Flexographic Printing Plate Uneven Surface Ink Uniformity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Flexographic printing plates experience poor ink uniformity in solid portions due to variations in printing speed, as existing methods rely on specific convex structures that are ineffective at different speeds.
Innovation Solution
A flexographic printing plate with an uneven surface structure featuring grooves and hole groups of varying widths and diameters, arranged orthogonally, which ensures consistent ink distribution regardless of printing speed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional flexographic printing plates with simple convex structures are used, then the manufacturing process is simple, but ink uniformity deteriorates at different printing speeds
Solution Approach 1:
The printing plate surface is segmented into multiple functional zones: convex portions for ink transfer, concave portions for ink storage, and groove patterns for ink distribution control. This segmentation allows each zone to perform its specific function optimally, ensuring uniform ink transfer regardless of printing speed variations
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the printing plate are given different local structures: the convex portions have specific height ranges (0.01-0.1mm) for ink transfer, while concave portions (depth 0.002-0.05mm) provide ink reservoirs. The groove patterns (width 0.005-0.05mm, depth 0.001-0.03mm) are strategically placed to control ink flow locally, ensuring consistent ink distribution across the entire printing surface at various speeds
2Productivity
If printing speed varies, then productivity increases, but ink uniformity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The concave portions are pre-formed during plate manufacturing to store ink before printing. This preliminary ink storage ensures that sufficient ink is available on the convex portions regardless of how quickly the plate moves during printing, maintaining ink uniformity across different printing speeds
Solution Approach 2:
The groove patterns act as intermediary structures between the ink supply and the convex printing surfaces. These grooves channel and distribute ink uniformly across the printing plate, mediating the ink flow to ensure consistent ink transfer even when printing speed varies, preventing both ink starvation and ink pooling
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention is to provide a flexographic printing plate having excellent ink uniformity in an image area, particularly, in a solid portion regardless of a printing speed, a method for manufacturing the flexographic printing plate, and a flexographic printing plate precursor used in the manufacturing of the flexographic printing plate. The flexographic printing plate of the present invention is a flexographic printing plate having a relief layer provided with a non-image area, and an image area having an uneven structure formed on the surface, in which a concave portion constituting the uneven structure is formed of at least one of a plurality of grooves having a fixed width extending in one direction or a plurality of hole groups constituted of a plurality of bottomed holes having the same diameter scattered in the one direction, a depth of the concave portion is 2 to 20 µm, each of the plurality of grooves and the plurality of hole groups is arranged in an orthogonal direction orthogonal to the one direction, and the grooves and the bottomed holes respectively have two or more kinds of widths and diameters.