About thirty years ago, a washable photosensitive resin plate material suitable for relief printing was successfully developed, which can produce high-quality printing effects. More than ten years ago, the washed flexible version was first introduced. At that time, it showed its advantages and was vigorously promoted in the market, but it was not adopted by most flexo manufacturers, so it only occupied a small share of the flexo market.
The two advantages of water-washed flexographic plates over solvent-washed photosensitive resin plates remain until now, and they can be cleaned with water, which is more conducive to environmental protection. Fast development speed. At that time, it had considerable advantages, because no other photosensitive resin plate system can have such a short development time, or in line with solvent regulations. Today, because the development of heat-sensitive photoresist plates has similar advantages, the situation has become different. Other advantages of washed photosensitive resin plates include better ink transfer performance, which improves ink penetration and solid color density; and good plate durability.
The author believes that the two major factors that hindered the increased adoption of washed flexographic plates in the early days are: limited ink compatibility, and the limited image resolution shown. At the time, most printing plates could only reproduce 3% to 95% of the dots when the screen line number was 48 lines / cm. If the printing machine uses UV ink, take the label printing machine as an example. force. For some wide-format rotary presses, this is still an acceptable plate resolution, but ink compatibility is likely to be a problem. Despite these limitations, water-washed flexographic plates are still suitable for many applications. Plate suppliers also use water-washed flexographic plates as an alternative to solvent-washed plates. Over the years, suppliers of washed flexographic plates have been able to provide plates with higher resolution than a few years ago, and plates with better ink compatibility can now be found on the market.
Types and suppliers of washed flexible plates
Toyobo, a Japanese manufacturer, began selling Printlight plates suitable for letterpress printing in 1977 and Cosmolight plates suitable for flexographic printing in 1992. Recently, it claimed to have developed and produced the world's first washed photosensitive resin plates. Cosmo-light printing plates are compatible with UV-curable inks, solvent-based inks and water-based ink systems. In 2003, Toyobo introduced computer-to-plate to improve copy and print quality, and added digital DS and DF plates to its water-washed flexographic product line. In order to prevent the cleaning solvent from being contaminated by the masking layer generated during printing plate cleaning, the company uses a carbon-free masking layer. Another new product from Toyobo is the NS plate, which is said to have excellent Co-solvent ink resistance (Co-solvent ink resistance) properties, which can be reproduced from 1% to 95% when the screen line number is 70 lines / cm % Outlets. NS printing plates are designed for high-quality flexible packaging, as well as label and envelope printing applications. The plates produced by Toyobo are sold in the UK and Continental Europe through AV Flexologic bv. Based on these products, AV Flexologic has developed the Aquasuper MK II system suitable for plate development. This system is characterized by a self-cleaning cleaning film, which continuously separates the photosensitive resin from the water used for cleaning, thereby minimizing the impact on the environment.
Another flexible version produced in Japan is the Toreflex printing plate from Toray Industry. This printing plate is distributed to the letterpress and flexographic printing industries via Dantex Gra-phics. Dantex Graphics is a large-scale supplier of washed photosensitive resin plate materials and a series of printing plate development equipment manufacturers. It is also one of the strongest supporters of washed photosensitive resin flexographic plates. Wide-format Toreflex plates are available on the market to suit different flexographic printing applications, including flexible packaging, labels, envelope cartons, bags, cotton paper, and napkin printing. LT series printing plates are considered to have the best compatibility with water-based inks and UV inks; FT series printing plates are specially developed products for compatibility with solvent-based and co-solvent ink systems; CT series printing plates have the greatest ink transfer It is said that it is extremely suitable for water-based and UV-curable ink systems. LT and FT series printing plates are available in thickness specifications of 1.14 mm, 1.7 mm, 1.3 mm, 2.54 mm and 2.84 mm. Plate development is said to take only 30 minutes, and then it can be printed on the machine. The waste monomer particles in the development process can be separated from the cleaning solvent by using Dantex Aquaflex Filtration filtration system. [next]
Jet Europ / Interflex bv supplies water-washed photosensitive resin plates all over Europe in the name of Jet. These plates are produced by TOK in Japan. Jet also supplies plate-making equipment that can wash plates. Jet provides a series of washed photosensitive resin plates composed of 70% polyvinyl alcohol and vinyl acrylate monomers. They are soluble in water and are said to be flushed into the drainage system without harm. Jet washable plates cannot use UV inks, but are compatible with solvent-based or water-based inks.
Flint Group provides nyloflex elastic washed photosensitive resin plates for flexographic printing. This printing plate is only suitable for UV free radical curing ink, and can be used for label printing on PE, PP and paper, as well as printing aluminum foil and applying UV coatings. The thickness of the plate is 1.14mm, and the Shore hardness reaches 77. It is said that when the number of screen lines is 60 lines / cm, it can reproduce 2% to 95% of the dots. The nyloflex elastic water-washed photosensitive resin plate has excellent ozone resistance and good ink transfer rate, and is especially suitable for processing fine lines and mesh adjustment parts. It is possible to develop the printing plate in different devices, including the developing device of the nyloprint product series.
MacDermid Printing Solutions provides two water-washed flexographic systems in its Flexlight product line as an alternative to solvent-cleaned plates. MacDermid said that although these two printing plate systems have certain restrictions for certain applications, they can be effectively used to print flexible packaging, envelopes, napkins, and labels. The Flexlight Splash plate is washed with a weakly acidic water solvent. The water solvent can be filtered for reuse, or after treatment and other wastewater from the factory is removed. Splash plates are compatible with water-based inks and are said to have resistance to ozone cracking. Flexlight GLX plates are compatible with water-based inks, UV inks, and solvent-based ink systems, and can reproduce 3% to 95% of the dots when the screen line number is 54 lines / cm. Both printing plate systems have a series of thickness specifications.
Washable plates
All washable printing plate systems have a fast development speed: the development time is about 30 to 45 minutes, and the printing plate cleaning waste does not harm the environment. The version body differs from supplier to supplier in terms of characteristics such as photosensitive resin hardness, plate thickness range, mesh tone and other image resolution, digital imaging performance, and ink compatibility. A large number of washed flexo plates are produced by Japanese manufacturers. It is precisely because of the latest development of these printing plates, and the printing plates are also versatile, and they have invested the most time in research and development. Although major flexographic plate suppliers such as Flint Group Plate Company and MacDermid also provide washable plates, they tend to view washable plates as a small market compared to other plates supplied by these companies . With the development of thermal plate development technology, washable printing plates no longer have the speed and environmental advantages of the past. Some people think that although there is no progress in printing quality and economy in water-washed photosensitive resin plates, it is still a good choice for suitable applications. Due to the significant differences between the plates provided by different manufacturers, it is important that anyone considering the use of washable plates should investigate the suitability of the plate for the desired application area, depending on the printing press and ink system . Another possible option that should not be overlooked is the use of water-sensitive photosensitive resin relief plates suitable for flexo printing, because they can also perform quite well under the right circumstances.
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