Machine Vision and Web Inspection
Digital Print Web Inspection: putting quality control and profitability at your fingertips
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n today’s fast paced, JIT, short run world of manufacturing, consistent print quality is no longer sacrificed for achievements in volume and output; print quality is a requirement to remain competitive. Expensive. Big. Complicated. If this is how you think of high-resolution print inspection systems, think again. In its infancy and going back to the beginnings of web or print inspection technology, the print industry has had to invest heavily for even the most basic of print inspection systems. When the least bit of sophistication entered the system, the price soared. The last several years has seen the birth and growth of affordable, reliable print inspection systems. Today’s printers and converters are benefiting from revolutionary advancements in all vision systems. Systems are now compact and affordable. They have all the power and capabilities of larger, more expensive systems of the past. Now, it is not uncommon for the printer to open the shipping container, install the inspection system and improve quality and productivity of their process that same day. No advanced engineering degrees required. Installed and on-line in one day. If that is not enough to make you smile, consider the investment cost. Basic systems today start out under $8,000.00USD. Even the most basic of systems will prove to be a truly, cost effective addition to your company’s quality control program. Pressroom data studies of actual Return on Investment (ROI) after installation have shown payback as quickly as a few short months. Now it is upon us, a new direction in print inspection and quality control; digital systems yielding up to five times greater image resolution over earlier inspection systems, an increase of over 400 percent. Higher image resolution
34 September 2024
results in better image quality and colour fidelity significantly improving inspection ability. Independent studies show that new digital technology, coupled with higher resolution image monitor technology, offers improved resolution. Crisp, clear images that aid in finding difficult print defects as well as mis-registration and other more common defects, all with greater ease, increased reliability and improved inspection accuracy. Need to inspect print with optical brighteners or UV-visible inks and coatings, as well as standard inks in one system? Need to monitor your bar code print quality? Need to automatically monitor print colour, all at full production speeds? Never has monitoring your print been easier, more accurate or more affordable.
MACHINE VISION PRINT INSPECTION AS A PRESS ROOM TOOL
It is vitally important to be aware of the role that the operator and management team plays in successfully implementing this technology. This technology has its roots deeply planted in an operator’s ability to use it. Print inspection is a very valuable tool when appropriately used and implemented into a company’s quality control program. The ability to “judge” defects and printing problems, ultimately, plays an important part in deriving benefits and pay back from this technology.
In a recent survey of existing TruColor web inspection system users, the results proved that the introduction of a TruColor print inspection system helped increase profi ts by reducing waste, reducing setup/make-ready or change over time, increasing press speeds, increasing quality and increasing overall pressroom productivity. • The average pressroom reported a waste reduction of 15 percent.
• The average pressroom reported a reduction in setup time of 19 percent.
• The average pressroom reported an increase in press speeds of 16 percent, some reported increase as high as 25 percent.
• The average pressroom reported a 21 percent increase in overall print quality; the lowest reported increase was 15 percent.
• The average pressroom user experienced a 13 percent increase in overall pressroom productivity; some reported an increase as high as 30 percent after the installation of a TruColor print inspection system.
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