatty acids, esters of fatty acids such as pentaerythritol monostearate and pentaerythritol, esters of fatty acids such as glycerin monolaurate and glycerin, fatty acid alkanolamides such as lauric acid diethanolamide or lauric acid monoethanolamide, amine oxides such as lauryldimethylamine oxide, fatty acid alkanolamines such as stearyldiethanolamine, polyoxyethylene alkylamines, triethanolamine fatty acid esters, and alkaline salt compounds such as phosphates, carbonates, and silicates. These may be used individually or in combination of two or more.

[0104] Examples of cationic surfactants include primary, secondary, and tertiary amine salts such as monostearylammonium chloride, distearylammonium chloride, and tristearylammonium chloride; quaternary ammonium salts such as stearyltrimethylammonium chloride, distearyldimethylammonium chloride, and stearyldimethylbenzylammonium chloride; alkylpyridinium salts such as N-cetylpyridinium chloride or N-stearylpyridinium chloride; N,N-dialkylmorpholinium salts; fatty acid amide salts of polyethylene polyamine; acetate salts of urea compounds of aminoethylethanolamine and stearic acid amides; and 2-alkyl-1-hydroxyethylimidazolinium chloride. These may be used individually or in combination of two or more.

[0105] Examples of amphoteric surfactants include amino acid types such as sodium laurylamine propionate, carboxybetaine types such as lauryldimethylbetaine or lauryldihydroxyethylbetaine, sulfobetaine types such as stearyldimethylsulfoethyleneammoniumbetaine, imidazolinium betaine, and lecithin. These may be used individually or in combination of two or more types.

[0106] Examples of acids include, specifically, inorganic or organic acids such as hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, nitric acid, phosphoric acid, formic acid, acetic acid, oxalic acid, succinic acid, citric acid, malic acid, maleic acid, and p-toluenesulfonic acid. Examples of alkalis include lithium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, magnesium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, calcium hydroxide, calcium oxide, sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, and calcium carbonate.

[0107] <Developer fatigue solution> Developing fatigue solution is a developer solution containing solid matter that is generated when unexposed areas of a flexographic printing plate are removed after image exposure. Note that "containing solid matter" in the context of a developer solution means that the solid matter is dissolved or dispersed. The developing fatigue solution is not particularly limited as long as it is a developing solution containing solid matter generated when the unexposed areas of the flexographic printing plate are removed by developing with the above-mentioned developing solution, that is, a developing solution containing uncured resin. However, it may also include a developing fatigue solution containing a conventionally known photosensitive resin composition for forming a general photosensitive resin layer. The uncured resin removed by development may also be the photosensitive resin contained in the photosensitive resin composition. Furthermore, since it is preferable to treat the developing fatigue solution obtained when developing using the LAM (Laser Ablation Masking) method, it is preferable that the uncured resin removed by development is the photosensitive resin contained in the photosensitive resin composition. Furthermore, such photosensitive resin compositions include compositions containing, in addition to the photosensitive resin, a polymerization initiator, a polymerizable compound, a polymerization inhibitor, and a plasticizer. Therefore, the developing fatigue solution may contain, in addition to the uncured resin, a polymerization initiator, a polymerizable compound, a polymerization inhibitor, and a plasticizer.

[0108] The present invention is basically configured as described above. Although the washing apparatus and washing method of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various improvements or modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Examples]

[0109] The features of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to examples. The materials, reagents, amounts and proportions of substances, and procedures shown in the following examples can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the following examples. In this example, the independent point reproducibility and streaking properties were evaluated for Examples 1 to 11 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2. The results for independent point reproducibility and streaking properties are shown in Table 1 below. In Table 1, streaking properties are referred to as "developing gas." The independent point reproducibility and streaking properties will be explained below.

[0110] <Independent point reproducibility> Patterns containing independent dots of sizes 60 μm, 80 μm, 100 μm, 120 μm, and 140 μm were primarily exposed onto a flexographic printing plate, and then the flexographic printing plate after image exposure was developed. The size of independent dots remaining on the developed flexographic printing plate was checked using a 6x magnification loupe. The size of the identified independent dots was evaluated based on the evaluation criteria below. A higher score indicates that smaller dots remain and that the independent dot reproducibility is superior. Table 1 below shows only the score numbers based on the evaluation criteria below. (Evaluation Criteria) Five points: Reproduced down to the 60 μm subpoint among 60 μm, 80 μm, 100 μm, 120 μm, and 140 μm. Four points: Reproduced down to the 80 μm subpoint among 60 μm, 80 μm, 100 μm, 120 μm, and 140 μm. Three points: Reproduce down to a 100μm subpoint among 60μm, 80μm, 100μm, 120μm, and 140μm. Two points: Reproduces up to the 120 μm subpoint among 60 μm, 80 μm, 100 μm, 120 μm, and 140 μm. One point: Reproduces up to a 140 μm subpoint among 60 μm, 80 μm, 100 μm, 120 μm, and 140 μm.

[0111] <Debris attached> Regarding the presence of developing residue, the flexographic printing plate originals were visually inspected for the presence of developing residue after development, and also checked using a 6x magnification loupe. If developing residue was present, the number of residue particles was counted. The developing residue was evaluated based on the following evaluation criteria. A higher score indicates better adhesion of developing residue, meaning that no developing residue is present. Table 1 below shows only the scores based on the evaluation criteria below. (Evaluation Criteria) 5 points: No developing residue. 4 points: 1-2 pieces of developing debris smaller than 10μm. 3 points: 3 to 4 pieces of developing debris smaller than 10 μm. 2 points: Five or more pieces of developing debris smaller than 10 μm. 1 point: One or more pieces of developing debris larger than 10 μm.

[0112] The apparatus and chemicals used in Examples 1 to 11 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2 are shown below. <Imaging device> ·CDI Spark 4835 Inline (manufactured by ESKO) <Explorer> • UV exposure machine Concept 302 ECDLF (product name) (manufactured by Glunz & Jensen) <Flexographic printing plate original> • FLENEX FW-L (manufactured by Fujifilm Global Graphic Systems Co., Ltd.) • Print size: 800mm x 1200mm

[0113] <Image exposure of flexographic printing plate original> The flexographic printing plate described above was subjected to back exposure by exposing it from the back side with 80W of energy for 10 seconds using the ultraviolet exposure machine described above. Subsequently, the mask layer was ablated and imaged using the imaging machine described above, and the main exposure was performed by exposing it from the front side (the back side of the back side) with 80W for 1000 seconds. The flexographic printing plate that underwent the main exposure was used as the flexographic printing plate after image exposure. <Washing device> Washing apparatus with the configuration shown in Figure 1 <Wash-off solution> • Aqueous solution of Finish Power & Pure Powder SP (manufactured by Reckitt Benckiser Japan) (concentration: 0.5% by mass) • Liquid temperature 50°C <Brush> Brushes 1 through 4 were used. Brush 1 has the configuration shown in Figures 7 and 8. Brush 2 has the configuration shown in Figure 15. Brush 3 has the configuration shown in Figure 16. Brush 4 has the configuration shown in Figure 17. Brushes 1 through 4 all have bristle lengths of 16 mm and a diameter of 0.15 mm. The bristle material is nylon 612. Furthermore, the size of the flexographic printing plate was fixed, and the number of brushes was adjusted to match the brush trajectory radius R. During development, the brush rotation speed and the force with which the brush was pressed against the flexographic printing plate were the same in Examples 1-11 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2.

[0114] Next, Examples 1 to 11 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2 will be described. (Example 1) In Example 1, the flexographic printing plate after the image exposure described above was developed using a brush 1 in the washing apparatus shown in Figure 1. In Example 1, the brush orbital radius R was set to 100 mm, and the distance r from the center of the rotation axis C to the nearest brush bristle was set to 10 mm. In Example 1, r / R = 0.1. (Example 2) Example 2 differs from Example 1 in that the brush orbital radius R is set to 100 mm and the distance r from the center of the rotation axis C to the nearest brush bristle is set to 20 mm; otherwise, it is the same as Example 1. In Example 2, r / R = 0.2. (Example 3) Example 3 differs from Example 1 in that the brush orbital radius R is set to 100 mm and the distance r from the center of the rotation axis C to the nearest brush bristle is set to 30 mm; otherwise, it is the same as Example 1. In Example 3, r / R = 0.3. (Example 4) Example 4 differs from Example 1 in that the brush orbital radius R is set to 100 mm and the distance r from the center of the rotation axis C to the nearest brush bristle is set to 50 mm; otherwise, it is the same as Example 1. In Example 4, r / R = 0.5.

[0115] (Example 5) Example 5 differs from Example 1 in that the brush orbital radius R is set to 150 mm and the distance r from the center of the rotation axis C to the nearest brush bristle is set to 15 mm; otherwise, it is the same as Example 1. In Example 5, r / R = 0.15. (Example 6) Example 6 differs from Example 1 in that the brush orbital radius R is set to 250 mm and the distance r from the center of the rotation axis C to the nearest brush bristle is set to 25 mm; otherwise, it is the same as Example 1. In Example 2, r / R = 0.1. (Example 7) Example 7 differed from Example 1 in that it used brush 2, but otherwise it was the same as Example 1. In Example 7, r / R = 0.1. The brush 2 of Example 7 has the configuration shown in Figure 15, and the outer shape of the outer circumference 51f of the brush is rectangular. (Example 8) Example 8 differed from Example 1 in that it used brush 3, but otherwise it was the same as Example 1. In Example 8, r / R = 0.1. The brush 3 of Example 8 has the configuration shown in Figure 16, and the outer shape of the outer circumference 51f of the brush is hexagonal.

[0116] (Example 9) Example 9 differed from Example 1 in that it used brush 4, but otherwise it was the same as Example 1. The brush 4 of Example 9 has the configuration shown in Figure 17, and the outer shape of the outer circumference 51f of the brush is elliptical. In Example 11, the length of the major axis is 100 mm, the length of the minor axis is 70 mm, and the distance r from the center of the rotation axis C to the brush bristles closest to it is 7 mm. The length of the major axis corresponds to the length of 2a in Figure 17, and corresponds to the trajectory radius R of the brush. The length of the minor axis corresponds to the length shown in 2b of Figure 17. The distance r from the center of the rotation axis C to the nearest brush bristle corresponds to the length shown in b of Figure 17. In Example 9, r / R = 0.07. (Example 10) Example 10 differs from Example 1 in that the distance r from the center of the rotation axis C to the brush bristles closest to it is set to 7 mm; otherwise, it is the same as Example 1. In Example 10, r / R = 0.07. (Example 11) Example 11 differed from Example 1 in that it used brush 5, but otherwise it was the same as Example 1. In Example 11, r / R = 0.1. The brush 5 of Example 11 has the configuration shown in Figure 18, wherein linear regions 51g passing through the region 51d where the bristles 51b are not provided are arranged perpendicularly to each other through the rotation axis C.

[0117] (Comparative Example 1) Comparative Example 1 differs from Example 1 in that the distance r from the center of the rotation axis C to the closest brush bristle is set to 5 mm, and all other conditions are the same as those of Example 1. In Comparative Example 1, r / R = 0.05. (Comparative Example 2) Comparative Example 2 differs from Example 1 in that the distance r from the center of the rotation axis C to the closest brush bristle is set to 1 mm, and all other conditions are the same as those of Example 1. In Comparative Example 2, r / R = 0.01.

[0118] [Table 1]

[0119] As shown in Table 1, Examples 1 to 11 were superior in both independent small dot reproducibility and debris adhesion resistance as compared with Comparative Examples 1 and 2. In addition, no brush marks were observed on any of the developed flexographic printing plate precursors of Examples 1 to 11. When a brush with bristles planted coaxially with the rotation axis is used, the rotation speed differs between the rotation axis and the outer peripheral portion. The rotation speed at the rotation axis is extremely low, which increases the coefficient of friction applied to the flexographic printing plate precursor, so that independent small dots that affect printing performance due to excessive development fall off. In addition, since the rotation speed at the rotation axis is low, the developed debris is not discharged and accumulates. Therefore, it is necessary to avoid providing bristles in the vicinity of the rotation axis. By providing the bristles such that 0.05 < r / R as described above, both the independent small dot reproducibility and the debris adhesion resistance are improved.

[0120] From Examples 1 to 6 and 10, when 0.05<r / R, a larger r / R value tended to result in better independent small dot reproducibility and scum adhesion resistance. When r / R was 0.2 or more, the independent small dot reproducibility and scum adhesion resistance were more excellent, and when 0.3≦r / R≦0.5, the independent small dot reproducibility and scum adhesion resistance were even more excellent. From Examples 1, 7, 8 and 11 with r / R of 0.1, the brush having the linear region 51g of Example 11 had better scum adhesion resistance. [Description of Reference Signs]

[0121] 10, 10a Washing apparatus 12 Station 12a, 14a, 15a Surface 13 Developing tank 13b Bottom surface 14 Unloading station 15 Support base 16 Transport unit 20 Frame 20a, 20b Member 21 Guide rail 22 Ball screw 24 Drive control unit 25 Measurement unit 26 Adjustment unit 27 Plate position adjustment unit 27a Arm 30 Leading edge reader 30a Housing 30b Arm 30c Support part 32 Plate fixing unit 32a Base part 32b Pin 33a Base part 40 Punching unit 41 Drive unit 42 Press-in part 43 Recessed part 44 Plate attaching part 48 Control unit 49 Memory 50 Developing unit 51 Brush 51a Base body 51b Bristle 51c Rotating shaft 51d area 51e Tip surface 51f Brush outer edge 51g linear area 51h surface 52 Drive unit 53 Height position adjustment section 54 Distance Sensor 56. Inspection Department 57 Adjustment part 58 Drive shaft section 59 Pulley 59a Transmission belt 59b Pulley 60 Flexographic printing plates 60a surface 60b back side 60c side 60d side 60e square 60f tip 60g rear end 70 Rear end retaining part 71 Rear end retaining part 72 Base 73 Support part 73a edge 74 Pressing plate 76 Supply pipe 77 Supply section 80 Shaft coupling section 81 Shaft coupling section 82 First member 84 Second member 85 balls 86 First flange 87 Second flange 88 Elastic members 89 Elastic members 90 Pressing part 92 cases 94 Elastic members 95 Fixed wall Direction A C Rotation axis Cc circumcircle D Conveying direction DL Reverse direction DC drive shaft Dw direction P1 Conveyor position P2 Conveyor position Ps Starting position Q Washing solution R Orbit radius r distance θ angle

Claims

1. A washing apparatus for developing a flexographic printing plate after image exposure using a washing solution, The flexographic printing plate original has a developing unit that develops the original plate, The developing unit includes a brush used for developing, It has a drive unit that controls the rotation of the brush around its rotation axis, The brush removes unexposed areas from the flexographic printing plate master for development. The aforementioned brush has a single rotating axis at its center and is equipped with bristles. A washing device in which, when R is the orbital radius of the outer circumference of the brush and r is the distance from the center of the rotation axis to the nearest bristle, 0.05 < r / R.

2. The washing device according to claim 1, wherein the drive unit controls the movement of the brush.

3. The washing device according to claim 1, wherein the brush has a diameter of 30 to 500 mm in the rotational trajectory of the outer circumference of the brush.

4. The washing device according to claim 1, wherein the brush has bristles with a length of 5 to 30 mm.

5. The washing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the material of the bristles is nylon 612 or nylon 610.

6. The washing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the developing unit develops the flexographic printing plate by immersing it in the washing solution or by supplying the washing solution to the flexographic printing plate.

7. The washing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the area projected of the brush onto the surface of the flexographic printing plate is smaller than the surface area of ​​the flexographic printing plate.

8. The washing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the drive unit moves the brush in two directions perpendicular to the rotation axis of the brush.

9. The washing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the washing solution is delivered to the center of the brush, passing through the rotating shaft of the brush, to perform the developing.

10. The drive unit has a rotating drive shaft portion, and the brush has a rotating shaft portion with the rotating shaft as its central axis. The drive shaft of the drive unit and the rotating shaft of the brush are connected so that the rotational force of the drive shaft of the drive unit can be transmitted to the rotating shaft of the brush, and the shaft coupling portion is provided to adjust the inclination of the rotating shaft of the brush with respect to the surface of the flexographic printing plate, The washing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the inclination of the rotation axis of the brush is adjusted by the shaft coupling portion, and the tip surface of the brush is arranged parallel to the surface of the flexographic printing plate master.

11. The system has a transport unit that transports the flexographic printing plate along a predetermined transport route, The washing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the conveying section uses at least one of the following methods: a belt conveying method, a roller conveying method, a gear conveying method, and a guide conveying method.

12. A washing method for developing a flexographic printing plate after image exposure using a washing solution, The process includes developing the flexographic printing plate using a brush, The brush removes unexposed areas from the flexographic printing plate master for development. The aforementioned brush has a single rotating axis at its center and is equipped with bristles. A washing method in which, when R is the orbital radius of the outer circumference of the brush and r is the distance from the center of the rotation axis to the hair closest to it, 0.05 < r / R.

13. The washing method according to claim 12, wherein the flexographic printing plate master is immersed in the washing solution, or the washing solution is supplied to the flexographic printing plate master for development.

14. The washing method according to claim 12 or 13, wherein in the developing step, the inclination of the rotation axis of the brush with respect to the surface of the flexographic printing plate is adjusted so that the tip surface of the brush is positioned parallel to the surface of the flexographic printing plate.

Images