Here Are Key Components Of Flexo Plate Making

In Flexo Plate Making, a few parameters must be followed into the letter if high-quality plates are to be made consistently. A lot of expertise and experience is required during plate making process.

This guide has put together key components of flexo plate making. See below

Exposure unit

The exposure unit is one of the significant components of flexo plate making. Depending on the plant cylinder undercut, photopolymer plates can be supplied in various thicknesses. Both sides of the plate are sensitive to ultraviolet light, but the first step is to expose the back of the plate to the UV light, curing it evenly and allowing it to be suitable as the base of the plate. Then the plate is turned over, and the image’s negative to be printed is placed on top of it. Bleeder strips made of foil or plastic should be placed around the excess area that exceeds the negative dimension. Then, the top of the plate is exposed to UV light only on the image area, which renders then hard and insoluble.

Wash out unit

The wash-out unit is another component of flexo plate making. The nonimage area of unexposed photopolymer in the plate is removed, leaving the image area behind. There are a variety of methods that can be used to remove the nonimage area. The liquid commonly used to remove is either hydrocarbon or water.

Drying unit

The other component of flexo plate making is the drying unit. In the case of solvent processing after washing, once the nonimage area has been removed, the plate may appear swollen and must be dried. The plate should be dried in an oven to remove the excess solvent and provide a clean and sharp image. They should be further exposed to UVA and UVC light to complete the polymerization process.  A post-exposure UV light is crucial since it ensures that the plate floor is effectively cured and hardened.

Treatment unit

The last component of flexo plate making is the treatment unit. Here the plates are ready for inspection, measurement, and finishing. Some finishing techniques include chemical treatment with solutions like chlorine, additional UV light exposure, and dusting with various powders. This will help remove additional tackiness on the plate surface. The ready plate should not be used immediately; it should be allowed to stand for some time. This is because photopolymerization’s chemical reaction does not stop immediately after exposure to UV light.