Apparatus and a method for irradiating a section of a length of a

Abstract

An apparatus for irradiating a section forming an end portion of a length of a sheet-like material comprising a layer containing a photosensitive substance, where the boundary between said section and the rest of the length of material is defined by a divisional line, said apparatus comprising a supporting device defining a concavely curved, substantially circular cylindrical surface part; means for feeding the section in a first direction and into a first position in which the section is in abutting engagement with the cylindrical surface part and extends peripherally along the cylindrical surface part; irradiating means capable of irradiating at least a major part of said layer of said section containing said photosensitive substance and being adjacent to said divisional line; means for moving the length in a second direction substantially opposite to the first direction to a separating position, and separating means positioned at the separating position for separating the irradiated section from the rest of the length along said divisional line. The present apparatus is able to output an irradiated section having the desired dimensions directly after irradiation. No waste occurs between two irradiated images so that no cutting or the like is required in order to obtain the desired dimensions.