JPWO2007135898A1 - Fully automatic production system for gravure printing roll - Google Patents

Abstract

A diamond-like carbon (DLC) is formed on the copper plating layer of the gravure cylinder and the technology used as a surface-enhanced coating layer is fully automated, providing a fully automated production system for gravure plate rolls that can be operated unattended even at night. . A copper plating forming means for copper plating on the hollow roll, a gravure cell forming means for forming a gravure cell on the copper plated hollow roll, and a DLC coating on the hollow roll on which the gravure cell is formed DLC film forming means for forming, first automatic transfer means for automatically transferring a hollow roll to the copper plating forming means, and forming a gravure cell with a copper-plated hollow roll in the copper plating forming means Automatic conveying means for automatically conveying to the means, and second automatic transfer means for automatically transferring the hollow roll on which the gravure cell is formed in the gravure cell forming means to the DLC film forming means, I included it.

Description

  The present invention relates to a fully automatic production system for a gravure printing roll having a surface-strengthening coating layer having sufficient strength without using chrome plating and having a gravure cell at a very shallow depth, and in particular, a surface-strengthening coating to replace a chromium layer. The present invention relates to a fully automatic production system of a gravure plate making roll provided with a diamond-like carbon (DLC) layer as a layer and capable of achieving sufficient printing density (optical density, transmittance density) and concealment in gravure printing.

  The conventional gravure printing roll manufacturing process consists of degreasing the hollow roll, applying copper sulfate plating, performing precision cylinder processing with a grindstone polishing device, coating and forming a photosensitive film, and printing and developing images by laser exposure. Then, it corrodes to form a cell, peels off the resist, attaches chrome plating, and removes it with a grain by paper polishing. For iron hollow rolls, degrease treatment, nickel plating and then copper sulfate plating. For aluminum hollow rolls, zinc sulfate or anodal plating pretreatment is applied before copper sulfate. A processing step of plating was performed.

  Conventional gravure plate rolls generally use a plate having 175 screen lines per inch and a cell depth of 25 μm to 30 μm at the most shadow portion, and a few μm or more. Gravure printing is performed using a gravure ink containing an inorganic pigment and an organic pigment having a particle size of 90% or more.

  The basic composition of the ink adjusts the pigment, which is a substance that colors the ink as the main agent, the resin, which is a substance that fixes the pigment to the printed material and uniformly disperses it, and the fluidity, transferability, and drying properties of the ink. Solvent, which is a substance: It consists of a vehicle and four additives as additives that add various effects such as defoaming and antistatic.

  Solvents for oil-based inks include toluene, xylene, ethyl acetate, n-propyl acetate, MEK, MIBK, IPA, ethanol, n-propanol, etc., and solvents for water-based inks include ethanol, n-propanol, IPA, Water is being used.

Chemical substances used in oil-based inks such as toluene and MEK (1) have a strong pungent odor. (
2) Because of its low flash point and high volatility, it tends to ignite and explode when full. (3) If it is inhaled by the human body, it will cause health damage. (4) The environment is also affected. (5) Negative for reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

  Organic compounds (VOC) such as solvents that evaporate in the printing process are (1) discharged outside the factory, leading to air pollution and odor problems around the factory. (2) Items that cannot be discharged are filled in the factory and there are dangers of the work environment, such as danger of ignition / explosion and health hazard of workers. (3) Solvent that cannot be evaporated remains on the film and causes a peculiar smell of the printed bag. Especially in the food industry.

  The residual solvent problem not only lowers the image of the product, but in the case of food, the taste may be changed if the flavor is impaired or the odor is easily absorbed.

  Water-based inks basically solve the problems of oil-based inks by using water and alcohol, but the problem of remaining ethanol remains. However, ethanol + water has no strong irritating odor and does not change the flavor of the contents. The impact of ethanol is much lower than the acceptable range of environmental and health effects. The factory is filled with ethanol, but there is almost no odor. However, since it is alcohol, there is no danger of ignition, but the danger is considerably lower than that of organic solvents.

  As a gravure plate produced by conventional laser plate making, a plate having 175 screen lines per inch and a cell depth of 20 μm to 30 μm at the most shadow portion is used. When water-based gravure printing is performed under these conditions, plate fog is likely to occur because the ink drying speed is slow. Since the drying speed of the ink is slow, it is necessary to lower the printing speed as compared with gravure printing using oil-based ink, and the printing efficiency (production efficiency) is deteriorated.

  Plates used for aqueous gravure printing are characterized by shallower cells and more screen lines than oil-based gravure printing in order to increase the drying speed of the ink. This makes it possible to print with a texture different from oil. Generally, the color tone becomes brighter, the halftone dot reproducibility (fine details) improves, the highlighting property improves, and the shallow plate makes it possible to reduce the amount of ink used and the amount of ink used. Furthermore, the influence of the solvent is reduced. A gravure printing method using an aqueous gravure ink and using a plate having a mesh line number of 200 to 400 lines and a plate depth of 10 to 17 μm has also been proposed.

  Also, in gravure printing, a gravure printing roll (gravure cylinder) is formed with a minute recess (gravure cell) according to the plate making information to produce a plate surface, and the gravure cell is filled with ink and transferred to a printing material. Is. In a general gravure plate making roll, a copper plating layer (plate material) for forming a plate surface is provided on the surface of a metal hollow roll such as aluminum or iron, and a large number of minute plating is performed on the copper plating layer according to plate making information by etching. A concave portion (gravure cell) is formed, and then a hard chromium layer is formed by chromium plating for increasing the printing durability of the gravure plate making roll to form a surface-enhanced coating layer, and the plate making (plate surface production) is completed. However, because highly toxic hexavalent chromium is used in the chrome plating process, there is an extra cost to maintain work safety, and there are also problems of pollution, and the surface-enhanced coating layer replaces the chrome layer. The current situation is that the appearance of

  Accordingly, as a result of intensive studies, the applicants of the present application have proposed a technique of forming a diamond-like carbon (DLC) film on a copper plating layer and using it as a surface reinforcing coating layer (Patent Document 7).

  On the other hand, the applicant of the present invention leans a large number of plate-making rolls diagonally on the roll pallet so that the surface length direction of the plate-making rolls coincides with the industrial robot that can reciprocate and the bus of the conical surface. Turntable type roll stock device and grindstone polishing device that can be used, industrial robots take out the pre-made roll stocked in the roll stock device and deliver it to the device, copper sulfate plating-polishing-photosensitive film coating -A printing factory and a gravure printing factory for a printing roll for gravure printing which perform plate making by a process of image printing by laser, development and etching (Patent Document 1).

  In addition, the applicant of the present application includes an industrial robot and a roll loading / unloading device that can reciprocate and a roll stock device that can stock a large number of plate-making rolls and a grindstone polishing device. Take out the stocked rolls that have been stocked, deliver them to the equipment, and make a plate factory for rolls for gravure printing that performs copper sulfate plating-polishing-photosensitive film coating-image printing with laser-development-etching process It has been proposed (Patent Document 2).

  Further, the applicant of the present invention leans a large number of plate-making rolls diagonally on the roll pallet in a circumferential arrangement so that the surface length direction of the plate-making roll coincides with the industrial robot that can reciprocate freely and the generatrix line. Turntable type roll stock device and grindstone polishing device that can be used, industrial robots take out the pre-made roll stocked in the roll stock device and deliver it to the device, copper sulfate plating-polishing-photosensitive film coating -A printing factory and a gravure plate making factory for a gravure printing plate making plate making by a process of image printing by laser-development-etching-resist peeling-nickel alloy plating-hardening are proposed (Patent Document 3).

  In addition, the applicant of the present invention is a traveling industry in which at least a laser exposure device, a photosensitive film coating device, a roll mounting table, and a plate-making roll are chucked and handled in a room adjacent to a room where a plating line is installed. A gravure plate making factory equipped with an industrial robot and configured to transfer a plate-making roll to / from an apparatus in a room by a traveling industrial robot and to a room in which a plating line is installed ( Patent document 4) and the like have also been proposed.

However, a fully automatic production system for gravure printing rolls that can be used for unattended operation even at night is achieved by forming diamond-like carbon (DLC) on the copper plating layer of the gravure cylinder and fully automating the technology used as the surface-enhanced coating layer. Not yet developed.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-223751 JP 2004-225111 A JP2004-232028 JP-A-10-193551 JP 2002-205369 A Shoko 57-36995 WO2006 / 132208

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art. A diamond-like carbon (DLC) film is formed on the copper plating layer of the gravure cylinder, and the technology used as a surface-enhanced coating layer is fully automated. The purpose is to provide a fully automatic production system for gravure printing rolls that can be operated unattended.

  In order to solve the above problems, a fully automatic production system for gravure printing rolls of the present invention is a fully automatic gravure printing roll production system for producing gravure printing rolls used for gravure printing, and copper plating is applied to a hollow roll. A copper plating forming means for forming a gravure cell, a gravure cell forming means for forming a gravure cell in the copper plated hollow roll, and a DLC for forming a DLC film on the hollow roll formed with the gravure cell A film forming means, a first automatic transfer means for automatically transferring a hollow roll to the copper plating forming means, and a hollow roll plated with copper in the copper plating forming means to the gravure cell forming means automatically. An automatic conveying means for conveying, and a hollow roll in which a gravure cell is formed in the gravure cell forming means; Automatically a second automatic transfer means for transferring the forming means, characterized in that it comprises a.

  As a copper plating forming means for the hollow roll (plate base material), conventionally known copper plating layers can be used (for example, Patent Documents 1 to 6). The gravure cell may be formed by an etching method or an electronic engraving method. Here, the etching method is a method in which a gravure cell is formed by applying a photosensitive solution to the plate cylinder surface of a copper-plated hollow roll and baking it directly, and then etching. The electronic engraving method is a method of engraving a gravure cell on a copper surface of a gravure cylinder (gravure plate making roll) by mechanically operating a diamond engraving needle by a digital signal. Therefore, as the gravure cell forming means by the etching method, conventionally known photosensitive film coating apparatus and laser exposure apparatus can be mentioned. As the gravure cell forming means by the electronic engraving method, a conventionally known electronic engraving machine can be mentioned.

  As a method for forming the DLC film, a PVD method or a CVD method can be used. As the PVD method, a known method such as a sputtering method, a vacuum deposition method (electron beam method), an ion plating method, an MBE method (molecular beam epitaxy method), a laser ablation method, an ion assist film forming method, or the like can be applied. As the CVD method, an APCVD method (Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition) for forming a film at normal pressure, an LPCVD method (Low Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition) for forming a film at a reduced pressure of about 0.05 Torr, a pressure of about 600 Torr slightly lower than the normal pressure. SACVD method (Subatmospheric Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition), ultra high vacuum UHVCVD method (Ultra-High-Vacuum Chemical Vapor Deposition), 600-1000 ° C high-temperature thermal CVD method, 200-450 ° C using high-frequency plasma energy A plasma CVD method (Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition) for forming a film, a photo CVD method using excitation by ultraviolet rays, a MOCVD method (Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition) for compound crystal growth using an organic metal as a source, and the like can be applied. Accordingly, the DLC film forming means may be any apparatus that can carry out the above-described method, and is a conventionally known sputtering apparatus, vacuum deposition apparatus, ion plating apparatus, MBE apparatus, laser ablation apparatus, ion assist film forming apparatus, APCVD. Examples include an apparatus, an LPCVD apparatus, an SACVD apparatus, a UHVCVD apparatus, a thermal CVD apparatus, a plasma CVD apparatus, a photo CVD apparatus, and an MOCVD apparatus.

  A conventionally known industrial robot can be used as the first automatic transfer means for automatically transferring the hollow roll to the copper plating forming means. As the automatic conveying means for automatically conveying the copper-plated hollow roll in the copper plating forming means to the gravure cell forming means, a conventionally known stacker crane can be used, and the cassette type roll chuck device is conveyed by this stacker crane. Configuration can be used. A conventionally known industrial robot can be used as the second automatic transfer means for automatically transferring the hollow roll on which the gravure cell is formed in the gravure cell forming means to the DLC film forming means.

  According to the present invention, diamond-like carbon (DLC) is formed on the copper plating layer of the gravure cylinder, and the technology used as the surface reinforcing coating layer is fully automated, so that all the gravure plate making rolls capable of unmanned operation even at night can be obtained. There is a remarkable effect that an automatic manufacturing system can be provided.

It is a schematic plan view of the fully automatic manufacturing system of the gravure printing roll which concerns on this invention.

Explanation of symbols

10: Fully automatic production system for gravure printing roll according to the present invention, 12a, 12b: industrial robot, 14a, 14b: robot arm, 16: hollow roll, 18a, 18b, 18c, 18d: roll stock device, 20: automatic Polishing device, 22: photosensitive film coating device, 23: stacker crane, 24: laser exposure device, 26: desorption unit, 28: development unit, 30: washing and drying unit, 32: cassette roll chuck rotary transport unit mounting table, 33 : Cassette-type roll chuck rotary conveyance unit, 34: DLC pretreatment unit, 36: corrosion unit, 38: resist stripping unit, 40: copper plating unit, 42: nickel plating unit, 44: electrolytic degreasing unit, 46: DLC coating Forming system, 48: roll mounting table, 50: gra A plate-making roll, A1, A2: robot chamber, B: plating room.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below, but these embodiments are exemplarily shown, and it goes without saying that various modifications can be made without departing from the technical idea of the present invention.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a fully automatic production system for a gravure plate making roll according to the present invention.

  A fully automatic production system for a gravure printing roll according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In FIG. 1, the code | symbol 10 shows the fully automatic manufacturing system of the gravure printing roll based on this invention. The fully automatic production system 10 for gravure printing rolls is composed of robot chambers A1 and A2 and a plating chamber B.

  The configuration of the robot room A1 will be described. In the robot chamber A1, reference numeral 12a is an industrial robot that acts as a first automatic transfer means, and has a robot arm 14a.

  Reference numeral 16 denotes a hollow roll (plate base material), and 18a and 18b denote roll stock apparatuses. About this roll stock apparatus, it is possible to use the roll stock apparatus disclosed by patent documents 1-3, for example. Reference numeral 20 denotes an automatic polishing apparatus. For example, a polishing apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 3 (Patent Document 3, polishing apparatus 6 in FIG. 1) can be used.

  Reference numeral 22 denotes a photosensitive film coating apparatus, and reference numeral 24 denotes a laser exposure apparatus. The photosensitive film coating device 22 and the laser exposure device 24 function as gravure cell forming means. Conventionally known apparatuses can be applied to these apparatuses. For example, a photosensitive film coating apparatus and a laser exposure apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 can be used.

  Next, the configuration of the plating chamber B will be described. In the plating chamber B, reference numeral 23 denotes a stacker crane that acts as an automatic transfer means, and reference numeral 33 denotes a cassette-type roll chuck rotary transfer unit that is transferred by the stacker crane 23. The stacker crane 23 is configured to lift and convey a cassette-type roll chuck device (not shown). The cassette-type roll chuck device chucks the chuck holes at both ends of the horizontally positioned hollow roll 16 and energizes it. A pair of chuck cones to be obtained and a waterproof cap that seals the outside of each chuck cone are configured. Since the structure of the stacker crane and the structure of the cassette-type roll chuck device are known from, for example, Patent Document 2, detailed description thereof is omitted. Reference numeral 32 denotes a cassette-type roll chuck rotating / conveying unit mounting table for mounting a standby cassette-type roll chuck rotating / conveying unit. As the stacker crane 23, the cassette-type roll chuck rotating / conveying unit 33, and the cassette-type roll chuck rotating / conveying unit mounting table 32, conventionally known ones can be used. For example, the one described in Patent Document 2 can be used.

  Reference numeral 26 denotes a desorption unit, reference numeral 28 denotes a developing unit, and reference numeral 30 denotes a washing / drying unit. As the desorption unit 26, for example, one disclosed in Patent Document 6 can be used, and for the developing unit 28, a conventionally known one (for example, Patent Document 1) can be used. The washing / drying unit 30 is a unit for washing and drying the hollow roll 16 with water.

  The industrial robot 14a chucks the hollow roll 16 and transfers it onto the four conical rolls of the relay table device (not shown, for example, see Patent Document 2), and is placed on the four conical rolls. The hollow roll 16 is received. The stacker crane 23 lifts the cassette-type roll chuck rotary conveyance unit 33 and sets it on the hollow roll 16 mounted on the four conical rolls of the relay stand device. Then, the cassette type roll chuck rotating / conveying unit 33 chucks both ends of the hollow roll 16, and the stacker crane 23 lifts the cassette type roll chuck rotating / conveying unit 33 and conveys it between the units. Each unit is in a state in which the end plates on both sides of the apparatus frame of the cassette-type roll chuck rotating / conveying unit 33 are received in the bay and the cassette-type roll chuck rotating / conveying unit 33 is received. It is a structure that can be attached / detached, developed, washed / dried, degreased, copper sulfate plated, nickel plated.

  Reference numeral 34 denotes a DLC pretreatment unit, reference numeral 36 denotes a corrosion unit, reference numeral 38 denotes a resist stripping unit, reference numeral 40 denotes a copper plating unit (copper plating forming means), reference numeral 42 denotes a nickel plating unit, and reference numeral 44 denotes an electrolytic degreasing unit. The DLC pretreatment unit 34 is a device for degreasing and cleaning the hollow roll 16 as a pretreatment for forming a DLC film. For example, a conventionally known degreasing device can be used. Other apparatuses used in the plating process are conventionally known, and for example, the processing apparatuses described in Patent Documents 1 to 3 may be used.

  Next, the configuration of the robot room A2 will be described. In the robot chamber A2, reference numeral 12b is an industrial robot that acts as a second automatic transfer means, and has a robot arm 14b.

  Reference numeral 46 denotes a DLC film forming system (DLC film forming means) for forming a DLC film. The DLC film forming system 46 includes a roll mounting table 48 for rotating and mounting the hollow roll 16. The film formation of DLC can use PVD method or CVD method. As the PVD method, a known method such as a sputtering method, a vacuum deposition method (electron beam method), an ion plating method, an MBE method (molecular beam epitaxy method), a laser ablation method, or an ion assist film forming method can be applied. As the CVD method, an APCVD method (Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition) for forming a film at normal pressure, an LPCVD method (Low Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition) for forming a film at a reduced pressure of about 0.05 Torr, a pressure of about 600 Torr slightly lower than the normal pressure. SACVD method (Subatmospheric Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition), ultra high vacuum UHVCVD method (Ultra-High-Vacuum Chemical Vapor Deposition), 600-1000 ° C high-temperature thermal CVD method, 200-450 ° C using high-frequency plasma energy A plasma CVD method (Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition) for forming a film, a photo CVD method using excitation by ultraviolet rays, a MOCVD method (Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition) for compound crystal growth using an organic metal as a source, and the like can be applied. The hydrocarbon-based source gas used to form the DLC film by the CVD method includes one or more known gas types such as cyclohexane, benzene, acetylene, methane, butylbenzene, toluene, and cyclopentane. Used.

  Accordingly, the DLC film forming system 46 only needs to be an apparatus capable of practicing the above-described method, and is a conventionally known sputtering apparatus, vacuum deposition apparatus, ion plating apparatus, MBE apparatus, laser ablation apparatus, ion assist film forming apparatus, APCVD. An apparatus, LPCVD apparatus, SACVD apparatus, UHVCVD apparatus, thermal CVD apparatus, plasma CVD apparatus, photo CVD apparatus, MOCVD apparatus, or the like can be used.

  When a DLC film is formed by the PVD method, a metal layer and a metal carbide layer, preferably a metal carbide inclined layer, are provided between the copper plating layer and the DLC film in order to improve the adhesion between the two. It is preferable to provide it. The metal in the metal layer is preferably a metal that can be carbonized and has a high affinity for copper. As this metal, tungsten (W), silicon (Si), titanium (Ti), chromium (Cr), tantalum (Ta), zirconium (Zr), or the like can be used. Although the formation method of a metal layer and a metal carbide layer is not specifically limited, By using the same kind of method as the formation method of a DLC film, the same apparatus can be used and it is suitable.

  The metal in the metal carbide layer, preferably the metal carbide inclined layer, is the same metal as the metal layer. The composition ratio of carbon in the metal carbide inclined layer is set so that the ratio of carbon gradually increases from the metal layer side to the DLC coating direction. That is, the film formation is performed so that the composition ratio of carbon increases from 0% to gradually (stepwise or steplessly), and finally becomes approximately 100%.

  In this case, a known method may be used to adjust the composition ratio of carbon in the metal carbide layer, preferably the metal carbide inclined layer. For example, a sputtering method (using a solid metal target and a hydrocarbon gas in an argon gas atmosphere) For example, by gradually increasing the injection amount of methane gas, ethane gas, propane gas, butane gas, acetylene gas or the like in a stepped or stepless manner, the proportion of carbon in the metal carbide layer is reduced from the copper plating layer side to the DLC film. A metal carbide layer in which the composition ratio of both carbon and metal is changed so as to gradually increase stepwise or steplessly with respect to the direction, that is, a metal carbide gradient layer can be formed.

  Thus, the adhesion of the metal layer and the metal carbide layer to both the copper plating layer and the DLC film can be improved by adjusting the carbon ratio of the metal carbide layer. Further, if the injection amount of hydrocarbon gas is constant, a metal carbide layer having a constant composition ratio of carbon and metal can be obtained, and the same action as that of the metal carbide gradient layer can be performed.

  In forming the DLC film by the CVD method, it is preferable to form the DLC film after providing an adhesion layer on the copper plating layer. The adhesion layer is preferably formed of one or more selected from the group consisting of aluminum (Al), phosphorus (P), titanium (Ti), and silicon (Si). The method for forming the adhesion layer is not particularly limited, but using the same kind of method as the method for forming the DLC film is preferable because the same apparatus can be used. When forming an adhesion layer by CVD, one or more gases selected from the group consisting of trimethylaluminum, titanium tetraisopropoxide, titanium tetraethoxide, tetramethylsilane, trimethyl phosphite, and hexamethyldisiloxane It is preferred to use seeds.

  Reference numerals 18c and 18d denote roll stock apparatuses. About this roll stock apparatus, it is possible to use the roll stock apparatus disclosed by patent documents 1-3, for example.

Next, the operation of the fully automatic production system 10 for a gravure printing roll will be described. After the hollow roll 16 is stocked in the roll stock apparatus 18a, 18b, the electrolytic degreasing unit 4
After being degreased at 4, copper sulfate plating is applied by the copper plating unit 40, precision cylinder processing is performed by the automatic polishing apparatus 20, and a photosensitive film is then applied and formed by the photosensitive film coating apparatus 22. Then, an image is printed by laser exposure by the laser exposure device 24, developed by the developing unit 28, washed by the water washing / drying unit 30, and corroded by the corrosion unit 36 to form cells. Then, the resist stripping unit 38 performs resist stripping, and the DLC preprocessing unit 34 performs DLC preprocessing.

  Thereafter, the DLC film is formed on the hollow roll 16 by the DLC film forming system 46. The hollow roll 16 in which the gravure cell is formed is stocked, for example, in a roll stock device 18d, and then automatically loaded into the DLC film forming system 46 by the robot arm 14b. The hollow roll 16 on which the DLC film is formed by the DLC film forming system 46 is stocked, for example, to the roll stock device 18c and is carried away. In this way, the gravure platemaking roll 50 is fully automatic.

Claims (1)

A fully automatic production system for producing a gravure printing roll used for gravure printing,
Copper plating forming means for copper plating the hollow roll;
A gravure cell forming means for forming a gravure cell in the copper-plated hollow roll;
DLC film forming means for forming a DLC film on the hollow roll in which the gravure cell is formed;
A first automatic transfer means for automatically transferring a hollow roll to the copper plating forming means;
Automatic conveying means for automatically conveying a hollow roll plated with copper in the copper plating forming means to the gravure cell forming means;
A second automatic transfer means for automatically transferring the hollow roll in which the gravure cell is formed in the gravure cell forming means to the DLC film forming means;
A fully automatic production system for gravure plate making rolls.

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