Patent ID: 7041432

Claim:
An apparatus for exposing and developing a cylindrical flexographic printing element, the apparatus comprising: means to support, and preferably rotate, the cylindrical printing element; means for exposing an imaged surface of the cylindrical printing element to actinic radiation to selectively crosslink and cure the imaged surface of the cylindrical printing element; and means for thermally developing the imaged and exposed surface of the cylindrical printing element, wherein said means for thermally developing the imaged and exposed surface comprises: a) means for softening or melting non-crosslinked photopolymer on the imaged and exposed surface of the cylindrical printing element; b) at least one roll that is contactable with the imaged surface of the flexographic printing element and capable of rotating against the curved surface of the cylindrical printing element and simultaneously moving across at least a portion of the length of the cylindrical printing element to remove the softened or melted non-crosslinked photopolymer on the imaged and exposed surface of the cylindrical printing element; and c) means for maintaining contact between the at least one roll and the imaged and exposed surface of the cylindrical printing element.