QuadTech's Innovative Color and Inspection Technology to Be Featured at Emballage 2012

The Inspection System with SpectralCam combines true 100 percent inspection with advanced color measurement in a single system. The system assures continuous, in-line monitoring during printing of virtually all web-fed package materials, including transparent, translucent and opaque film substrates in addition to paper. It also uses line-scan technology to compare each print repeat against a ‘golden template’, which is a printed copy considered by the press operator to be as close to perfect as possible. Golden template technology results in a fixed, unchanging quality standard that is more sensitive than other inspection methods to slow growing defects such as register, streaks and color change.

Also available for the package printer is QuadTech’s Autotron 2600 Register Guidance System with ClearLogic which provides accurate register control on any press. This is highly beneficial to users of opaque, transparent and reflective substrates such as BOPP, metalized film, high-gloss cast and polypropylene. Using MiniCam scanning heads the process detects various pale and low-contrast marks with precision, significantly reducing make-ready waste.

Randy Freeman, QuadTech general manager of packaging says, “QuadTech's technology identifies a range of flexo and gravure related defects faster and more reliably than is possible by human means, eliminating the risk of waste or the need for re-runs. The enhanced systems allow film printers to take advantage of the enormous waste savings potential that in-line measurement offers. Press stoppages are avoided and quality consistency assured.”

Software integration

Data Central for Inspection is a database for logging and analysis of defects and press performance. This program generates easily accessible reports that provide real-time overviews of current or historical performance, allowing fast remedial action. In addition to color and web data, the system can store the golden template reference image for each job, picking up every small defect deviating from this perfect image taken at the beginning of the run in good copy.

QuadTech PDF Verification further assures complete accuracy by comparing the golden template and the original customer-approved digital artwork file. This is a fail-safe tool that helps to consistently ensure the print is right the first time, minimizing waste and saving time.

A QuadTech Waste Management System enables precise waste removal and eliminates wastage of quality product. The system can automatically control the slitter-rewinder, waste removal and roll splicing. New tagless defect tracking features use weight to determine waste removal and avoid the need to contaminate a roll with expensive tags.

The QuadTech Web Viewing System provides a high-resolution, real-time digital viewing of moving web sections for all packaging applications. Defect detection is made with the press running uninterrupted, as deviations are analyzed while the Inspection System continues scanning the web.