Flexographic Plate Rinsing Liquid Reuse With Developer Concentration Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing technologies face challenges in easily reusing used rinsing liquid and developer after flexographic printing plate development, leading to increased waste and complex device configurations.
Innovation Solution
A treatment device and method that includes a developing portion, rinsing portion, and developer storage portion, allowing reuse of rinsing liquid by feeding it to a developer storage tank, and replenishing with a developer having a higher chelating agent concentration to maintain optimal developer concentration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If the rinsing liquid after rinsing treatment is mixed with the developer, then the surfactant concentration and chelating agent concentration in the developer are reduced, but this leads to the rinsing liquid being discarded and increased waste
Solution Approach 1:
The patent recovers the rinsing liquid that would normally be discarded and reuses it as developer for subsequent printing plate development. The rinsing liquid collection unit collects the rinsing liquid after rinsing treatment, and the reused developer supply unit supplies this collected rinsing liquid to the developing unit for reuse, thereby reducing waste while maintaining development effectiveness.
2Device complexity
If the rinsing liquid is reused without regeneration, then the device configuration is simplified, but the developer concentration cannot be maintained at optimal levels
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically manages the reuse of rinsing liquid without requiring complex external regeneration equipment. The rinsing liquid collection unit and reused developer supply unit work together to automatically collect, store, and supply the rinsing liquid for reuse, simplifying the overall device configuration while maintaining optimal developer concentration through controlled replenishment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent monitors and adjusts the surfactant concentration and chelating agent concentration in the reused developer by controlling the replenishment amount. The control unit calculates the required replenishment amount based on the number of printing plates processed and supplies fresh developer to maintain optimal concentration parameters, ensuring consistent development quality.
3Quantity of substance
If a developer regeneration unit is added to regenerate the developer, then the developer concentration can be maintained, but the device configuration becomes complicated and reuse becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential function of developer regeneration by separating the rinsing liquid collection and reuse supply functions from a complex regeneration system. Instead of implementing a full developer regeneration unit, the system collects rinsing liquid, stores it, and replenishes it with fresh developer in controlled amounts, achieving concentration maintenance without the complexity of comprehensive regeneration equipment.
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided are a treatment device and a treatment method capable of easily reusing a used rinsing liquid, and reducing the amount of waste liquid. A treatment device has: a developing portion which is provided with a developing unit which performs development by removing a non-exposed portion of a flexographic printing plate precursor after imagewise exposure using a developer containing a washing solution; a rinsing portion which is provided with a rinsing liquid supply portion which supplies a rinsing liquid containing substantially only water as a component to at least a surface of the flexographic printing plate precursor after development, from which the non-exposed portion of the flexographic printing plate precursor has been removed; a developer storage portion which has a developer storage tank which stores the developer which is used for the development in the developing portion; a first liquid feeding path through which the developer after development is fed to the developer storage tank of the developer storage portion; and a second liquid feeding path different from the first liquid feeding path, through which the rinsing liquid supplied by the rinsing portion is fed to the developer storage tank of the developer storage portion, and the developing portion repeatedly uses the developer stored in the developer storage tank of the developer storage portion to perform the development.