JP2018158524A - Plate cleaning apparatus, printing apparatus, plate cleaning method and printing method - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a technique capable of effectively and inexpensively cleaning a plate for preventing clogging of the plate. A plate holding section that holds a plate and a cleaning nozzle 55 that is disposed so as to face the plate surface Pa of the plate and cleans the plate surface Pa. The cleaning nozzle 55 is provided with a discharge port 551 and a suction port 552. While having a facing surface 550 close to and facing Pa and moving relative to the plate surface Pa along the plate surface Pa, a fluid imparted with vibration is supplied from the discharge port 551 to the plate surface Pa, and the fluid supplied to the plate surface Pa is supplied to the plate surface Pa. This is a plate cleaning device that sucks from the suction port 552. [Selection] Figure 5

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for cleaning a plate used for printing.

  For example, for the purpose of manufacturing electronic devices, a pattern formed of a printing material such as conductive ink is temporarily transferred from a printing plate (transfer medium such as glass or resin film, or a pattern finally transferred to a transfer medium). A printing technique for transferring and printing on a supported intermediate transfer member) is known. In this technique, the printing material remaining on the plate after the patterned printing material is transferred to the transfer target may dry and adhere to the plate surface. In particular, when the printing material is a paste having a high viscosity, the printing material may be clogged due to drying in a short time. The following techniques have been proposed to deal with this problem.

  For example, Patent Document 1 describes a technique in which new ink is filled in an intaglio after ink is transferred from the intaglio to a transfer target. This prevents a small amount of ink remaining on the plate surface from drying. In the technique described in Patent Document 2, by supplying an ink solvent to the intaglio after transfer, drying of the remaining ink is prevented. On the other hand, in the technique described in Patent Document 3, the ink remaining on the plate surface is washed and removed by immersing the intaglio mounted on the outer periphery of the plate cylinder in the washing tank after transfer.

Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2015-208928 JP 2000-141590 A Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2015-155177

  In each of the above prior arts, the following problems to be solved remain. That is, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, since ink is used for the purpose of drying the printing plate, the amount of ink consumption increases, and particularly when the ink is expensive, the printing cost increases. Further, in the technique described in Patent Document 2, the ink density varies due to mixing of the solvent remaining on the printing plate with the newly filled ink, and stable print quality may not be obtained. The technique described in Patent Document 3 is not suitable for continuous printing because it includes a step of immersing the plate cylinder in a washing tank after transfer. Further, it cannot be applied to a flat plate. Further, the techniques described in Patent Documents 2 and 3 still have a problem of cost increase due to consumption of a large amount of solvent. Therefore, establishment of a technique that can solve these problems is desired.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of effectively and inexpensively cleaning a plate for preventing clogging of the plate.

  In order to achieve the above object, an aspect of the present invention includes: a plate holding unit that holds a plate; and a cleaning nozzle that is disposed to face the plate surface of the plate and that cleans the plate surface. A suction port is provided and has a facing surface that is close to and opposed to the plate surface, and supplies a fluid to which vibration is imparted from the discharge port to the plate surface while moving relative to the plate surface along the plate surface, The plate cleaning apparatus sucks the fluid supplied to the plate surface from the suction port.

  Further, according to one aspect of the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, a cleaning nozzle is disposed in close proximity to a plate surface of a plate to be cleaned, and a discharge port provided on a surface facing the plate surface of the cleaning nozzle. From the above, a plate cleaning method is provided in which a fluid to which vibration is applied is supplied to the plate surface, and the fluid supplied to the plate surface is sucked from a suction port provided on the facing surface.

  In the invention configured as described above, vibration is applied to the fluid discharged from the discharge port provided on the opposite surface of the cleaning nozzle that is close to and opposite to the plate surface, and such fluid is supplied to the plate surface. The deposit on the printing plate is released. Then, the plate surface is cleaned by sucking the released deposits together with the fluid from the suction port. The fluid is used for the purpose of giving a physical impact to the deposit and releasing it from the plate surface, and it is not necessary to use a special fluid (for example, a printing material or a solvent). In addition, since the adhering material that has been released is sucked together with the fluid, problems such as scattering around and reattaching to the plate surface can be avoided. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to effectively clean the printing plate at a low cost, thereby preventing the printing plate from being clogged.

  In another aspect of the present invention, the plate cleaning device, a filling unit that fills the plate surface of the plate held by the plate holding unit, and a printing material that is in contact with the plate surface are filled in the plate surface. And a receiving member that receives the printed material. Still another aspect of the present invention includes a step of filling a printing plate with a printing material, a step of bringing a receiving member into contact with the printing plate, and a step of receiving the printing material on the printing plate with the receiving member, And a step of cleaning the plate surface by the plate cleaning method described above.

  In the invention configured as described above, the printing material filled in the printing plate is received by the receiving member. At this time, it is ideal that all of the printing material is transferred to the receiving member, but a part of the printing material may remain on the printing plate. In the present invention, since the printing material remaining on the plate surface can be removed by washing the plate, it is possible to effectively prevent clogging of the plate surface due to the printing material adhering to the plate surface. . Therefore, it is possible to perform printing stably with good print quality.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to collect and remove deposits released from the plate surface by supplying the fluid imparted with vibration to the plate surface and sucking the fluid by the cleaning nozzle. It is possible to effectively clean the printing plate at low cost.

1 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of an embodiment of a printing apparatus according to the present invention. It is the 1st perspective view which looked at the ink filling unit from a different direction. It is the 2nd perspective view which looked at the ink filling unit from a different direction. It is a figure which shows the ink filling operation | movement to an intaglio. It is a figure which shows the structure of a plate washing | cleaning unit. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an electrical configuration of the printing apparatus of FIG. 1. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the process in printing operation. It is a figure which shows operation | movement of each part after a transfer roller contact | abuts to a printing plate. It is a figure which shows operation | movement of each part in a transcription | transfer process. It is a figure which shows the modification of a washing nozzle.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of an embodiment of a printing apparatus according to the present invention. The printing apparatus 1 is an apparatus that forms a pattern on the surface of a flat workpiece such as a semiconductor substrate or a glass substrate by the principle of intaglio printing. More specifically, the printing apparatus 1 fills an intaglio in which a concave portion corresponding to a pattern is formed on the surface of a flat base material with an ink containing a pattern forming material, and the ink is transferred to a workpiece via a transfer roller. By transferring, a pattern made of the pattern forming material is formed on the work surface.

  The printing apparatus 1 mainly includes a base 2, a plate stage unit 10, a plate alignment unit 20, an ink filling unit 30, a roller unit 40, a plate cleaning unit 50, a work alignment unit 60, a work A stage unit 70, a transport unit 80 for moving the plate stage unit 10 and the work stage unit 70, and a control unit 90 are provided.

  In this printing apparatus 1, the control unit 90 controls each part of the printing apparatus 1 according to a program installed in advance, so that the ink that is one of the “printing materials” of the present invention is formed in the concave portion provided in the flat plate-like intaglio P. , A receiving step for allowing the roller unit 40 to receive the ink on the intaglio P, and a transferring step for transferring the received ink to the flat work W. Thereby, the pattern prescribed | regulated by the recessed part of the intaglio P is printed on the workpiece | work W with an ink.

  The intaglio P is a flat base material provided with recesses corresponding to the pattern shape, and the ink filled in the recesses is transferred to the workpiece W to form a pattern. In this sense, the concave portion of the surface of the intaglio P functions as an “image portion” that should carry ink, while a flat portion surrounding the concave portion functions as a “non-image portion” that does not carry ink. In the following, of both the main surfaces of the intaglio plate P, the main surface on the side where the concave portion as the image line portion is formed is referred to as “plate surface” and is represented by the symbol Pa. A concave portion is arranged in the central portion of the printing plate Pa according to the pattern shape to be formed, and a blank area where no concave portion is arranged is provided in the peripheral portion of the printing plate Pa surrounding the printing plate Pa.

  In FIG. 1 of this specification and each drawing described later, an XYZ orthogonal coordinate system is set as shown in FIG. 1 in order to clarify the arrangement relationship of each part of the apparatus. Specifically, the XY plane is a horizontal plane, and the longitudinal direction of the printing apparatus 1 in the horizontal direction is the “Y direction”. Of the transport directions Y of the transport stages 83 and 84, the direction toward the plate stage unit 10 is referred to as “Y1”, and the direction toward the work stage unit 70 is referred to as “Y2”. A horizontal direction orthogonal to the horizontal direction Y is referred to as an “X direction”. In addition, the direction toward the front of the apparatus in the horizontal direction X is referred to as “X1” and the direction toward the back of the apparatus is referred to as “X2”. Further, the vertical direction is referred to as “Z direction”.

  The base 2 is extended in the horizontal direction Y as shown in FIG. On the upper surface of the base 2, a pair of linear motion guides 81, 81, a linear motion drive unit 82 such as a linear motor disposed between the linear motion guides 81, and a linear scale (not shown) extend in the Y direction. Has been. Further, the linear motion guide 81 and the linear motion drive unit 82 are provided with two transfer stages 83 and 84, which are driven by the linear motion drive unit 82 to linearly move in the Y direction. Of these two transfer stages, the plate stage unit 10 is mounted on the transfer stage 83 on one side, and the work stage unit 70 is mounted on the transfer stage 84 on the other side. Thereby, the plate stage unit 10 and the work stage unit 70 can reciprocate in the horizontal direction Y independently of each other.

  The plate stage unit 10 includes a support base 11 disposed on the upper surface of the transport stage 83 and a plate stage 12 attached to the upper surface of the support base 11 and holding the intaglio P on the upper surface. In response to an operation command from the control unit 90, the linear drive unit 82 moves the transport stage 83 in the Y direction, so that the intaglio P held by the plate stage 12 can be transported in the Y direction. .

  On the other hand, the work stage unit 70 includes a position adjustment mechanism 71 disposed on the upper surface of the transfer stage 84, a work stage 72 that is attached to the upper surface of the position adjustment mechanism 71 and holds the work W on the upper surface, and two reference masks. (Calibration member) A calibration unit 73 composed of 731 and 732 is included. The position adjustment mechanism 71 has a function of driving the work stage 72 with respect to the transfer stage 84 in the X direction and the R1 direction (rotation direction around the vertical axis). The linear motion drive unit 82 moves the transfer stage 84 in the Y direction in response to an operation command from the control unit 90, and the position adjustment mechanism 71 moves the work stage 72 in the X direction in response to an operation command from the control unit 90. By rotating in the R1 direction, the work W held on the work stage 72 can be positioned in the X direction, the Y direction, and the R1 direction.

  A roller unit 40 is disposed at a substantially central portion in the Y direction on the upper surface of the base 2. In the roller unit 40, lift tables 42 are provided at both ends in the X direction at the center so as to be liftable in the vertical direction Z via a lift mechanism 41. In this embodiment, the pair of elevating tables 42 is provided on the outer side in the X direction than the space (hereinafter referred to as “stage moving space”) in which the plate stage unit 10 and the work stage unit 70 move. Thereby, interference with the plate stage unit 10 and the work stage unit 70 is avoided.

  The transfer roller 43 is arranged so as to bridge the pair of lifting tables 42 arranged so as to be separated from each other. The transfer roller 43 has a blanket mounted on the outer peripheral surface of a cylindrical blanket cylinder that is rotatable about a rotation axis extending in the X direction. When the rotation drive motor (reference numeral 44 in FIG. 5) is driven in accordance with an operation command from the control unit 90, the transfer roller 43 rotates in the rotation direction R2 around the rotation axis. Further, when an elevation command is given from the control unit 90 to the elevation motor (reference numeral 45 in FIG. 5) of the elevation mechanism 41, the elevation motor 45 is actuated accordingly and the transfer roller 43 is integrated with the elevation table 42. Go up and down. Thereby, the position of the transfer roller 43 in the vertical direction Z is adjusted with high accuracy.

  An ink filling unit 30 and a plate cleaning unit 50 are disposed adjacent to the Y1 direction side and the Y2 direction side of the roller unit 40, respectively. The ink filling unit 30 has a function of filling the recesses of the intaglio P with ink. Further, the plate cleaning unit 50 has a function of cleaning the intaglio P after the ink is received by the transfer roller 43 to remove residual ink.

  2 and 3 are perspective views of the ink filling unit as seen from different directions. More specifically, FIG. 2 is a view showing the structure of the side portion in the Y2 direction of the ink filling unit 30, and FIG. 3 is a view showing the structure of the side portion in the Y1 direction of the ink filling unit 30. As shown in FIG. 2, the ink filling unit 30 is connected to a pair of support legs 31 attached to the base 2 at different positions in the X direction and the upper ends of both support legs 31 extending in the X direction. And a beam member 32.

  On the inner surfaces of the support legs 31, 31 facing each other, an elevating mechanism 33 configured by an appropriate driving mechanism such as a linear motion guide, a linear motor, a ball screw mechanism, etc. and having a vertical direction as a movable direction is provided. In FIG. 2, only the raising / lowering mechanism 33 provided in the X1 direction side inner surface of the support leg 31 of the X2 direction side is shown. Although not shown in the figure, an elevating mechanism 33 having the same configuration is also provided on the inner surface of the support leg 31 on the X1 direction side on the X2 direction side. The elevating mechanism 33 includes a guide rail 331 fixed to the support leg 31 and a slider 332 engaged with the guide rail 331 so as to be movable up and down. The slider 332 moves up and down along the guide rail 331 by operating the lifting mechanism 33 according to a control command from the control unit 90.

  Thus, the doctor blade 34 is attached to the sliders 332 of the elevating mechanisms 33 and 33 provided on the pair of support legs 31 and 31, respectively. The doctor blade 34 has a plate-like support member 341 whose longitudinal direction is the X direction, and a tip member 342 attached to the lower end of the support member 341. The tip member 342 is a belt-like member formed of, for example, a stainless steel plate, and contacts the plate surface Pa of the intaglio P to scrape excess ink as will be described later. The support member 341 supports the tip member 342 with its lower end protruding downward, and backs up the thin plate-like tip member 342 to keep its posture flat.

  When the sliders 332 and 332 supporting the both ends of the support member 341 are moved up and down in synchronization, the doctor blade 34 moves up and down while maintaining the lower end of the tip member 342 in a horizontal posture. That is, in this embodiment, the control unit 90 controls the elevating mechanisms 33 and 33 so that the lower end position of the tip member 342 can be freely changed. With this function, it is possible to adjust the pressing force when the tip member 342 contacts the intaglio P.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3, an ink supply unit 36 is provided on the side of the ink filling unit 30 on the Y1 direction side. The ink supply unit 36 has a function of supplying ink containing a pattern forming material to the plate surface Pa of the intaglio P. In order to make the drawing easier to see, the ink supply unit 36 is not shown in FIG. 2, and the lifting mechanism 33 and the doctor blade 34 are not shown in FIG.

  The ink supply unit 36 is attached to a frame 313 that extends in the X direction so as to connect the pair of support legs 31, 31. More specifically, a guide rail 361 extending in the X direction is attached to the frame 313. A slider 362 is attached to the guide rail 361 so as to be movable in the X direction, and a dispenser 363 is attached to the slider 362. The slider 362 can be moved in the X direction along the guide rail 361 by an appropriate linear drive mechanism such as a linear guide, a linear motor, or a ball screw mechanism controlled by the control unit 90.

  The dispenser 363 stores ink as “printing material” including a pattern forming material therein, and ejects a predetermined amount of ink from an ejection port provided at the lower end in accordance with a control command from the control unit 90. Instead of the configuration in which the ink is stored inside the dispenser 363 as described above, a configuration in which the ink is supplied from an external supply unit connected to the dispenser via a pipe (not shown) may be used.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the ink filling operation to the intaglio. In the “filling step” of this embodiment, ink is filled into the plate surface Pa of the intaglio P as follows. First, the plate stage 12 holding the intaglio P is moved below the ink filling unit 30, and the intaglio so that the dispenser 363 is positioned above the Y2 direction side end of the intaglio P as shown in FIG. Position P. In this state, the dispenser 363 moves in the X direction while ejecting ink, whereby an ink reservoir Di extending along the X direction is formed in the blank area on the Y2 direction side peripheral portion of the plate surface Pa of the intaglio P.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 4B, the plate stage 12 moves in the Y2 direction, the doctor blade 34 descends, and the tip member 342 contacts the plate surface Pa. In this state, the plate stage 12 further moves in the Y2 direction. The ink is scraped off from the printing plate Pa by moving to. As shown in FIG. 4C, ink is rubbed by the doctor blade 34 into the concave portion (image line portion) Pb provided in the plate surface Pa, thereby realizing ink filling into the concave portion Pb. On the other hand, the ink is scraped off by the doctor blade 34 in the non-image area other than the recess.

  FIG. 5 is a view showing the structure of the plate cleaning unit. More specifically, FIG. 5A is a view showing the structure of the side of the Y1 direction side of the plate cleaning unit 50, and FIG. 5B is the internal structure of the cleaning nozzle 55 provided in the plate cleaning unit 50. FIG. As shown in FIG. 5A, the plate cleaning unit 50 includes a pair of support legs 51 attached to the base 2 at different positions in the X direction, and upper ends of both support legs 51 extending in the X direction. And a beam member 52 for connecting the sections.

  On the inner surfaces of the support legs 51, 51 facing each other, an elevating mechanism 53 configured by an appropriate drive mechanism such as a linear motion guide, a linear motor, or a ball screw mechanism is provided. FIG. 5A shows only the lifting mechanism 53 provided on the X1 direction side inner surface of the support leg 51 on the X2 direction side. Although not shown in the figure, an elevating mechanism 53 having the same configuration is also provided on the inner surface of the support leg 51 on the X1 direction side on the X2 direction side. The elevating mechanism 53 includes a guide rail 531 fixed to the support leg 51 and a slider 532 engaged with the guide rail 531 so as to be movable up and down. The slider 532 moves up and down along the guide rail 531 when the lifting mechanism 53 operates according to a control command from the control unit 90.

  In this manner, the cleaning nozzle 55 is attached to the sliders 532 of the elevating mechanisms 53 and 53 provided on the pair of support legs 51 and 51, respectively. Therefore, the cleaning nozzle 55 can be moved up and down in the Z direction by the operation of the lifting mechanism 53. The cleaning nozzle 55 is a rod-like block member extending in an elongated manner with the X direction as a longitudinal direction. In this way, the cleaning nozzle 55 is in a state where both ends in the longitudinal direction are supported by the slider 532.

  As shown in FIG. 5B, the lower surface 550 of the cleaning nozzle 55 is a facing surface that is close to and faces the plate surface Pa of the intaglio P that is transported in the Y direction by the transport unit 80. The discharge port 551 and the suction port 552 are opened. The discharge port 551 and the suction port 552 are opened in a slit shape extending in the X direction. Further, the discharge port 551 and the suction port 552 are arranged as close as possible in the Y direction as long as the strength of the wall body is not impaired.

  The cleaning nozzle 55 is connected to a cleaning control unit 56 provided in the plate cleaning unit 50. Specifically, the discharge port 551 communicates with a flow path 553 provided in the housing of the cleaning nozzle 55, and a supply pump 561 provided in the cleaning control unit 56 is connected to the flow path 553 via an appropriate pipe. It is connected. The supply pump 561 has a function of sending pressurized gas such as compressed air or nitrogen gas to the cleaning nozzle 55 in accordance with a control command from the control unit 90 and supplying it to the cleaning nozzle 55 and discharging it from the discharge port 551 via the flow path 553. Have

  A mist generating section 563 is connected to a pipe from the supply pump 561 to the cleaning nozzle 55 via a valve 562. The mist generator 563 generates fine mist of the solvent component of the ink as necessary. The valve 562 is controlled to be opened and closed by the control unit 90. When the valve 562 is opened in accordance with a control command from the control unit 90, the solvent mist from the mist generating unit 563 is mixed with the pressurized gas flowing through the pipe.

  When the pressurized gas is sent from the supply pump 561, the pressurized gas is supplied to the cleaning nozzle 55 via the pipe and discharged from the discharge port 551. Since the discharge port 551 is provided on the surface 550 facing the plate surface Pa, the pressurized gas is ejected toward the gap between the plate surface Pa and the facing surface 550. At this time, if the valve 562 is opened, pressurized gas containing solvent mist is ejected from the discharge port 551.

  An ultrasonic transducer 554 is provided facing the flow path 553 in the cleaning nozzle 55. When the ultrasonic vibrator 554 generates ultrasonic vibration in response to a control command from the control unit 90, the ultrasonic vibration is applied to the pressurized gas flowing through the flow path. That is, the pressurized gas ejected from the discharge port 551 is provided with ultrasonic vibration.

  Further, the suction port 552 communicates with a flow path 555 provided in the housing of the cleaning nozzle 55, and a discharge pump 565 provided in the cleaning control unit 56 is connected to the flow path 555 via an appropriate pipe. Yes. The discharge pump 565 supplies negative pressure into the flow path 555 in accordance with a control command from the control unit 90, and thereby the ambient atmosphere is sucked from the suction port 552. Since the suction port 552 is provided on the surface 550 facing the plate surface Pa, the atmosphere between the plate surface Pa and the facing surface 550 is sucked.

  The cleaning nozzle 55 configured in this way has the following functions. That is, in a state where the facing surface 550 is close to and opposed to the plate surface Pa, a pressurized gas (or a pressurized gas containing a solvent mist) to which ultrasonic vibration is applied is sprayed from the discharge port 551 onto the plate surface Pa. As a result, an impact is applied to the adhered matter adhering to the plate surface Pa (for example, ink remaining on the concave portion), and the adhered matter is released from the plate surface Pa. The action of releasing the deposits from the plate surface Pa can be enhanced by spraying an air flow imparted with ultrasonic vibrations on the plate surface Pa instead of simply blowing the air flow.

  On the other hand, when the suction port 552 sucks the atmosphere between the facing surface 550 and the plate surface Pa, the gas ejected from the discharge port 551 is sucked into the suction port 552. Deposits released from the plate surface Pa are sucked together with the atmosphere into the suction port 552 and removed from the plate surface Pa. In particular, if the flow rate of the gas sucked from the suction port 552 is larger than the flow rate of the gas discharged from the discharge port 551, almost all of the gas ejected from the discharge port 551 enters the suction port 552. Sucked. Thereby, it is prevented that the deposits released from the plate surface Pa are scattered. By disposing the discharge port 551 and the suction port 552 as close as possible on the opposing surface 550, the gas blown from the discharge port 551 can be reliably captured by the suction port 552 and leakage to the outside can be suppressed. As shown in FIG. 5B, it is more effective if the flow path 553 extending from the inside of the nozzle housing to the discharge port 551 is inclined toward the suction port 552 so that the gas is discharged toward the suction port 552. Is.

  In this way, the plate surface Pa facing the cleaning nozzle 55 is cleaned, and the cleaning nozzle 55 and the plate surface Pa move relative to each other in a direction parallel to the plate surface Pa, whereby the position to be cleaned on the plate surface Pa moves sequentially. . In this embodiment, the relative movement is realized by the transport unit 80 moving the plate stage 12 in the Y direction. In this way, cleaning is performed on a wide range of the printing plate Pa.

  Returning to FIG. 1, the description of the configuration of the printing apparatus 1 will be continued. A plate alignment unit 20 is disposed on the Y1 direction side of the ink filling unit 30. In this plate alignment unit 20, four column members 21 are provided on the base 2, and a beam member 22 is provided so as to connect the tops thereof. Two alignment cameras, that is, a first plate alignment camera 24 and a second plate alignment camera 25 are attached to the beam member 22 via position adjusting mechanisms 26 and 27, respectively.

  The position adjusting mechanism 26 has a function of driving the first plate alignment camera 24 in the X direction and the Z direction with respect to the beam member 22. For this reason, the position adjusting mechanism 26 moves the first plate alignment camera 24 in the X direction and the Z direction in accordance with an operation command from the control unit 90, so that a part of the intaglio P held by the plate stage 12 is removed. High-accuracy imaging is possible.

  The other position adjusting mechanism 27 has a function of driving the second plate alignment camera 25 in the X direction and the Z direction with respect to the beam member 22 on the X2 direction side of the first plate alignment camera 24. For this reason, the position adjustment mechanism 27 moves the second plate alignment camera 25 in the X direction and the Z direction in accordance with an operation command from the control unit 90, so that the intaglio plate P is different from the region imaged by the first plate alignment camera 24. Can be imaged with high accuracy. The two images picked up in this way are transferred to the control unit 90 and stored in the memory (reference numeral 92 in FIG. 6).

  A work alignment unit 60 is disposed on the Y2 direction side of the plate cleaning unit 50. In the work alignment unit 60, the support portions 61 and 62 are arranged so as to be movable in the Y direction on the upper surface of the base 2 away from the stage moving space of the work stage unit 70 in the X2 direction. An alignment camera (first work alignment camera) 64 is attached to the beam member 63 of one support portion 61 so as to be movable in the X direction and the Z direction. An alignment camera (second workpiece alignment camera) 67 is attached to the beam member 66 of the other support portion 62 so as to be movable in the X direction and the Z direction.

  In the present embodiment, a position adjustment mechanism 65 is provided to move the first work alignment camera 64 in the X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction. The position adjusting mechanism 65 includes a drive unit that positions the first work alignment camera 64 in the Y direction by driving the support unit 61 that supports the first work alignment camera 64 in the Y direction with respect to the base 2, and a support unit. And a driving unit that drives and positions the first work alignment camera 64 in the X direction and the Z direction with respect to the beam member 63 of the unit 61. For this reason, the position adjusting mechanism 65 moves the alignment camera 64 in the X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction in accordance with an operation command from the control unit 90, so that a part of the work W held on the work stage 72 is moved. High-accuracy imaging is possible.

  Further, a position adjusting mechanism 68 is provided to move the second workpiece alignment camera 67 in the X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction. The position adjusting mechanism 68 includes a drive unit that positions the second work alignment camera 67 in the Y direction by driving the support unit 62 that supports the second work alignment camera 67 in the Y direction with respect to the base 2, and a support. And a driving unit that drives and positions the second work alignment camera 67 in the X direction and the Z direction with respect to the beam member 66 of the unit 62. For this reason, the position adjustment mechanism 68 moves the alignment camera 67 in the X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction in accordance with an operation command from the control unit 90, so that it is the same as the first work alignment camera 64 described above. The part of the workpiece W different from the part imaged by the first workpiece alignment camera 64 can be imaged with high accuracy. Note that the two images picked up in this way are also transferred to the control unit 90 and stored in the memory (reference numeral 92 in FIG. 6).

  Thus, in the present embodiment, the first and second plate alignment cameras 24 and 25 image the intaglio plate P placed on the plate stage 12. More specifically, these cameras 24 and 25 image an end face of the intaglio P or an alignment mark provided in advance on the intaglio P. From the image thus captured, the CPU (reference numeral 91 in FIG. 6) identifies the position of the intaglio P on the plate stage 12. Further, the first and second work alignment cameras 64 and 67 image the work W placed on the work stage 72. More specifically, these cameras 64 and 67 image an end face of the workpiece W or an alignment mark provided in advance on the workpiece W. Thereby, the position of the workpiece W on the workpiece stage 72 is specified.

  Then, the CPU 91 calculates how much the positional relationship between the intaglio P and the workpiece W deviates from a predetermined relationship, and the position adjusting mechanism 71 moves the workpiece stage 72 in the X direction and the R1 direction accordingly. Thus, the positional deviation between the intaglio P and the workpiece W is corrected. As a result, the transfer position on the workpiece W when ink is transferred from the intaglio P to the workpiece W via the transfer roller 43 in a printing operation described later can be made appropriate.

  6 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the printing apparatus of FIG. The control unit 90 of the printing apparatus 1 stores and saves a CPU 91 that executes a predetermined processing program to control the operation of each unit, a processing program executed by the CPU 91, data generated during the processing, and the like. And an operation display unit 93 for notifying the user of the progress of processing and the occurrence of an abnormality as needed and receiving input from the user. Then, the CPU 91 performs a printing operation by controlling each part of the apparatus according to the processing program.

  In the printing operation, ink is supplied from the ink filling unit 30 to the intaglio plate P set on the plate stage 12 and filled in the concave portion Pb of the plate surface Pa (filling step). Then, the intaglio P and the transfer roller 43 are brought into contact with each other by moving below the transfer roller 43 on which the plate stage 12 rotates, whereby the ink on the plate surface Pa is received by the transfer roller 43 (accepting step). The plate surface Pa after the transfer is cleaned by the plate cleaning unit 50, thereby preventing the ink remaining on the plate surface Pa after the transfer from being dried and fixed to the plate surface Pa.

  The plate stage 12 is retracted from the lower side of the transfer roller 43 in the Y1 direction. Instead, the work stage 72 on which the work W is placed moves to the lower side of the transfer roller 43. When the upper surface (transfer surface) of the work W comes into contact with the surface of the transfer roller 43, the ink carried on the transfer roller 43 is transferred to the work W (transfer process). As a result, a pattern corresponding to the pattern shape formed on the plate surface Pa of the intaglio plate P is formed on the transfer surface of the workpiece W with ink. In this way, printing on the workpiece W is realized.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing in the printing operation. This process is realized by the CPU 91 executing a control program prepared in advance and controlling each part of the apparatus to execute a predetermined operation.

  When the intaglio P and the workpiece W are carried into the printing apparatus 1 and set on the plate stage 12 and the workpiece stage 72, respectively (step S101), the alignment processing for acquiring the positional information and adjusting the relative positions based on the positional information. Is performed (step S102). Then, each unit is positioned at a predetermined initial position, and the apparatus shifts to a printing start state (step S103).

  When the preparation for the printing operation is completed in this way, the ink filling unit 30 fills the printing plate Pa with ink (step S104; filling step). The outline of the filling step is as described above with reference to FIGS. 4 (a) to 4 (c). While performing the filling process, the plate stage 12 is further moved in the Y2 direction, and the transfer is performed at the timing when the leading portion of the intaglio P in the moving direction, that is, the end portion of the intaglio P in the Y2 direction reaches the position immediately below the transfer roller 43. The roller 43 descends, and the lower end thereof comes into contact with the plate surface Pa (step S105).

  FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the operation of each part after the transfer roller contacts the printing plate. As shown in FIG. 8A, the transfer roller 43 in contact with the plate surface Pa rotates in the direction of the arrow R2 in synchronization with the movement of the intaglio plate P in the Y2 direction. As shown in FIG. 8B, when the concave portion Pb filled with ink in the plate surface Pa reaches the contact position with the transfer roller 43, the ink carried on the concave portion Pb is made of a rubber blanket on the surface of the transfer roller 43. 431. As the intaglio plate P moves and the transfer roller 43 rotates, the ink filled in the recesses Pb sequentially moves to the transfer roller 43. Thus, the pattern of the ink on the intaglio P is received by the transfer roller 43 (step S106; receiving process).

  Although it is desirable that all of the ink carried in the concave portion Pb is transferred to the transfer roller 43, in reality, the transfer efficiency is less than 100%, and as shown in FIG. Part of the ink may remain in the recess. Therefore, the plate cleaning unit 55 is disposed opposite to the plate surface Pa, the ink Ir remaining in the concave portion Pb after the ink is received by the transfer roller 43 is removed, and the plate surface Pa is cleaned (step S107).

  That is, the gas to which ultrasonic vibration is applied is ejected from the discharge port 551 of the cleaning nozzle 55 toward the plate surface Pa and is sucked into the suction port 552, thereby freeing and collecting and removing the residual ink Ir in the recess Pb. Simply spraying the gas will dry the ink, and the removal effect will not necessarily be high. However, blowing the airflow with ultrasonic vibrations will vibrate the plate surface Pa and the residual ink Ir to promote the release of the residual ink Ir. can do. At this time, it is possible to further enhance the cleaning effect by mixing solvent mist with the gas as necessary.

  Residual ink Ir in the recess Pb is removed at a position facing the cleaning nozzle 55. As shown in FIG. 8C, when the intaglio P is conveyed in the Y2 direction, the position of the printing plate Pa facing the cleaning nozzle 55 is sequentially moved, and thus the entire printing plate Pa is cleaned.

  As described above, in this embodiment, the ink filling unit 30, the transfer roller 43, and the cleaning unit 50 are arranged in this order along the transport direction of the intaglio P, more specifically, the Y2 direction that is the moving direction of the plate surface Pa. Is done. These are arranged close to each other. Accordingly, when one concave portion Pb on the intaglio P is viewed as a fixed point, the filling of the concave portion with ink, the transfer of ink to the transfer roller 43, and the removal of residual ink are carried out in succession in a short time. Become. When the entire plate surface Pa is viewed, the ink filling process, the ink transfer to the transfer roller 43, and the residual ink removal process proceed in parallel at different positions.

  For example, when a highly viscous ink such as a conductive paste is used, the ink tends to dry because the content of the solvent component is low. Therefore, it is preferable that the time from when the ink is supplied to the printing plate Pa to when it is received by the transfer roller 43 and the time from when the ink is received by the transfer roller 43 until the residual ink is removed is as short as possible. In particular, the ink tends to remain inside the concave portion Pb, and when such ink is dried and solidified, the concave portion Pb is clogged. In this embodiment, these processes can be performed in parallel at close positions, so that clogging of the plate can be effectively prevented.

  The conventional technology for preventing clogging of the plate by temporarily filling the ink and the conventional technology for cleaning the plate surface with a solvent consume a large amount of ink and the solvent, which increases the processing cost. No solvent is required, and only a minimum amount of solvent is used to generate mist that enhances the cleaning effect when necessary. For this reason, it is possible to suppress an increase in processing cost.

  Returning to FIG. 7, the description of the printing operation will be continued. The ink pattern formed on the intaglio P is carried on the transfer roller 43 by filling the plate surface Pa with ink, receiving it by the transfer roller 43, and cleaning the plate surface Pa over the entire plate surface Pa. The Rukoto. Next, a “transfer process” is performed in which this pattern is finally transferred from the transfer roller 43 to the workpiece W. Specifically, it is as follows.

  FIG. 9 shows the operation of each part in the transfer process. As shown in FIG. 9A, when all of the ink IK carried on the intaglio P is received by the transfer roller 43, the transfer roller 43 is once raised (step S108). Then, the plate stage 12 moves in the Y1 direction to retract the intaglio P from the position below the transfer roller 43, and instead, the work stage 72 moves to the printing start position (step S109). As shown in FIG. 9B, the “print start position” of the work stage 72 is the position where the end of the work W held on the work stage 72 in the Y2 direction is directly below the transfer roller 43 or slightly in the Y1 direction. It is a position that is located on the side.

  In the process in which the work stage 72 is transported to the printing start position, the cleaning nozzle 55 is disposed to face the upper surface Wa of the work W placed on the work stage 72, and the gas is ejected from the discharge port 551 and the suction port 552. May be configured to perform the suction. At this time, the valve 562 (FIG. 5B) is closed, and a dry gas not containing solvent mist is blown onto the workpiece upper surface Wa. By doing so, particles adhering to the work W before the ink pattern is transferred are removed by the cleaning nozzle 55, and the ink can be transferred to the clean work W.

  From this state, a “transfer process” is performed in which the ink IK carried on the transfer roller 43 is transferred to the upper surface Wa of the workpiece W to transfer the pattern (step S110). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 9C, as in the receiving process for transferring the ink from the intaglio P to the transfer roller 43, the arrow in the state where the transfer roller 43 is lowered and is in contact with the workpiece upper surface Wa. The ink IK carried on the surface of the transfer roller 43 moves to the upper surface Wa of the work W by rotating in the direction R2 at a constant speed and moving the work stage 72 in the Y2 direction at a constant speed. Thereby, the ink IK is transferred to the workpiece W.

  When all of the ink IK carried on the transfer roller 43 is transferred to the work W, the transfer roller 43 rises and is separated from the work W (step S111), and each part of the apparatus shifts to a printing end state (step S112). When the printing operation is continuously executed, the above operation is repeated. However, when a plurality of printing operations are executed using the same intaglio P, the intaglio P set on the plate stage 12 is continuously used. Since the printing plate Pa is washed each time printing is performed, each printing operation is executed in a state where there is no residual ink on the printing plate Pa. Accordingly, it is possible to stably and repeatedly perform printing with good print quality.

  As described above, in this embodiment, the cleaning nozzle 55 of the plate cleaning unit 50 is disposed so as to face the plate surface Pa after the transfer roller 43 has received ink. A discharge port 551 and a suction port 552 are disposed in close proximity to the opposing surface 550 of the cleaning nozzle 55 that faces the plate surface Pa.

  Vibration (for example, ultrasonic vibration) is applied to the gas discharged from the discharge port 551 toward the printing plate Pa. For this reason, physical impact is given to deposits, such as residual ink which adheres to plate surface Pa to which gas was supplied, and liberation from plate surface Pa is promoted. Then, the gas supplied to the plate surface Pa is sucked into the suction port 552. For this reason, the liberated deposit is sucked together with the gas into the suction port 552 and removed from the plate surface Pa. As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to effectively remove deposits such as ink remaining on the plate surface Pa after being received by the transfer roller 43 to clean the plate surface Pa.

  This embodiment prevents the clogging of the plate by sucking and removing the deposits remaining on the plate surface Pa, and prevents the deposits from being dried by supplying ink or a solvent as in the prior art described above. It is not intended to prevent clogging. Further, the plate is not washed by being immersed in a solvent. As described above, since a large amount of ink or solvent is not used to prevent clogging, in this embodiment, it is possible to realize plate surface protection at a lower cost than in the prior art.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications other than those described above can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, as a modification of the cleaning nozzle in the above-described embodiment, the following structure can be given. In the following description, the same or substantially the same configuration as the configuration of the cleaning nozzle 55 of the above embodiment is denoted by the same reference numeral, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  FIG. 10 is a view showing a modified example of the cleaning nozzle. In the cleaning nozzle 55a of the first modification shown in FIG. 10 (a), the flow path 553 for flowing the pressurized gas sent from the supply pump 561 and the discharge port 551 are flow paths for discharging the gas. Two pairs are provided symmetrically with respect to the suction port 552 so as to sandwich the 555 and the suction port 552. The pressurized gas from the supply pump 561 is supplied to each of the two flow paths 553.

  According to such a configuration, as shown by a dotted arrow in FIG. 10A, a pair of discharge ports 551 provided with the suction port 552 sandwiched in the gap space between the facing surface 550 and the plate surface Pa. An air flow is formed such that the gas ejected from the air flows toward the suction port 552. For this reason, deposits such as residual ink released from the plate surface Pa by the blowing of gas are taken into this air flow and reliably head toward the suction port 552. Thereby, it is prevented more reliably that the loose deposits are scattered. In this case, it is preferable that the flow rate of the gas sucked from the suction port 552 be larger than the total flow rate of the gas discharged from the two discharge ports 551.

  Although not shown in the drawings, as a second modified example, a configuration in which a pair of suction ports 552 are provided so as to sandwich one discharge port 551 contrary to the above may be used. In such a configuration, the deposit that is released from the plate surface Pa by gas blowing and moves on the airflow in the Y1 direction or the Y2 direction is reliably captured by one of the airflows flowing toward the two suction ports 552. . Even with such a configuration, it is possible to prevent the scattered deposits from scattering.

  In the cleaning nozzle 55b of the third modified example shown in FIG. 10B, instead of the above-described ultrasonic vibrator, the cleaning nozzle 55b protrudes from the flow path 553 as means for applying vibration to the gas discharged from the discharge port 551. A vibrating portion 557 is provided. The vibration part 557 is a bar-like or plate-like part protruding so as to block the flow path from the wall surface constituting the flow path 553. The vibration portion 557 is elastically vibrated by the flow of the pressurized gas flowing through the flow path 553, whereby vibration is imparted to the gas. The frequency can be appropriately selected from an audible range to an ultrasonic range, for example. Thus, the vibration applied to the gas promotes the release of the deposit from the plate surface Pa. In such a configuration, it is possible to discharge a gas to which vibration is applied from the discharge port 551 without using an active element such as an ultrasonic transducer.

  In the cleaning nozzle 55c of the fourth modified example shown in FIG. 10C, a labyrinth portion 558 that changes the flow direction in small increments is provided in a part of the flow path 553. In such a configuration, the vortex generated by the complicated flow of the gas flowing through the flow path 553 imparts vibration to the gas. Even with such a configuration, it is possible to discharge the gas to which vibration is applied from the discharge port 551. Moreover, the structure which the wall body of the labyrinth part 558 vibrates with the flow of gas may be sufficient like the 3rd modification.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, gas is ejected from the washing nozzle 55 to the plate surface Pa, and the deposit | attachment is liberated. That is, gas is used as the “fluid” of the present invention. Alternatively, the liquid can be applied as a “fluid”. In this case, the liquid is used for the purpose of giving a physical impact to the plate surface Pa and the deposit, and an action of dissolving the deposit is not essential. Therefore, it is not necessary to use ink or its solvent, and a lower cost liquid can be used.

  In this case, the gap between the facing surface 550 of the cleaning nozzle 55 and the plate surface Pa may be in a liquid-tight state in order to prevent the scattering of the liquid and to effectively remove the deposits. preferable. It is also possible to obtain the effect of preventing scattering to the surroundings by using the surface tension of the liquid to keep the liquid in the gap portion. In addition, the liquid consumption can be reduced by discharging the liquid from the discharge port at a flow rate that does not destroy the liquid-tight state. Since the action of releasing the deposit from the plate surface Pa is brought about by the vibration applied to the liquid, it is not necessary to supply a strong jet to the plate surface Pa. In order to efficiently transmit vibration to the plate surface Pa, it is desirable that the liquid in the flow path and the liquid in the gap are in a continuous state.

  In the above-described embodiment, the ink filling unit 30, the roller unit 40, and the plate cleaning unit 50 are arranged in order from the upstream side along the moving direction (Y2 direction) of the plate surface Pa accompanying the movement of the plate stage 12. . However, these arrangements are not limited to the above. For example, the ink filling unit, the plate cleaning unit, and the roller unit may be sequentially arranged along the Y2 direction. In this case, the plate surface can be cleaned by the plate cleaning unit when the intaglio is retracted in the Y1 direction after the ink filled in the intaglio is received by the transfer roller.

  Further, in the above embodiment, the units are arranged along the plate surface Pa of the intaglio P that is held and moved by the plate stage 12, thereby realizing the relative movement between the plate and each unit. In other words, the relative movement may be realized by moving each of the above units relative to the plate that is held on the screen.

  Moreover, although the intaglio P in the said embodiment is a flat plate, since the washing | cleaning nozzle which concerns on this invention becomes a structure which wash | cleans the plate surface which passes an opposing position one by one, for example also about the drum-shaped plate which rotates. It is possible to remove deposits in the same manner. Further, the plate to be subjected to the cleaning process is not limited to the intaglio plate, and for example, a plate for letterpress printing or planographic printing can also be a processing target.

  As described above, the main part of the printing apparatus 1 according to the embodiment has a function as the “plate cleaning apparatus” of the present invention. The plate stage 12 functions as a “plate holding unit” of the present invention, and the supply pump 561 and the discharge pump 565 function as a “fluid supply unit” and a “discharge unit” of the present invention, respectively. Further, the ultrasonic transducer 554 functions as the “vibration generator” of the present invention. Further, in the cleaning nozzle 55b of the third modified example, the vibration part 557 functions as the “vibrator” and “vibration generating unit” of the present invention, and in the cleaning nozzle 55c of the fourth modified example, the labyrinth unit 558 is the main part. It functions as the “vibration generator” of the invention.

  In the above-described embodiment, the valve 562 and the mist generating part 563 function as a “mist adding part” of the present invention. The ink filling unit 30 functions as the “filling portion” of the present invention, and the transfer roller 43 functions as the “receiving member” of the present invention.

  As described above, the plate cleaning apparatus according to the present invention includes a fluid supply unit that supplies a fluid to the discharge port and a discharge unit that discharges the fluid sucked from the suction port, as described above by exemplifying specific embodiments. The structure provided with these may be sufficient. According to such a configuration, the fluid supplied from the fluid supply unit is supplied to the plate surface from the discharge port of the cleaning nozzle, so that liberation of deposits on the plate surface is promoted, and the fluid is discharged by the discharge unit. The liberated deposits are removed from the printing plate together with the fluid. In this way, it is possible to effectively clean the printing plate.

  Further, for example, the cleaning nozzle may be configured to include a vibration generating unit that is provided in a fluid flow path communicating with the discharge port and generates vibration applied to the fluid. According to such a configuration, the vibration generating unit generates vibration suitable for releasing the deposits on the plate surface, so that release of the deposits from the plate surface can be effectively promoted.

  Specifically, for example, the vibration generating unit may have an ultrasonic transducer. Further, for example, the vibration generating unit may have a rod-shaped or plate-shaped vibrator protruding from the flow path, and the fluid flowing through the flow path may vibrate the vibrator to generate vibration. According to these configurations, it is possible to reliably give vibration to the fluid flowing through the flow path.

  For example, the fluid in the present invention may be a gas. According to such a configuration, the fluid does not remain on the plate surface after being washed, and the airflow from the discharge port to the suction port is formed along the plate surface, so that the deposits released from the plate surface are removed. Can be reliably removed from the printing plate.

  In this case, a mist addition section for adding a mist of a solvent to the gas may be further provided. According to such a configuration, it is possible to further promote the release from the plate surface by reducing the viscosity of the deposit. Since the purpose is not to dissolve and remove the deposit, the amount of solvent used is small.

  Further, for example, a pair of discharge ports may be provided on the opposite surface with the suction port interposed therebetween. According to such a configuration, an inward flow from the pair of discharge ports toward the suction port sandwiched between the pair of discharge ports is formed, so that leakage of fluid to the outside can be effectively prevented.

  Further, for example, a pair of suction ports may be provided on the opposite surface with the discharge port interposed therebetween. According to such a configuration, the fluid discharged from the discharge port can be reliably sucked by the suction port, and the fluid can be effectively prevented from leaking to the outside.

  In addition, the printing apparatus according to the present invention may have, for example, a configuration in which the plate holding unit moves the plate in a direction parallel to the plate surface, and the receiving member and the cleaning nozzle are arranged along the movement path of the plate surface. According to such a configuration, it is possible to realize the reception of the printing material from the printing plate to the receiving member and the cleaning of the printing plate by the cleaning nozzle by a series of plate movements. An efficient printing sequence can be constructed.

  In this case, the filling unit, the receiving member, and the cleaning nozzle may be arranged in this order along the movement path of the printing plate. According to such a configuration, filling of the printing material into the printing plate, ink reception by the receiving member, and washing of the printing plate can be performed in parallel at each position on the printing plate. Thereby, the printing sequence can be made more efficient. Further, the filling unit, the receiving member, and the cleaning nozzle are arranged in the order along the printing sequence, so that the respective units can be arranged close to each other. For this reason, the time from when the printing material is supplied to the printing plate until it is removed by washing is shortened, and it is possible to more effectively prevent the printing material from adhering to the printing plate.

  The present invention can be applied to all techniques for cleaning a plate used for printing, and is particularly suitable for cleaning an intaglio plate in which a concave portion provided on a plate surface is filled with a printing material. Further, it is also suitable for washing a plate in which a high viscosity printing material is used.

1 Printing device (plate cleaning device, printing device)
12th plate stage (plate holding part)
30 Ink filling unit (filling unit)
43 Transfer roller (receiving member)
50 Plate cleaning unit 55, 55a, 55b, 55c Cleaning nozzle 56 Cleaning control unit 550 Opposing surface 551 Discharge port 552 Suction port 553 Channel 554 Ultrasonic vibrator (vibration generating unit)
557 Vibration site (vibrator, vibration generator)
558 Labyrinth (vibration generator)
561 Supply pump (fluid supply part)
562 Valve (Mist addition part)
563 Mist generation part (mist addition part)
565 Discharge pump (discharge section)
P Intaglio Pa Plate surface W Workpiece

Claims (14)

A plate holding unit for holding a plate;
A cleaning nozzle disposed opposite to the plate surface of the plate and cleaning the plate surface;
The cleaning nozzle is provided with a discharge port and a suction port, and has a facing surface that is close to and opposed to the plate surface, and moves the fluid that has been vibrated from the discharge port while moving relative to the plate surface along the plate surface. A plate cleaning apparatus that supplies the fluid to the plate surface and sucks the fluid supplied to the plate surface from the suction port.   The plate cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a fluid supply unit that supplies the fluid to the discharge port; and a discharge unit that discharges the fluid sucked from the suction port.   The plate cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning nozzle includes a vibration generating unit that is provided in a flow path of the fluid that communicates with the discharge port and generates vibration applied to the fluid.   The plate washing | cleaning apparatus of Claim 3 with which the said vibration generation part has an ultrasonic transducer | vibrator.   The plate cleaning apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the vibration generating unit includes a rod-shaped or plate-shaped vibrator protruding from the flow path, and the fluid flowing through the flow path vibrates the vibrator.   The plate cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fluid is a gas.   The plate washing | cleaning apparatus of Claim 6 provided with the mist addition part which adds the mist of a solvent to the said gas.   The plate cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a pair of the discharge ports are provided on the facing surface with the suction port interposed therebetween.   The plate cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a pair of the suction ports are provided on the facing surface with the discharge port interposed therebetween. A plate cleaning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
A filling unit for filling the printing surface of the plate held by the plate holding unit with a printing material;
A printing apparatus comprising: a receiving member that contacts the printing plate and receives the printing material filled in the printing plate. The plate holder moves the plate in a direction parallel to the plate surface;
The printing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the receiving member and the cleaning nozzle are disposed along a movement path of the plate surface.   The printing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the filling unit, the receiving member, and the cleaning nozzle are arranged in this order along a movement path of the printing plate. A cleaning nozzle is placed in close proximity to the plate surface of the plate to be cleaned,
From a discharge port provided on the surface facing the plate surface of the cleaning nozzle, supplying a fluid to which vibration is applied to the plate surface
A plate cleaning method for sucking the fluid supplied to the plate surface from a suction port provided on the facing surface. Filling the printing plate with a printing material;
Bringing a receiving member into contact with the plate surface, and receiving the printing material on the plate surface with the receiving member;
A printing method comprising: cleaning the plate surface by the plate cleaning method according to claim 13.

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