Our inspection solutions interface with production equipment to stop, divert, mark or track defective items for variable documents, labels, plastic cards and smart packaging print production
In any print production process, errors can occur due to equipment failures, human error or environmental conditions. This becomes a major issue when processing critical documents (statements, bills, invoices, and policies), variable data labels (shipping, authentication and tax stamps) and plastic cards where 100% job integrity and print quality is paramount.
Also, many printed items such as postal sorted mail and plastic cards (telephone SIM cards) need to be batched/bundled/trayed for easy dispatch and shipping.
When a print defect or integrity error is detected by the camera inspection system, it is essential that the correct item is diverted, marked or flagged in the most appropriate and efficient manner to minimize the impact on the on-going production process. Whether the item is sheet fed or on a continuous web, precise process control must be maintained throughout using robust integrity management, item tracking and close integration with the equipment. This ensures that the right item is identified and either the equipment is stopped, an alarm is sounded, or the item is diverted and presented to the operator to mark, tab or flag the item for later off-line inspection and correction. This management of defects minimizes the loss in productivity, time and wastage, and therefore the direct impact on operational costs and profitability.
Typical Requirements
- Reliable reading, identification, verification and matching of a multitude of symbologies on printed items at high speeds including, 1D & 2D barcodes and OCR of text.
- Ability to track items, verify sequence and match information against a database or the original print run input file for complete integrity verification
- Ability to detect print quality defects such as voids, streaks, ink marks, print registration or colour deviations
- Flexible and configurable options to precisely stop, divert, jog, mark or tab suspect items in the shortest possible distance for high-speed sheet or web devices
- Effectively alert the operator through using traffic light and/or audible alarms warnings
- Ability to integrate with all major printers/presses, inserter, label converter, card attaching and personalisation and variable/flexible packaging equipment
- Ability to generate detailed error reports and location roll rolls maps which can be used by ADF, MIS or in-house factory control systems as well as by automated reprint systems and offline web inspection/correction stations.
- Ability to provide bolt-on divert stations, inkjet marking or tabbing solutions
- Productivity solutions for batching/ bundling/ traying for streamlining despatch and shipping
- Ability to provide ongoing, real-time information and detailed production/Audit reporting
- Flexibility to easily change process control configurations to adapt to changing customer requirements