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Figure 10-20.–Image Maker processcr.
numerous automatic processors available on the market
today. Two types of machine processors are commonly
used in Navy imaging facilities. They are the rotary
drum and the roller transport type of processors.
ROTARY DRUM PROCESSOR
The semiautomatic processor most commonly used
in Navy imaging facilities is the Image Maker,
manufactured by the King Concept Corporation (fig.
10-20). When this type of processor is used, film and
paper are processed in a lighttight canister. Before being
processed, the material must first be loaded on stainless
steel reels for roll film or in a plastic basket for sheet
film or paper. Depending on the setup of the processor,
the holding tanks are either filled with chemicals
manually, or they may be filled automatically. The
solutions are then automatically added to and dumped
from the processing drum. The time, temperature, and
solution steps are all controlled by a computer. After the
material is processed, it is then removed from the drum,
squeegeed, and dried.
The advantages of a rotary drum processor is it is of
relatively low cost, small in size, and can run many
different processes through the same machine. The
major disadvantage is that the chemicals are dumped
instead of replenished which is not environmentally
sound and can be costly.
ROLLER TRANSPORT PROCESSOR
Automatic processors commonly use roller
transport systems (fig. 10-21). When you are using these
machines, the material being processed moves at a
constant speed by friction. The materials are guided
through the processing solutions by a series of rollers
and rack assemblies. On many processors, a leader tab
must be attached to the beginning of the roll to aid in
pulling the film through the machine.
The size of the solution tanks and the length of the
path through the solution determine how long the
material must remain in each solution (processing time).
On some automatic processors, the finished, dried,
processed material leaves the processor and is then
automatically cut and sorted.
Roller transport processors contain two major
sections: the wet section and the dryer section. The wet
section contains the developer, fixer, and wash tanks.
The film is then transported through a squeegee
assembly and enters the dryer.
Many different types of processors are used
throughout the Navy. Each type has specific installation,
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