Machine Vision & Web Inspection
Latest AVT innovations underline how print inspection has moved beyond quality control
Print production has become faster, more automated and increasingly connected
he traditional role of print inspection systems has evolved and the technology is no longer simply about identifying defects and preventing unacceptable work from reaching the customer. Across flexo, gravure, digital and hybrid production environments, inspection is increasingly being used to control quality in real time, reduce make-ready waste, improve colour consistency and feed information into downstream processes. The result is a shift from inspection as a final safeguard to inspection as an active part of the production workflow. “Converters want to know what is happening during production, why it is happening and what they can do about it,” said Guy. “The more eff ectively inspection data can be connected to the rest of the workfl ow, the greater the value it delivers.” The requirement for 100 per cent inspection remains fundamental. The AVT Helios, Argus and Apollo platforms provide automated inspection across a range of label and packaging applications and printing technologies, identifying issues including colour variation, registration errors, print defects, barcode problems and coating faults. But technology is increasingly designed around what happens with that information. “For converters running fast flexo and gravure presses, a defect can mean hundreds or thousands of meters of compromised substrate if not identified quickly,” said Guy. “In digital production, where jobs can change continuously, inspection needs to keep pace with rapid job changes and verify the correct artwork and variable information without introducing additional manual intervention. “But no matter what print technology workflow is used, the objective is the same,”
T
said Guy. “Systems need to both enable converters to detect problems as early as possible, while also making the information useful. In today’s increasingly demanding environment, inspection cannot be a separate process that slows everything down – it has to fit the way production actually works. “That means increasingly automated job setup, data exchange and defect handling, allowing inspection to operate as part of a connected and integrated workflow.”
TAKING THE GUESSWORK OUT OF COLOUR
“Colour remains one of the most persistent challenges in packaging print production,” added Guy. “Brand owners expect repeatable color across substrates, presses and production sites, while converters need to achieve and maintain those results without extending make- ready or consuming unnecessary material.” To meet the challenges of today’s demanding print environments, AVT SpectraLab XF provides inline spectral measurement of Lab, Delta E, density and dot gain at speeds of up to 600m/min, with patches as small as 4-6mm. “Instead of relying solely on offline measurement, converters can monitor colour continuously during production and identify drift as it occurs,” he said. “The BestMatch integrated module, powered by X-Rite, adds additional automation during make-
By Guy Yogev, VP of Marketing & Product, AVT (Advanced Vision Technology)
ready, providing live density adjustment recommendations that help operators reach the target colour more quickly.” Guy said bringing colour measurement directly into the production process makes it signifi cantly more powerful. “The operator is not simply being told whether the colour is right or wrong, but instead being given information that helps them get to the target faster and maintain it,” he said. “For converters, that translates into shorter make-ready, less substrate waste and greater consistency between jobs.” One of the most significant developments in inspection technology is the movement of high-quality information downstream. “Rewinding and finishing can traditionally involve substantial manual intervention, with operators needing to review defect roll maps and decide on final waste removal,” said Guy. “This can be time-consuming and introduces another point at which information can be lost or interpreted differently.”
Not every quality problem can be detected by conventional visual inspection. This is particularly relevant to premium labels and packaging where varnishes, coatings and other finishing effects form an important part of the product. “Operating in-line and without the need for UV additives, the Varnish Inspection module within AVT 100 per cent inspection systems is designed to identify defects including misregistration, partial starvation and coating voids that can be difficult or impossible for standard cameras to detect,” said Guy. “For high-value packaging, a coating defect discovered at finishing can be much more expensive than one identified during printing. The earlier you identify the problem, the more opportunity you have to correct it before additional value is added to the material.”
www.convertermag.com
September 2026
25
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42
