Zooming Toward Quality

Defining automation

An automatic web inspection system does represent a hefty leap ahead in terms of speed and accuracy, but this technology won't eliminate operator set-up or decision-making, and it can't (yet) correct defects.

Griese defines automatic web inspection as a system that inspects an entire run by comparing a live image to a master or reference, and automatically alerts the operator to defects. He contends that consistency will drive automation's adoption. "Printers are being asked to produce not necessarily better quality, but more consistent product, especially for pharmaceutical and security applications. Mistakes can turn into a costly legal issue," he notes, adding that printers can't afford to depend on manual inspection for label features such as foreign languages and patented logos. Hardware cost decreases are making automatic inspection systems' price tags more attractive, he says.