A developing apparatus includes a developing mechanism and a heating mechanism, and the heating mechanism includes a plurality of heating units. The plurality of heating units are provided above or below the developing mechanism, and each heating unit of the plurality of heating units is disposed independently.

A substrate having a film of a coating liquid containing metal is held by a spin chuck, the film having been exposed in a predetermined pattern. A slit nozzle supplies a development liquid to a surface to be processed of the substrate supported by the spin chuck. A cleaning liquid for removing or dissolving metal is supplied by a cleaning nozzle to the surface to be processed of the substrate to which the development liquid has been supplied.

A coating and developing method includes: a step that applies a resist containing a metal to a front surface of a substrate to form a resist film, and exposes the resist film; a developing step that supplies a developer to the front surface of the substrate to develop the resist film; and a step that forms, before the developing step, a first protective film on a peripheral part of the substrate on which the resist film is not formed, so as to prevent the developer from coming into contact with the peripheral part of the substrate, wherein the first protective film is formed at least on a peripheral end surface and a peripheral portion of a rear surface of the substrate in the peripheral part of the substrate.

A system is for processing a photosensitive flexographic printing plate having a latent image formed by image-wise exposure of an aqueous-processable photopolymer. The system can use a first aqueous processing solution with the latent image for cleaning and then washing a resulting relief image with a second aqueous processing solution, where the second aqueous processing solution is devoid of the photopolymer. A processing solution tank is configured to combine the first used aqueous processing solution with the second used aqueous processing solution to form a combined used aqueous processing solution. A processing solution removal can include: a holding tank configured for receiving the combined used aqueous processing solution; and a conduit from the processing solution tank to the holding tank. The processing solution tank includes the combined used aqueous processing solution at less than a predefined maximum volume and having the photopolymer at less than a predefined maximum concentration.

A device for producing flexographic printing plates starting from digitally imagable flexographic printing elements, with which at least the method steps of reverse exposure, main exposure, development using washout media, drying, and aftertreatment can be carried out in automated form, the device comprising at least two different transport devices with which the flexographic printing elements or plates, respectively, are transported through the device. A method for producing flexographic printing plates using said device.

Provided is a conveying type washing device capable of achieving both maintainability and productivity. This conveying type washing device develops a flexographic printing plate precursor after imagewise exposure using a washing solution. The conveying type washing device has a conveying unit that conveys the flexographic printing plate precursor through a conveying path including a curved conveying path, and a development unit that develops the flexographic printing plate precursor in a state in which the flexographic printing plate precursor is immersed in the washing solution by the conveying unit and conveyed.

The present invention relates to a feeding assembly (1) for automatically loading a flexographic plate (5) in a treatment station (7). The assembly according to the invention comprises a punching unit of said plate (5), handling means (5) for moving the flexographic plate from a loading surface to said punching unit and from said punching unit to a housing site in which a pin bar (14) which can be connected to said plate (5) is arranged. According to the invention, the handling means are configured to connect the plate (5) to said bar automatically and to move the bar, at the end of such a connection, to a predetermined position in which it can be coupled to a treatment system (77) of said treatment station.

A method for processing a photosensitive flexographic printing plate having an aqueous-processable photopolymer. A main processing unit is used to develop a relief image by removing unexposed photopolymer using an aqueous processing solution including a first dispersing agent while the photosensitive flexographic printing plate is being subjected to mechanical cleaning. Used aqueous processing solution containing the removed photopolymer is returned back into a processing solution tank. A secondary processing unit is used to wash the developed relief image with secondary aqueous processing solution including a second dispersing agent to remove debris from the developed relief image. Used secondary aqueous processing solution containing the removed photopolymer is directed into the processing solution tank. A portion of the aqueous processing solution from the processing solution tank is removed to keep a volume of aqueous processing solution in the processing solution tank below a predefined maximum volume.

An apparatus for treating a substrate includes a developing chamber that performs a developing process on the substrate by supplying a developing solution, a supercritical chamber that treats the substrate by supplying a supercritical fluid, and a transfer chamber having a transfer unit that transfers the substrate W between the developing chamber and the supercritical chamber.

A developing treatment method for performing a developing treatment on a resist film on a substrate, includes: a pattern forming step of forming a resist pattern by supplying a developing solution to the substrate and developing the resist film on the substrate; a coating step of coating the developed substrate with an aqueous solution of a water-soluble polymer; and a rinse step of cleaning the substrate by supplying a rinse solution to the substrate coated with the aqueous solution of the water-soluble polymer.