Large-format Printing Plate Baking Temperature Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Large-format printing plates experience significant deformations during the baking process due to uneven temperature distribution and internal stresses, leading to corrugation and rendering some plates unusable, despite existing measures aimed at achieving uniform temperature distribution.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method where temperature differences along the longitudinal and transverse directions of the printing plate are carefully controlled during heating and cooling, using a discontinuous baking process in a continuous furnace with a large baking zone and low thermal conductivity transport means to minimize deformations, and ensuring uniform cooling to maintain temperature gradients.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If continuous baking is used to increase productivity, then manufacturing efficiency is improved, but temperature distribution uniformity deteriorates causing plate deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating temperature control in different spatial zones and directions. Specifically, the temperature distribution is optimized to be more uniform in the longitudinal direction (along conveyance) while allowing controlled gradients in the transverse direction, with maximum temperature differences of 40°C longitudinally and 10°C transversely. This localized temperature management enables continuous processing while maintaining plate flatness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs dynamic temperature control during the baking process, particularly during heating and cooling phases. The temperature differences are dynamically managed to stay within specified limits (40°C longitudinal, 10°C transverse) throughout the process, allowing the system to adapt to changing thermal conditions while maintaining manufacturing precision during continuous operation.
2Loss of time
If higher conveying speed is used to reduce processing time, then productivity is improved, but temperature uniformity deteriorates increasing deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the thermal parameters by establishing specific temperature difference thresholds (40°C in longitudinal direction, 10°C in transverse direction) that must be maintained during heating and cooling. These parameter constraints enable faster conveying speeds while preventing deformation, as the temperature gradients are controlled to remain within safe limits throughout the accelerated process.
3Temperature
If radiation intensity is increased at edges to improve temperature uniformity, then transverse temperature distribution is improved, but longitudinal temperature gradients increase causing deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by establishing different temperature difference tolerances for different directions: 40°C maximum in the longitudinal direction and 10°C maximum in the transverse direction. This directional differentiation resolves the contradiction by allowing greater temperature variation along the conveyance direction while maintaining tighter control across the width, preventing both types of deformation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach significantly reduces unwanted wave formation and deformation in large-format printing plates, allowing them to be used effectively after the baking process, with deformations minimized to below 6 mm, thereby reducing plate rejection rates.
Implementation Method 1
the printing plate is heated to a baking temperature, held at this temperature for a predefined period
Implementation Method 2
The light-sensitive layer hardens chemically or crosslinks chemically as a result of the effect of temperature
Implementation Method 3
the printing plate is heated to a baking temperature, held at this temperature for a predefined period and then cooled
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for baking a coating of a printing plate carrier, wherein the printing plate comprises aluminium or an aluminium alloy as the carrier material, in which the printing plate is heated to a baking temperature, is kept at this temperature over a predefined period and is subsequently cooled down. The object of proposing a method for baking printing plate carriers, in particular printing plate carriers of a large format, in which the deformations after the baking operation can be minimized still further is achieved by providing that, at least in a temperature interval between 150°C and the baking temperature, preferably 100°C, the temperature differences of the temperature of the metal of the printing plate measured along a line in the longitudinal direction of the printing plate are a maximum of 40°C over a length of 40 cm during the heating up and cooling down, and the temperature differences of the temperature of the metal of the printing plate measured along a line perpendicular to the longitudinal direction are less than 10°C during the heating up and cooling down.