Method and apparatus for loading and unloading flexographic plates for computer-to-plate imaging including separate loading and unloading areas

摘要

An apparatus for and a method of loading and unloading of plates to and from an imager. The apparatus includes a loading area holding one single or a plurality of plates and an unloading area holding a single plate, the areas arranged vertically. The plate includes ultraviolet curable material. The apparatus includes a control system configured when in operation to control the automated loading and unloading and the apparatus elements therefor. One fully automatic version includes automatic loading from a stack or set of plate magazines and in the case that the plate includes a protective sheet thereon, includes removing the protective sheet from the plate. Some versions also include one or more ultraviolet sources to irradiate the flexographic plates with ultraviolet radiation during the automated loading and/or unloading. The ultraviolet sources are controlled by the same control system.

主权项

1. A method of operating a control system of a drum imager having rotatable drum, the method comprising:
loading a printing plate from a loading position on a loading area on to the drum of the drum imager, the loading area adjacent to the drum, the printing plate including material that is curable by irradiation with ultraviolet radiation; imaging the loaded printing plate to form an imaged plate; and unloading the printing plate from the imager onto an unloading area separate from the loading area, the unloading area being for holding a single plate the method further comprising automatically irradiating the printing plate under control of the control system, the irradiating using ultraviolet radiation and controlled to occur prior to or after the imaging during one or both of loading of the plate and unloading of the plate, wherein while one plate is positioned at the loading position on the loading area, another plate can be unloaded from the imager or be situated at the unloading area.