Machine Vision & Web Inspection HowErhardt+Leimer is addressing the requirements for ever-smaller print runs
Smooth work order changes in shorter time O
ne of the trends on the labels market is ever-smaller runs with often very short
delivery times. Machines are becoming faster and faster, but large orders have become rare. This means that label manufacturers must work with detailed production plans and keep the setup times during work order changes as short as possible. The prerequisites for meeting these requirements are provided by web guiding and inspection systems that can be set up in the shortest conceivable time. Germany company Erhardt+Leimer manufactures these systems. Here, Dirk Schröder, E+L sales
manager for the printing, film and packaging areas, presents products with strengths that come to the fore exactly when print shops need to design a smooth production flow and must minimise the setup times. One of these is the 100 per cent
inspection system, SMARTSCAN. On a work order change, the operator can also set up this system in seconds. SMARTSCAN is used to count labels that are produced on rolls and to inspect them for defects. Typical defects include missing
labels, unremoved matrix, damage and printing errors. Splices and marks (flags) are also detected reliably by the system and classified by defect type. Depending on the application,
the defects detected are positioned on a finishing machine, where they can then be repaired immediately; for example a faulty label is removed and replaced with a correct label. On printing machines, a marker can be set at the position of the defect via a digital error signal, or the operator is given a warning so that they can respond as quickly as possible. SMARTSCAN is operated via a
multi-touch monitor. There is no longer any need for a setup menu. The teach-in process is started at the push of a button, after which the system sets itself up within a few seconds. Afterwards the operator can then immediately start the inspection – the camera image is displayed on the monitor, labels are counted and defects are automatically positioned or marked. And the operator has time to deal with the actual work at hand. Also in its portfolio, E+L has a
solution for setting the register quickly on a work order change; the web monitoring system, ELSCAN OMS4, with its two fixed focus cameras (the patented “dualView” technology), makes possible delay- free zooming and navigation within the repeat with high-resolution, distortion-free camera images. In this way the operator can find the register marks quickly and mark them on the camera image. The system then calculates the offsets
Reimagining web inspection
and sends the correction command to the register adjustment system for the related printing units so that the colour marks on all printing units are then in their set positions. A key area of development for
Erhardt+Leimer is the ability to connect the individual automation components on a network via Ethernet, and in this way also to make possible the digitisation of the production processes.
uwww.erhardt-leimer.com
“The result is a very powerful, very
intuitive tool,” says Stephan Doppelhammer, QuadTech market manager for packaging. “We think printers
will immediately understand the eficiencies to be gained, and will be excited about the value they can add to their operations.” There are a number of new features that will prove beneficial to
converters, among them the Golden Template - a fixed reference image that is captured at the beginning of every print run, and to which every subsequent printed copy is compared. The System tolerates web wander and stretch, detecting slow-growing defects such as register, streaking or colour changes for the full print run. QuadTech’s new scalable Inspection System is based upon a 64-bit
With demands for zero-defect packaging production more commonplace than ever, QuadTech has built its new web inspection system from the ground up to help deliver perfect packaging print. In today’s packaging market printed output must be of the highest quality
across and throughout the roll, or converters will bear the costs of reworks or potentially even lose business. As a result, web inspection has become a vitally important aspect of their operation, helping to identify defects during the print run, and also helping with aspects of colour management. As the saying goes, if something is worth doing, then it’s worth doing properly. QuadTech introduced its latest ‘Inspection System’ for packaging and
converting printers at the drupa exhibition last year, building upon its ICON integrated platform. The company says it has “reimagined” web inspection with what it calls a better process for the detection and disposition of defects.
22 February 2017
software architecture, allowing a wider array of advanced algorithms to analyse the printed substrate, helping to detect defect types such as ink spots, register/colour variation, content issues and streaks. These algorithms automatically adapt the System to changing press conditions, start- ups/restarts, splices and normal running speeds included. This System features the flexibility to fully customise the resolution at
which the web is viewed, providing 100 per cent image acquisition and complete inspection down to the finest detail. The product includes a new high definition wide screen user interface, which supports larger image sizes for defect analysis, while temperature-controlled LED lighting gives printers the lowest level of granularity to identify defects and prevent costly waste. QuadTech Inspection System has an intuitive user interface that provides
press operators with powerful new capabilities, such as masks and multiple defect sensitivities, and a live, colour-coded roll map allows operators to quickly identify different types of defects, and make fast decisions about the severity of a defect and how to deal with it.
uwww.quadtechworld.com
www.convertermag.co.uk
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