Method of cleaning a printing form and cleaning fluid therefor

{
  "publication_number": "US6432211B1",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B1",
  "title": "Method of cleaning a printing form and cleaning fluid therefor",
  "abstract": "A method of cleaning an imaged printing form having a silicone-based non-printing layer, which includes exerting a defined contact pressure by a cleaning arrangement on a printing-form surface to be cleaned, and moving at least one of the printing form and the cleaning arrangement relative to the other, further includes applying cleaning fluid to the printing-form surface to be cleaned, the cleaning fluid, besides water, containing a cleaning concentrate as a component, the cleaning concentrate having 1 to 30 percent by weight of an anionic surfactant and 1 to 30 percent by weight of a nonionic surfactant; and a cleaning fluid for cleaning a printing form.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A method of cleaning an imaged printing form having a silicone-based non-printing layer, which comprises: providing a cleaning fluid containing: water, a disinfectant having a sodium-silver chloride complex, and a cleaning concentrate having 1 to 30 percent by weight of an anionic surfactant and 1 to 30 percent by weight of a nonionic surfactant; applying the cleaning fluid to a printing-form surface to be cleaned, the printing form surface being part of a printing form imaged with dot elements selected from the group consisting of halftone dots and screen dots, the printing form surface having a silicone-based non-printing layer; and exerting a defined contact pressure to the printing-form surface by pressing cleaning equipment against the printing-form surface; while the cleaning equipment is pressed against the printing form surface, moving the printing form in a first direction of rotation and thereby removing imaging residues from leading dot-edges of the dot elements; and subsequently, while the cleaning equipment is pressed against the printing form surface, moving the printing form in a second direction of rotation that is opposite the first direction of rotation and thereby removing imaging residues from trailing dot-edges of the dot elements.",
    "2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning concentrate contains alkyl-benzene sulfonate as an anionic surfactant.",
    "3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning concentrate contains alcoholic ethoxylate as a nonionic surfactant.",
    "4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning concentrate contains 0.1 to 5 percent by weight of a lubricant component.",
    "5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the cleaning concentrate contains carbamide (urea) as the lubricant component.",
    "6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the cleaning concentrate contains aliphatic acid diethanol amide as the lubricant component.",
    "7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning concentrate contains 1 to 25 percent by weight of a solubilizer.",
    "8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning concentrate contains preservatives.",
    "9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the cleaning concentrate contains 0.05 to 3 percent by weight of the preservatives.",
    "10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning concentrate contains complexing agents.",
    "11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the cleaning concentrate contains 0.1 to 2 percent by weight of hardness stabilizers.",
    "12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning fluid contains 1 to 25 percent by volume of the cleaning concentrate.",
    "13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the cleaning fluid contains 1 to 2.5 percent by volume of the cleaning concentrate.",
    "14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning fluid has a negative common logarithm of hydrogen-ion concentration with a value between 5 and 8.",
    "15. A method of cleaning an imaged printing form having a silicone-based non-printing layer, which comprises: providing a printing form that has a silicone-based non-printing layer and that has been imaged with dot elements selected from the group consisting of halftone dots and screen dots; providing a cleaning fluid containing: water, and 1 to 2.5 percent by volume of a cleaning concentrate having 1 to 30 percent by weight of an anionic surfactant and 1 to 30 percent by weight of a nonionic surfactant; applying the cleaning fluid to the printing form; and exerting a defined contact pressure by pressing cleaning equipment against the printing form; while the cleaning equipment is pressed against the printing form, moving the printing form in a first direction of rotation and thereby removing imaging residues from leading dot-edges of the dot elements; and subsequently, while the cleaning equipment is pressed against the printing form, moving the printing form in a second direction of rotation that is opposite the first direction of rotation and thereby removing imaging residues from trailing dot-edges of the dot elements.",
    "16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the cleaning Concentrate contains alkyl-benzene sulfonate as an anionic surfactant.",
    "17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the cleaning concentrate contains alcoholic ethoxylate as a nonionic surfactant.",
    "18. The method according to claim 15, wherein the cleaning concentrate contains 0.1 to 5 percent by weight of a lubricant component.",
    "19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the cleaning concentrate contains carbamide (urea) as the lubricant component.",
    "20. The method according to claim 18, wherein the cleaning concentrate contains aliphatic acid diethanol amide as the lubricant component.",
    "21. The method according to claim 15, wherein the cleaning concentrate contains 1 to 25 percent by weight of a solubilizer.",
    "22. The method according to claim 15, wherein the cleaning concentrate contains preservatives.",
    "23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the cleaning concentrate contains 0.05 to 3 percent by weight of the preservatives.",
    "24. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning fluid contains a disinfectant having a sodium-silver chloride complex.",
    "25. The method according to claim 15, wherein the cleaning concentrate contains complexing agents.",
    "26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the cleaning concentrate contains 0.1 to 2 percent by weight of hardness stabilizers.",
    "27. The method according to claim 15, wherein the cleaning fluid has a negative common logarithm of hydrogen-ion concentration with a value between 5 and 8.",
    "28. A method of cleaning an imaged printing form having a silicone-based non-printing layer, which comprises: producing a printing form having a silicone-based non-printing layer and being imaged with dot elements selected from the group consisting of halftone dots and screen dots; providing a cleaning fluid containing: water, and a cleaning concentrate having 1 to 30 percent by weight of an anionic surfactant and 1 to 30 percent by weight of a nonionic surfactant; applying the cleaning fluid to the printing form; and removing imaging residues by: exerting a defined contact pressure to the printing form by pressing cleaning equipment against the printing form, while the cleaning equipment is pressed against the printing form, moving the printing form in a first direction of rotation and thereby removing imaging residues from leading dot-edges of the dot elements, and subsequently, while the cleaning equipment is pressed against the printing form, moving the printing form in a second direction of rotation that is opposite the first direction of rotation and thereby removing imaging residues from trailing dot-edges of the dot elements.",
    "29. The method according to claim 28, wherein the cleaning concentrate contains alkyl-benzene sulfonate as an anionic surfactant.",
    "30. The method according to claim 28, wherein the cleaning concentrate contains alcoholic ethoxylate as a nonionic surfactant.",
    "31. The method according to claim 28, wherein the cleaning concentrate contains 0.1 to 5 percent by weight of a lubricant component.",
    "32. The method according to claim 31, wherein the cleaning concentrate contains carbamide (urea) as the lubricant component.",
    "33. The method according to claim 31, wherein the cleaning concentrate contains aliphatic acid diethanol amide as the lubricant component.",
    "34. The method according to claim 28, wherein the cleaning concentrate contains 1 to 25 percent by weight of a solubilizer.",
    "35. The method according to claim 28, wherein the cleaning concentrate contains preservatives.",
    "36. The method according to claim 35, wherein the cleaning concentrate contains 0.05 to 3 percent by weight of the preservatives.",
    "37. The method according to claim 28, wherein the cleaning fluid contains a disinfectant having a sodium-silver chloride complex.",
    "38. The method according to claim 28, wherein the cleaning concentrate contains complexing agents.",
    "39. The method according to claim 37, wherein the cleaning concentrate contains 0.1 to 2 percent by weight of hardness stabilizers.",
    "40. The method according to claim 28, wherein the cleaning fluid contains 1 to 25 percent by volume of the cleaning concentrate.",
    "41. The method according to claim 40, wherein the cleaning fluid contains 1 to 2.5 percent by volume of the cleaning concentrate.",
    "42. The method according to claim 28, wherein the cleaning fluid has a negative common logarithm of hydrogen-ion concentration with a value between 5 and 8."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The invention relates to a method of cleaning a printing form to which an image has been applied, particularly for eliminating imaging residues from a printing form, the thus imaged printing form having a non-printing silicone-based layer, the cleaning method including exerting a defined contact pressure by a cleaning member on the surface of the printing form to be cleaned, moving at least one of the printing form and the cleaning member relative to the other, and applying cleaning fluid to the printing-form surface to be cleaned. The invention also relates to a cleaning fluid for cleaning a printing form.\n\nThe imaging of or application of an image to a printing form or printing plate is effected directly in the printing press by a computer without any conventional platemaking. The computer receives data from electronic publishing systems for bitmap data files to be produced in a Raster Image Processor and transmits a bitmap to the respective printing units for each color that is to be printed. Each printing unit includes a recording or scanning head which records or applies an image onto a respective, specially coated printing form mounted on the respective printing-form cylinder. The printing forms, respectively, may have a three-layer construction, e.g., a carrier layer having a polyester base, a printing layer with a titanium base which is applied onto the carrier layer and may have infrared-absorbing properties, and a non-printing layer having a silicone base, such as silicone rubber, for example, which is applied onto the printing layer.",
  "cpc": [
    "C11D 3/046",
    "B41N 3/06",
    "C11D 1/22",
    "C11D 1/523",
    "C11D 1/72",
    "C11D 1/83",
    "C11D 2111/20",
    "C11D 3/323",
    "C11D 3/48"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B41N 3/06",
    "C11D 1/83",
    "C11D 11/00",
    "C11D 3/02",
    "C11D 3/32",
    "C11D 3/48",
    "G03F 7/38"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Dieter Schmitt",
    "Reiner Schmitt"
  ],
  "filing_date": "1998-06-24",
  "publication_date": "2002-08-13",
  "grant_date": "2002-08-13",
  "priority_date": "1997-06-24",
  "application_number": "US-10430698-A",
  "family_id": "7833438",
  "cited_by_count": 19,
  "citations": [
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}