From Henry Ford in 1908 to Elon Musk in 2017, automobile visionaries have embraced automation. Carts and brute force have made way for robots and intuitive software. Automation has been ever-present in many other industries as well, and solvent flexographic plate making, with automated plate processing, is no exception.
Photo courtesy of Esko and Vianord Engineering
Automation gives us the ability to increase our efficiencies, allow for greater throughput, fewer errors or less damage, and make better use of consumable materials and talent resources. Anyone who has ever picked up a 50-in. by 80-in. sheet of 0.067-in. polymer understands how easy it is to damage and how heavy a 0.250-in. plate can be.
The use of automation began in the mid-to-late 1990s with the introduction of the Cyrel 3002 I and the Flex-Light 5280A automated plate processors. These two units started the revolution we see today. Currently, there are several processors with options of format size and levels of mechanization to meet many customers’ workflow needs. Fully automated processors have previously been targeted for large-volume and large-format consumers.
That said, now the industry is seeing smaller automated processing units starting to be installed in the mid web and large-volume label markets. Smaller automatic units like 42-in. by 60-in. and even 35-in. by 47-in. are now available for workflows where automated production is needed. Only a few years ago, these small-format platforms were not available. This type of growth and development is a sign of how the industry is adjusting to the needs of markets relative to efficiency and quality brought on by automation.
The Need for Speed
Glunz & Jensen and Vianord Engineering are two main manufacturers of solvent automated plate processors. Their products are also sold and rebranded by several other distributors, making them widely available. As with all aspects of industry, improvements are constantly being made to the quality and speed of production.
Through the reduction of human interaction from step to step, we increase the speed by which plates can be made. Every time a plate is manually moved, talented labor is delayed in executing the next job in the process. Automation of plate handling allows labor resources to be utilized more efficiently. Automated plate stacking allows operators to continue to manufacture plates and only unload them when there is a break in production. In most cases, having this type of processor allows one operator to produce more in a single shift than another operator working a unit-based system. This is because the processor is moving the plates in the later stages of manufacture, while the operator is imaging additional sheets of polymer.
Quality Is Key for Automated Plate Processing
Speed is only one of the factors we should be concerned about in plate processing—Quality is the most important part of these new processors! Without quality, speed just makes bad plates faster. The new automated plate processors have many benefits over older, unit-based workflows:
- Viscometers for measuring percent solids within wash solvent
A complete automated plate processor with a small footprint.
Photo courtesy of Glunz & Jensen - Carbon mask removal brushes for improved wash quality and machine performance
- Plate programs specific down to the process level for optimization of plate quality
- Improved finish wiping functionality to optimize the surface screening that is on modern plates
- Wiping brushes on the underside of the plate for a clean base, reducing the need for cleaning after the plate is finished
- Multiple smaller dryers provide uniform airflow and controlled temperature across the plate surface
- Less manual plate handling, reducing the possibility of damage
In addition to the quality improvements, modern automated plate processors offer a variety of modular capabilities and automation to meet customers’ workflows. This allows for a customer to select a processor and dryer configuration with the option to add a light finisher/stacker at a later date.
Another example of flexibility is if a customer has a limited footprint for space, compact configurations can be made to include all stages of automated plate processing without consuming vast amounts of real estate. These types of configurable options allow customers to maximize their return on investment. The push for more modular platforms allows all customers to invest in equipment that is rightsized and/or allows for future modules to complete their automated workflow goals.
Every time a plate is manually moved, talented labor is delayed in executing the next job in the process. Automation of plate handling allows labor resources to be utilized more efficiently.
New Technologies
Future proofing is always difficult in any industry. Two technologies within flexo are beginning to emerge as very compatible to automated plate processing: the integration of imaging devices and UV LED exposure.
Some options allow imaging devices to connect through a bridge to the plate processor. These bridges mechanically move the plate from the imaging device or exposure unit directly into the processor, removing the handling of the plate. It is this removal of human intervention that helps prevent damage and improves production speeds, moving us all closer to a near-“lights out” type of production.
UV LED exposure is the building block for the future of automated plate processing with integrated exposure. A stable, long-lasting UV light is needed for both the main and back exposure of plates. This is because UV LED light sources can produce multiple dot structures within a plate by simply adjusting parameters, as compared to conventional lamp exposure, which is limited to its output power and uniformity. It is this type of light that can allow for the proper formation of all of the modern high-end screen packages available on the market.
The Future of Automated Plate Processing
What does the future hold? That is hard to say. What we do know is we have a great foundation for this automation to proliferate our market. It is from this foundation additional features will be built, allowing for additional advancements. The modular philosophy to plate making automation is allowing for future changes to happen easier and more effectively. Through these changes in plate manufacturing format size, quality and speed, we will continue to meet the needs of an ever-changing flexo market. The flexo industry has certainly changed, from the rotary wash systems of yesterday to the automation of today.
About the Authors: Nathan Rank has a graphic communication degree from the University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh and has more than 20 years of experience in the flexo industry. He has held several technology and manufacturing management roles with OEC Graphics, Inc. and was the corporate plateroom and ITR manager prior to recently taking a position at AV Flexologic Americas as its technical support/project manager.
William Ruedinger has more than 25 years of experience in graphics and manufacturing, holding various positions within OEC Graphics, Inc. since he started in 1990. He is currently the OEC Graphics, Inc. plating and ITR manager, responsible for the technical support of four automated plate processing units.